We learn something new about Abraham in Chapter 25. He took another wife after the death of Sarah.
The Bible tells us that Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years old when she died, but Abraham will be one hundred and seventy-five when he dies. There was about a ten year age gap between them, so this means Abraham lived thirty-eight more years after the death of his wife. We don't know how soon he remarried after the death of Sarah but he had enough time to father six more sons. He probably had daughters too but the Bible tends to not name daughters very often.
"Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah." (Genesis 25:1-2) She must have been a young woman to have borne all these children. We know practically nothing about her except that she is referred to as a "concubine" in Genesis 25 and in 1 Chronicles 1:32. In modern times the word "concubine" may be jokingly used in reference to a man's mistress, but concubines were not immoral women. Instead they were legal wives of lesser standing than a man's primary wife. They often were slave women or foreigners. I wouldn't be surprised if Keturah was a slave woman born on Abraham's estate.
"Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah." (Genesis 25:3-4) Sheba is believed to be the ancestor of the tribe known as the Sabeans, who in the book of Job will attack and kill some of his servants and steal his livestock. (Job 1:14-15)
Though Abraham has all these additional sons, Isaac is the one who inherits his estate. Before Abraham's death he bequeaths these other sons with enough to make a fresh start out in the world. "Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubine and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east." (Genesis 25:5-6) He wisely takes care of this matter before his death so there will be no dispute between the son of Sarah and the sons of Keturah. He makes it plain while he's still living that these sons are not his heirs by giving them gifts and sending them away from the estate. He doesn't want them living close enough to Isaac to hinder him in any way. You'll recall that Abraham and his nephew Lot had to live at a distance from each other because their flocks and herds were so large that they were hindering the grazing ground of each other's livestock, so Abraham makes certain his other sons are living at a distance from Isaac so as to not interfere with the expansion of his agricultural pursuits. If Keturah was a slave woman, this means that Abraham was not only the father of these additional sons but that he owned them as well, so he would have made them free men at the time he sent them east.
"Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people." (Genesis 25:7-8) The Bible sometimes uses the beautiful expression "gathered to his people" for those in the Old Testament who die in faith. When we die we are going to be gathered to our people---reunited with those who have gone on before. They are going to be there to meet us and welcome us home. The Bible isn't speaking of the burial of the body but of the continuing life of the soul. There's only one other person buried in the cave at Machpelah and that's Sarah. It can't accurately be said that Abraham is "gathered to his people" when he's buried there. But it can be accurately said that though his body will lie in the grave, his soul will be welcomed home by those who have gone on to be with the Lord before him. Someday when I die, I'll be gathered to my people. I'll see my parents and grandparents again. I'll see aunts and uncles who have already passed on. I'll see friends who left this world too soon. My body may be turning to dust in the grave, but I'll be alive and well and rejoicing in the presence of my Savior and my loved ones.
"His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi." (Genesis 25:9-11) These two brothers join together to mourn their father and give him a proper burial.
Abraham leaves this world for a better place. That's what can be said of all of us who place our faith in the Lord. We leave this world of struggles and toils to be forever with our Redeemer and with our believing loved ones who have gone on before. No matter how long we live, or how successful we become, nothing on this earth will even begin to compare with what waits for us. Abraham lived a long life and enjoyed a great deal of wealth, but I believe the moment when he saw the Lord face to face eclipsed everything else that had ever happened to him. Nothing compares to a joy like this. And we don't know what heaven will be like because our mortal minds aren't capable of even imagining a small glimpse of what awaits us, but whatever it is, it will be more than we ever imagined. As the Apostle Paul promises us, no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no mind has conceived what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 101, Isaac And Rebekah, Part Three
Eliezer has just finished telling the tale of how the Lord led him to Rebekah. Now he waits for her family to decide whether they will give her hand in marriage to Isaac.
"Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed.'" (Genesis 24:50-51) Her father speaks for the first time in Chapter 24. Up until now her brother Laban has done all the talking, and we aren't sure why. Perhaps he's the best negotiator in the family. Or maybe Bethuel is old or in ill health and Laban is in the process of taking over as head of the family. But after listening to Eliezer's story, both these men are in agreement that it's the Lord's will for Rebekah to become Isaac's wife, so they say something like, "The Lord has decided the matter. We can't object to it. And the Lord certainly doesn't need our help or approval. May it be as He has said."
"When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there." (Genesis 24:52-54a) Eliezer presents Rebekah with a beautiful wardrobe in which to make the journey back to Canaan and in which to begin her married life. He also gives expensive gifts to her family to prove the ability of Isaac to provide amply for Rebekah. The sight of these riches comforts her family that she will lack nothing as long as she lives. Also the gold and silver helps to compensate them for the valuable work she will no longer be able to perform in their household. If an extra household servant is needed, they will be able to afford one.
"When they got up the next morning, he said, 'Send me on my way to my master.' But her brother and her mother replied, 'Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.' But he said to them, 'Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.'" (Genesis 24:54b-56) Naturally they are reluctant to let her go. This situation has happened very suddenly from their point of view. God made this plan a long time ago, but to Rebekah's family it's new and unexpected. I picture her mother crying happy tears that Rebekah has made such a good match, but also crying sad tears that her daughter is traveling approximately six hundred miles and she may never see her daughter again. Laban's motivation for delaying the departure may be the same as his mother's, or he may hope that his hesitation will produce more riches from Eliezer to "persuade" him to let Rebekah go.
Rebekah's family expects some reluctance on her part to travel to a land she's never seen and marry a man she's never met, so they suggest leaving the date of departure up to her. "Then they said, 'Let's call the young woman and ask her about it.' So they called Rebekah and asked her, 'Will you go with this man?' 'I will go,' she said." (Genesis 24:57) She's willing to do what the Lord wants and she's willing to do it right now. I believe she has a great deal of trust in the Lord. I can't explain her actions otherwise. I don't get the sense that she's motivated by greed like her brother. Instead there's a calm surrender about her. She believes this is the Lord's plan for her life. Because she believes this, she knows everything will be alright.
"So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, 'Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies'. Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left." (Genesis 24:59-61) The statement her family makes is prophetic, whether they know it or not. Her offspring will possess the cities of their enemies, just as the Lord promised Abraham in Genesis 22:17.
"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching." (Genesis 24:62-63) Isaac isn't doing yoga out in the field or performing any type of new age meditation. Whenever we see mediation in the Bible, it's focused on the Lord. He's thinking about the Lord, likely in an attitude of thankfulness and submission and supplication. He's pondering all the things the Lord has done for him in the past. He's asking for the Lord's help in the future. He's willing to do whatever the Lord says to do. While he's in this attitude, his bride (for whom he may also have been praying) approaches. If you're single, you need to be praying for your future husband or wife. If any of your children or grandchildren are single, you'll be doing them a great service by praying for their future husbands and wives. The choice of a spouse is one of the most serious decisions a person ever makes in life. A person choosing a spouse needs the Lord's guidance. Marriage isn't easy even when the match is made in heaven. It's much harder when the husband and wife are not well-suited to each other. The Lord knows best about these things and His will should be sought when choosing the person who is to be our partner in life.
