Genesis Lesson 13
GOD ESTABLISHED ISAAC’S FAMILY
Genesis 23:1-24:67
Key Verse 24:3,4
“I want you to swear by the Lord, 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."
Today’s passage teaches the importance of the cave of Machpelah, historically and to Isaac’s marriage. Abraham had a sense of history in purchasing a burial site for his wife and also in establishing Isaac’s family. At first, Abraham was narrow-minded and self-centered, thinking primarily about his own generation. But after God had spent a long time educating him, he became a man with a strong sense of history. In Chapter 21:33, Abraham calls on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God, and enters deeply into the spiritual world of faith. He begins to trust God, the sovereign Lord who controls everything. Because Abraham feared the sovereign Lord, he could offer his son Isaac in obedience to God’s command. God acknowledged Abraham’s faith and began to lay the foundation for his work of redemption. Now it was time for the redemptive work to be handed down to Isaac. For this purpose God established Isaac’s family.
In chapter 24 we read of two people: one, a faithful servant of Abraham who played a crucial role in establishing Isaac’s house; the other is Rebekah, a beautiful woman of faith. In today’s passage we will study the attitude needed in a man of mission and the image of the faithful woman, Rebekah. We will also learn about God, who established Isaac’s family.
Abraham Bought the Cave of Machpelah (23:1-20)
There is no record of Abraham’s life after the event on Mount Moriah, until, suddenly, the Bible mentions Sarah’s death. Some people speculate that Sarah might have died of shock soon after the event at Mount Moriah, but this is only a guess, since Sarah’s faith was as strong as Abraham’s. Sarah is the only woman whose age at death is recorded. Sarah was one of the excellent women of faith in the Bible. According to 1 Peter 3:5-6, Sarah was considered to be the mother of all believing women, just as Abraham was considered the father of all believing men. Sarah died on Hebron at the age of 127. It was a great loss to Abraham because she had shared all of his joys and sorrows. Abraham grieved over her. However, he could not cry over her endlessly because there was no burial site for her. So Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead" (4). Abraham called himself “an alien” and “a stranger.” Abraham was a rich man. He had many flocks and many wells and many servants and three hundred eighteen trained men of his own. He was an influential and wealthy man. However, his heart was not attached to his worldly wealth. He lived as a stranger and an alien, possessing not one inch of land, although the land had been promised to him. We know that he had lived in the Promised Land for 62 years, because Sarah had come to the Promised Land at the age of 65 and died at 127, but Abraham did not even own a burial site (Ac 7:5). Abraham and Sarah lived in tents, like holy pilgrims, longing for the heavenly city whose foundation is God (Heb 11:9,10).
Look at verses 5 and 6: “The Hittites replied to Abraham, ‘Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.’" The Hittites called Abraham “Sir” and “a mighty prince among us” and respected him greatly. “A mighty prince” means “a man appointed by God as a ruler.” These words were not empty. They came from their hearts. We can see how much good influence Abraham had on the unbelievers around him. Wherever he lived he walked with God and behaved in a righteous way. Although he lived among unbelievers he was not influenced by them; rather, he had a positive influence on them. In the same way, we, believers, should be a force for Jesus (2Co 2:15). In verses 7 and 12, Abraham bows down before the people of the land. This demonstrates his humility. He does not claim to be a father of many nations or God’s chosen person, nor does he behave arrogantly. He humbles himself all the more when they recognize him as a mighty prince among them. Abraham reveals God’s righteousness by embracing the unbelieving people around him and serving them. They asked Abraham to bury his wife in the choicest of their land. They even offered him a burial site free of charge. However, Abraham told them that he wanted to buy the cave of Machpelah for its full price.
Then the owner of the cave “Ephron” spoke up and offered his cave free of charge in front of many witnesses. At this point this might have seemed acceptable, but Abraham insisted on paying the full price for the cave. Finally, Abraham paid four hundred shekels of silver and purchased the land. See verse 20: “So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.” Why did Abraham want to pay the full price, even though the cave was offered free of charge? What can we learn from him?
