A Wife For Isaac (Genesis 24)

How would we find a marriage partner? Would we choose a pagan or unbeliever who is close by or seek a fellow believer even if they come from far away? Would we follow a believing parent’s advice or ignore their wisdom and make our own choice? Do we trust that God can also provide for us? Let’s examine a remarkable marriage story in Genesis 24.

Did Abraham ask his senior servant to testify using a very ancient custom? Did he not want a wife for his son from among the pagan Canaanites? Is interfaith marriage unwise?

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 NIV)

What was Abraham’s trusted, senior servant’s task?

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?” But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. (Genesis 24:5-9 NKJV)

What did he take? What kind of loyalty to Abraham did this remarkable servant exhibit?

Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. (Genesis 24:10-11 NLT)

Was this servant also a man of faith? It is likely that years before, had Abraham not had a son, this man may have been his potential heir? Is his loyalty to Abraham therefore even more remarkable?

He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ then she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (Genesis 24:12-14 WEB)

Was his prayer answered quickly? Was she even more polite and hospitable than expected?

Even before he finished speaking, Rebekah—daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother—was coming out with a water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very beautiful, old enough to be married, and hadn’t known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came back up. The servant ran to meet her and said, “Give me a little sip of water from your jar.” She said, “Drink, sir.” Then she quickly lowered the water jar with her hands and gave him some water to drink. When she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw some water for your camels too, till they’ve had enough to drink.” She emptied her water jar quickly into the watering trough, ran to the well again to draw water, and drew water for all of the camels. The man stood gazing at her, wondering silently if the Lord had made his trip successful or not. (Genesis 24:15-21 CEB)

Was the family also hospitable? Was a nose ring popular at that time?

The servant had brought along an expensive gold ring and two large gold bracelets. When Rebekah had finished bringing the water, he gave her the ring for her nose and the bracelets for her arms. Then he said, “Please tell me who your father is. Does he have room in his house for me and my men to spend the night?” She answered, “My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. We have a place where you and your men can stay, and we also have enough straw and feed for your camels.” (Genesis 24:22-25 CEV)