Rebekah:
Isaac:
Old Abraham (walking stick, beard, needs a chair)
Servant
Camel 1
Camel 2
Laban
Costumes (all characters)
Walking stick (Abraham)
Beard (Abraham)
Chair (Abraham)
3 Plastic cups and plastic jug of water in the baptismal font (Rebekah).
Wedding veil (Rebekah)
2 bling boxes to be strapped to two camels (camels)
Lots of bling, big gaudy cheap plastic jewelry (camels)
Plate of pretend food (Laban)
[NARRATOR]
Previously, in Genesis…
After many years of waiting, God had given Abraham and Sarah a Son.
But many years have now passed.
And Abraham is now very old.
[Enter Abraham from the Vestry. Shuffling with walking stick. Abraham sits down on a chair stage left.]
Sarah died a couple of years ago.
And now Isaac is a grown man.
[Enter Isaac with a hanky]
In fact, Isaac is nearly 40.
And Isaac was very sad about his mum.
[Isaac sad and blows nose very loudly.]
He missed her very much
[Isaac goes over to Abraham and they hug each other. Isaac then exits to the vestry]
Now, God had made promises to Abraham.
[Abraham gives the congregation a thumbs up.]
He would have more descendants than the stars of the sky.
[Abraham points up to the sky, and claps his hands with expectation.]
More descendants than the dust of the earth
[Abraham pretends to pick up dirt, and throws it into the air with joy.]
More descendants than the sand on the beach
[Abraham takes his shoe off, pretends to pour out sand, and gives a thumbs up. ]
But there was one problem.
[Abraham rubs his chin, troubled.]
To have descendants, you have to have a child.
And your child has to have a child.
5 or 6 would be good.
But 1 would be mandatory.
But guess what?
[Abraham doing the logic, looking as if he is counting on his fingers and thinking hard.]
Isaac was not married
And he’s almost 40
[Abraham looks very troubled.]
Not only that, there’s no woman on the scene.
Now that’s bad, if you want to have lots of descendants.
[Abraham puts his head in his hands.]
But it’s good, because there wasn’t much talent out there in Canaan.
[Abraham says ‘Phew’ and adjusts his collar.]
Because let’s just say the Canaanite women weren’t the sort you could take home to meet the parents.
They worshipped other gods
[Abraham shakes his head at the thought.]
No way could Isaac marry them.
It was time for action.
If Isaac was going to get busy, Abraham had to get busy.
Abraham prepares for action
Abraham called in his chief servant
[Abraham calls ‘OH CHIEF SERVANT!’. Chief servant enters from the vestry.]
And Abraham said.
“I have a very important job for you."
[Abraham repeats. Servant looks keen.]
“I want you to get a wife for Isaac."
[Abraham repeats. Servant taken aback.]
“But not from Canaan."
[Abraham repeats.]
“Go back to my own country."
[Abraham repeats.]
“Go back to my own people."
[Abraham repeats.]
“The family of Nahor."
[Abraham repeats.]
“Get a wife for my son Isaac from there!"
[Abraham repeats.]
Well, Abraham had given his servant tough jobs before this.
[Servant looks perplexed.]
But this was the toughest most important job ever.
Find a wife for Isaac!
Now, Isaac was a very eligible bachelor.
He was heir to the Abraham empire, after all.
But wouldn’t Isaac be better to go himself?
So the Servant asked.
“What if the girl won’t come back?"
[Servant repeats.]
“Should I take Isaac back there?"
[Servant repeats.]
But Abraham shook his head violently.
[Abraham shakes head.]
“NO."
[Abraham repeats loudly.]
“YOU MUST NOT TAKE ISAAC BACK THERE."
[Abraham repeats loudly.]
“GOD PROMISED TO GIVE THIS LAND TO ISAAC."
[Abraham repeats loudly.]
“HE MUST STAY HERE."
[Abraham repeats loudly.]
“Don’t worry."
[Abraham repeats softer, patting the servant’s shoulder.]
“God will make your mission successful."
So the servant took Abraham’s camels.
[Enter 2 camels on all 4s with a boxes strapped to their backs. In the boxes is lots of big chunky cheap plastic jewelry.]
And the servant took lots of bling.
[Servant holds up the bling for the audience to see.]
And off he went back to Abraham’s home town.
