Pretty Woman

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Genesis 24:12-19

And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. I am standing here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. Let the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Please offer your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, coming out with her water jar on her shoulder. The girl was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”

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Pretty woman, walking down the street
Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet
Pretty woman
I don't believe you, you're not the truth
No one could look as good as you
Mercy

"Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. This version is from the HBO television special "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night"

There's an old saying, beauty is only skin deep, but I disagree. I believe beauty radiates from the soul and shines through the life of a person. I believe pretty is only skin deep. I also believe ugly cuts all the way to the bone, but that's for another day.

Abraham's slave was sent to the old home town to find a bride for Isaac. In addition to the importance of this responsibility is the terror in wondering whether or not you picked the right girl or not. So what does the servant do? He sets up a code with God worthy of a secret decoder ring. This is straight out of a spy novel. "She will be my contact if I say 'this' and she replies with 'that.'" Where's the Impossible Mission Force when you need them.

The slave isn't putting the Lord to the test, the slave is setting a condition so that he will know who the right woman is for his master's son. I imagine he is glad Rebekah is "very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known," but she is more. She is generous, she offers water to a stranger and his camels. She takes her hospitality very seriously and for that Abraham's slave knows this woman is more than just a pretty face.

Oh pretty woman, the kind I like to meet... She is lovely to be sure, but without kindness, generosity, hospitality; all she will ever be is a pretty face. God chose well. May we all choose our mates as well.