First of all, Abraham behaved as a believer should: he knew that nothing was free in this world. He understood that the Hittites were demonstrating their favor, but he also knew that they did not necessarily really mean it. He saw that even if their offer was genuine at the time, it could cause problems in later generations. Abraham lived among unbelievers and understood them very well. He was not seeking things for free, but was eager to pay the full price. He struggled not to have any debt other than that of love (Ro 13:8). This is the correct attitude for believers.
Secondly, Abraham secured the right of the cave for his descendants. God promised that he would give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. But there was an enormous difference between this promise and reality. It was Abraham’s own land but he lived in tents. Because he was rich, he could have afforded to purchase a great deal of property, but he did not buy even one inch of land because he believed in God’s promise. He purchased a piece of land for Sarah’s burial site. This was proof that he believed that the land had been promised to him and his descendants. In this way, Abraham left one single spot marking the Promised Land. This cave was a sign that the land belonged to him and his descendants. Abraham handed down God’s promise with the cave of Machpelah to his descendants. He had a sense of history beyond his own generation. The cave became a burial site for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah (Ge 35:27-29;49:29-32). The cave later became the justification for conquering the Promised Land.
Abraham’s View of Marriage (24:1-9)
Consider verse 1: “Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.” At this point in his life, Abraham’s main concern became the marriage of his son Isaac. Isaac clung to his mother’s skirts until he turned 40. After Sarah died, he went out to the field and meditated. Abraham realized that Isaac’s marriage was an urgent matter and called his chief servant, who was probably Eliezer of Damascus. Suddenly, Abraham asked him to swear by putting his hand under his, Abraham’s, thigh. See verses 3 and 4: “I want you to swear by the Lord, 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." To put one’s hand under another’s thigh was the most solemn way of making an oath. In order to show the importance of finding a wife for his son Isaac, Abraham asked his servant to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, in the most solemn way. A wife had to be chosen for Isaac most carefully. This was because she would have to be a mother of many nations and a vessel through which the Messiah would come. Although Isaac was 40 years old, he trusted his father in the matter of his marriage.
Why, then, did Abraham ask his servant to find a wife for Isaac in the land of his birth rather than in Canaan? What kind of risk would there have been if Isaac had married a woman of Canaan? The Canaanites were idolatrous and sexual immorality was practiced as part of their religious ceremony. To marry into them would mean to lose the purity of one’s faith and to become an idol worshipper, as they were. However, the people in Abraham’s homeland were descendants of Seth; they called on the name of the Lord and were devout believers (Ge 24:50,51,60). So Abraham’s instruction to find a wife from his native people meant to choose a believer rather than an unbeliever. Since the wife of Isaac was to become one with him according to God’s promise, a recent convert would not be suitable; she had to be a woman who was trained in faith and obedience and the fear of God. Even though marrying the daughter of a chief or a king in the land of Canaan would have brought great benefits, Abraham did not even consider such a possibility. In the land of Canaan there must have been many beautiful girls who were talented and came from good families with great wealth and power. However, Abraham did not pay attention to such worldly criteria, but focused solely on faith in the Lord. Abraham knew that Isaac was not just his human descendant who would inherit his property but a child of God’s promise who would inherit God’s redemptive work. He knew the importance of a woman. Even if Isaac had great faith he would fail if his wife did not have faith and did not work well with him. In order to inherit God’s blessings, Isaac and his wife had to form a spiritual vessel. If Isaac married an unbelieving woman he would be negatively influenced by her; he would desert God and become an idol worshipper like Solomon (Dt 7:3-4). Although they seem strong outwardly, men are greatly influenced by women. If a man marries a believing woman, even if his faith is weak, his faith can grow and he can become a great man of faith. However, if he marries an unbelieving woman, he will probably be negatively influenced by his wife and can easily become a useless man before God, even if his faith had been strong before his marriage. A woman’s influence over her husband and children is great. Some people believe that they can help their marriage partner gain faith before they marry. Others say that they want to teach their partner faith after they marry. But faith comes from God. It is impossible for any person to acquire another person’s faith only on the strength of that person’s effort and wisdom (Jn 1:13). Therefore we should not compromise in the least when we marry. Some people say that they want to marry as they wish. But in the matter of marriage, one should follow the will of God.
