灵糧

“Be careful, lest someone be as immoral and ungodly as Esau. For a momentary appetite, he sold his status as the eldest son. “[Hebrews 12:16]

At forty years old, Isaac met Rebekah in the dusk wilderness and married her. But Rebekah was infertile after marriage. Isaac’s half-brother Ishmael had twelve sons, making the family a prominent clan.

Isaac remembered the promise God had told him to his father Abraham, and seeing that he had no son, he prayed to God. God answered his prayer.

Twenty years after his marriage, when Isaac was 60, Rebekah gave birth to twin sons. The eldest was covered in red hair and was named Yisao [meaning decisive]. When the second child was born, he grabbed his older brother’s heel and called him Jacob [meaning to replace]. When Isaac was 75, his father Abraham, who was 175, passed away.

Before Abraham died, he left all his possessions to Isaac and again entrusted his son to hold onto God’s promise.

Although he labored all his life without seeing God’s promises fulfilled, he returned with faith in God.

Isaac and his brother Ishmael buried their father beside their mother, who had died thirty-eight years earlier, in the cave of Mabilah in Hebron, which their father had bought from the Hittites at the time of their mother’s death. Esau and Jacob grew up, and their personalities were as distinctly different as their appearances.

Issao was reckless and reckless, fond of hunting.

Jacob is shrewd and prefers to be quiet at home. One day, the older brother returned from hunting, exhausted, hot, and hungry. Seeing his brother at home cooking red bean soup, he begged him to share some with him. Jacob said calmly, “If you trade the birthright for me, then eat as much as you want.”

“Brother didn’t hesitate. Since they were twins, the eldest son was only about fifteen minutes old, so he agreed without hesitation.

Time slips away like an hourglass, passing silently. Isaac grew old, his eyes blurred, nearly blind, lying in bed, spending the rest of his life. Though his eyes were blind, his mind became sharper. Looking back on the years gone by, he remembered that the first major event was when he walked with his father for three days to the summit of Mount Moriah, where he met angels and witnessed God’s preparation with his own eyes.

Married at 40, had a child at 60. Later, when famine struck, God instructed him to flee to Geral, several hundred miles northwest, where his wife was nearly taken by the locals. But God blessed him there, and his crops multiplied a hundredfold, his cattle and sheep multiplied, and he became wealthy.

The locals resented him and filled in the well his father had dug in his early years, forcing him to migrate southeast.

Four times in a row, his wells were filled or occupied, and finally he was driven back to Bethsheba, where he had first left, where God appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.” You need not be afraid, for I am with you. For the sake of my servant Abraham, I will bless you so that your descendants may multiply.

“Though it was morning outside, it was as quiet as late night. Lying in bed, thinking of God’s promise, Isaac couldn’t help but be alert. He knew his days were numbered, and it was time to entrust his two children with their funeral arrangements.

The two children had very different personalities, but he favored Esau because Esau was strong-willed, the exact opposite of his own frail self. Moreover, Esau was skilled at hunting, and the game he made was delicious. God’s blessing should be reserved for the eldest. (Isaac did not know that Esau had given his position as the eldest son to his brother Jacob.) Isaac called Esau to his bedside, instructed him to go hunting in the wild, prepare game for him, and then give Esau the blessing reserved for the eldest son. Yi Sao took his bow and arrows and hurried off.

Less than half an hour later, Isaac heard someone enter the tent and call him “Father.” “I’m here, my son, who are you?” “I am Yisao, returning from hunting, and the game is ready. Father, please eat.”

After eating, bless me. Isaac was puzzled, because the voice was clearly Jacob’s, and how could he return so quickly? Hunting plus cooking would take at least an hour. “Child, come here, let me feel and see if you are my son Isao.” Isaac touched his son’s arm, which was indeed furry, thick like a lamb’s wool. Isaac ate the prepared game, which indeed tasted like Esau, and had his son come forward and kiss his cheek. During the kiss, he smelled the special scent on Esau’s clothes and felt the hair on his son’s neck, so he no longer doubted and blessed him: “The fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of the field blessed by the Lord.

