Genesis 24:50-67 – Living in the centre of God’s will

At some point both Bethuel and Laban must have recognized the hand of the Lord in the whole matter as narrated by Abraham’s servant, Eleazar. After Abraham’s departure, Nahor and his family probably had thought deeper and recognized the Lord’s hand in Abraham’s life. Now Bethuel and Laban came to the same consensus that they each had no personal opinion of their own. They were in effect saying since that was the Lord’s orchestration, His purpose and what He wanted must be done. So they had no objection and consented to Rebekah becoming Isaac’s wife. Recognizing the hand of the Lord in the whole matter, Eleazar prostrated before the Lord and worshipped Him. He then gave to Rebekah “...articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments.” And to Laban and Rebekah’s mother he gave some precious things. And before they retired for the night, the meal they ate together must be more delicious than usual.  

The next day the servant wanted to make his way home with Rebekah. But the family had another plan. They wanted to hold Rebekah for ten days before she left for Isaac. They hoped to have at least another ten days with her. But the servant was anxious to return home since his mission was already almost accomplished. Perhaps the parents were thinking that it was too sudden for Rebekah. They wanted to give her some time to decide if she wanted to go immediately or not. However, she did not want the delay, she preferred to follow the servant back. So they sent her and her nurse off together, with Abraham’s servant. Before they left they pronounced a two-fold blessing over Rebekah’s life. They pronounced that she would have many children and that her offspring would be victorious over all their enemies. So Rebekah and her maids together with the servant’s entourage made their journey back.  

Isaac apparently had returned from Beer-lahai-Roi to the Negev. He was out in the field meditating and contemplating. He was possibly still grieving over the mother’s death so he went there to reflect over the whole matter. When he lifted his eyes he saw from a distance, the returning entourage of the servant. At the same time, Rebekah also saw him from a distance. So she dismounted and inquired of the identity of Isaac and was told that he was the master. The address of Isaac as the master suggests to us that Abraham could have died while the servant was away. If this is the case, the servant probably swore to complete the mission at Abraham’s deathbed. That accounts for the urgency of getting Isaac a wife.  

When told that it was Isaac, Rebekah quickly put on a veil and went to meet him. When Isaac drew near the servant narrated the whole matter to him, telling him all that he had done. He must have included the providential guidance of God in his recounting. Immediately Isaac accepted everything. The couple then entered Sarah’s tent and the marriage took place. Isaac loved her so much and though he was grieving over his mother’s death, he found comfort in Rebekah.  It may be hard for us in our days to think that a man would accept an arranged marriage. The beauty of Rebekah might have played a key role. But Isaac’s acceptance was not so much because of Rebekah’s beauty but that it was the plan of God for his life. In our decision in life we should choose the path that God had ordained more than the comfort of outward circumstances. We must learn to live in the centre of God’s will for our life.  

Genesis 24:15-49 – Divine Guidance

God answered Eleazar’s prayer even before he could finish his closing words. Rebekah, the granddaughter of Nahor, appeared to draw water from the well. The description of her in verse 16, tells us that she was not only a beautiful woman but also a very proper one, a virgin, who was not flirtatious. Her identity was not known to the servant of Abraham. Immediately he went into action, requesting for a drink from her jar. Without hesitation she lowered her jar and offered him the drink. Not only that, she even offered to water all his camels. So she went back and forth from the well and the water trough, filling them till all the ten camels were watered. Meanwhile Eleazar just observed and silently assessed her to see if God would grant him success. 

It appears that Rebekah was the first girl to arrive at the well, hence the servant of Abraham did not have too many choices to content with. This is an indication of how closely God worked with the servant and how quickly God affirmed who Isaac’s wife was to be. As we reflect on the conditions set by Abraham’s servant, we must conclude that they were so high that not many girls would have acceded. So it could not be co-incidence that Rebekah should respond to him.  God was certainly behind his success.

Eleazar waited till Rebekah had finished watering his camels before he presented her with three precious pieces of jewellery, more for her willingness to help than the bridal gifts, as he had not seen her parents. Besides he did not know her background as yet. He then asked for her father’s name and inquired if there was room in her house for him, and probably his entourage and the camels. She then told him her father was Bethuel, the grandson of Nahor. Immediately Eleazar knew that God had done the connection and Isaac would soon have his bride. So he worshiped the Lord for His favour upon Abraham his master. He was so overwhelmed that he just bowed down and worshiped God on the spot. The word for bow is literally to prostrate before God. Like him we should respond gratefully to God for all he has done for us. Let us not give muted response to God for His goodness.

