Genesis 26:1-22 - Trust God’s Plan and Providence

Genesis 26:1-22

Isaac and Abimelech

1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

Isaac was desperate during a severe famine in the land and went to live in the land of Abimelech king of the Philistines.  The way Isaac even went there in the first place was driven by the famine but led by the command and promise of God to stay out of Egypt and rely instead on the promised land where he was that was given to Abraham long before.  That did not keep him from making the same mistake of not trusting God to keep him and his wife safe, however.  There he deceived the king with the very same lie as his father Abraham, that his wife was his sister to avoid being killed so the king could have her.  This likely was not the same king as the one Abraham had misled, for the name “Abimelech,” is translated as “my father is king,” and may just be a title of the rulers at Gerar, as in calling the king “pharaoh” in Egypt.  Otherwise, you would think that if it was the same king that he would have mentioned that when Isaac was caught “laughing” with Rebekah his wife as his name meant.  When the king observed them letting their guard down, he called him out to explain himself and the deceit and heard the fear of getting killed so someone else could have her as a wife because she was so beautiful.  He failed to trust God’s promises and providence as his father had done.  Whether Isaac had heard tales from his father or mother or just was raised with the same fears and doubts, we do not know, but he did the exact same thing except that it was not the king he feared would take his wife, but others in Gerar among the Philistines.  The result was the same.  There was a royal decree to leave Rebekah as well as Isaac alone.  Then Isaac prospered there as he grew richer and richer and the people there grew more and more envious of his wealth and success.  They tried to get him to leave there and so he did.  He found the wells of his father that had been covered and opened them back up to have water to survive where he went, and used the same names as Abraham had given them long before when they had been buried by the envious Philistines in his time.  Of course, the shepherds there fought the same battle as before by claiming them as their own until he had dug a third well after “contention” and “strife” that they stopped arguing over.  He named it roomy or wide berth to indicate God had made a clear way to settle at last.  How often our own scheme can cause strife and our success cause such envy that we are not welcome among the less fortunate!  We are to hold to God’s promises in these circumstances and not lie to work what only God can as He promises.  We are called to trust Him and do good (Psalm 37:3) instead of striving to achieve the promises and the kingdom of eternal life in Jesus Christ.  As Proverbs 3:5-6 and Proverbs 16:9 remind us, we are to trust in Him to lead and guide and provide for us.  Our times are in His good (Psalm 31:15, Romans 8:28) hands.  We can trust God’s plan and providence to lead us and keep us along life’s narrow way. 

Genesis 25:12-34 - Selling the Soul’s Birthright

Genesis 25:12-34

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac (1 Chronicles 1:29–31)

12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 And the LORD said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright (Hebrews 12:16)