May God grant you heavenly rain, fertile land, and abundant grains and new wine. May all nations bow to you, and all nations bow before you.

May you be master to your brothers, may the son of your mother bow down to you. Cursed is the one who curses you; May he be blessed by you. After the blessing, the son left. Isaac was satisfied and was about to sleep when suddenly someone entered the tent and said, “Father, please eat the game your son has prepared.” After eating, bless me. ”

Isaac was greatly astonished, because he heard Esau’s deep voice, smelled the aroma of the game Esau had prepared, and touched Esau’s arm.

Isaac hurriedly asked, “Who are you?” “Father, I am your eldest son, Esau!” Isaac was shocked and speechless. After a moment, he sighed deeply: “Your brother Jacob just came in, pretending to be you, and took away your blessings. I have already sent him my blessings. God will also fulfill that blessing in the future. Isaac heard Esau cry out loud: “No wonder his name is Jacob. He has deceived me twice—first to gain the birthright, and now to take away my blessing!”

Father, didn’t you leave me any other blessings? Issau wept bitterly.

Isaac pondered silently, recalling God’s prophecy to his wife’s two unborn children years ago: “The older will serve the younger,” and then recalling everything that had happened today. He sighed inwardly, and after Esau’s crying had calmed down a little, he called Esau to his bedside and blessed him, saying, “The place where you live will be far from fertile land, and there will be no rain from heaven.”

You will live by the sword and serve your brother. When you can no longer endure it, you will break free from the yoke of your neck. “Just as he finished speaking, he heard Esao stop crying and rush out the door. When he stepped outside, he saw his mother Rebekah hiding behind the door eavesdropping. Esau glared at his mother with hatred. He knew she favored her brother Jacob and suspected she must have helped him set up today’s scam. He strode away, leaving behind a bold remark: “Sooner or later, I’ll kill him!” Rebekah heard it, his body stiff like a stone. After a moment, tears quietly streamed down.

“You shall join these two wooden staffs together so that they become one in your hand.” [Colossians 37:17]

In early winter, the Hebron wilderness was cold and cold, valleys empty, and the sky gloomy. Jacob sat in his tent, lost in thought by the coal fire, with seventeen-year-old Joseph beside him, watching over his nearly ten-year-old younger brother Benjamin. Seeing their father deep in thought, the two children without a mother quieted down sensibly, listening to the cold wind howling outside the tent. Jacob was old, already 108 years old, and no longer had the energy to herd cattle and sheep. Nearly 40 years have eroded him from a robust man into a white-haired old man.

For the first twenty years, he worked for his uncle; for the last twenty years, he was wandering about, enduring all kinds of hardships and life-and-death separations. Forty years ago, he deceived his father’s blessing; forty years later, his parents were gone, and his beloved Rachel had gone, leaving Joseph and his brother Benjamin behind. But my father’s blessing from years ago still rings in my ears: “May all nations serve you, may all nations bow before you, may you be master of your brothers, may your mother’s descendants bow before you.” ”‭Before I knew it, I had grown old; it is time to offer my blessings to the children.

But how can God’s word be fulfilled? His elder brother Esau married at forty, and now his twelve sons each have many descendants, swelling east of Emin, forming a prominent clan. As for himself, although he had twelve sons, his eldest son Lü was not yet thirty, and his youngest son Ben Yamin was not yet ten.

The whole family set up tents as camps, herding in the mountains and fields, drifting among cattle and sheep. Father, how can your blessing come true? God, how will Your promise be fulfilled? How should I bless my children? How could the eldest Lü deserve the greatest blessing?

After Rachel’s death, while I was grieving, he committed adultery with her maid Bilah. Bila has given birth to two sons for me! How can I bless the second son, Simeon, and the third, Levi, who acted on their own to massacre the city and show their sword, becoming cruel by nature? What about the other children? Didn’t my son Joseph often tell me about their misdeeds? They all make me sad. Thinking of this, Jacob couldn’t help but fix his gaze on the two children inside the tent. They were the flesh and blood of the deceased Rachel, the two youngest children, and the comfort of his later years. Seeing them is like seeing Rachel.

