I. Reading 2.

1: Isaac and Rebekah

Isaac and Rebekah

Abraham had a servant who was in charge of everything he owned. One day, Abraham called this
servant to him and said, "Go back to my country and to my own people to find a wife for my son Isaac.
Bring her here to him."

So the servant took ten of Abraham's camels and loaded them with gifts. Then he went to Haran, the city
of Abraham's brother Nahor.

In the evening, when the women went out to get water, Abraham's servant went to the water well outside
the city. He made the camels kneel down at the well.

The Servant's Prayer

The servant prayed, "Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Allow me to find a wife for his son
Isaac today. Please show this kindness to my master Abraham. Here I am, standing by this well of water,
and the young women from the city are coming out to get water. I am waiting for a special sign so that I
will know who is the right young woman for Isaac. This is the special sign: I will say to the girl, 'Please put
your jar down so I can drink.' I will know if she is the right young woman for Isaac if she says, 'Drink, and I
will also give water to your camels.' If that happens, then you will have proved that she is the right young
woman for Isaac."

The Servant's Prayer Is Answered

Before the servant finished praying, a young woman named Rebekah came to the well. Rebekah was the
daughter of Bethuel. Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor (Abraham's brother). Rebekah came to the
well with her water jar on her shoulder. She was very pretty. She was a virgin; no man had ever had
sexual relations with her. She went down to the well and filled her jar.

Then, the servant ran to her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar."

Rebekah quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and gave him a drink. She said, "Drink this, Sir." As
soon as she finished giving him something to drink, she said, "I will also pour some water for your
camels." So Rebekah quickly poured all the water from her jar into the drinking trough for the camels.
Then she ran to the well to get more water, and she gave water to all the camels.

After the camels finished drinking, the servant gave Rebekah a gold ring and two gold arm bracelets. He
asked, "Who is your father? And is there a place in your father's house for me and my men to sleep?"

Rebekah answered, "My father is Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor. Then she said, "Yes, we have
straw and other food for your camels and a place for you to sleep."

The servant bowed and worshiped the Lord, saying, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master
Abraham. The Lord has been kind and loyal to him by leading me to his own people."
Then Rebekah ran and told her family about these things.

Laban Invites The Servant Inside

Rebekah had a brother named Laban. She told him what the man had said to her. Laban was listening to
her, and when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, he ran out to the well.

Laban said to Abraham's servant, "Sir, you are welcome to come in! You don't have to stand outside
here. I have prepared a room for you to sleep in and a place for your camels."

So Abraham's servant went into the house. Laban unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed.
Then, he gave Abraham's servant water so that he and the men with him could wash their feet. But when
Laban offered him food, the servant refused to eat. He said, "I will not eat until I have told you why I
came." Laban said, "Then tell us."

The Servant Asks For Rebekah

The servant said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master and has made him a
great man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. He has much silver and
gold and many servants, camels, and donkeys. Sarah was my master's wife. When she was very old, she
gave birth to a son, and my master has given everything he owns to that son."

The servant explained how Abraham had sent him to Haran to find a wife for Isaac and how God had led
him to Rebekah. Finally, the servant said, "Now tell me, will you be kind and loyal to my master and give
him your daughter? Or will you refuse to give her to him? Tell me, so that I will know what I shall do."

Rebekah's Family Gives A Party

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "We see that this is from the Lord, so there is nothing we can say to
change it. Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her marry your master's son. This is what the Lord
wants." Rebekah also agreed to these arrangements.

When Abraham's servant heard these things, he bowed to the ground before the Lord. Then he gave
Rebekah the gifts he had brought. He gave her beautiful clothes and gold and silver jewelry. He also gave
expensive gifts to her mother and brother. Then, he and his men had something to eat and drink, and
they spent the night there. Early the next morning, they got up and the servant said, "Now we will go back
to my master."

Bethuel and Laban allowed Rebekah to go with Abraham's servant and his men. Rebekah and her nurse
got on the camels and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and left on his
long journey home.

Rebekah Marries Isaac

At this time, Isaac was living in the Negev, a desert region south of Hebron. One evening he went out into
the field to think. Isaac's mother, Sarah, had died, and his heart still ached for her. Isaac looked up and
saw the camels coming.
Rebekah also looked and saw Isaac. Then she jumped down from the camel and asked the servant,
"Who is that young man walking in the field to meet us?"

The servant said, "That is my master's son." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

The servant told Isaac about everything that had happened. Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his
mother's tent, and Rebekah became his wife that day. Isaac loved her very much. So he was comforted
after his mother's death.

Abraham Dies And Is Buried

At the age of 175, Abraham grew weak and died. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of
Machpelah with his wife Sarah.

God Answers Isaac's Prayer

Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, but for nineteen years Rebekah could not have
children. Finally, Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife Rebekah, and the Lord heard Isaac's prayer. After
twenty years of marriage, Rebekah became the mother of twin boys.