At the same moment Isaac sees Rebekah, Rebekah sees him. "Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, 'Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?'" (Genesis 24:64-65a) I like to imagine her finding Isaac so handsome that she asks her question in an awestruck and hopeful voice. I hear her question in my head like this: "Who is that man?", like, "Wow, who is this hunk?" Isaac, who no doubt knows Eliezer was sent to the suburbs of Ur to find a wife for him, realizes this is his bride, so he starts walking toward her at the same moment she dismounts from the camel. They're gazing into each other's eyes. The Bible has already told us Rebekah is a very beautiful woman, so I tend to think this is a genuine case of love at first sight. It's love at first sight not simply because these two young people find each other attractive, but because they know the Lord's stamp of approval is on their union. Here is the person each of them is meant to be with. What an exciting moment this must have been!
"'He is my master,' the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself." (Genesis 24:65b) Though it was customary for godly women of the Bible to wear a veil over their hair as a symbol of being a woman who submits to the Lord's authority, Rebekah is from an area where this may not have been a custom. Her hometown lay on the outskirts of Ur where the attitude was "anything goes", so she may not have traditionally worn a veil there. Or maybe it was too warm on the journey to wear a head covering and she had removed it. But now, like any beautiful bride about to walk down the aisle to meet her husband, she applies her veil. When I was getting dressed for my wedding, the veil was the final accessory I put on. Once I had done that, I was ready to go.
"Then the servant told Isaac all he had done." (Genesis 24:66) Eliezer gets to tell the story again of how the Lord led him to Rebekah.
"Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (Genesis 24:66-67) In the Bible days a man didn't usually court a woman for a long time before marriage. In some cases, like the one here in Chapter 24, the marriages were arranged and the bride and groom didn't know each other very well, if at all. Courting took place after the marriage, and I can't help wondering if marriages of today would be better if the husband and wife continued to court each other for the rest of their lives. Too often we see the attitude of, "Now I've got her," or, "Now I've got him," and one or both of them stop trying very hard. Isaac married Rebekah first; then he grew to love her. Just because their marriage was arranged doesn't mean they weren't truly in love. When the Lord is involved in a marriage, love grows.
"Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed.'" (Genesis 24:50-51) Her father speaks for the first time in Chapter 24. Up until now her brother Laban has done all the talking, and we aren't sure why. Perhaps he's the best negotiator in the family. Or maybe Bethuel is old or in ill health and Laban is in the process of taking over as head of the family. But after listening to Eliezer's story, both these men are in agreement that it's the Lord's will for Rebekah to become Isaac's wife, so they say something like, "The Lord has decided the matter. We can't object to it. And the Lord certainly doesn't need our help or approval. May it be as He has said."
"When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there." (Genesis 24:52-54a) Eliezer presents Rebekah with a beautiful wardrobe in which to make the journey back to Canaan and in which to begin her married life. He also gives expensive gifts to her family to prove the ability of Isaac to provide amply for Rebekah. The sight of these riches comforts her family that she will lack nothing as long as she lives. Also the gold and silver helps to compensate them for the valuable work she will no longer be able to perform in their household. If an extra household servant is needed, they will be able to afford one.
"When they got up the next morning, he said, 'Send me on my way to my master.' But her brother and her mother replied, 'Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.' But he said to them, 'Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.'" (Genesis 24:54b-56) Naturally they are reluctant to let her go. This situation has happened very suddenly from their point of view. God made this plan a long time ago, but to Rebekah's family it's new and unexpected. I picture her mother crying happy tears that Rebekah has made such a good match, but also crying sad tears that her daughter is traveling approximately six hundred miles and she may never see her daughter again. Laban's motivation for delaying the departure may be the same as his mother's, or he may hope that his hesitation will produce more riches from Eliezer to "persuade" him to let Rebekah go.
Rebekah's family expects some reluctance on her part to travel to a land she's never seen and marry a man she's never met, so they suggest leaving the date of departure up to her. "Then they said, 'Let's call the young woman and ask her about it.' So they called Rebekah and asked her, 'Will you go with this man?' 'I will go,' she said." (Genesis 24:57) She's willing to do what the Lord wants and she's willing to do it right now. I believe she has a great deal of trust in the Lord. I can't explain her actions otherwise. I don't get the sense that she's motivated by greed like her brother. Instead there's a calm surrender about her. She believes this is the Lord's plan for her life. Because she believes this, she knows everything will be alright.
"So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, 'Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies'. Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left." (Genesis 24:59-61) The statement her family makes is prophetic, whether they know it or not. Her offspring will possess the cities of their enemies, just as the Lord promised Abraham in Genesis 22:17.
"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching." (Genesis 24:62-63) Isaac isn't doing yoga out in the field or performing any type of new age meditation. Whenever we see mediation in the Bible, it's focused on the Lord. He's thinking about the Lord, likely in an attitude of thankfulness and submission and supplication. He's pondering all the things the Lord has done for him in the past. He's asking for the Lord's help in the future. He's willing to do whatever the Lord says to do. While he's in this attitude, his bride (for whom he may also have been praying) approaches. If you're single, you need to be praying for your future husband or wife. If any of your children or grandchildren are single, you'll be doing them a great service by praying for their future husbands and wives. The choice of a spouse is one of the most serious decisions a person ever makes in life. A person choosing a spouse needs the Lord's guidance. Marriage isn't easy even when the match is made in heaven. It's much harder when the husband and wife are not well-suited to each other. The Lord knows best about these things and His will should be sought when choosing the person who is to be our partner in life.
At the same moment Isaac sees Rebekah, Rebekah sees him. "Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, 'Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?'" (Genesis 24:64-65a) I like to imagine her finding Isaac so handsome that she asks her question in an awestruck and hopeful voice. I hear her question in my head like this: "Who is that man?", like, "Wow, who is this hunk?" Isaac, who no doubt knows Eliezer was sent to the suburbs of Ur to find a wife for him, realizes this is his bride, so he starts walking toward her at the same moment she dismounts from the camel. They're gazing into each other's eyes. The Bible has already told us Rebekah is a very beautiful woman, so I tend to think this is a genuine case of love at first sight. It's love at first sight not simply because these two young people find each other attractive, but because they know the Lord's stamp of approval is on their union. Here is the person each of them is meant to be with. What an exciting moment this must have been!