Benjamin was still young, and Joseph was already an adult at seventeen. He balanced firmness and gentleness, was steady in conduct, upright and incorruptible, and simple-hearted—just what I liked. Especially the two strange dreams Joseph had—how can they be explained? The sun, moon, and eleven stars bow to him! Unscrupulous, he told his brothers all his dreams, only to be resented by them. From then on, the second and third brothers saw Joseph like a hungry wolf seeing a lamb—they were only wary of me, an old man, and didn’t dare bully him. But how could I ever feel at ease letting Joseph and them go out to graze?

The wind outside the tent grew even fiercer, causing it to tilt and sway. Jacob’s train of thought was interrupted. Listening to the sounds outside, his previously worried heart turned anxious. Ten children had gone out to herd cattle and sheep, and after more than a month, there was no news of them. Before leaving, they said they would go to Shejian and trade with the merchants. If the weather had been nice, they would have returned long ago.

The weather had been bad these past few days, and with their experience, they should have come back earlier. Why don’t they send a servant back to tell me about their situation? What if they get trapped in the wind and snow? Jacob lifted the tent and looked outside. Dusk was vast and desolate, covering the vast fields, with the cold wind howling, yet not a single living thing was seen.

Jacob returned to the tent, sat down in thought, and after a moment called out to Joseph: “My son Joseph, tomorrow morning you should go out and look for your ten brothers.” They went north to Shechem to graze, leaving the area three hundred li away.

They might be on their way back, so you might run into them halfway. Even if they’re still in the same place, you’ll walk to them in five or six days.

The weather was bad, so I told them to hurry home so I wouldn’t have to worry. “My son, put on the colorful cotton robe I made especially for you; it will keep you from the cold wind.” This cotton jacket is yours alone; your brothers will surely see it from afar and welcome you from afar. “And son, you must not walk at night, because wild animals roam at night.

Set out early in the morning, and by evening be sure to find a place to stay at the household, using the silver here to reward them. When you see your brothers, come back first. That way, I can know they’re all well and see you no longer worrying. Before Jacob could finish, a thunderclap suddenly roared, reaching the clouds. Benjamin instinctively hugged her brother and burst into tears.

“You who speak lies will be destroyed; Those who love to shed blood and deceit are detestable to the Lord. [Psalm 5:6]

Shechem is an ancient city, and also a personal name; it means “stone shoulder,” so named because there are large mountains on both the east and west sides of the city, resembling a pair of shoulders. It is located on a major transportation hub and remains bustling to this day. To the south it connects to Canaan, to the north it reaches Galilee, to the east lies Jordan, and to the west is Shaloon—a strategic location contested by military forces and a route for merchants.

Jacob led his wife, children, and servants outside the city. Seeing the bustling people and endless flow, he saw a business opportunity, and believed the cattle and sheep he raised would soon be converted into gold and silver. He camped outside the city, spent a hundred pieces of silver to buy a piece of land from Shechem’s father, the local leader, as his camp, and dug a well there. Later generations called it Jacob’s Well, which lasted four thousand years and has been preserved to this day.

That day, Jacob’s ten sons went out early to herd sheep, leaving only Jacob and his two wives, along with their beloved youngest son Joseph and only daughter Tina, inside the tent. Joseph had a personality similar to his father Jacob, preferring solitude indoors and disliking herding livestock. Jacob favored Joseph because he was the youngest and Rachel’s only son.

Tina was born to Leah, just a young girl, with beautiful brows and a graceful figure. Because she had 11 brothers but no sisters, she learned to play on her own from a young age and gradually developed a gentle and quiet personality. That day, my brother went out to herd, and the tent quieted down.

She walked outside and looked around inside Shijian City, seeing the streets bustling with men and women dressed in various costumes, pacing back and forth.

She had never seen such a scene before, her eyes widened, and she begged her mother to take her into town to watch the spectacle. Leah paused her sheep-shearing work, looked at her adorable daughter, then looked into the city, sighed softly, called for a maid, and asked her to lead Tina into town, repeatedly reminding them to return before lunch.