29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Esau chose the passing pleasures of this life (Mark 4:19, Hebrews 11:25) to feed his appetite over the eternal inheritance of his soul.  This account is a warning to us in many ways, beginning with hearing and responding to the gospel (Hebrews 12:15-17) to inherit eternal life in Jesus Christ, and also choosing to live for pleasure of the body through food or sensuality instead of to glorify God.  As for Isaac, his wife Rebekah had difficulty in having a child and Isaac prayed for an heir with her until it was granted and Jacob was born. He also was born with his ‘evil’ twin Esau the hairy man who was firstborn but whom also Jacob had grabbed hold of his heel as if to take over from him as his name defined him (Jacob means "heel holder" or "supplanter").  This hairy elder son was not to inherit the blessing of Abraham, however, as the LORD told his mother when she asked Him before she was aware that she was carrying twins.  God told her plainly that these two brothers would form opposing nations and that the older and stronger would serve the younger one.  This was God’s plan and choice, so when Esau put his rugged hunting skills and fleshy desires above a mere birthright, it is no wonder that he counted it as nothing and sold it nonchalantly to his younger brother for a bit of stew to satisfy his base hunger that was all important to him.  He exaggerated his hunger after a long day in the outdoors, likely hunting, and demanded the red stew from his brother.  Because it was red, the name Edom was given to the nation of his his lineage after him, which nation we see later would be in conflict (Amos 1:11, Obadiah 1:10-12) with God’s people.  It is of note that though Isaac preferred Esau, Rebekah’s heart was with Jacob; this may have been because of what the LORD told her before the brothers were born, or it was because of his character and the promise together.  Either way, when Jacob held back the red stew until his elder brother sold him the birthright of inheritance, Esau esteemed it of little value compared to his carnal desire of the moment and exaggerated his hungry state to make it seem as if he would die if he did not eat.  His god was his belly (Philippians 3:19) at that moment, not the God of a future and eternal gift for true and lasting life.  He despised his inheritance by right of birth over the temporal satisfaction of his desires.  How many people still choose their own satisfaction of what they can touch and own and indulge themselves in over that which is an eternal promise as to Abraham by trusting in God’s past faithfulness, His present grace, and His future work and promise of an inheritance that lasts forever (1 Peter 1:3-4)?  Esau despised his inheritance of the birthright; will we do likewise with ours offered in Christ, or will we value it so highly as to put off all that hinders us to obtain that prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)?  This is a warning of Selling the Soul’s Birthright instead of valuing the inheritance of God in Christ above all worldly gain.  May we grab hold of eternal life and let loose of our own desires that we do not lose the chance to obtain or cheapen our soul’s birthright as chosen children of faith and promise.

Genesis 25:1-11 - Inheritance of Faith

Genesis 25:1-11

Abraham and Keturah (1 Chronicles 1:32, 33)

1 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial

7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

After Abraham had ensured that the LORD had given his son Isaac a wife and his lineage was secure as promised, he again married and had six more children, but not one of them nor even Ishmael was the son of promise as Isaac was.  Only the son through Rebekah as by God’s grace was to be the line of the Messiah by faith to deliver all God’s children from out of every nation with the line of Israel being the chosen channel of salvation to all those He calls throughout time.  Abraham did give gifts to the other children but the inheritance was to Isaac alone, and he sent them away from Isaac to the East for peace.  This is seen in the descendants of Ishmael as well who fathered a great nation but the promise to Abraham according to faith was to and through the one son Isaac as a picture of God’s one and only Son who would come through his physical lineage since Adam and joined to God own nature by His Spirit (Luke 1:35) so Jesus Christ was born both God and man.  After living to a full old age of one hundred and seventy-five years, Abraham was joined with the LORD in death as he awaited the promise of the resurrection to come (Hebrews 11:8, 10, 13) as did the other Old Testament believers of faith in the coming Messiah.  After living to this “good old age,” Abraham was buried by Sarah in the cave he had bought long before as a foothold of ownership in the promised land.  Isaac was then blessed by God afterwards as he continued the lineage towards the day when it was right for God’s Son to come (Galatians 4:4-6).  We now share in that inheritance of faith by the gospel as of our spiritual father (Galatians 3:9) Abraham.  All is as God had planned and promised to us and them. 

Genesis 24:54-67 - Do Not Delay of Hinder His Call

Genesis 24:54-67

54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”

56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”

And she said, “I will go.”

59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:

“Our sister, may you become
The mother of thousands of ten thousands;
And may your descendants possess
The gates of those who hate them.”

61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?”