God Makes An Agreement With Isaac

One day God said to Isaac, "I will do what I promised to Abraham your father. I will make your family as
many as the stars of heaven, and I will give all these lands to your family. All the nations of the earth will
be blessed because of your family." After this, Isaac continued living in the Negev south of Hebron, and
God blessed him in everything he did.

What Have We Learned?

1. Abraham's servant prayed in faith. Abraham sent his servant to Haran to find a wife for Isaac.
Abraham's servant believed that God would lead him to the right girl. Upon arriving in Haran, the servant
prayed that God would show him which girl he had chosen. He gave God a sign by which the Lord could
make his choice known. Such faith is amazing.

2. God answers prayers. We are not surprised that a rich and powerful man like Abraham could talk with
God. The interesting thing is that God also answered the prayers of Abraham's servant. God's ears are
open to everyone who prays in faith–rich and poor, young and old, powerful and powerless. A person's
position in society has nothing to do with the way God answers his or her prayers. In the eyes of God,
everyone is important and worthy of attention.

If God listened to the prayer of Abraham's servant, he will surely listen to the prayers of his children today.
He knows our needs, and he is waiting to bless our lives. The powerful God who is above and beyond us
is also the loving God who is with and for us. When we pray to him in faith, he listens because he cares.

3. Rebekah's pregnancy was a blessing from God. Isaac could have divorced Rebekah and married
another woman when he found out that she could not have children. Having a male heir was very
important in those days. In some places, the law actually required a man to divorce his wife if she was not
able to give him a son.
 Instead of divorcing Rebekah, however, Isaac prayed for her. He prayed that God would enable her to
have children. God heard Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became a mother. God did something for her that
nature had failed to do. Rebekah's pregnancy was a blessing from God.

4. God's plan of salvation unfolds. The plan of salvation that God announced in the garden of Eden is
unfolding before our eyes. A descendant of Eve is coming to crush Satan's head. A descendant of
Abraham is coming to bless all nations. That descendant will come through one of the sons of Isaac and
Rebekah.

Now, answer the questions on this lesson.

Scripture References: Genesis 23-26.

2.1: The Verb

THE VERB

In the first seven lessons of the WEI English Course, we examined various kinds of nouns, pronouns, and
adjectives. We learned how to use them and how to change them from one form to another.
In this lesson we begin our study of the verb. A verb is a word that expresses action, condition, or
state of being.
Sentences: "Doug ran a race this morning" (action).
"Now he is tired" (state of being).

VERBS TO REMEMBER

1. "action verb" A word that expresses mental or physical activity.

Example: "Abraham's servant took ten camels and loaded them with gifts." The words "took" and "loaded"
are action verbs.
2. "helping verb" A verb that helps the main verb express action, condition, or state of being.
Example: "God will surely listen to our prayers." "Will" is a helping verb.
3. "linking verb" A verb that links the subject to a word which tells what the subject is or seems to be.
Example: "To God, everyone is important." "Is" is a linking verb.
4. "main verb" A verb that expresses the main thought or action in a verb phrase.
Example: "The Lord has led me to the right girl for my master's son." In this sentence, the word "has" is
the helping verb, and "led" is the main verb.
5. "transitive verb" A verb that requires an object to complete its meaning.
Example: "God answers prayer." In this sentence, the word "answers" is a transitive verb. The object,
"prayer," is necessary to complete the meaning of "answers."
6. "intransitive verb" A verb that does not require an object to complete its meaning.
Example: "Isaac's mother died." "Died" is an intransitive verb.

OTHER WORDS TO REMEMBER

1. "bracelet" (noun) A band or chain worn as an ornament around the arm or wrist.
Example: "Abraham's servant gave Rebekah a gold ring and two gold arm bracelets."
2. "heir" (noun) Anyone who receives the property, office, or title of a person who dies.
Example: "Isaac was the only male heir in Abraham's family." "Heir" is pronounced like "air." The "h" is
silent.
3. "loyal" (adjective) Faithful and true.
Example: "God was kind and loyal to Abraham."
4. "pregnancy" (noun) The state or condition of carrying a child in the body.
Example: "Rebekah's pregnancy was a special blessing from God."
5. "trough" (noun) A long, narrow container holding food or water for animals.
Example: "Rebekah poured all the water from her jar into the drinking trough." "Trough" rhymes with
"cough." The "gh" is pronounced like "f."
6. "salvation" (noun) Deliverance from danger, evil, or destruction.
Example: "God's plan of salvation unfolds in this lesson."

WHAT IS A VERB?

A verb is a word that expresses action, condition, or state of being. It tells what is happening, what
is, or what seems to be.
"Jane walked home" (action).
"She was tired" (condition).
"Jane's husband looked worried" (state of being).

Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate, and every predicate must have a verb. The verb
is the heart of the predicate.
Example: "Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in the Cave of Machpelah." In this sentence, "Isaac" and
"Ishmael" are the subjects, and "buried Abraham" is the predicate. The verb "buried," tells us what Isaac
and Ishmael did with Abraham.