Tina happily agreed, smiling as she ran off, with the maid following behind. It was midday, and Jacob was bundling wool outside his tent when suddenly the maid who had entered the town rushed in in panic. Her face was pale, her hair disheveled, eyes brimming with tears, and she knelt before Jacob with a thud, crying loudly.

Jacob looked at her, surprised, and asked, “Where’s Tina?” “She, she, she was wandering the streets when the city leader Shijian saw her and forcibly took her away. I followed closely all the way, and Shijian dragged her into his own house and pushed me outside.

I heard Tina’s screams outside. She—she was raped by Shejian. “Wuwu…” In an instant, Jacob’s chest felt as if pierced by grass, and he opened his mouth in pain but could not utter a sound. After a long while, he forced himself to ask in a calm voice, “Where is Tina?” “He was also locked in the house by the Sword Lock. His household had many soldiers. I had no choice but to come back and tell you this. ”

We were under pressure, but we didn’t break down; Confused and anxious inside, yet not despairing; Persecuted, yet never abandoned; Knocked down, but not dead. “[2 Corinthians 4:9]

In the darkness, someone grabbed Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob was startled and suddenly turned around, seeing under the starlight a tall, handsome man. By intuition, Jacob knew it was an angel sent by God.

The angel suddenly grabbed his shoulders. Did he know he planned to escape in the middle of the night, or was he going to tell him how to deal with his brother? But the angel didn’t speak, just tightly gripped Jacob’s arms, twisted his waist, and tried to knock him to the ground.

Confused, Jacob instinctively countered and wrapped his arms around Angel’s lower back, preventing him from exerting much force, but he also lacked the ability to attack, only stubbornly protecting himself from falling in the stalemate.

In the wilderness, they were locked in a stalemate, like two stone statues. Jacob was dripping with sweat, feeling almost exhausted, but he persisted with determination. The river flows gently and steadily, yet the stars gradually fade away, and dawn appears in the east. Jacob, however, seemed to forget everything—forgot Esau, who led four hundred warriors, forgot his wife and children across the river, and forgot himself in a desperate situation with no way out.

The angel had come to fulfill his mission; he wanted to completely shatter Jacob’s cunning and schemes. In the stalemate, the angel freed one hand, grabbed Jacob’s thigh, spun outward, and with a loud snap, dislocated Jacob’s thigh bone from the hollow. Jacob instantly lost his balance, and the pain made him scream as if a house had collapsed, collapsing to the ground. But on earth, He still clung to the angel’s leg, refusing to let him escape. “Let me go, because it’s already morning.

You need to go see your brother. The angel looked down at Jacob and said, If you don’t bless me, I won’t let you go. “What’s your name?” “My name is Jacob.” “Do not call Jacob anymore; you shall call Israel (meaning war with God), because you have won both the wrestling with God and man.” “Tell me your name?” Jacob still wouldn’t let go. “Why do you know my name?” After the angel finished speaking, he blessed Jacob and then left. Too much

The sun rose, and Jacob limped across the river. Leah and Rachel, waiting by the river, saw their husbands approach, and their anxious expressions eased a little. Because he hadn’t slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, but the anxiety in his gaze was gone. By midnight, he seemed much thinner, his graying hair wet and greasy covered in dust, his right leg limping as he slowly walked forward leaning on a shepherd’s staff. Jacob divided his wife and children into three groups: at the front were two maidservants and four children, in the middle was Leah and her six sons, and finally Rachel and her son Joseph. Once everything was arranged, Jacob walked at the front, letting the three squads of wives and children follow him.

The sun rose, and a moving pillar of dust rose across the wilderness, moving northward. Esau led four hundred warriors to welcome his brother Jacob. Yesterday, he encountered nine groups of cattle and sheep, and the leading servant of each group repeated the same sentence: “These are the gifts your servant Jacob is giving to his master Esau, and he himself follows behind.” Every time he heard such words, it was like spring river water washing away the ice of resentment he had chilled for twenty years. At first, the ice was as hard as iron. He had never forgotten those twenty years of resentment; otherwise, why would he have led four hundred strong men here? But twenty years later, before they met, the younger brother had actually given him generous gifts nine times. Was it because he was too vengeful for every slightest grudge?