Rebekah was excited to show the gifts she was given by the servant of Abraham. She was of course impressed with his devotion to God and to his mater, Abraham. So with uncontained joy she hurried home to show her mother. Here we see Laban as the spokesman for the family. He was probably a covetous man for the first things he noticed were the pieces of jewellery given to her sister, Rebekah. On hearing what she said, Laban quickly invited them to lodge in their house and food to eat. But Eleazar preferred to finish his mission before he ate. So he sat down and told the long story of his mission, beginning from how God had blessed Abraham, his master. Verses 34 – 48 recount for us all that had transpired.  So he now asked Laban for Rebekah’s hand for Isaac, his young master.  

This story is about divine guidance. It is what we must seek in our life too. Divine guidance always begins with prayer, earnestness and the word. It requires that we be closely connected to God as Eleazar did. Then we need to be attentive to God’s response. He can answer through people, circumstances and even events. Obedience also plays a part. God can show but the response is ours. Of course we need God’s guidance, because apart from doing His will nothing truly matters. Let’s seek His guidance for our life. 

Genesis 24:1-9 – Choosing a right partner in life

Abraham was now advanced in years and Sarah his wife had died. It must have dawned on him that Isaac needed a wife. So calling his oldest servant in his household, he made him swore to return to his father’s country and relatives to get a bride for Isaac. Though the passage did not name the servant, we guess it must be Eleazar, his old and trusted steward. The swearing was unusual and solemn. The servant put his hand underneath Abraham’s thigh and took the oath, to undertake the assignment with total faithfulness. The placing of the hand under the thigh was to say that if he did not do as required, he would be answerable to Abraham and his descendants as well.

Abraham had lived among the Canaanites for such a long time that he knew why he would not allow his son to marry one of the women. The Canaanites were a religiously depraved people. Their gods were carved out of woods or stones and their worship would include all sorts of aberrant sexual immorality. Their practices had absolutely deviated from what God had designed and was far from what God would want to connect with him. Abraham did not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite with all these needless baggage. The only way he knew to get Isaac a comparably decent wife, was to return to where he came from and get one among his father’s relative. He was sure that among the women there, a suitable bride could be identified for Isaac. So he made his servant swore to get Isaac a wife from among his father’s people.

The immediate question that came to the servant’s mind was that the bride he managed to find, might refuse to return with him to marry Isaac. The question he asked presupposes that he would be able to find one but she might refuse to come with him. He wanted to know if Abraham would allow him to take Isaac there then. Abraham, however, did not want Isaac to return to his father’s land. For he knew how disruptive it would be for the plan God had intended to give to him and his descendants. He told the servant that under no condition should the servant bring Isaac back to the land of his father’s relatives. Abraham assured the servant that God would guide him and grant him success. What he said to Eleazar was not said in a vacuum. He had experienced it. God had not failed him in a single promise He had made. With his experience, and his firmly and deeply rooted faith, he assured the servant that his mission would be a success. He even assured him that God would send His angel to guide him. What he needed to do was to do his best. He would not be held responsible if the chosen bride refused to come back with him.

This passage underscores for us the whole call to be a separated people. We are called out of the world of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s marvellous light. As children of light it would not be fitting to be unequally yoked with the children of darkness, especially in a marriage. A Christian marriage is a God ordained institution. The right partner should be one from the same faith because both share the same value system. Nothing can be more blessed than to have a home where everyone serves God and His purpose. Let’s affirm with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”

Genesis 24:11-14 – Making prayer the first option in life

Taking the instruction of Abraham, the servant then set out on his journey to seek a bride for Isaac. He proceeded to the city Nahor in Mesopotamia with ten camels laden with all kinds of good gifts and probably some dowries for the bride. The city was probably named Nahor to indicate that that was where Abraham’s brother lived. The journey was long and arduous. So on reaching his destination at evening time, he positioned himself outside the city where the well was, so that he could water his camels. It was strategic also because this was the place where women would customarily come to draw water for everyday needs.

