Your Camels are Coming

I can safely assume that Isaac was heart broken after the death of his mother Sarah. I also believe that throughout life he was fully aware of God’s covenant with his father Abraham. With these assumptions in mind, I would think that Isaac began to ruminate negatively after the passing of his mother. We find him returning from Beer-lahai-roi, the well of the Living One who sees me, and walking along his fields. “One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming” (Genesis 24:63 NLT).

I’m sure during his time of “meditation” Isaac questioned God’s promise to his father, Abraham, in regards to being the “father of many nations.” He probably was emotionally beat down considering he had just buried his mother. This time of rumination probably led to some pretty nasty mental and spiritual battles.

Let's back up and look at where Isaac was coming from.

Beer-lahai-roi or well of the Living One who sees me

You may recall this location from a previous story, eight chapters earlier. Hagar, Sarai’s (Sarah) servant, had run away from her master due to abuse because she was carrying the first born son of her master’s husband, Abraham. An angel found Hagar beside a spring of water where he identified her situation and spoke life into her. Hagar named this location Beer-lahai-roi.

Fast-forward to chapter 24 and we find Isaac returning to his fields from this same well where Hagar sat in desperation. I just can’t help but think that he visited this place out of that same desperation, hoping to find the same God who saw Hagar in her time of need. After all, his mother had just passed, his father was elderly, and Isaac himself was around 40 years old without a wife and family. He was probably feeling a little hopeless, especially on God’s promise to his father Abraham.

In the mist of these spiritual and mental battles, Isaac looked up and saw camels coming. This convoy was carrying his future wife, Rebekah. “He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother” (Gen. 24:67 NLT).

Your negative rumination about all that is wrong with your life will lead you down a dark road where fear surrounds you, loneliness inhabits you, and depression/anger/resentment/jealousy/anxiety fight for popularity amongst your emotions.

He feels your pain. He knows your battles. He’s the Living One who sees you.

Take heart, your camels are coming.