Genesis 24

 

Bible Gateway Genesis 24 NIV link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=24&version=31

 

I think that many of us would think the same thing as Abraham. We are far from home, yet we would love to see our children marry someone from our hometown. Someone who was raised up in the same belief system, and had the same values. However Abraham had other things to worry about as well. As we have seen, Abraham became a part of the society where he lived. They respected him there, and recognized the fact that God's had rested on him. At the end of the day Abraham was not from that land, he was where God had led him. God promised Abraham that his children would have the land for their own. God did not tell Abraham you will make your home here and this will be your land and the Canaanites land. God's plan was to deliver the land to the lineage of Abraham. Thus the very real need for his son to marry back into his roots. His bride should be from the people from which they came. For they will be of the lineage that fulfills God's promise.

 

A couple of things I picked up with this chapter are how much time is spent on Rebekah. How she was chosen was recounted twice, as well as showing that not only did she fulfill the servants request she did it with zeal (she ran to get the water) Then I think the one thing that stands out is that her mother asked her if she wanted to go. That was a big deal, it was not like today where a woman goes out and finds a man, or at the very least accepts the pursuit of a man. No, in the day of Abraham marriages were arranged. A daughter went where she was told to go. Yet here we see that Rebekah was given a choice, on quite a weighty issue. These people were Abraham's kinsmen, they knew Abraham, they knew what he had become, and they knew that he was walking with to Lord. These are reasons that would almost guarantee that Rebekah family would say yes, even if Isaac was covered in boils and smelled like day old fish! Who would not want their daughter married in to that family? Yet they gave her a choice, she could have just as easily said no, for it had already been said that Abraham would take no for an answer.

 

Not only did she say yes, but she said yes, and let's go! Notice how her friends and family sent her off? With happiness and a blessing. There was no "oh you know she is going to be miserable once she gets there" no one talked of all of the possible negatives, just happiness and a blessing, a look to the bright future. We can all take that lesson to heart!

 

At the end of the journey they come upon Isaac. They find him out in a field meditating. You can't help but think that Isaac was out in the field praying. Looking for some relief form the pain that he felt from the passing of his mother. Have you ever found yourself in that situation? You are praying for something, and you look up and there it is, what a blessed feeling!  One can only think that Isaacs's heart leapt when he saw the camels returning. The chapter closes with Isaac taking Rebekah in to his mother's tent, they are married, and Isaac loves her. Finally after several years, Isaac finds comfort after his mother's death.  Showing that we are not meant to walk this world alone, we need help; we need someone we can lean on physically. Isaac found that in Rebekah. 

 

 

Peace,

Brian