What was the response of Abraham’s chief servant when Abraham charged him with a special mission? He probably did not know what to expect. What kind of woman would follow an old man a long way to marry someone she has not met? People might think that the old man was a slave trader. Who would just follow him without seeing the man she would marry? Any woman who would follow the old man under those circumstances, he thought, must have problems of her own. So he asked Abraham if he could bring Isaac back to meet a woman if she was not willing to come. Abraham said that the servant should not bring Isaac to his homeland. What was his reason for this? See verse 7: "The Lord, 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.” Here we learn two things.
First of all, Abraham believed the word of God’s promise. He believed that God would give the Promised Land to Isaac, as promised. So he did not allow Isaac to move from the Promised Land.
Secondly, Abraham believed in a God who provides. He was sure that the Lord would have already prepared a wife for his son, because God had promised him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Heb 11:18). He never doubted God’s sincere love. Abraham told his servant that he would be free from his oath if the woman was not willing to come. Abraham’s faith was based on the promise of God. His faith was based on his personal experience and it was firm under any circumstances. Because of Abraham’s assurance, his servant took the oath. He accepted his mission from God through his master Abraham.
Abraham’s Faithful Servant (24:10-56)
Abraham’s servant is an example of a man of mission. He carried out his challenging mission with faith, prayer and loyalty. We can learn from him what kind of attitude we should have as ambassadors of Christ.
First, Abraham’s servant carried out his mission with prayer (10-27). Abraham’s servant accepted his mission with an oath and he prepared for his journey. He prepared for his journey with prayer and started his journey in prayer. During his journey he continued praying. The servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking all kinds of good things from his master with him. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor (10). The distance from Hebron to Nahor was about 447 miles, which took about 20 days at that time. So the servant must have been very tired after a long journey when he reached the place. He might have found his own place to spend the night at an inn and then gone to look for a bride, or he could have tried to find a girl by advertising in local newspapers. However, as soon as he arrived he began to pray. Consider verse 12: "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” He depended on God in everything and sought God’s help through prayer. People may think that they should make a detailed plan and work hard in order to succeed. They may think that praying is a foolish waste of time. But praying is the wisest thing one can do if one wants to succeed. If we assign work to a person who prays, it will be done in the best way possible.
If we look at verses 13 and 14, we see that the servant’s prayer was very specific. “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." Abraham’s servant knew several qualifications for the wife of Isaac. She should belong to the people of Abraham’s native land, and she should be holy and gracious. She should be strong in her inner person and she should be diligent and healthy. She should be kind and gentle and have great compassion and be full of love. Abraham’s servant wanted to focus on the woman’s inner qualities rather than her outward appearance, degrees and family background. As soon as he finished his prayer, Rebekah came out. His prayer was answered immediately. Isaiah 65:24 says, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Sometimes God answers our prayers immediately. Other times he answers years later. But God’s answer is given to us for our best benefit according to God’s will. The content and method of God’s answer is the best. When the Lord answered his prayer immediately Abraham’s servant watched closely to make sure that this had come from the Lord (21). Too often, after they pray, people forget what they prayed for and proceed to do as they please. This is because they do not believe in a God who will answer their prayers in his own time. But Abraham’s servant believed that God would give him an answer and he watched closely. When his prayer was answered so specifically, he bowed his head and worshipped the Lord and offered a prayer of thanks (26,27). Abraham’s servant began his work with prayer, carried it out with prayer, and finished it with prayer. His spirit came from his prayer.