"'He is my master,' the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself." (Genesis 24:65b) Though it was customary for godly women of the Bible to wear a veil over their hair as a symbol of being a woman who submits to the Lord's authority, Rebekah is from an area where this may not have been a custom. Her hometown lay on the outskirts of Ur where the attitude was "anything goes", so she may not have traditionally worn a veil there. Or maybe it was too warm on the journey to wear a head covering and she had removed it. But now, like any beautiful bride about to walk down the aisle to meet her husband, she applies her veil. When I was getting dressed for my wedding, the veil was the final accessory I put on. Once I had done that, I was ready to go.
"Then the servant told Isaac all he had done." (Genesis 24:66) Eliezer gets to tell the story again of how the Lord led him to Rebekah.
"Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (Genesis 24:66-67) In the Bible days a man didn't usually court a woman for a long time before marriage. In some cases, like the one here in Chapter 24, the marriages were arranged and the bride and groom didn't know each other very well, if at all. Courting took place after the marriage, and I can't help wondering if marriages of today would be better if the husband and wife continued to court each other for the rest of their lives. Too often we see the attitude of, "Now I've got her," or, "Now I've got him," and one or both of them stop trying very hard. Isaac married Rebekah first; then he grew to love her. Just because their marriage was arranged doesn't mean they weren't truly in love. When the Lord is involved in a marriage, love grows.
Monday, January 6, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 100, Isaac And Rebekah, Part Two
The Lord has led Abraham's servant Eliezer to a young woman related to Abraham's brother Nahor. The Lord performed the sign Eliezer requested so that he would know this is the right bride for Isaac. Now he has been invited by Rebekah to lodge at her family's house tonight.
"The young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring." (Genesis 24:28-30) Rebekah runs to the house, where her mother is probably getting ready to prepare the evening meal, and she tells her family to get a room ready for the visitor and to get ready to house his camels in the barn. Her brother Laban is a shrewd man. As soon as he sees the jewelry Eliezer has given her in return for her kindness, he can't show hospitality fast enough to their visitor. If this stranger is willing to bestow such largess on Rebekah for simply providing water, what might he pay the family in return for a good meal and a night's lodging?
When Laban spots Eliezer still standing by the well, he starts making a big fuss over him. "'Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,' he said. Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.'" (Genesis 24:31) Rebekah's father, Bethuel, is still alive. But he lets his son Laban take the lead in the discussions with Abraham's servant. We will see Laban again later on the Bible and we will learn that he is not only shrewd where money is concerned but downright greedy. His word can't be trusted because he's always looking out only for himself. It may be that Bethuel allows him to do most of the talking because he's the smoothest talking man in the family. When it comes to making lucrative deals, he's the best man for the job.
"So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet." (Genesis 24:32) The Bible has not previously mentioned the servants who accompany Eliezer but we wouldn't expect a man to make such a journey alone with ten camels loaded with valuable goods. The Bible doesn't say much about them because they are not relevant to the story.
"Then food was set before him, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.'" (Genesis 24:33a) He's here on business and he wants to get on with it. He owes it to his master to get to the point and get this matter settled as quickly as possible so he can return with a bride for Isaac. He can't relax until he explains why he's here.
"'Then tell us,' Laban said. So he said, 'I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.'" (Genesis 24:33b-38) Eliezer lets the family know that Isaac is an eligible bachelor, being the sole heir of his extremely wealthy father. If Rebekah's family wants her to make a good match, they can't find a better match for her than the son of Abraham. He's their kinsman, he serves the God of his father Abraham, and he's able to provide amply for Rebekah all the days of her life. If this news isn't enough to persuade them, proving to them that this marriage is God's will ought to do it, so he launches into the story of how he was led to Rebekah by the Lord.
"Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come with me?' He replied, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you---then you will be released from my oath.' When I came to the spring today, I said, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please let me drink a little water from your jar,' and if she says to me, 'Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too,' let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master's son.'" (Genesis 24:39-44) We know this story already but the ability to tell a detailed and suspenseful story was a highly valued talent in Eliezer's time. People didn't have televisions or radios or books or the internet. Telling or listening to interesting stories was an enjoyable way to pass time in those days. If I were Moses, when I was writing Chapter 24 I think I'd have been tempted to just say, "Eliezer told them everything that had happened." but Moses tells the events of Chapter 24 exactly as they played out, leaving nothing out about Eliezer's tale at the kitchen table.
"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also. I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.' Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn." (Genesis 45-49) Eliezer knows Rebekah is the woman the Lord has chosen for Isaac. But Rebekah's family has to agree to give her hand in marriage. Rebekah herself will have to agree to go to a country she's never seen to be the wife of a man she's never met. The Lord's will in this matter is clear, but human beings have been given the ability to choose for themselves and they don't always choose what God has chosen. He's told them everything they need to know in order to make the right choice. Now he just has to wait for their reply.
On this suspenseful note, we must close our study for today since Chapter 24 is quite long. But I wanted to ask: Is there news you're waiting for right now? My husband and I are waiting for some news right ourselves. We don't yet know what the Lord's will is in this matter. But Eliezer shows us how to behave while we are waiting. We can follow his example by doing our best and then praying to the Lord, "If You will, please grant success." Sometimes the thing we want is the Lord's will for us, so He says yes. Other times we have to accept an answer of no. Difficult as it may be, there are times when we will have to accept that a particular thing is not the Lord's will, but it's easier to accept this when we remind ourselves that our loving Father wants only the best for us. If He says no, there's a good reason for it.
"The young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring." (Genesis 24:28-30) Rebekah runs to the house, where her mother is probably getting ready to prepare the evening meal, and she tells her family to get a room ready for the visitor and to get ready to house his camels in the barn. Her brother Laban is a shrewd man. As soon as he sees the jewelry Eliezer has given her in return for her kindness, he can't show hospitality fast enough to their visitor. If this stranger is willing to bestow such largess on Rebekah for simply providing water, what might he pay the family in return for a good meal and a night's lodging?
When Laban spots Eliezer still standing by the well, he starts making a big fuss over him. "'Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,' he said. Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.'" (Genesis 24:31) Rebekah's father, Bethuel, is still alive. But he lets his son Laban take the lead in the discussions with Abraham's servant. We will see Laban again later on the Bible and we will learn that he is not only shrewd where money is concerned but downright greedy. His word can't be trusted because he's always looking out only for himself. It may be that Bethuel allows him to do most of the talking because he's the smoothest talking man in the family. When it comes to making lucrative deals, he's the best man for the job.
"So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet." (Genesis 24:32) The Bible has not previously mentioned the servants who accompany Eliezer but we wouldn't expect a man to make such a journey alone with ten camels loaded with valuable goods. The Bible doesn't say much about them because they are not relevant to the story.