Isn’t the price paid for his brother fugitive twenty years away? Wasn’t it her brother who couldn’t forget her mother before she passed away? When their mother was buried, the younger brother was completely unaware—isn’t that enough to make people lament? Thinking this, Esau and his group approached the banks of the Yabo River. He looked up and saw a lame man with graying hair walking alone on the road, moving slowly. Esau quickened his pace and recognized him as Jacob, his brother whom he hadn’t seen in twenty years. Jacob also recognized his brother. He stood where he was, bowed seven times, and bowed in turn.

Seeing his brother’s travel-worn face, the marks left by twenty years of hardship on his face, and the humble bowing of his brother, Issau was overcome with sorrow and tears streamed down his face. He quickly ran forward, hugged his brother by the neck of the dust-covered brother, helped him up, and burst into tears.

Jacob also wept uncontrollably, his body unsteady from the excitement. Twenty years had passed, and the bond between brothers had been destroyed by his cunning from the past. Their reunion after twenty years was truly heartbreaking.

Yet over these twenty years, God has always reached out to help when we were at our most helpless. After a long while, their emotions gradually calmed down, and Jacob introduced his wife and children to Esau. Esau invited Jacob back to his own territory of Seir. But Jacob said, “My Lord knows the children are still young, and I must care for the nursing cattle and sheep. If they travel all day, the cattle and sheep will exhaust themselves to death.”

It would be better to ask my lord to go first, and I will accommodate the livestock and children to go slowly, and I will meet my lord in Seir. Yisao found it reasonable, so he led the warriors back the way he came.

Jacob stood where he was, watching his brother and his group walk southward. After pondering for a while, he gathered all his servants into a single group, ordered them to head west, cross the north-south Jordan River, cross the valley, continue west, enter Canaan, and return to Shechem, the city-state he had passed through twenty years earlier during his escape. He camped outside the city of Shechem.

Jacob did not expect that although he had schemed to escape his brother Esau’s threat, Shechem, this unfamiliar city-state would face a great disaster before Jacob.

Jesus said, “If I tell you about earthly matters and you do not believe, how can you believe what is in heaven?” No one has ever gone to heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven. “[John 3:12-13]

Jacob ran wildly toward the northeast. The mountain path was as flat as if left behind by him. The heavy backpack pressed tightly against his back, making him sweat pour down his face, but he didn’t dare stop. He stared straight at the hill ahead, ran over, and then set his sights on the next target. It was a journey of over a thousand li, but he wished he could get there in just one day.

His heart felt like it was about to burst, but he preferred to burst rather than stop, anxious like a hunting prey, as if an arrow was chasing him from behind. He is naturally quiet, but this time he has to leave his parents and travel thousands of miles alone. He knew his mother loved him the most, but he didn’t know that Lingchen’s sudden farewell to his mother was actually a farewell. He left in disarray, not even having time to comfort his mother with a few words of comfort.

He tricked his brother Esau twice—once for the status of the eldest son, once with God’s blessing—thinking he could finally rest easy, waiting for good fortune to come, but never expected disaster to come upon him like his brother’s bow and arrow.

The brother, furious, secretly conspired with his thugs to kill him to vent his rage. When Rebekah heard about this, she immediately called Jacob and told him to escape. Jacob was left speechless with horror upon hearing his mother’s secret report.

He knew his brother’s hunter temperament—he always said his word, married like that, met his prey, and gave him the status of the eldest son. The brother hunted year-round, possessed extraordinary stamina, was as fast as an antelope, and never missed his arrow. Could he possibly outrun the prey falling under his arrows? Jacob’s face turned pale, as if he could feel the tearing arrow in his back, seeing his brother’s furious eyes before he raised his knife to kill him.

But where do you run to? Looking around, there was no relatives; the only relatives were my mother’s brother’s house, but they were thousands of miles away in Harlan. He couldn’t just leave his father without saying goodbye, could he? With tears in her eyes, the mother pulled Jacob to his father’s bedside and pleaded, “When Esau was forty, he married two Hittite women from here without consulting us. So many years have passed, and they have left us in tears, heartbroken.”

