GENESIS 24

BERESHIS 24

Abraham, like every enlightened father, was anxious on the subject of the marriage of his son. His anxiety differed altogether from that of the moderns, whose principal solicitude relates to income and worldly prospects.

He might have found a suitable match on this score among "the daughters of Canaan"—the landed folk of the age; for he was on terms of equality with the leading people, even to their very kings. But he declined an alliance in this direction. The cup of the Amorites was not yet full, but it was filling, and he did not wish alliance with a state of society whose corruptions may be learnt from Lev. 18 as applied in verses 24-25.

He preferred to seek a wife for his son in the family of his own father, who had joined with him in the original pilgrimage from Ur at the command of the Lord (Gen. 11: 31), and the members of which showed in their subsequent intercourse with Abraham's servant that they knew and feared the God of Abraham.

Thus early did scruples on the "marriage question" characterise the friends of God....

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

There are two difficulties in the way. Eliezer, his steward, did not know where he was to find his master's kindred (for there were no directories in those days, and a general reference to Mesopotamia was a poor guide); and even if he found them out, it might turn out there was no woman suitable for a wife for Isaac, or being suitable, she might be unwilling; and how, in that case, was the thing to prosper? Eliezer stated the latter difficulty, and enquired, in case it should turn out so, whether he was, in that case, to take Isaac back to Mesopotamia?

Abraham was emphatic on this point. Wife or no wife, Eliezer was to beware of taking Isaac back to Mesopotamia. It was a command from God that he and his seed were to sojourn in the land wherein they were strangers, and Abraham would not break one command in trying to keep another—a striking and important example. Abraham's confidence was this:

"The Lord God of heaven shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence."

He was prepared, however, for failure, if the will of God were so.

Ways of Providence

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

ARE you, in searching for a partner for life, looking for one whom God would approve—one who would serve a nobler part than the mere providing of a comfortable home, or animal existence? Then turn your eyes in the way of those only who love the Bible, and who show their love for it by a regular and faithful reading of its pages.

This is the counsel of the Oracles of God, and none can deny it. What if this counsel is mocked by outsiders, and emphasised by far too few of those who name the name of Christ? Wisdom is wisdom, and is indestructible, and happy are they who heed her voice.

Marriage with the alien is a sin, and marriage with those who are unfaithful to Bible teaching, is akin to it. Satisfactory partners—wise and good people (judging wisdom and goodness by the divine standard)—are not to be found away from Bible influence, and this influence exists alone where a constant and attentive place is given to scripture study.

In the matter of marriage, never be in a hurry. Avoid being led into an unwise arrangement by self-deception. A man or a woman is not in the truth (whatever their claims may be) who does not believe and obey it—who has no fondness for it, and fondness shows itself by a desire to read and talk about it.

We are wise if we aim at securing partners more spiritually-minded than ourselves, not less so. Marriage is a very serious matter—it means either help or hindrance in the fight for eternal life. God is concerned in the marriage of His children, for He is concerned in their salvation. Hear, therefore, His voice in the act of choosing. He has spoken plainly. Hesitate not to search and ponder His mind, and your marriage will be no failure.

Bro AT Jannaway

The Christadelphian, Nov 1905

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh Elohim of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

All things have been perfectly natural. But he has confidence in the guidance of Abraham's God. He stands by the well outside the city. Other men besides Bethuel dwell in the place; and there are many daughters whose custom it is to come to the well in the evening to draw water.

Which of them all is it that suits his delicate errand? He asks God to give his errand good speed. He proposes an indication: let the first woman to whom he shall speak be the woman, if she offer to draw water for his camels as well as himself.

... Now here is a case of angelic arrangement beyond question. Yet no angels were seen. The man Eliezer went on from step to step in a natural way. He was not conscious of any interference. He seemed to follow his own volitions all the way. How is this reconcilable with angelic guidance? The case of Balaam illustrates it inversely. An Angel stood in the way to arrest his progress (Numb. 22:22-31). Balaam did not see any angel, but attributed the awkwardness of the animal he rode to a freak of temper. "The Lord opened his eyes" (verse 31) and then he became aware of the situation.

There was no need to open the eyes of Eliezer, Abraham's servant; the case did not call for it. But if his eyes had been opened, he would have seen that an angelic guide was directing his way, invisibly operating upon him to conceive impulses and think thoughts which to his consciousness were all his own.

The teaching of the case is plain.

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about those that fear Him;"

And directs their way without any open or apparent interference with the natural order of things.

What is due to a man's own thoughts and what to angelic supervision, a man cannot by his own reasoning discriminate. He need not attempt it. His part is simply to fear God, do His commandments, commit his way to Him, in the full and cheerful confidence that—

"All things work together for good to them that love God and who are the called according to His purpose."

Ways of Providence

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from Yahweh: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

ABRAHAM'S faith having been perfected by the severe trial to which it was subjected on the Mount of the Lord, the remainder of his sojourn among the living appears to have been no further illustrated by angelic visitations.

Sarah had died "at Kirjatharba, the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan," two years after his removal from Beer-sheba; where he continued to reside for the rest of his days, being a period of thirty-eight years. During this time, "the Lord blessed him in all things;" and he became great in the midst of Canaan, though he possessed of it only the field and cave of Machpelah, which he had purchased for a burial place of the sons of Heth.

The Lord had given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses (Gen. 24:35); and so gave him an influence and consideration among the surrounding tribes which riches are sure to create.

But in all his prosperity, he did not forget the promises. He had trained up Isaac in his own faith; and in order to preserve him from the evil and corrupting influence of faithless women, and to contribute to the future welfare of his descendants, he took an oath of his steward that he should not take a wife for his son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom he dwelt, but from among his kindred in Mesopotamia, who appear to have also believed in God (Gen. 24:50, 11).

Elpis Israel 3.2.