"Then food was set before him, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.'" (Genesis 24:33a) He's here on business and he wants to get on with it. He owes it to his master to get to the point and get this matter settled as quickly as possible so he can return with a bride for Isaac. He can't relax until he explains why he's here.
"'Then tell us,' Laban said. So he said, 'I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.'" (Genesis 24:33b-38) Eliezer lets the family know that Isaac is an eligible bachelor, being the sole heir of his extremely wealthy father. If Rebekah's family wants her to make a good match, they can't find a better match for her than the son of Abraham. He's their kinsman, he serves the God of his father Abraham, and he's able to provide amply for Rebekah all the days of her life. If this news isn't enough to persuade them, proving to them that this marriage is God's will ought to do it, so he launches into the story of how he was led to Rebekah by the Lord.
"Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come with me?' He replied, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you---then you will be released from my oath.' When I came to the spring today, I said, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please let me drink a little water from your jar,' and if she says to me, 'Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too,' let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master's son.'" (Genesis 24:39-44) We know this story already but the ability to tell a detailed and suspenseful story was a highly valued talent in Eliezer's time. People didn't have televisions or radios or books or the internet. Telling or listening to interesting stories was an enjoyable way to pass time in those days. If I were Moses, when I was writing Chapter 24 I think I'd have been tempted to just say, "Eliezer told them everything that had happened." but Moses tells the events of Chapter 24 exactly as they played out, leaving nothing out about Eliezer's tale at the kitchen table.
"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also. I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.' Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn." (Genesis 45-49) Eliezer knows Rebekah is the woman the Lord has chosen for Isaac. But Rebekah's family has to agree to give her hand in marriage. Rebekah herself will have to agree to go to a country she's never seen to be the wife of a man she's never met. The Lord's will in this matter is clear, but human beings have been given the ability to choose for themselves and they don't always choose what God has chosen. He's told them everything they need to know in order to make the right choice. Now he just has to wait for their reply.
On this suspenseful note, we must close our study for today since Chapter 24 is quite long. But I wanted to ask: Is there news you're waiting for right now? My husband and I are waiting for some news right ourselves. We don't yet know what the Lord's will is in this matter. But Eliezer shows us how to behave while we are waiting. We can follow his example by doing our best and then praying to the Lord, "If You will, please grant success." Sometimes the thing we want is the Lord's will for us, so He says yes. Other times we have to accept an answer of no. Difficult as it may be, there are times when we will have to accept that a particular thing is not the Lord's will, but it's easier to accept this when we remind ourselves that our loving Father wants only the best for us. If He says no, there's a good reason for it.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 99, Isaac And Rebekah, Part One
In Friday's passage Abraham asked his trusted servant Eliezer to travel to the region of Ur to find a wife for Isaac from among their relatives. He doesn't want Isaac to end up with a pagan wife from Canaan. Today the servant sets about accomplishing this task.
"Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master's camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor." (Genesis 24:10) You'll recall that Nahor is the name of Abraham's brother. Aram Naharaim was an area also known in the Bible as Haran and Paddan Aram, and it lay on the outskirts of Ur in the upper Mediterranean region. It was previously mentioned under its name of Haran as the hometown of Abraham's father. I suppose we could think of Aram Naharaim as a suburb of Ur.
When Eliezer reaches the town, his camels need to rest and to be refreshed with water. "He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time women go out to draw water." (Genesis 24:11) The young women of the town would need to come out for water before helping their mothers prepare the evening meal. This is the best place for Eliezer to find an eligible young lady who is related to Abraham's brother. I want to stop and point out that when a man is seeking a good woman, he has to go where good women go. Eliezer isn't going to bars looking for a wife for Isaac. He goes where family-oriented women congregate.
This servant of Abraham sets another beautiful example for us by praying for success ahead of time. He knows he needs the Lord's guidance in this very serious matter. When we have an important decision to make, the best thing we can do is first go to the Lord in prayer for guidance. "Then he prayed, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'---let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.'" (Genesis 12-14)
There's nothing sinful about asking for a sign from the Lord. There are occasions in the Bible where He invites people to ask Him for a sign. There are instances in the Bible, like the one in our passage today, where people pray to the Lord and ask for a sign and He grants it. But the sign needs to be specific because when you're looking for a sign, everything looks like a sign. It's too easy for us to interpret the smallest thing around us as a sign that God is saying yes to something, especially when "yes" is the answer we want. Our request needs to be specific, like Eliezer's. Eliezer knows that it's unlikely any well-brought-up young lady of the town will refuse to give him a drink, so the sign is that the right woman will generously offer to bring water to his ten camels too. He isn't going to ask anyone to bring the water to the camels; he's looking for the woman who will make this offer from the goodness of her heart. Ten camels need a lot of water, and according to some commentaries I consulted, it could have taken up to an hour to carry enough water back and forth to the trough so that all ten camels got their fill of water and were satisfied. A woman who will do such a thing for a stranger and his animals is a woman with a big heart. She's putting the needs of others ahead of her own needs. She's volunteering time and energy to do a good deed.
"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor." (Genesis 24:15) She's Nahor's granddaughter and a cousin to Isaac, but not a first cousin.
"The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again." (Genesis 24:16) In the sinful region of Ur, it cannot be automatically assumed that an unmarried woman is a virgin. The Bible is careful to point out that Rebekah is a virtuous young lady.
Eliezer doesn't know whether Rebekah is the one or not, but she's the first young lady who appears on the scene, so he begins the dialogue he discussed with the Lord. "The servant hurried to meet her and said, 'Please give me a little water from your jar.' 'Drink, my lord,' she said, and quickly lowered the jar in her hands and gave him a drink." (Genesis 24:17-18) If the young lady chosen by the Lord for Isaac had not been one of the first on the scene, Eliezer might have had to drink from many jars before finding the right woman, but the Lord doesn't put him through that. The Lord has arranged it so that Rebekah shows up before any of the others.
Now she says the words that are the sign she's the right girl for his master's son. "After she had given him a drink, she said, 'I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.' So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful." (Genesis 24:19-21) He's seen the sign but wants to feel certain in his spirit that the Lord is indeed leading him to obtain this lady's hand in marriage for Isaac. He observes her energetic hard work. He observes that she seems to be a nice girl who has been brought up right. There's just one more test she has to pass for him to feel satisfied that he's on the right track, for his master specifically wants only a woman who is of his brother's family.
"When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he asked, 'Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?'" (Genesis 24:22-23) Eliezer, because he is the servant of Abraham, can richly reward Rebekah for her hard work, so he produces a nose ring weighing about 5.7 grams and two bracelets that weigh 115 grams together. A man traveling with fine gold jewelry and a caravan of ten camels carrying valuable goods is a man who is to be respected. He can pay for his accommodations for the night, as these things demonstrate, plus it shows Rebekah that he's not some swindler off the street but is either a man of means or he works for a man of means. She's not afraid to take him home and offer him lodging for the night. "She answered him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.' And she added, 'We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.'" (Genesis 24:24-25) She wants him to be her family's guest for the night and she also offers to house the camels in the barn. I think Rebekah is an animal lover, don't you? Since I'm an animal lover myself, I really admire her compassion for the camels.
