Genesis 24: 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.”
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After years of
difficulties, Abraham finally saw the promise GOD made to him come to fruition.
Isaac was born through Sarah who was barren for ninety years. They lived with
the promised child for thirty-seven years, but then Sarah died. Isaac was in
his thirties. Abraham made the leader of his household swear to find a wife for
his son in the land where he grew up.
My Observations:
- GOD did not provide the servant’s name.
- Placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh would be an action that is so odd and uncomfortable, that he would definitely remember the promise.
- Abraham did not know how long it would take to find a wife for Isaac, so he made his servant swear by the LORD, who would always be watching.
Living around the
Hittites and the Canaanites may have provided safety and possibly the comforts
of the best standards of living. But Abraham recognized that the people were
not followers of GOD. He wanted the best for his son, so he made his servant swear
that he would not find a wife locally, but return to his original home to find
relatives who would believed and walked with the LORD.
The servant would
remember the strange request for the rest of his life. Abraham was very serious
about following GOD because of all GOD had taken him through. He was blessed “in
all things.” Every animal and crop was fruitful and multiplied well. Every
business deal went well. Even his health was solid. He even had a loyal servant
who benefitted from GOD’s blessings.
Challenge
- Why do you think GOD told Moses about Abraham making his servant swear not to choose a wife for Isaac amongst the Hittites and the Canaanites?
- Have you remained loyal to GOD all your days?
- What does long lasting loyalty to GOD look like in your promises?
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