As for the second son, Jacob, he still hasn’t married. He’s too quiet and doesn’t like local women, so he’s kept waiting until he’s so old. Is he going to stay unmarried for the rest of his life? For my sake, please allow him to go to my brother Laban to marry his own woman.

After a moment of silence, Isaac said to Jacob, “Go, my son. May God bless your uncle and grant him a daughter, and may you come to love her. But remember, you must return to this land, for God has given it to you and your descendants—just as He promised your grandfather Abraham and me.”

I am now old and about to die, but God’s promises will surely be fulfilled, and God will fulfill my blessings for you. “The moon sets in the west, the sky is filled with stars, the Milky Way flows like a ribbon. Jacob finally stops his legs, which have been running like clockwork all day, and sits on a flat rock. Looking back southwest, he was already more than two hundred li away from his parents.

Grandfather and father had only reached Mount Moria in three days back then, but he had already left them behind. He listened intently. Only the wind rustled over the wilderness, and the distant howls of wolves were barely visible. Hearing this, he calmed down, took off his waist knife, and placed it on a rock. His anxious heart finally settled—his brother definitely wouldn’t chase from so far away.

Besides, he might not know where I escaped. When his heart relaxed, fatigue and thirst surged like waves. He ate and drank his fill, no longer had the strength to sit, so he found a flat stone to rest his head on, lay down on the rock, and stared blankly at the star-filled sky.

Leaving the father’s tent, his mother immediately packed his belongings. After traveling a thousand miles, unfamiliar with the land and roaming wild animals, his mother said nothing but quietly tidied with tears in her eyes. She packed up her gold and silver valuables, took off her own bracelet, and gave it to her son—the engagement gift her father-in-law had given her through the butler years ago.

At dawn, his mother pushed him out of the tent, not daring to speak, cry, or ride a donkey. He had no time or any trouble, and the donkey was nowhere near as fast as Esau.

Why is that? Jacob gazed at the stars, feeling guilty rising in his heart. Father, you are old, but I cannot fulfill my filial duties. Mother, I have let down your nurturing kindness and broken your heart. Brother, I truly have let you down. I lied to you twice and made you so angry. When we meet again, can you forgive me? God, where are you? You appeared and spoke to my grandfather and father, entrusting them to pay the debt, yet I destroyed the family in an instant. Mother and son separated, siblings became enemies.

God, please do not abandon me, please forgive me… In a daze, he saw a gap in the starry sky suddenly open like a heavenly net, and a white ladder was dropped vertically from that opening, all the way to the ground, not far from the stone where he lay. The heavenly ladder was wide, with many angels moving up and down in an orderly manner.

Jacob stared in a daze, silent, noticing that angels surrounded the majestic god. His hair was as white as snow, his eyes as bright as flames, his face shining like the blazing sun, and his voice like a mighty roar. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of Isaac.” I will give you and your offspring the place where you lie now.

Your offspring will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, spread throughout the four directions, and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants. I am with you; wherever you go, I will protect you and lead you back to this land.

I will fulfill my promise to you and will never forsake you. Jacob saw and heard this, and was greatly afraid. He suddenly opened his eyes and was about to speak, but saw the starry sky still as quiet as the Milky Way, and the angels and gods of the Heavenly Ladder had vanished. After a moment, he came to his senses and realized he had just dreamed.

The dream was so vivid that Jacob even walked to the spot where the heavenly ladder had been placed and saw clear marks on the ground. Jacob didn’t know how long he had slept, nor how long the dream had lasted. But upon waking, he was all awake, sitting upright on the rock, his awe growing even stronger. “The Lord is here, and I do not know it. How terrifying this place is! This wilder, uninhabited place is the home of God, with a gateway to heaven.

As he pondered this, the stars gradually faded and dawn began to break in the east. Jacob raised the pillow stone, poured oil as an offering, and silently made a vow to God: “If God is with me, protects me on the road, provides me with food and clothing, and leads me safely back to my father’s house, I will surely worship the Lord as my God.”

