Genesis 24:50–55 (ESV)

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken.”

When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.”

Rebekah’s brother and father are convinced—and for the right reason. They specifically say that since this is from the LORD, “we cannot speak to you bad or good.” They are humble enough to know that what they think isn’t even worth mentioning.

This is more than a charming turn of a phrase. Would you send away your beautiful daughter or sister with a stranger so easily? She’s going to be over 500 miles away. That’s a humongous camel ride. Laban may never see her again. For Bethuel, this is surely a final good-bye.

And so, not surprisingly, they’d like to spend a few final days with Rebekah before she goes. They may also have some lingering doubts about this transaction. Ten days would give them time to think it over.

But notice that they say, “at least ten days.” They’re not promising when “a while” will end. Last night they said, “Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken.” Now they’re saying, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.”

But notice something else. Last night, it was Laban and Bethuel who said Rebekah could go. Today, it’s Laban and momma who want more time.

The action is taking an interesting turn—the women are taking over.

While Rebekah will still end up leaving soon, this momentum stopper is an example of an important principle. When everything is going right, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and overvalue your sense of God’s will. When someone comes along and says, “Time out!” (like momma does here), that’s a signal to pay attention.

The book of Proverbs defines wisdom as heeding the council of others. When someone wise chooses to weigh in, ignoring them is foolishness (another definition from Proverbs).

No matter how sure you feel, snap decisions are reckless. Take your time and seek expert council.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.