He made it there just before evening.
And they came to the well.
[Servant and camels tired and parched, tongues hanging out. ]
They were tired and thirsty.
[Camels kneel at the well, panting for a drink.]
And the servant made the camels kneel before the well.
[Servant moves camels to the baptismal font.]
And the Servant prayed.
“God of my master Abraham”
[Servant repeats.]
“The women are coming out to draw water."
[Servant repeats.]
“Let me set up a test."
[Servant repeats.]
“I will ask a girl for a drink.”
[Servant repeats.]
“Let the one you have chosen say,"
[Servant repeats.]
“'Sure, and I’ll give water to your camels, too'”
[Servant repeats.]
Before he finished praying, Rebekah came out.
[Rebekah comes out to the baptismal font’.]
Eligible bachelorette Number 1.
She was drop dead gorgeous, an absolute spunk.
[Rebekah waves and curtseys.]
And the servant asked her,
“Can I please have a drink."
[Servant repeats.]
And Rebekah said.
“Sure, and I’ll give water to your camels, too.”
[Rebekah repeats, opens the lid of the baptismal font, and pours a cup of water for the servant, and a cup each for the thirsty camels.]
The servant was very thankful.
So he gave her some bling.
[Servant puts bling on Rebekah. Rebekah shows off bling.]
And the servant asked her:
“What family are you from?"
[Servant asks, watching Rebekah carefully testing her].
“Can I stay over tonight?"
[Servant repeats.]
And Rebekah said:
“I’m from the family of Nahor."
[Rebekah repeats.]
“We have plenty of room for you and your camels."
[Rebekah repeats.]
[Servant rejoices “YES – woo hoo”, etc. Be a very happy servant.]
And the Servant said:
“Praise God!"
[Servant repeats.]
“I have found Abraham’s family!"
[Servant repeats.]
So the servant and his camels went over the Rachel’s house.
[Make the house just in front of the baptismal font.]
And Laban ran out to meet him.
[Laban comes out to the font, offering the servant some pretend food. Laban repeats.]
“Praise the Lord!"
[Laban repeats.]
“Everything is ready for you.'
[Laban repeats.]
“Have something to eat.'
[Laban repeats.]
But the Servant said.
“No! We need to talk.'
[Servant repeats.]
“ I am Abraham’s servant.'
[Servant repeats.]
“My master is very rich, as you can see from his bling!'
[Servant repeats.]
“He has given everything to his son Isaac.
[Servant repeats.]
“And I have to find Isaac a wife from Nahor’s family.'
[Servant repeats.]
“And look who I’ve found!'
[Servant repeats.]
“She passed the test, so I blinged her up.'
[Servant repeats, Rebekah rattles bling.]
“And now I want to take her to marry Isaac.'
“Is that OK?'
[Servant repeats. Rebekah ‘all a flutter!’]
And Laban said:
“This is from the Lord!'
[Laban repeats.]
“Take her and go!'
[Laban repeats.]
And Rebekah said:
“I will go with him!”
[Rebekah repeats.]
So the servant gave Laban all the bling he had.
[Servant piles bling into Laban’s hands.]
Because all the family of Nahor loved bling!
And Rebekah, the Servant, and the camels went back to Abraham.
[All head back over to where Abraham is, leading the camels.]
And when they came back, Isaac was out in the fields.
[Isaac enter from the vestry.]
And Isaac saw the camels from a distance.
[Isaac notices the camels.]
Rebekah asked:
“Who’s that man coming to meet us?
[Rebekah repeats.]
And the Servant said:
“That’s my master, Isaac.
[Servant repeats.]
So Rebecca put her wedding veil on.
[Rebecca puts on her wedding veil.]
And Isaac and Rebecca got married.
[Isaac and Rebekah hold hands and face the audience.]
[NARRATOR]
This story doesn’t tell us some things.
It doesn’t tell us how to woo a woman.
It doesn’t tell us how to catch a bachelor.
It doesn’t tell us the way to wed a wife.
But it does show us that God provides what he promises.
It does remind us to be patient and obedient.
It does show that God keeps his word.
God is faithful.
Abraham would have descendants like the stars in the sky, the sand on the beach, the dust of the earth.
And so, no matter what difficulties, Isaac would get married, and would have children.
And the serpent crusher would come from him.