The stone I set as a pillar will become the temple of God. Whatever you have given me, I will give you a tenth. “Jacob named the place Bethel (meaning ‘the dwelling place of God’), packed his bags, and set out toward the morning light.

He was no longer fearful, no longer fleeing, because he remembered that dream and kept his vow firmly in mind. God did not forget this moment, because two thousand years later, the Son of God Jesus personally mentioned Jacob’s dream and pointed out that the ladder symbolized Himself.

 “Abraham longed for a city with foundations, designed and built by God.” [Hebrews 11:10]

As time passed, Abraham moved back to Hebron with his family, where he met angels who were told of Isaac’s birth and the destruction of cities like Sodom.

When Isaac was 37, his mother Sarah passed away at the age of 127. Abraham stayed by her side, weeping bitterly. She returned to God, but left herself and her son to spend the rest of their time on earth.

At that time, Abraham was living among the Hittites. Although he was a wealthy shepherd, he owned no land. Abraham sought out the elders of the Lyhites in Hebron, begging them to sell him a piece of land to bury Sarah. Ephron among the Hittites showed sincerity to Abraham and sold him a piece of land for ninety taels of silver.

Abraham buried Sarah in a cave on that land. The ancients kept their promise, and that land was always used by the Abraham family as a burial site, burying four generations including Abraham, over more than 500 years. Their remains remain there to this day, becoming a famous sacred site. Because of the biblical records here, the Hittis were only excavated and confirmed by archaeologists after the nineteenth century, once again confirming the biblical accuracy.

Three years passed after Sarah’s death. Abraham was 140 years old, Isaac was 40, but they had not yet married. Abraham was unwilling to marry Isaac off to a local woman because God did not reveal this to him; he knew God hated the locals for idolatry, even killing his own children as sacrifices. He feared that his life was numbered, and that his son had been herding with him in the wilderness since birth, free from conflict and desire, obedient and pure. Remembering God’s promise to him to become a great family, he worried about his son’s marriage. He thought of his own clan thousands of miles away, where his younger brother had many descendants.

Abraham called his reliable old servant (who may have once accompanied his master to Mount Moriah) and said, “Please put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the LORD, the God who rules heaven and earth, that you will not take this Canaanite woman as my son’s wife.” You must return to my hometown and find a wife for Isaac among my relatives. ”

The old butler asked, “If that woman refuses to come here with me, should I take your son back to your hometown?” Abraham said, “You must not take my son back there!” For the Lord in heaven, who led me away from my father’s house and my homeland, spoke to me and swore to promise to grant this land to my descendants. He will send angels to lead you before you and help you find a wife for my son there. If the woman refuses to come with you, you have fulfilled the oath you made to me, but you must not take my son back there. ”

The steward prepared various valuable gifts, placed them on ten camels, and set out for Haran in the east, thousands of miles away. More than twenty days later, the old steward, weary from travel, arrived outside Harlan’s city. It was dusk, the sun setting in the west, and the tall city walls covered in a glow of orange-yellow.

The steward found a spring well by the camel, laid it down, and silently prayed to God: “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please show mercy to my master Abraham so that this may happen today.” Now, I stand by this spring, and the women of the city are coming out to draw water.

If I say to a young girl, ‘Please put down your water jar so I can drink some water,’ if she says, ‘Please drink, and I will fetch water for your camels to drink,’ may that woman be the wife you choose for your servant Isaac. That way, I can know the master you have bestowed upon me. “Just as he finished praying, a group of women came out of the city, carrying water jars on their shoulders to fetch water. The laughing women approached the well, and when they saw the unfamiliar butler, they were stunned, stopped joking, and nervously began to fetch water. The butler watched from the side, and when a beautiful young woman came to fetch water, he was moved and went up to her, saying, “Please give me some water to drink.” The beautiful woman’s eyes were as gentle as a dove’s. Seeing the servant’s weary eyes and parched lips, she immediately put down the water jar from her shoulder, held it in her hand, and said, “My lord, please drink.” ”

After the servant finished drinking, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, but before he could thank him, the young woman said, “I’ll fetch some water for your camels so they can drink their fill.” So, she told her companions to fetch water and go home first, stayed behind herself, then fetched water and poured the water from the jar into the sink. After a long trek across the desert, ten camels were already extremely thirsty, scrambling to squeeze water from their troughs. The water was quickly drained. The girl went back and forth by the well and the trough until the camels finally drank their fill.