The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Here we see how the message of ‘do not delay’ came to Abraham’s servant to bring the bride to Isaac his son.  The parents of Rebekah did not want to lose her among them, akin to the picture of the world not wanting to let us go when we become part of the bride of Christ.  They pleaded with the resolute messenger of Abraham’s good news to her by attempting to hold her there longer, but with the persistent insistence of the messenger they then asked her if she was willing to go to be united with Isaac.  The message was clear to not hinder or delay the call to be united as the LORD had arranged.  This is again part of the picture of messengers of the gospel calling us to salvation in uniting with Christ as His bride and not allowing anyone or anything to hold us back from that union and desire to follow Him.  We are like Rebekah when called by the Lord Jesus Christ as we separate ourselves from previous attachments of the world to become one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) in union with our Savior.  When the Lord prospers the way of the messenger (Romans 10:14-15) who is used to call us to believe in the one proclaimed to us, we listen as called out ones to follow Him and be united as His Bride (John 3:29) in eternity.  We hear the call and believe it is from God, we respond like Rebekah with the resolute response, “I will go.”  John 6:68-69 echoes in our soul as we know there is nowhere else to go and nobody else we desire to go to for eternal life in union with He who is God’s own and only Son.  Just as Rebekah was blessed with the verbal reminder that she would be one of many descendants to follow, so we make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2) after our own kind by God’s call and faith which the hearers of we messengers respond to by following in union with Him.  We see Him coming and say, ‘it is my Master,’ and then cover ourselves as Rebekah here and as Adam and Eve had done in Eden (Genesis 3:7-8), but then the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:15-17) as we see His forgiveness and grace to allow us to partake of His righteousness that alone makes us worthy of all acceptance in the Beloved (Song of Solomon 2:16, Ephesians 1:6)!  We anticipate the day when we shall be wed to the Bridegroom who is our Lord and divine Master and find everlasting comfort from the sorrows of this world Revelation 7:17, 21:4) that tries in vain to keep us in its grip and not agree to receive and follow Him (Revelation 12:11, 17) until that day.  May we be both like the faithful Rebekah and the faithful messenger calling us to our Master as His bride, the church of Jesus Christ.  Do not delay or hinder His call!

Genesis 24:29-53 - God’s Leading on the Divine Errand

Genesis 24:29-53

29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.”

And he said, “Speak on.”

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

42 “And this day I came to the well and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.”

52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

When Abraham’s servant spoke to the brother of Rebekah and saw the engagement jewelry on her, he welcomed him as a blessed servant of the LORD to come to stay at their home.  He even assured the servant of a place for the camels to rest.  After bedding the camels down and feeding them, the servant refused to eat until he first explained his mission to the family.  He explained that Abraham was his master and how he was a rich man by God’s grace of blessing.  The messenger went on to describe how they had one son of promise, Isaac, and he was sent on this errand to find a wife for him of his own relation.  He then explained his doubts on choosing wisely and if the woman would go with him when found, so when he saw Rebekah, he asked God to confirm the choice by the test of giving him water and offering it for the camels as well, which she did.  He recalled how the LORD promised to guide him with an angel to prosper his quest, yet if the woman would not be willing to return and be wed to Isaac then he would be released from his search and could return home.  Because Rebekah confirmed that she was the one after describing her familial relationship as Abraham’s brother Nahor’s daughter, he had given her the jewelry and worshipped God for bringing her to him in the way of truth.  He then asked if she would be given to Isaac as a bride or if he had to go another way.  Her brother and mother realized that this was a divine arrangement and meeting, and they handed Rebekah over to him for Isaac.  They all rejoiced and the servant of Abraham again bowed down to worship the LORD and gave the rest of the gifts of jewelry and fine clothing to Rebekah, along with precious gifts for her brother and mother.  The deal was done at the leading of the LORD!  This was God’s leading of the godly errand to continue the promise to Abraham through the lineage of Isaac who was almost sacrificed but was replaced by God’s sacrifice of a ram before the altar on the way to God’s own Son sacrificed on a tree of cursing to pay our sin’s price and fulfill the promise of Abraham’s active faith.  Do we likewise trust God in the plans He has for our lives to be fruitful and multiply disciples as spiritual children of promise?  Remember this divine leading according to the promise of the Lord and step out in faith with our godly errand to make disciples as Matthew 28:19-20 commands us by the Lord’s sending to add to the bride of Christ.

Genesis 24:1-28 - Blessings of a Spouse by God’s Leading

Genesis 24:1-28

A Bride for Isaac

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

5 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?”

6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 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. 8 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.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”

24 So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. 27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” 28 So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.