From where he was, he could see women coming to the well to draw water. He quickly went into prayer. How could he determine who was the one suitable for Isaac out of the many who came to draw water from the well? He took the right course of action. He went straight into prayer. He shows us that prayer should always be our first option and not our last resort. How often do we seek God first in critical issues of our life? Most people would seek advice from a trusted friend or some counsellor but God. Here Eleazar was different, he sought God first, thus leaving us an example to emulate. Like him we must make prayer the first thing. This was the advice Paul also gave. He said that, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.…” He urged that prayer should be our first priority. It is certainly the most needed exercise when it comes to seeking God’s plan for our life.

Eleazar was a praying man, probably influenced by Abraham. He appealed to the God of Abraham. Specifically asking God to show favour to his master Abraham and to grant him success in securing a bride for his young master. His prayer was straight to the point, not beating around the bush. Notice that he only wanted the one God had appointed for his young master. He did not start with beauty as most man would. He strategized to assess the depth of the character of the bride for Isaac. The one that he sought for Isaac must be a woman of quality. He had two requirements in mind. Firstly, the right lady must be willing to offer him a drink. Secondly she must also offer to draw water for each of his ten camels out of her own initiative. We can see that Eleazar was passionate about finding the right partner for his young master. He started on the right path. He prayed. Prayer is the right place to begin with. Eleazar prayed and so must we. Let’s pray concerning all matters of our life, especially in choosing the right partner.   

Genesis 23:1-20 – Live life unassumingly

Time had passed by. The Bible did not record what transpired from the time Abraham returned with Isaac from Mount Moriah up till now. It is not hard to imagine what Sarah must have felt when Abraham shared with her the intention of offering Isaac to God, though we are not told her reaction. We conclude that like Abraham she also trusted God and believed all that God had promised, and so concurred with Abraham. For whatever God had said of her conception at an old age, had truly come to pass. And she must have come to trust God more and more. It is also not hard to imagine how she must have rejoiced when Abraham returned with Isaac from Mount Moriah. The three of them shared a wonderful experience not known to many. It’s hard to be unfaithful and non-committed to a God who has done so much for them.

Some 15-20 years must have passed by since Abraham’s return from Mount Moriah. Though no account of what happened during this period is given, we believe each of them must have lived a devoted and God pleasing life. We are told that Sarah died at Kiriath Arba that was known as Hebron earlier. She was 127 years old when she died. We know that Abraham loved her dearly and to him, her death was a loss. So we read that he wept over her. Abraham then sought to find her a good burial ground. Kiriath Arba was a settlement of the Hittites, and they were known as the Heth. Abraham wanted to purchase a piece of land that belonged to a person by the name of Ephron. So he appealed to the leader of the Heths to help him obtain the land for Sarah’s burial. Notice how humbly Abraham approached the Heths. Though he was well recognized for his stature, he did not assert himself. He came humbly and observed the proper protocol to buy the cave of Machpelah. Abraham was unassuming. He knew his place. Like him, we need to deal with all with decorum. Everyone, great or not, young or old, rich or poor, deserves our respect. As believers we ought not to think too highly of ourselves. We must work to cultivate a culture of honour. Being respectful and courteous begets respect and courtesy in return. It makes for peaceful co-existence as we serve the Lord. Paul’s advice is still valuable. His advice recorded in Romans 12:3 is: “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Besides Abraham was not one who would take advantage of the situation. Though he was offered the land free of charge, he would rather pay the price required of it. So he bought Sarah’s burial ground for 400 shekels of silver. With the purchase of the land, presumably on the same day that Sarah died, Abraham was then able to lay her to rest. This place later also became the burial ground for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This piece of land was the only one that Abraham had purchased and owned. But ultimately his descendants owned the whole region. 

Genesis 22:15-24 – The impact of obedience

Abraham was absolutely obedient. Being obedient always delights the heart of God. So in Abraham’s situation God emphatically proclaimed from heaven how He felt, and what He would do for him because of his obedience. The effect of the obedience would not only impact him but also sealed the destiny of his descendants forever. God said his descendants would be as numerous as the countless stars in the sky, and they would also take possession of the cities of their enemies. Furthermore they would be the cause of blessings to come upon all the nations of the earth.