Upon hearing that she is the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, Eliezer knows she is the woman the Lord has chosen for Isaac. Before he does anything else, he thanks the Lord for answering his prayer. "Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives.'" (Genesis 24:26-27) This is another instance in which Eliezer sets a good example for us. We pray for a lot of different things throughout the day, but sometimes in our busy lives we forget to stop and thank the Lord for answering those prayers. We prefer our prayers to be answered right away, don't we? But it's easy to overlook thanking the Lord right away. Eliezer doesn't put it off; he immediately bows down and gives praise in the public square near the well. May we all be more mindful in this new year of the many times the Lord grants our requests and may we follow Eliezer's example by giving Him praise right away!
"Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master's camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor." (Genesis 24:10) You'll recall that Nahor is the name of Abraham's brother. Aram Naharaim was an area also known in the Bible as Haran and Paddan Aram, and it lay on the outskirts of Ur in the upper Mediterranean region. It was previously mentioned under its name of Haran as the hometown of Abraham's father. I suppose we could think of Aram Naharaim as a suburb of Ur.
When Eliezer reaches the town, his camels need to rest and to be refreshed with water. "He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time women go out to draw water." (Genesis 24:11) The young women of the town would need to come out for water before helping their mothers prepare the evening meal. This is the best place for Eliezer to find an eligible young lady who is related to Abraham's brother. I want to stop and point out that when a man is seeking a good woman, he has to go where good women go. Eliezer isn't going to bars looking for a wife for Isaac. He goes where family-oriented women congregate.
This servant of Abraham sets another beautiful example for us by praying for success ahead of time. He knows he needs the Lord's guidance in this very serious matter. When we have an important decision to make, the best thing we can do is first go to the Lord in prayer for guidance. "Then he prayed, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'---let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.'" (Genesis 12-14)
There's nothing sinful about asking for a sign from the Lord. There are occasions in the Bible where He invites people to ask Him for a sign. There are instances in the Bible, like the one in our passage today, where people pray to the Lord and ask for a sign and He grants it. But the sign needs to be specific because when you're looking for a sign, everything looks like a sign. It's too easy for us to interpret the smallest thing around us as a sign that God is saying yes to something, especially when "yes" is the answer we want. Our request needs to be specific, like Eliezer's. Eliezer knows that it's unlikely any well-brought-up young lady of the town will refuse to give him a drink, so the sign is that the right woman will generously offer to bring water to his ten camels too. He isn't going to ask anyone to bring the water to the camels; he's looking for the woman who will make this offer from the goodness of her heart. Ten camels need a lot of water, and according to some commentaries I consulted, it could have taken up to an hour to carry enough water back and forth to the trough so that all ten camels got their fill of water and were satisfied. A woman who will do such a thing for a stranger and his animals is a woman with a big heart. She's putting the needs of others ahead of her own needs. She's volunteering time and energy to do a good deed.
"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor." (Genesis 24:15) She's Nahor's granddaughter and a cousin to Isaac, but not a first cousin.
"The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again." (Genesis 24:16) In the sinful region of Ur, it cannot be automatically assumed that an unmarried woman is a virgin. The Bible is careful to point out that Rebekah is a virtuous young lady.
Eliezer doesn't know whether Rebekah is the one or not, but she's the first young lady who appears on the scene, so he begins the dialogue he discussed with the Lord. "The servant hurried to meet her and said, 'Please give me a little water from your jar.' 'Drink, my lord,' she said, and quickly lowered the jar in her hands and gave him a drink." (Genesis 24:17-18) If the young lady chosen by the Lord for Isaac had not been one of the first on the scene, Eliezer might have had to drink from many jars before finding the right woman, but the Lord doesn't put him through that. The Lord has arranged it so that Rebekah shows up before any of the others.
Now she says the words that are the sign she's the right girl for his master's son. "After she had given him a drink, she said, 'I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.' So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful." (Genesis 24:19-21) He's seen the sign but wants to feel certain in his spirit that the Lord is indeed leading him to obtain this lady's hand in marriage for Isaac. He observes her energetic hard work. He observes that she seems to be a nice girl who has been brought up right. There's just one more test she has to pass for him to feel satisfied that he's on the right track, for his master specifically wants only a woman who is of his brother's family.
"When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he asked, 'Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?'" (Genesis 24:22-23) Eliezer, because he is the servant of Abraham, can richly reward Rebekah for her hard work, so he produces a nose ring weighing about 5.7 grams and two bracelets that weigh 115 grams together. A man traveling with fine gold jewelry and a caravan of ten camels carrying valuable goods is a man who is to be respected. He can pay for his accommodations for the night, as these things demonstrate, plus it shows Rebekah that he's not some swindler off the street but is either a man of means or he works for a man of means. She's not afraid to take him home and offer him lodging for the night. "She answered him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.' And she added, 'We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.'" (Genesis 24:24-25) She wants him to be her family's guest for the night and she also offers to house the camels in the barn. I think Rebekah is an animal lover, don't you? Since I'm an animal lover myself, I really admire her compassion for the camels.
Upon hearing that she is the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, Eliezer knows she is the woman the Lord has chosen for Isaac. Before he does anything else, he thanks the Lord for answering his prayer. "Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives.'" (Genesis 24:26-27) This is another instance in which Eliezer sets a good example for us. We pray for a lot of different things throughout the day, but sometimes in our busy lives we forget to stop and thank the Lord for answering those prayers. We prefer our prayers to be answered right away, don't we? But it's easy to overlook thanking the Lord right away. Eliezer doesn't put it off; he immediately bows down and gives praise in the public square near the well. May we all be more mindful in this new year of the many times the Lord grants our requests and may we follow Eliezer's example by giving Him praise right away!
Friday, January 3, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 98, Abraham Seeks A Wife For Isaac
Isaac is now forty years old and he has not yet gotten married or started a family. In our culture that's a little bit unusual, but in a time when people lived to be well over one hundred, he's not really even middle aged. In Isaac's day, forty was the new twenty! But now that Abraham has laid his beloved wife Sarah to rest, he realizes the importance of finding a good wife for his son. Abraham himself is quite elderly and doesn't want to pass on and leave Isaac alone, so he decides it's time to arrange a marriage for him.
"Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, 'Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.'" (Genesis 24:1-4) Previously, in Genesis 15, Eliezer was Abraham's senior servant and I assume this is the same man since his name is not repeated to us here in Genesis 24.