In the account of Abraham’s search for a bride to satisfy the LORD and his son Isaac, we see how he sent an older wise servant to seek out a suitable wife or come back alone.  There was to be no compromise on the choice of one from the people of God and not an unbeliever, a vital lesson still for those now in Christ as we read in 2 Corinthians 6:14 to be bound in a covenant yoke only with a fellow believer.  If we choose to choose unwisely from the world for a spouse, there will only be an unfruitful life in that marriage.  Abraham knew this and instructed his servant to choose wisely for his son as the custom then was for arranged marriages chosen by the father then, but the principle holds for our culture as well in choosing well.  Abraham trusted the God who promised him the country to come that He would also guide the man, in this case by an angel but we are led by His indwelling Spirit now, to find a suitable bride willing to come back and marry his son of the people of God.  He also answered the question of if the woman was unwilling to return and marry Isaac by releasing him from the quest if that were to happen.  We can equate that in our culture of one on one choosing by saying that the man asking the woman to marry him must be in the Lord and also be willing to commit to each other in a promised covenant for life and not a mere temporary arrangement as is often the worldly way now.  When the servant sought a place to water himself and the camels, he boldly asked God to have a certain woman offer a certain thing to prove she was appointed for him to bring back to Isaac.  Just as he finished asking, a beautiful woman came to draw water from the well and so he ran to her and asked for a drink, which she happily obliged and offered for his camels as well, just as he had asked the LORD for!  That was no mere coincidence.  He offered her the engagement jewelry he brought as a gift and found out this woman Rebekah was not only of the people of God, but also a close relative.  He asked to stay with her family after the journey and bowed in thankful worship to the LORD for leading him to her.  We who in our culture do this without a middleman can apply the same principles to finding a wife or husband, namely that we ask for God’s leading (Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:5-6) and praise Him when He brings us together.  God’s mercy and truth are found when we seek a godly spouse in God’s way and not outside of His people in Christ or on our own terms apart from these and the leading of the Lord by His Spirit.  In His providence of grace, God leads us to the one we are to covenant with, even if we don’t see it at the time.  This is the blessing of the Lord for a bride of a man or a husband of a woman by His leading.  We are to walk by faith like Abraham in all areas of life and not choose our own way, especially in such important commitments. 

Genesis 23:1-20 - Honoring our Dead

Genesis 23:1-20

Sarah’s Death and Burial

1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

Abraham honored his wife who died at one hundred and twenty-seven years old in Hebron in Canaan.  He mourned her death and wept at the loss of her on the earth, making us wonder what he believed about the afterlife as Job had so eloquently and prophetically written (Job 19:25-27) for us to read with hope in the midst of sorrow and loss.  Abraham was a stranger in a strange land which he knew by faith was promised to him (Genesis 17:8) as a future inheritance.  Because of this promise and hope he asked to buy a burial plot for his beloved in that land which was not yet his or his descendants, much like how the patriarchs also looked past that promise to a heavenly country (Hebrews 11:16) by that same faith as an afterlife also by a promise, though veiled to him and them and made more clearly manifest to us now in Christ Jesus the promised Messiah.  Abraham was honored among the people of the land he temporarily lived in and was offered any place he chose for free.  He asked for the cave of Machpelah owned by Ephron at the end of that man’s field, but would not take it for that which cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:24, 1 Chronicles 21:24) but at the full valuation of its worth to honor the LORD as an honored offering as well as for honoring his dead to give the memory its full value.   He paid the full asking price for the cave as a tomb and the surrounding land to Ephron to honor and remember the life of his wife and the LORD for his faithfulness.  He therefore received the deed for the land as the first step in inheriting the entire land of Canaan as promised by the LORD by paying the price.  This was a tangible foothold on the promised land to Abraham by the LORD to comfort his loss and assure him of what was to come for all blessed through his trust of faith in God’s promises and work on his behalf and that of all his descendants of the same faith that takes God at His word.  We who have the fullness of the gospel mystery (Romans 16:25, 1 Corinthians 2:7, 15:51, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26-27) unfolded to us in Christ have this same eternal assurance of comfort in loss and expectation of the heavenly promised land to come.  Our weeping tears and sorrow will be wiped away at last (Revelation 21:4) as we no longer have to mourn our dead out of sight with their bodies lying in a cold tomb.  We honor our dead in Christ because we will see them alive again in new ever-living bodies and He honors us in our trusting faith that He will raise us all to be united in eternity with Him and them.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

