And no mistaking the meaning of her allowing him to place the goldware on her. She took off the tiny earrings she was wearing and replaced them with the far richer gold of the earrings he offered. From the color, this gold was almost pure; she handled it carefully, because such pure gold would be soft. It might bend or flake if she handled it roughly.

She found that she was trembling, and it was hard to get the earrings on. But when she was done, she looked the man in the eye and said, “It is truly an honor to receive a man who follows the God of Abraham.”

“I have already said and done more than I should,” said the man. “But it is plain that the Lord has prepared the way before me.”

“Let me go to my father,” she said, “and he’ll send men to guide you to where your animals can be unloaded and penned, and where you and your fellowservants can lodge.”

“We will be here, watering the camels, and awaiting the will of the Lord.”

Rebekah turned to pick up her water jar, and then realized that there was no way she could bear to walk slowly carrying water, when the Lord had brought a suitor from the one house that would mean more than Ezbaal’s. Leaving the jar behind, she walked, then trotted, then full-out ran up the path that wound around the hill toward the camp of Bethuel.

Before she could get to Father’s tent, she found Laban and Mother conferring outside her tent, and before she could say anything to them, Mother said, “Where did you get those?”

Laban looked at her closely. “We don’t have anything like that.”

“Actually, I do,” said Mother. “But they were a gift from my husband before we were married.”

“A man gave them to me,” said Rebekah.

“And you took them? You wore them? Do you have any idea what that implies?” said Mother, getting angrier by the moment.

“I know exactly what it means,” said Rebekah. “The Lord God of Abraham has brought me my husband.”

Which left Mother momentarily speechless.

Laban gave her a strange look and said, “Where is this man?”

“You’ll find Abraham’s steward waiting by the well, along with my water jar and pitcher. I offered him the hospitality of our camp and said that Father would send a man to lead him here.”

“Abraham’s steward?” asked Laban.

“The Abraham?” asked Mother.

“Perhaps,” said Rebekah. For the man hadn’t actually said so, had he? “He might be.”

“He might be? And you took these gifts?”

“They can always be given back, Mother,” said Rebekah.

But they wouldn’t be. She knew it, with the certainty she always felt when the knowledge came from God.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8