Putting your hand under a person's thigh seems like an odd way to make an oath, but according to my research on the subject, it was an ancient custom for vowing a really serious oath. It's not as serious of an oath as a covenant, which usually involved the shedding of blood, but it is still a very binding promise. Perhaps we could compare the servant's oath to a sincere promise a man might make while shaking hands with the other party to the deal.
In Genesis 23 Abraham had learned that his brother Nahor, who still lived in Ur, had many children. Genesis 23 only names the sons of Nahor, but they were plentiful, both by his wife and by his concubine (a secondary wife, like Hagar was to Abraham). Abraham would prefer that Isaac marry a cousin than to marry any of the pagan women of Canaan. As we will see when we move on through Chapter 24, Nahor's family appears to honor Abraham's God, since they will say of the arranged marriage, "This is from the Lord," meaning, "It is the Lord's will for Rebekah to marry Isaac." Abraham wants Isaac to have a wife who serves the same God he serves.
Abraham is too old to make the journey himself. He will die in the next chapter. But he trusts his chief servant to do for him what he can't do for himself, so he sends him to Ur to find a good woman to be Isaac's partner in life. Eliezer is concerned about going to Ur alone in case the woman he prayerfully chooses for Isaac is unwilling to return to Canaan with him without having met her intended husband. "The servant asked him, 'What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?' 'Make sure that you do not take my son back there,' Abraham said." (Genesis 24:5-6)
Abraham doesn't dare send Isaac with the servant for fear Isaac will want to remain in the sophisticated and luxurious city of Ur and be drawn into the rampant idolatry there. I don't know whether there was any danger of Isaac doing such a thing, but like any loving and protective father, Abraham doesn't want to take a chance. He knows how enticing sin can be. He grew up in Ur and is aware of all the things it has to offer to satisfy the ungodly desires in the heart of man. If the young woman isn't willing to come to Canaan with the servant, Abraham is willing to give up on the idea of finding a wife from among his brother's family. He seems to think the danger of going to Ur is worse than allowing Isaac to eventually marry a woman from the land of Canaan. At least if he marries a woman from Canaan, he might convert her to the one true God. But if he goes to Ur and gets caught up in sin himself, the rest of his life could go down the drain.
Abraham instructs Eliezer to scrap the mission if the woman will not return with him. "'The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'---He will send His angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.' So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter." (Genesis 24:7-9)
Abraham says something like, "The Lord will choose the right woman for my son. When you get to Ur, He will let you know which one she is. But if she doesn't want to obey the Lord in this matter, and if she doesn't want to fulfill the Lord's plan for her life, then you are not obligated to do anything more. Do not come back here and get my son so that he can go with you to Ur to convince her. If she won't come with you, just return to me and let the matter end there."
In today's passage I believe we can see the importance of letting the Lord guide us in our choice of spouse. If you are unmarried, I would not advise choosing someone without seeking the Lord's counsel first. My husband and I knew we were in the Lord's will when we chose each other, not that our twenty-five year marriage has been without its challenges. Marrying the person the Lord chooses for us doesn't mean it's going to be smooth sailing all the time, but when the really hard times come (and they will come), knowing that the Lord put the two of you together will help you to stay together. There have been times when that's the only reason we've stayed together. It would have been easier to give up and walk away but when you know that the Lord put you together, it's a very serious matter to think about parting ways. Isaac is going to have a wife from Ur, and she is going to be the woman the Lord specifically chooses for him, and during all their years together this will be a source of strength for them.
"Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, 'Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.'" (Genesis 24:1-4) Previously, in Genesis 15, Eliezer was Abraham's senior servant and I assume this is the same man since his name is not repeated to us here in Genesis 24.
Putting your hand under a person's thigh seems like an odd way to make an oath, but according to my research on the subject, it was an ancient custom for vowing a really serious oath. It's not as serious of an oath as a covenant, which usually involved the shedding of blood, but it is still a very binding promise. Perhaps we could compare the servant's oath to a sincere promise a man might make while shaking hands with the other party to the deal.
In Genesis 23 Abraham had learned that his brother Nahor, who still lived in Ur, had many children. Genesis 23 only names the sons of Nahor, but they were plentiful, both by his wife and by his concubine (a secondary wife, like Hagar was to Abraham). Abraham would prefer that Isaac marry a cousin than to marry any of the pagan women of Canaan. As we will see when we move on through Chapter 24, Nahor's family appears to honor Abraham's God, since they will say of the arranged marriage, "This is from the Lord," meaning, "It is the Lord's will for Rebekah to marry Isaac." Abraham wants Isaac to have a wife who serves the same God he serves.
Abraham is too old to make the journey himself. He will die in the next chapter. But he trusts his chief servant to do for him what he can't do for himself, so he sends him to Ur to find a good woman to be Isaac's partner in life. Eliezer is concerned about going to Ur alone in case the woman he prayerfully chooses for Isaac is unwilling to return to Canaan with him without having met her intended husband. "The servant asked him, 'What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?' 'Make sure that you do not take my son back there,' Abraham said." (Genesis 24:5-6)
Abraham doesn't dare send Isaac with the servant for fear Isaac will want to remain in the sophisticated and luxurious city of Ur and be drawn into the rampant idolatry there. I don't know whether there was any danger of Isaac doing such a thing, but like any loving and protective father, Abraham doesn't want to take a chance. He knows how enticing sin can be. He grew up in Ur and is aware of all the things it has to offer to satisfy the ungodly desires in the heart of man. If the young woman isn't willing to come to Canaan with the servant, Abraham is willing to give up on the idea of finding a wife from among his brother's family. He seems to think the danger of going to Ur is worse than allowing Isaac to eventually marry a woman from the land of Canaan. At least if he marries a woman from Canaan, he might convert her to the one true God. But if he goes to Ur and gets caught up in sin himself, the rest of his life could go down the drain.
Abraham instructs Eliezer to scrap the mission if the woman will not return with him. "'The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'---He will send His angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.' So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter." (Genesis 24:7-9)
Abraham says something like, "The Lord will choose the right woman for my son. When you get to Ur, He will let you know which one she is. But if she doesn't want to obey the Lord in this matter, and if she doesn't want to fulfill the Lord's plan for her life, then you are not obligated to do anything more. Do not come back here and get my son so that he can go with you to Ur to convince her. If she won't come with you, just return to me and let the matter end there."