Genesis 22:1-24 - Sacrificial Faith to Deliver Us

Genesis 22:1-24

Abraham’s Faith Confirmed (Hebrews 11:17–19)

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

The faith of Abraham which we claim in Christ is based on this event more than the previous faith which believed he would have a son in his old age and fill the earth with godly descendants.  Here he was called to take his only son Isaac and offer him to the LORD as a sacrificial offering, knowing the promise already made and not understanding how killing the heir of righteousness could allow that promise already made to still be fulfilled.  He trusted God with a supernatural faith and moved forward in obedience.  This is what the hymn Trust and Obey is telling us.  Abraham was commanded to go into a desolate place and offer his one and only son there to a place where he would be led to.  He split the firewood, saddled up the donkey, and set off on a three day journey until he saw the place from far away.  Isaac still did not know what God had told his father but trusted him.  Then he asked Abraham where the sacrificial lamb was since all they had was the wood and a place to put the sacrificial offering as they went with the fire and a knife in his father’s hand while he carried the wood.  When they arrived, his father constructed an altar, arranged the wood to burn well, and then tied up his son Isaac and put him on top of the wood.  By then Isaac must have begun to see where this was going to and is likely why he was tied in case he tried to get off, unlike we who are in Christ who are called to be willing sacrifices (Romans 12:1) that do not move away from giving our lives to Him who gave His for us.   As Abraham was obedient to the point of killing his one and only son, God intervened and praised his trust in Him to even be able to raise Isaac back from death afterwards (Hebrews 11:17–19) to fulfill His unbreakable promise to Abraham.  God would later honor this faith that worked in obedience by offering His one and only Son instead as the sacrificial Lamb of God for the promise of we His people in Him by that same faith (Galatians 3:8-9, 14) to be realized on the sacrificial offering on the cross of our sin’s curse (Galatians 3:13)!  Just as that man of faith in God’s word of promise did not hold back his son, God sacrificed His only begotten Son for us all instead.  This is the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ we read here.  God provided a sacrifice from the brush and Abraham named the place, “The-LORD-Will-Provide (YHWH Yireh)” to commemorate the work of God in providing the deliverance to come in delivering his son from death and keeping His promise in this way.  Truly in the work of the LORD we find our saving deliverance from our sin’s penalty, the consequences of eternal judgment commuted by His own Son offering the sacrifice of His own life to save ours from that sentence of death we each inherit from Adam.  Yes, we see the picture here of God’s work of the gospel that only the work of God Himself can offer for us because we are sinful and imperfect; only the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 1:3, 9:25-27, 10:10, 12-14) of the Lamb of God can cover our sin and pass us over in the final judgment as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) like in Egypt where His blood from this sacrifice pays the atoning price once and for all for all who exercise the faith of Abraham to trust God’s word and work in His Son for us.  In this act Abraham found the blessing of God as we find the eternal blessings of unending life with Him after our death and resurrection which He demonstrated as proof after His sacrificial crucifixion.  We also are blessed in hearing God’s voice telling us this good news and trusting it to be true as we receive His only Son by that same faith that takes God at His word.  The end of this chapter begins to show others born to his family but Abraham was thinking more of the legacy of faith in his own children of faith through Isaac (Galatians 4:28, James 2:21), whom we are by that same faith in God’s word and work in the person of Jesus Christ whom we receive by that faith (John 1:12), the sacrificial faith of our spiritual father, Abraham.