November 09, 2024
After the dramatic events on Mount Moriah, Abraham and Isaac returned home.
Sarah lived for, approximately, another 20 years and died at Hebron age 127.
Abraham was now 137 years old. He had been walking with God for a long time. Faith is always looking forward and in the final events of Abraham’s life we see his forward-looking faith on full display.
Genesis 23 is dedicated to Abraham’s purchase of the field at Machpelah near Mamre from Ephron, the Hittite. As a foreigner, Abraham did not have a burial ground for his family, so he went to the city gate to negotiate the terms for the purchase of Ephron’s field. Abraham purchased the field, cave and trees within the border of the field for 400 shekels – by weight (10 lbs) of silver.
After 60 years, Abraham finally owned a piece of the land promised to his descendants. It was an expression of forward-looking faith, much like Jeremiah’s purchase of land before the final destruction of Jerusalem was an expression of forward-looking faith that one day Judah would return from captivity – Jeremiah 32:6-15.
Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. Eventually, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah and Jacob (died in Egypt) would all be buried in there.
More time went by. Isaac was now 40 and unmarried. Isaac needed a wife. The decision on who that would be was very important because she would play a crucial role in the furthering of the Promise. Here, Abraham’s forward-looking faith will play its final role:
Genesis 24:1-4 - Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and Yahweh had blessed him in every way. He said to the chief 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 Yahweh, 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."
The servant, asked a logical question, “What if the girl does not want to leave her family? Can I take Isaac there?”
Genesis 24:7-8 - "Yahweh, 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."
These are the last recorded words of Abraham.
The servant obeyed and set off for Haran – the city where Nahor lived – about 630 miles away. It would have taken him every bit of 6 weeks to make the journey.
The caravan arrived at Haran in the evening. The servant had a difficult task ahead of him – choose a wife for his master’s son from among people he had never met. Knowing that it was a decision beyond his wisdom, he sought the wisdom of heaven:
Genesis 24:12-14 - "Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, give me success 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 girl, '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."
Before he had even finished his prayer, a young woman approached the well. She was very beautiful and unmarried.
As she drew her jar from the well, the servant approached her:
“Please give me a little water from your jar.”
The young woman quickly lowered her jar and gave him a drink, then she offered to draw water for his camels too.
Back and forth she went from the well to the water trough. Silently, the servant watched her.
When the camels had finished drinking, he brought the young woman some jewelry (a nose ring and 2 bracelets) and asked her who she was and if there was room in her father’s house to spend the night.
“I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor …. And yes, we have plenty of food for your camels and a place for you to stay.”
This was better than the servant could have ever imagined! The very 1st girl he meets fulfilled the sign AND she was the daughter of Isaac’s cousin….. Hallelujah!!
Rebekah ran home…………
Laban, Rebekah’s brother, got one look at the jewelry and headed straight for the well.
“You, who are blessed of Yahweh, come with me. Why are you standing here? I have prepared the house and a place for your camels.”
Genesis 24:32-66
After the camels were settled for the night and the feet of the travelers had been washed, everyone settled down to dinner, but the servant refused to eat until he had revealed his mission.
“I am Abraham’s servant. Yahweh has blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. His wife, Sarah, bore him a son in her old age and he will inherit everything Abraham has. I was sent on this journey to find a wife for Isaac, because Abraham made me swear that I would not look for a wife from among the Canaanites, in whose land he lives. He told me to go to his father’s family and find a wife for Isaac there. So here I am. I did ask him, ‘what if she doesn’t want to come back with me?’ and I was told that if you refused, I was released from my oath. When I arrived at the well, I prayed for a sign, ‘the one who gives me a drink and offers to water my camels as well, let her be the one Yahweh has chosen for my master’s son.’ You know the rest of the story. Now, please give me an answer so that I know what to do next.”
Both Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from Yahweh; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Take Rebekah and go. Let her become the wife of your master's son, as Yahweh has directed."
The servant offered a prayer of thanksgiving and then presented the bride-price: gold and silver jewelry and clothing were given to Rebekah and “costly gifts” were given to Laban and Rebekah’s mother.
The request for an early morning departure was met with some resistance, but the servant was insistent, “Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey.”
"Let's call the girl and ask her about it."
Now, for the 1st time, Rebekah is made a part of her own marriage negotiations.
"Will you go with this man?"
"I will go."
Rebekah and her maids went back to Canaan with Abraham’s servant – another 6-week journey.
Isaac was living in the Negev – not far from Beersheba. One day he was wandering in the fields – meditating. He looked up and saw camels approaching.
When Rebekah looked up, she saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked, “Who is the man coming toward us?”
“He is my master.”
Immediately she took her veil and covered herself.
The servant reported the whole story to Isaac.
Genesis 24:67 - 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.
Abraham would live another 35 years – long enough to be a part of lives of his grandsons: Jacob and Esau.
The promised legacy lives on and Isaac and Rebekah will have their own story to tell, but before we get to their story we have another bridge – Genesis 25:1-18:
• A brief genealogy of Abraham’s 6 sons with Keturah - Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac, but gave gifts to his other sons and sent them away to the land in the east.
• Abraham died at 175 years old. Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah – next to Sarah.
• A brief genealogy of Ishmael’s descendant – Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. Ishmael died at 137.
That brings us to the end of the story of Abraham and Sarah. This final chapter brings into focus Abraham’s forward-looking faith – a faith that gave his descendants a foot-hold in the Promised Land and a faith that put one more link in the chain that will one day lead to the Messiah.
Until Next Time.