In today's passage I believe we can see the importance of letting the Lord guide us in our choice of spouse. If you are unmarried, I would not advise choosing someone without seeking the Lord's counsel first. My husband and I knew we were in the Lord's will when we chose each other, not that our twenty-five year marriage has been without its challenges. Marrying the person the Lord chooses for us doesn't mean it's going to be smooth sailing all the time, but when the really hard times come (and they will come), knowing that the Lord put the two of you together will help you to stay together. There have been times when that's the only reason we've stayed together. It would have been easier to give up and walk away but when you know that the Lord put you together, it's a very serious matter to think about parting ways. Isaac is going to have a wife from Ur, and she is going to be the woman the Lord specifically chooses for him, and during all their years together this will be a source of strength for them.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 97, Abraham Buys A Tomb In The Promised Land
Sarah has died, and since Abraham has lived like a nomad (though he is wealthy) since leaving Ur of the Chaldees, he owns no land on which to bury her. In yesterday's passage he asked the Hittites he lives among to sell him a piece of ground. They respect him so much that they offer him his choice of all the tombs in the land for his wife, but he wants his own family tomb.
"Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said, 'If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.'" (Genesis 23:7-9) The cave is at the end of Ephron's field, out of the way of anything Ephron might want to do with his land. A cave is not that useful for a farmer unless it is shaped in such a way that it can provide safe, easily accessible shelter for animals. If Abraham intends to use it for a tomb, then its opening is not likely very wide. It's also probably not shaped well for animals to huddle together inside out of the cold, because the word "machpelah" means "doubled" or "twofold". This probably means it had two chambers with a dividing wall between them. The cave is not accessible in our times due to the presence of a mosque there, but in times past explorers gave their account of the cave. Some of them state it has two chambers, while one says it has three, but they all agree that it is accessed through a narrow opening in the ground and that a person entering it must climb down into the hole and then crawl through a low passageway until reaching the first chamber where it is possible to stand up. We can see how a cave like this wouldn't be suitable for livestock but would provide a secure resting place for the dead.
Abraham is speaking to the leaders or elders of the Hittites. There must be a large enough crowd of them that he doesn't realize Ephron is among them. It's at this point that Ephron steps forward and speaks up. "Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 'No, my lord,' he said. 'Listen to me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.'" (Genesis 23:10-11) Abraham had asked that he be quoted a full price for the cave. He doesn't want anyone to give him a bargain just because he is their friend and neighbor. I admire and respect these Hittites who think enough of a foreigner who worships a different God that they are willing to give him any piece of land he wants for a burial place. Ephron would love to make a gift of not only the cave but also the field beside of it. It would make him happy to be able to help a grieving neighbor in this way.
I am sure Abraham is grateful for the concern of these men. In his hour of need they show themselves to be true friends and good neighbors. But Abraham knows that in time his descendants will take over the promised land from those whom God has said will become their "enemies". The Hittites are people the Lord will instruct the Israelites to conquer after the exodus from Egypt. Since the Hittites are going to become the enemies of Abraham's descendants, he doesn't want any of his family buried on land the Hittites have given to him. They might decide to break their word over land that was given away. They might desecrate the burial places of his family members. But if he purchases the cave in a legal contract, they will be more likely to respect his family's right to lie undisturbed. "Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, 'Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.' Ephron answered Abraham, 'Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.' Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants." (Genesis 23:12-16)
Some scholars point out that the sum Ephron names is quite large. It may be that he does this in order to show his fellow Hittites how generous he had been willing to be with Abraham. If the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, then his fellow citizens will admire him for his willingness to part with the land for no payment. Or it could be that he hoped to engage in the pleasurable ancient custom of bargaining. A man would name an exorbitant sum, then he and the other man would go back and forth haggling over the price until both parties felt satisfied. If this is what Ephron intended, then he's disappointed, because Abraham accepts his price immediately and starts weighing out the silver. Why doesn't Abraham haggle with him? Well, for one thing, I think time is of the essence. There weren't any morgues or funeral homes in those days. Sarah's body is lying on her bed at home. Abraham needs to get her interred as quickly as possible. For another thing, Abraham is quite wealthy and he can easily afford Ephron's price. Even if the price is inflated, it's not going to break the bank and Abraham doesn't waste time trying to make counter offers.
"So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre---both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field---was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site." (Genesis 23:17-20)
Abraham's purchase is an act of faith. He believes that his descendants will someday have possession of the land of Canaan. He doesn't take Sarah back to his hometown of Ur to bury her there among his ancestors. He departed from Ur when God called him to go to a land which his descendants would inherit, and Abraham isn't going to bury any of his family members in Ur but in the promised land. He doesn't want any of his descendants returning to Ur but instead wants them to inherit what God has promised them. He's going to keep on moving forward with God; he's not going to go backwards. Abraham is fully committed to the Lord and is fully persuaded that God will keep His promises regarding the land of Canaan.
"Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said, 'If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.'" (Genesis 23:7-9) The cave is at the end of Ephron's field, out of the way of anything Ephron might want to do with his land. A cave is not that useful for a farmer unless it is shaped in such a way that it can provide safe, easily accessible shelter for animals. If Abraham intends to use it for a tomb, then its opening is not likely very wide. It's also probably not shaped well for animals to huddle together inside out of the cold, because the word "machpelah" means "doubled" or "twofold". This probably means it had two chambers with a dividing wall between them. The cave is not accessible in our times due to the presence of a mosque there, but in times past explorers gave their account of the cave. Some of them state it has two chambers, while one says it has three, but they all agree that it is accessed through a narrow opening in the ground and that a person entering it must climb down into the hole and then crawl through a low passageway until reaching the first chamber where it is possible to stand up. We can see how a cave like this wouldn't be suitable for livestock but would provide a secure resting place for the dead.
Abraham is speaking to the leaders or elders of the Hittites. There must be a large enough crowd of them that he doesn't realize Ephron is among them. It's at this point that Ephron steps forward and speaks up. "Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 'No, my lord,' he said. 'Listen to me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.'" (Genesis 23:10-11) Abraham had asked that he be quoted a full price for the cave. He doesn't want anyone to give him a bargain just because he is their friend and neighbor. I admire and respect these Hittites who think enough of a foreigner who worships a different God that they are willing to give him any piece of land he wants for a burial place. Ephron would love to make a gift of not only the cave but also the field beside of it. It would make him happy to be able to help a grieving neighbor in this way.
