Water from the Well

After reading Genesis 24:15-20, I couldn't stop thinking about how Rebekah worked eagerly with her hands to serve a stranger and all his camels. Our reading for our Proverbs 31 study included Genesis 24:15-20, but if you read verse 10 you see that there were 10 camels and if you read verse 11 you see it was evening time.  These two facts add much meaning to the story.  First, Rebekah had most likely worked hard all day and then in the evening when she met Eleazar, Abraham's servant, she willingly and quickly served him and the ten camels.  She not only gave the camels water, she came them water until they finished drinking which shows she probably had to keep refilling the water.  She didn't just walk to well to get water for camels, she RAN to the well.  I think it is safe to say that most of us are that eager to serve the people in our lives much less animals (camels).

This was not little job that Rebekah willingly, eagerly and quickly did. One camel usually drinks thirty to fifty gallons of water at one time (maybe more if traveling all day). If you multiplied this by ten the least she would have drawn was probably 300-500 gallons of water and possibly more. 

Scriptures: Genesis 24:15-20

¹⁵ And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶ Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”
¹⁸ So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

Observations:
1.  Quickly let her pitcher down for Eleazar when he asked for a drink
2. She offered water for the camels without being asked
3. Draw water until all ten camels finished drinking ( I like how it says finished drinking not that she just drew water for the camels)
4. Quickly emptied her pitcher to get water for the camels
5. Ran (didn't walk) back to draw water for the camels

Application:  The spiritual application for me is to draw from the Living Well, Jesus. He says if we draw water from him, we will never thirst again.  Many times throughout the day, I read and meditate on God's word.  Without God's living word, I do not have anything to give others.  Also, the evening time is when I am most tired but looking at Rebekah God give me hope that the Lord will give us the energy we need to be a servant to our husband, children and others.  I enjoyed seeing the picture of Rebekah running Running to serve not only family but strangers in the evening after all her chores throughout the day.

Prayer: Lord, may I run eagerly to serve the people you have put in my life because in doing so I am serving you. May my serving always come after drawing living water from you.