Second, Abraham’s servant was faithful to his mission (28-56). Finally Abraham’s servant and his company arrived at the house of Bethuel. Rebekah’s brother Laban welcomed them, saying, "Come, you who are blessed by the Lord!" Then the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water was brought for Abraham’s servant and his men to wash their feet. Abraham’s servant might have eaten and then carried out his mission. But what did he do? See verse 33: “Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say." People think that health is the most important thing, more important even than one’s mission, so they want to work in a measured way, just as they put priority on eating properly and getting proper rest. It is rare to see a person who is filled with a burning desire to accomplish his mission at all cost, before everything and anything. But look at Abraham’s servant. He put much more heart into his mission than into eating and taking rest. He could not eat until he had finished his mission. So right there, at the table, he began to describe what had happened. He described how many blessings the Lord had given to his master Abraham, how God’s blessings were to be handed down to Isaac, the reason why he had come to Abraham’s homeland and how the Lord had led him to that house. When Laban and Bethuel heard it they could see that it came from the Lord, and so they could not say anything negative about the marriage. This shows that Abraham’s servant’s description and account were persuasive and forceful. His account was sincere, solemn and accurate. His persuasiveness and power came not from his human wisdom but his sincere faith and adherence to his mission. Although he was an old man he did not look old. He was not tired. He had even more vigor than young men. In this way, a man of mission is as full of spirit as an eagle that flies high in the sky, even though it may be old. But if a man is not on a mission from God, he becomes like an old man who is primarily interested in eating and taking rest. After Abraham’s servant had accomplished his mission, he offered a prayer of thanks and ate. The food must have become cold but he must have enjoyed it with a great sense of peace and accomplishment.
Abraham’s servant wanted to return to his master the very next day. Rebekah’s family members asked him to stay for ten days but he was not willing to do so. Since he had successfully accomplished his mission, he might have decided to take a tour and accept Rebekah’s family’s hospitality. But he wanted to bring the good news to his master Abraham as soon as possible. He wanted to finish his mission completely. Many people begin their work very energetically but finish it weakly, but Abraham’s servant was a man of mission. He lived and died for his mission. What is required of a man of mission is faithfulness (1 Co 4:2). Faithfulness comes from faith, so depending upon the degree of a person’s faithfulness we can see the depth of his faith. Faithful men are very precious. The author of Proverbs 20:6 says, “Who can find a faithful man?” Man was created for a mission from God (Ge 1:28). When a man is faithful to his mission from God he can be happy and find true fulfillment.
Third, Abraham’s servant had a clear sense of identity and pride. See verse 34: "I am Abraham's servant.” In those times, servants were slaves and belonged to the lower classes of society; Abraham’s servant could have felt shame about his status and might have tried to hide his identity and exaggerate his position. He could have said, “I am the chief secretary of Abraham and the man in charge of all of his servants.” But he said, “I am Abraham’s servant” with dignity. He respected his master Abraham greatly and loved him. He lived for his master and he called his master “My master” and said, “The God of my master Abraham.” He accepted the God of his master Abraham as his own God. In the same way, we must have a clear identity as servants of Christ. We must say, “I am a servant of Christ” with great dignity. Abraham’s servant does not have a name in the Bible. He was faithful to his mission even without having his name recorded in the Bible. But God accepted his faithfulness and used him to establish Isaac’s family.
As we have seen so far, Abraham’s servant was a man led by the Spirit. There are men of the flesh and men of the Spirit. A man of the flesh thinks about things of the flesh and seeks earthly things. A man of the flesh cannot overcome his limitations even if he has great self control and noble character and great knowledge. For flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit (Jn 3:6). A man of the flesh is not born again in the Spirit and his mind is hostile to God and cannot submit to God’s law (Ro 8:7). Those controlled by sinful nature cannot please God (Ro 8:8), but a man of Spirit thinks about spiritual things and seeks to know what the Spirit desires. He or she wants to be led by the Spirit rather than his or her own thoughts and ideas. Most of all, those who are born of the Spirit want to please God rather than themselves. Abraham’s servant was a man who was led by the Spirit and he wanted to please God. God is pleased with a man of Spirit.
Rebekah was the Mother of Thousands upon Thousands (24:16-20; 57-67)
Rebekah is one of the main characters in Chapter 24,. Who, then, was Rebekah?