The old butler stood nearby, watching the young woman wipe the sweat from her forehead, then took out a nose ring weighing about six grams and a pair of gold bracelets weighing about one hundred and ten grams, giving them to her, and asked, “May I ask whose daughter you are?” Does your father’s family have a place for us to stay? The girl replied, “I am Rebekah, daughter of Pethuri. My father was the son of Nahor (Abraham’s brother). I have plenty of provisions at home, and I have a place for you to stay. When the steward heard this, his eyes grew moist, his white beard trembled, and he immediately fell to the ground, looked up to heaven, worshiped God, and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, for He has always treated my master with love and faithfulness.”

Not only did He hear my prayer and answer it immediately, but He also led me to find the granddaughter of my master’s brother and gave me the Son of the Lord as his wife. Rebekah was confused but caught the underlying meaning. Blushing with embarrassment, he abandoned the water jar and ran home to tell his parents and brother everything that had happened.

Rebekah’s brother was named Laban. While listening, he looked at his sister’s nose ring and gold bracelet, and as he hurried to the well, he saw the old steward and the camel still waiting, so he said, “You who have been blessed by the Lord, come to my house.” Why stand outside? I have prepared a room for you and a place for the camel. The steward followed him to Laban’s house. Laban had already invited his father, had the camels unloaded with fodder, fed them fodder, fetched water for the steward and his companions to wash their feet, and prepared dinner for him. But the steward said, “Please wait until I explain my purpose before eating, okay?” Laban said, “Please go ahead.” ”

The old steward then described in detail how his master Abraham sent him here to befriend Isaac, how he endured great hardships on the long journey, how he prayed to God at the well, and how Rebekah miraculously appeared and granted all his prayers. Finally, he pleaded: “Now, if you are willing to treat my master with love and faithfulness and agree to this marriage, please tell me; If you don’t agree, please tell me so I know how to respond to my master. ”

Laban said to his father, “Since this is the Lord’s arrangement, we cannot say anything more.” Look, Rebekah is here; you may do as the Lord has said, and take her back to marry the Son of your Lord. When the old steward heard this, he fell down to the ground again and worshiped the Lord, then took out gold and silver jewelry and garments to Rebekah, and gave precious gifts to her brother and mother. The next morning, the old butler got up early and asked Rebekah’s parents to let him take her home immediately. Of course, Rebekah’s family insisted on trying to persuade her to stay.

But the old steward insisted, “Since the Lord has made my journey smooth, please do not hold me back, so that I may return to my master soon, for he is old and cannot bear to worry about this matter for long.” Rebekah’s parents had no choice but to call their daughter over to ask for her opinion, “Would you like to go with this man?” Rebekah looked at her parents and then at the old butler, her face flushed again, but her gaze remained calm as she said, “I do!” “More than twenty days passed, and at dusk again, Isaac, who lived in the southern wilderness of Beersheba, came to the fields.

Every evening, he would take a walk alone under the sunset, deep in thought. Since his mother passed away three years ago, he had been in a bad mood, missing her and not knowing how long he had been wandering like this. As he was pondering, he faintly heard the faint sound of camel bells coming from the east. He put his hands on his hand and looked around, saw the caravan of camels, and on closer inspection, he saw his father’s old butler and a stranger girl beside him. Though far away, he could still see her beautiful silhouette, pure and angelic in the sunset. Rebekah also saw Isaac in the distance. Facing the setting sun, she could only see his figure, but her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

She turned to ask the steward, “Who is he?” “That is my master Isaac, miss.” Upon hearing this, Rebekah immediately covered herself with a red veil to cover her delicate face. She saw Isaac striding toward her…