A Wife for Isaac

 Read Genesis 24

The chapter begins not by telling us that Abraham is old but by stating he was very old.  He was also tremendously blessed.  Abraham had himself some stuff and a trusted servant to manage everything.

He had the son that God promised him but his son had no wife and the prospects for finding the right wife in the land where he lived were zero.  This was pagan country.

Those who surrounded Abraham surely knew of his God and perhaps even feared his God but they had no relationship with the one true God.  Abraham was something of an enigma.

He was a powerful man blessed by a powerful God, but the people around him did not seek this God.

Though they had many idols and knew not to mess with the God of Abraham, they were essentially godless people.

In the first service, we looked at the oath taken by the servant and his sojourn to the well in northern Mesopotamia.

We learned about the servant’s prayer and how the answer to that prayer singled out Rebekah as the woman most likely to be Isaac’s wife, but the work of the servant was not yet done.

Just who was this girl?

She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. Now it was time to meet the parents, but first, it was time to pray again.

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

God was still blessing Abraham, now through his servant in the land of his brother’s family.  His brother’s family also knew to show hospitality. 

The servant and his caravan would be put up at the home of Rachel’s parents.  She also had a brother named Laban.  Watch out for that rascal when Isaac’s son needs a wife but for now, he welcomed the servant.

“Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

The servant came into Bethuel’s household and dinner was served, but the servant would not eat until he explained his business. The servant was on a mission and the success of the mission was looking good, but he wasn’t home yet.

He was compelled to tell the story from the beginning—Abraham and Sarah having a son in their old age, the oath he took to bring Isaac a wife, the release from the oath if she would not come with him, and the fact that God was in this every step of the way.

He recounted how he had prayed and God had shown him Rebekah, just as he had petitioned.  He told of the gifts he gave to Rebekah and the praise he lifted up to the Lord.

As you read this, you might have thought, didn’t I just read this?  The answer would be yes, but the servant was not acting of his own will or authority but by the authority of his master, Abraham, who was fulfilling the will of God.

Bethuel and Laban said that all of this is from the Lord.  We don’t really have a say in it.  Take Rebekah and return to your master.

There were gifts galore given to Bethuel’s household.

The servant ate, drank, and spent the night, but by morning, the family was reconsidering the haste of their decision.  You might compare this to buyer’s remorse—a big decision followed by second thoughts. They wanted her to remain with them for 10 more days.

But the servant was on a mission from his master.  He had some momentum going. He didn’t want to take a break when things were going so well.  He needed to go and go now.

Instead of an impasse, the family asked Rebekah to decide.  She chose to go.  The family chose to send her with a blessing.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase

    to thousands upon thousands;

may your offspring possess

    the cities of their enemies.”

It seems that the family embraced this Father of Many Nations blessing given to Abraham.  Rebekah was now to be a part of this.

And so, they headed back to Abraham. Rebekah was not without some means.  She had a nurse and some maidservants.  It’s a good thing that they unloaded the gifts for the family because Rebekah had some luggage.

I know the experience.  When we go on a cruise, I ask my wife the same question each time.  For how many people and how many months are you packing?

So here is the love story.  The caravan arrived near home.  Isaac was out in the fields in the evening time meditating. Rebekah asked the servant, who is that man?  He replied, that is my master.

Rebecca covered her face and the servant recounted the entire experience to Isaac. Isaac took Rebekah into the tent and made her his wife.  He loved her. She comforted him.

But what about the wedding invitations?  What about the feast?  What about the ceremony?  Was there even a priest around? What about premarital counseling?

Years ago, I was at Montana Mikes in Clinton.  A young couple recognized me as the pastor for the Burns Flat CPC.  They asked if I could do counseling before they got married.

I told them we should set up a time to talk and if it looked like some counseling was appropriate, we would set up a schedule.

They were disappointed.  They were hoping I could work it in between the appetizer and the main course.  I guess that would have been more counseling than Isaac had.

But Isaac was also on a mission from God.  He was part of this Father of Many Nations business.  Rebecca would be his wife.

Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah.

Isaac was sad that he had lost his mother but comforted that he now had a wife. The Lord will provide. It wasn’t too long ago that Isaac was to be a sacrifice and burnt offering, but the Lord provided the sacrifice.  Now the Lord has provided a wife.

Abraham wouldn’t have much more time on this earth.  The story would shift to Isaac.

What should we take from this?

How about it’s good to have top-notch servants, wealth, and camels.  You never know when you might need to fetch a wife for your son.

Premarital counseling might be overrated.

Who needs wedding invitations and a select venue when mom’s tent is available for a right-now wedding.

 Maybe there is something else.  How about the Lord will provide.  Could you imagine being on a mission like the one Abraham gave his servant?

Find my son a wife.  This is the most important thing I have ever asked of you.  Swear to me you will get it right.

OBTW—the angel of the Lord will precede you.  There is a 100% difference between do this thing that is beyond comprehension and do it, the Lord is with you.

The servant had seen how the Lord had blessed his master.  The Lord provides!

How can I take the longest chapter that we have read so far and reduce it to the Lord provides?

Let’s go with this.  Know the story but know that the Lord provides.

The Lord provides.

Amen.