I am sure Abraham is grateful for the concern of these men. In his hour of need they show themselves to be true friends and good neighbors. But Abraham knows that in time his descendants will take over the promised land from those whom God has said will become their "enemies". The Hittites are people the Lord will instruct the Israelites to conquer after the exodus from Egypt. Since the Hittites are going to become the enemies of Abraham's descendants, he doesn't want any of his family buried on land the Hittites have given to him. They might decide to break their word over land that was given away. They might desecrate the burial places of his family members. But if he purchases the cave in a legal contract, they will be more likely to respect his family's right to lie undisturbed. "Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, 'Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.' Ephron answered Abraham, 'Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.' Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants." (Genesis 23:12-16)
Some scholars point out that the sum Ephron names is quite large. It may be that he does this in order to show his fellow Hittites how generous he had been willing to be with Abraham. If the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, then his fellow citizens will admire him for his willingness to part with the land for no payment. Or it could be that he hoped to engage in the pleasurable ancient custom of bargaining. A man would name an exorbitant sum, then he and the other man would go back and forth haggling over the price until both parties felt satisfied. If this is what Ephron intended, then he's disappointed, because Abraham accepts his price immediately and starts weighing out the silver. Why doesn't Abraham haggle with him? Well, for one thing, I think time is of the essence. There weren't any morgues or funeral homes in those days. Sarah's body is lying on her bed at home. Abraham needs to get her interred as quickly as possible. For another thing, Abraham is quite wealthy and he can easily afford Ephron's price. Even if the price is inflated, it's not going to break the bank and Abraham doesn't waste time trying to make counter offers.
"So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre---both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field---was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site." (Genesis 23:17-20)
Abraham's purchase is an act of faith. He believes that his descendants will someday have possession of the land of Canaan. He doesn't take Sarah back to his hometown of Ur to bury her there among his ancestors. He departed from Ur when God called him to go to a land which his descendants would inherit, and Abraham isn't going to bury any of his family members in Ur but in the promised land. He doesn't want any of his descendants returning to Ur but instead wants them to inherit what God has promised them. He's going to keep on moving forward with God; he's not going to go backwards. Abraham is fully committed to the Lord and is fully persuaded that God will keep His promises regarding the land of Canaan.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
In The Beginning. Day 96, Abraham's Brother's Family/The Death Of Sarah
Chapter 22 concludes with information about Abraham's brother and his family, then we move on into Chapter 23 to study the death of Abraham's wife Sarah.
"Some time later Abraham was told, 'Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor; Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), Kessed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.' Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah." (Genesis 22:20-24) When the Bible says "some time later" it's referring to some time after the prior events of Chapter 22 in which Abraham was prepared to offer Isaac to the Lord. The family line of Nahor is going to become important later when a wife is sought for Isaac. Abraham will not want his son to marry any of the pagan women of Canaan and will procure a wife for his son from among his brother's family.
The Bible now skips forward in time quite a bit. The last time we studied anything about Sarah, she was probably about ninety-three years old. Now, in Chapter 23, it's thirty-four years later. "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her." (Genesis 23:1-2) Abraham's grief is deep. The Bible doesn't tell us how old he was when he married Sarah, but it's possible they were married at least a hundred years. She has been by his side for almost his entire life. When she passes, he realizes he has not prepared himself for this day. He has not purchased any burial ground for the members of his family and now the need for a burial site becomes his first and very urgent priority.
"Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 'I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.'" (Genesis 23:3-4) Abraham never owned any property in the promised land. In the book of Acts we find Stephen (who was martyred for his faith in Christ) pointing this out, saying that God gave Abraham "no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on". (Acts 7:5a) The promised land never belonged to Abraham, but to his descendants, so when Sarah dies he has no place to bury her. He and Sarah have moved from place to place throughout their married life and have never bought so much as an acre of land. He goes to the Hittites to work out a deal to purchase enough land with which to begin a family cemetery.
"The Hittites replied to Abraham, 'Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.'" (Genesis 22:5-6) Abraham is highly respected by the tribes who live around him, even though he worships a different God than they do. It's very important for us, as believers, to live in such a way that the people around us respect us. If they don't find anything admirable about our character, they aren't going to want to hear anything about the Lord we worship. Our testimony to unbelievers is meaningless if they don't see us living out our faith.
The Hittites were pagan idolaters who worshiped a pantheon of gods, but Abraham has been such a good neighbor to them that they feel no prejudice against him for being of another religion. They consider him such a good neighbor and such a valuable friend that they offer to allow him to bury Sarah in any of their family cemeteries. We don't want to miss what an honor they are bestowing upon him. We'd be pretty picky about who we wanted buried next to our beloved grandmother, wouldn't we? If that person isn't a blood relative, we'd at least want them to be someone we love and admire. In making their generous offer to Abraham, the Hittites display their love and admiration for Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham appreciates their generosity but will insist upon paying for the land in tomorrow's passage. He will request a specific piece of land and on that land he also, along with several of his descendants, will be buried.
"Some time later Abraham was told, 'Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor; Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), Kessed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.' Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah." (Genesis 22:20-24) When the Bible says "some time later" it's referring to some time after the prior events of Chapter 22 in which Abraham was prepared to offer Isaac to the Lord. The family line of Nahor is going to become important later when a wife is sought for Isaac. Abraham will not want his son to marry any of the pagan women of Canaan and will procure a wife for his son from among his brother's family.
The Bible now skips forward in time quite a bit. The last time we studied anything about Sarah, she was probably about ninety-three years old. Now, in Chapter 23, it's thirty-four years later. "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her." (Genesis 23:1-2) Abraham's grief is deep. The Bible doesn't tell us how old he was when he married Sarah, but it's possible they were married at least a hundred years. She has been by his side for almost his entire life. When she passes, he realizes he has not prepared himself for this day. He has not purchased any burial ground for the members of his family and now the need for a burial site becomes his first and very urgent priority.
"Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 'I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.'" (Genesis 23:3-4) Abraham never owned any property in the promised land. In the book of Acts we find Stephen (who was martyred for his faith in Christ) pointing this out, saying that God gave Abraham "no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on". (Acts 7:5a) The promised land never belonged to Abraham, but to his descendants, so when Sarah dies he has no place to bury her. He and Sarah have moved from place to place throughout their married life and have never bought so much as an acre of land. He goes to the Hittites to work out a deal to purchase enough land with which to begin a family cemetery.
"The Hittites replied to Abraham, 'Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.'" (Genesis 22:5-6) Abraham is highly respected by the tribes who live around him, even though he worships a different God than they do. It's very important for us, as believers, to live in such a way that the people around us respect us. If they don't find anything admirable about our character, they aren't going to want to hear anything about the Lord we worship. Our testimony to unbelievers is meaningless if they don't see us living out our faith.
The Hittites were pagan idolaters who worshiped a pantheon of gods, but Abraham has been such a good neighbor to them that they feel no prejudice against him for being of another religion. They consider him such a good neighbor and such a valuable friend that they offer to allow him to bury Sarah in any of their family cemeteries. We don't want to miss what an honor they are bestowing upon him. We'd be pretty picky about who we wanted buried next to our beloved grandmother, wouldn't we? If that person isn't a blood relative, we'd at least want them to be someone we love and admire. In making their generous offer to Abraham, the Hittites display their love and admiration for Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham appreciates their generosity but will insist upon paying for the land in tomorrow's passage. He will request a specific piece of land and on that land he also, along with several of his descendants, will be buried.
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