First, she was a pure virgin (16a). See verse 16a: “The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her.” Rebekah was a very beautiful woman. It means that she was not only physically beautiful but also spiritually beautiful. The beauty of a woman does not depend on her external beauty but on her inner beauty. If a woman is filled with faith and purity her beauty shows itself naturally in her words and deeds. Rebekah’s beauty was the beauty of her inner person. Where did this beauty come from? The author emphasizes the fact that she was a virgin and no man had ever lain with her. It was very challenging thing to keep one’s purity in her generation, because her generation was very sexually permissive. Purity is very important to a woman. Purity does not imply physical purity alone but also mental and spiritual purity. If a woman gives her heart to this man or that man she is like a prostitute. Purity comes from loving and fearing God alone. It comes when a woman keeps herself from the promiscuous world. Proverbs 31:30 reads, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Rebekah’s beauty came from fearing the Lord.
Second, Rebekah was diligent and full of love (18-20). She was diligent when she drew water for Abraham’s servant and camels. A lazy woman is not a beautiful woman. Rebekah’s hand might have been rough because she worked hard. She was concerned not only about a thirsty stranger but also about thirsty camels. She was generous and broad-minded enough to water the animals. It was not easy to draw water to feed ten thirsty camels. Each camel can drink about ten gallons of water, so Rebekah must have had to draw one hundred twenty gallons of water. But she watered them out of joy and love. The water that came from her deep love refreshed Abraham’s servant and his camels, who were weary and tired and thirsty. Her love was deep and fresh like the fresh water.
Third, Rebekah was a woman of faith (58). Abraham’s servant wanted to leave the next day after the deal was done. Rebekah’s parents asked her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” Her answer shows that she had made a decision and that it was a decision of faith. She could make such a decision because she had faith in God. Rebekah did not know anything about Isaac. She did not know whether Isaac was tall or short. She did not know his character at all. But she knew one thing: that her marriage came from the Lord. Through the testimony of Abraham’s servant she must have realized it. She believed in God and she entrusted her future to the hands of God. When she trusted in God she was not anxious about her future at all. She did not trust Abraham’s servant or Isaac but the Lord. When she believed in the Lord she could follow Abraham’s servant without fear. Through her decision of faith she could be used by God in his redemptive history.
Fourth, Rebekah would be the mother of thousands upon thousands (60). When Rebekah left her family they blessed her, saying, "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." They were not sorrowful because Rebekah was leaving them. They did not tell her that she should serve her father-in-law well and have many children and live happily. They prayed that she would be the mother of thousands upon thousands. “A mother of thousands upon thousands” is one who takes care of all kinds of people and serves them. It is even challenging to serve one person, so to serve thousands upon thousands requires strong inner character and faith. Rebekah raised Isaac as if he were her oldest son and helped greedy Jacob to grow up to be a man of God. Through her faith she raised Isaac to be the second ancestor of faith.
As we see here, Rebekah was a very precious woman of faith. The role of a woman is critically important for a family and even for a nation. If a woman does not function properly, the family is broken and a nation can be destroyed. There is no hope when women try to seduce men. But men can grow well if there are many women like Rebekah. So we pray that God may raise up many women like Rebekah.
Verses 61-67 record the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah. Rebekah followed Abraham’s servant on a camel. Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. And he went out to the field one evening to meditate. He probably meditated on the word of God and prayed for his father’s servant and his bride. When he looked up he saw camels approaching. When Rebekah saw Isaac she probably recognized that he was her bridegroom. So she asked, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" When she realized that it was Isaac she took her veil and covered herself. She was tired because she had traveled a long way, but she was ready to take her husband. Then Abraham’s servant told Isaac all he had done. He must have told him how the Lord had led him and about Rebekah’s beautiful heart and faith and her decision of faith. Abraham’s servant had fully accomplished his mission to lead a bride to her bridegroom. When Isaac heard Abraham’s servant’s tale, he married Rebekah and loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death because Rebekah became his wife.
God accepted Abraham’s faith and the faithfulness of Abraham’s servant and granted Rebekah as the wife of Isaac. Through Isaac’s marriage God continued the redemptive work that he had started with Abraham. The God who established Isaac’s family is faithful. God, who is faithful, may call us, as he did men of mission like Abraham’s servant and beautiful women of faith like Rebekah. May God establish many house churches such as Isaac’s family.