This is part of a series of article, found here, which, as the denotes, consider whether within the Bible people just accept miracles because they were oh so very common or because they were so gullible; in the senses of being so superstitious that they would believe, and not question, anything.
What we find is that when such instances such as those pointed out within the series occur the biblical record relates very skeptical reactions for the witnesses; this includes setting up “tests,” as it were, so as to affirm that the event was, indeed, miraculous.
In this segment we will consider what is perhaps a subtle miracle. That is to say that to the outside observer, nothing miraculous was occurring but for he in the know; miracles were not only afoot but were confirmed one after the other.
Let us proceed by gleaning from Genesis 24 which states that “Abraham said unto his eldest servant…that ruled over all that he had…I pray thee…thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites…go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.”
Thus, the servant was put in charge of fining a wife for Isaac who was not a Canaanite but of Abraham’s own people group—matchmaker, match maker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch…
Well, the servant did not rule over all that Abraham had for nothing but was obviously quite savvy. Thus, he did not just go to the right geographical and invite one at random.
…the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham…
At this point, the servant seeks guidance from YHVH and thus, becomes he in the know.
Let us proceed with the prayer:
…I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
Thus, his prayer request is specific enough to include that the damsel come to draw water, that she would offer him to drink and that she would give his ten, mind you, camels drink. FYI: camels drink a lot, this is hard work.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder…went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again
unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
As the servant is he in the know, he continues “wondering…whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.”
…as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; And said, Whose daughter art thou?…I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor…We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.
At his point, not only had she come out for water, offered him some and gave to the camels; she turns out to be of Abraham’s own people group.
Thus:
…the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
When he comes to her home, he relates the story to her family and the rest is history.
This is a great example of a subtle miracle, as it were, about which only he in the know knew about even as it unfolded. It goes to show on just how many levels YHVH works and how, in this case, the result was accepted as a specified series of predetermined (that is, requested ahead of time via prayer) events unfolded.
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