Truly, there is no alternative to receive the blessings of God but obedience. We must never evade doing according to the instruction of God. Blessings would not only be denied to one who is found disobedient to God, it would also cause the people he was expected to influence to be denied the blessing for generations to come. Paul in Romans 5:19 underscores the impact of both disobedience and obedience. Comparing Adam to Christ, he said, “For as through the one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One (Jesus Christ) many will be made righteous.” Today, we are the blessed recipients of both the obedience of Abraham as well as the Lord Jesus Christ’s. What a blessing! We are now expected to emulate their obedience. So verse 19 tells us Abraham returned to the two servants waiting for Him and Isaac. Obviously Isaac, whom he was to sacrifice but prevented by the angel of the Lord, also returned with him. So they returned to Beersheba.

Then quickly the scene shifted to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. They had been separated for 40 years or more since Abraham’s departure from Haran. The nomadic life enhanced the difficulty of contacting each other. Abraham probably did not hear from Nahor for a long while. But now news came to Abraham concerning Nahor, his brother and family. For us, readers of the Bible, records of genealogy are often passed over. They made Bible reading dull and boring. But to the ancient, a record of genealogy was critical. It helped them trace the root of someone significant. Verses 20-24 would have been quickly skimmed over if not for Rebekah. For she would eventually be the wife of Isaac. So the story awaits to be told. 

Genesis 22:9-14 – Jehovah Jireh: God will provide

Abraham and Isaac had now come to the place where God had indicated for the sacrifice. Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood and hoisted Isaac on to the altar. If we were at the scene, we would have noticed the tears that would stream uncontrollably down Abraham’s cheeks as he lifted his knife to plunge into Isaac. The son on the other hand trusted Abraham absolutely. Otherwise we would have read of how he struggled with his father. One thing is clear: Abraham trusted God absolutely and he would not withhold anything from God, not even his own son. 

Just as he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac, God through the angel of the Lord called out from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” He arm froze at the call of God. He was told not to lay a hand on the boy. In verse 12, God said, “…for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” This gives the impression that God did not know that Abraham loved and trusted Him until He tested him out. No, this is not the case. We can be sure that God knows everything. But the test was more for Abraham’s sake. God wanted him to come to the point of realizing how important God truly was to him, that he would be prepared to give anything to Him, even his only son. Like how He knew the heart of Abraham, God also knows each and every one of our hearts. We are often also put to the test to bring us to the point of realization of how important God is to us. He will bring us to a tough situation in life where we will have to assess our relationship with God, and still choose to trust Him despite the tough encounters.

Like Abraham, the issue confronting us is “Do I love God for what He could do for me or do I love Him for Who He is?” Any love based on what we can receive from God is not adequate. True love for, and trust in God, is not based on what one can get from God, but on who we know God truly is. People will serve God when things are smooth and the requests to their needs are answered. But when their prayers seem unanswered, their love for God will turn cold and some would even backslide and leave God. What about us? Will we love God for Who He is and not for what He can give? Can we continue to love and trust Him even when life’s toughest are hurled at us?  This is the true test of our love for Him.

Worship always demands a sacrifice, not just any sacrifice but an appropriate sacrifice. The Lord had never intended for Isaac to be a physical sacrifice. For He had already provided one in the thicket. So the ram caught in the thicket was God’s provision for the sacrifice. Just imagine the joy Abraham and Isaac must have experienced when they saw that ram. Abraham tears gave way to joy. Together, they caught the ram, killed it and placed it on the altar of sacrifice.  The whole incidence must have impacted Isaac. He saw his father’s absolute trust in God that made him willing to give up all things, yes even his only precious son. This was an act that was close to God’s - for God so loves that He gave us His only begotten Son. But Abraham so loved God that He was willing to give up his only son.  Isaac saw how unconditional his father’s love was for God and was willing to lose all, yes even his only son, to express his love for God. Could it be that Isaac’s pledge for life henceforth, was to be like his dad? Fathers, our willingness to give all for God can leave an indelible mark in the life of our children! Let’s seize every teachable moment to leave a mark in our children’s life!

The provision of God on the mountain was more than what Abraham could ever dream of. He named the place: the Lord will provide. The future tense of this name tells us that God wants to provide not just for our present needs but also all our future needs. It was Abraham way of saying that God did not just meet his need then but that He would be with him to meet all his needs for the rest of his journey. What a promise! What happened to Abraham on that mountain became a prophetic proclamation. Since that day, the by-word has been: “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” Mount Moriah was actually Mount Calvary. On it God has truly provided for all our needs. On this mountain, God provided Christ Jesus, and through Him God gave and gave. It is true that God has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Praise be unto Him!