Knowing The Word in Genesis 24:22-33, Meet Laban

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels [demonstrating the wealth of his patron], 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” [Having been generous, the servant makes a bold request.] 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” [She is a descendant of both of Abraham’s brothers. Haran died and his brother Nahor married his orphaned daughter Milcah. The uncle married his niece. The servant is looking for a wife from Abraham’s clan and has found his niece—Isaac’s cousin.] 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” [She indicates her family’s wealth but hers is not the place to offer this hospitality.] 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord [prostrated himself] 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” [What does this tell us about God? Abraham’s servant worships God because of his faithfulness.] 28 Then the young woman ran [as the reader is excited about the quick unfolding of events] and told her mother's household about these things. [Who is this mother and will she be as excited as her husband must be?]

29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban [Hebrew for “white”]. [Two additional main characters in Genesis have now been introduced, which is a primary concern of this chapter.] Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. [His enthusiastic hospitality matches that of Rebekah.] 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms [maybe his enthusiasm springs from greed, not hospitality], and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels [think of a modern day fleet of Rolls Royce cars] at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord [a polite greeting for a rich man]. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” [The hospitality builds to the climax of the meal, but the servant’s mission is so important he must speak before he eats.] He said, “Speak on.”