ACTION VERBS

An action verb is a verb that expresses physical or mental activity. Examples of action verbs are,
"ask,"
"bring,"
"climb,"
"dig,"
"eat,"
"go,"
"hurl,"
"jog,"
"kneel,"
"make,"
"push,"
"rake,"
"stand,"
"throw,"
"work."

Can you write down ten important things you did after you awoke from sleep and got out of bed this
morning?
For example, let me describe what I did: "I put on my robe and slippers, turned on the heater,
and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. There, I filled the tea kettle with water and put it on the
stove to heat. I poured a bowl of bran flakes, brewed a cup of coffee, and sat down to eat. While eating,
I thought about my schedule for the day. After breakfast, I shaved, showered, dressed, and drove to
work." The action verbs in this paragraph have been highlighted.

LINKING VERBS
A linking verb expresses condition or state of being. It describes what is or what seems to be. It links
the subject of a sentence to a word that describes the subject.
Example: "God is love." In this sentence, "God" is the subject, "love" is the word that describes God, and
"is" is the linking verb that joins the two together.

The most common linking verb is the verb

"be" and its various forms:
"am,"
"are,"
"is,"
"was," and
"were."
Example: "Rebekah was very beautiful." In this sentence, "Rebekah" is the subject, "beautiful" is the word
that describes her, and "was" is the linking verb.

Other linking verbs are

"act,"
"appear,"
"become,"
"feel,"
"grow,"
"look,"
"remain,"
"seem,"
"smell,"
"sound,"
"stand,"
"stay," and
"taste."
Examples:
"Act enthusiastic and you'll feel enthusiastic!"
"On the outside he looks calm, but on the inside he is a nervous wreck."
"It smells like apple pie and it tastes like apple pie, but it is made of peanuts."

Some verbs may be used as linking AND as action verbs.

Examples:
"I feel sick" (linking verb). "I feel the rain on my face" (action verb).
"Some boys grow tall" (linking verb). "Some farmers grow corn" (action verb).

TRANSITIVE VERBS

A transitive verb is a verb that requires an object to complete its meaning.

Example: "Joe hit the ball." In this sentence, "Joe" is the subject, "hit" is the verb, and "ball" is the object
that tells us what Joe hit. The verb "hit" is transitive because it requires an object to complete its meaning.

The action expressed in a transitive verb is thought of as "passing over" from the subject to an object
outside the subject.
Example: "That man studies English." The verb "studies" is transitive because its meaning is completed
by the object "English." If we say, "That man studies all the time," the verb "studies" is still transitive
because some word like "English," "grammar," or "math" must be understood to complete its meaning.

INTRANSITIVE VERBS
An intransitive verb is a verb that does not require an object to complete its meaning. The action
expressed by an intransitive verb does not "pass over" from the subject to an object. It affects only the
subject.
Examples:
Flowers bloom.
Rain falls.
The grass grows.
The wind blows.
Crickets chirp.

What do dogs do?

Dogs bark.
Dogs sleep.
Dogs walk, trot, and run.
Dogs fight and dogs die.
We have just used seven intransitive verbs to describe what dogs do.

Some verbs may be either transitive or intransitive, depending on how they are used.
Examples:
"It breaks (transitive verb) my heart (object)." "Glass breaks (intransitive verb) easily."
"He returned (transitive verb) the books (object)." "He returned (intransitive verb) from the war."

MAIN VERBS

The main verb is the verb which expresses the main thought or action in a verb phrase (a group of
verbs used together). It tells what happens, what is, or what seems to be.
Examples:
"God is listening to our prayers." In this sentence, "is listening" is a verb phrase and "listening" is the main
verb. The main verb of a verb phrase often ends in "ing."

HELPING VERBS

A helping verb is a verb that helps the main verb tell when or how something happens.
Example: "God is listening to our prayers. As was noted above, "is listening" is a verb phrase and
"listening" is the main verb. "Is" is the helping verb.

The most common helping verb is the verb "be" or one of its forms:
"am,"
"are,"
"is,"
"was," and
"were."
Other helping verbs are,
"can,"
"do,"
"have,"
"may,"
"must,"
"shall," and
"will."
A helping verb must always agree with the subject of the sentence in number, person, and tense. (We will
learn more about these verb properties in Lesson Nine.) Notice in the chart below that the helping verbs
"be," "have," and "do" have more than one form in the singular.

PRESENT TENSE SINGULAR

1st Per 2nd Per 3rd Per

I you he/she/it

am are is

do do does

have have has

PRESENT TENSE PLURAL

1st Per 2nd Per 3rd Per

we you they

are are are

do do do

have have have

PAST TENSE SINGULAR

1st Per 2nd Per 3rd Per

I you he/she/it

was were was

PAST TENSE PLURAL

1st Per 2nd Per 3rd Per

we you they

were were were

Your Assignment

Check your understanding of verbs by answering the questions of Grammar Lesson 8. Then, read
Reading Assignment 8 and answer its questions. Your teacher will release English Grammar Lesson 9 of
and Reading Assignment 9 when they grade your answers Lessons 8.