Genesis 24:1-17 Notes

EW Commentary-Gen. 24:1-17

A. Abraham's commission to his servant.

1. (24:1-4) Abraham sends out a servant to seek out a bride for his son.

1 Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, 4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

The oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had: The servant named Eliezer held this position before (Genesis 15:2). Since he is described as the oldest servant of his house, this was likely Eliezer. He held a position of great honor and responsibility, managing all that Abraham had.
i. The LORD had blessed Abraham in all things: "That is the short history of his long life; God told him that he would bless him, and he did so. 'The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.' What! when he commanded him to slay his son? Yes; he 'had blessed him in all things.' What! when he took away his wife Sarah? Yes, for 'the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.' Perhaps, if his life had been without troubles, that sentence would not have been true" (Spurgeon).
Put your hand under my thigh: According to ancient custom, this described a solemn and serious oath. Abraham was extremely concerned that Isaac not be married to a Canaanite bride, making his servant swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth.
i. "The person binding himself put his hand under the thigh of the person to whom he was to be bound; i.e., he put his hand on the part that bore the mark of circumcision, the sign of God's covenant... Our ideas of delicacy may revolt from the rite used on this occasion; but, when the nature of the covenant is considered, of which circumcision was the sign, we shall at once perceive that this rite could not be used without producing sentiments of reverence and godly fear, as the contracting party must know that the God of this covenant was a consuming fire." (Clarke)
Take a wife for my son Isaac: Abraham was clear that he did not want Isaac to have a Canaanite wife, and that the wife should be found among Abraham's ancestors in Ur of the Chaldees (go to my country and to my family).

2. (24:5-9) The mission clearly defined.

5 The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" 6 Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Abraham said to him: Apparently, Abraham anticipated that he might die while his servant was gone, so the instructions were made perfectly clear.
Beware that you do not take my son back there: Isaac, the son of promise, never once left the Promised Land. His wife was to come to him, as Isaac stayed in the land of Canaan. This principle was so important that if the woman would not come with the servant, it was better for Isaac to not have a wife (only do not take my son back there).
To your descendants I give this land: Abraham insisted on this, because God made a covenant promise to Abraham and his descendants that the land of Canaan was theirs. Abraham understood that the covenant promise was passed on to Isaac, not Ishmael.

B. The servant's mission fulfilled.

1. (24:10-14) Eliezer's prayer to God.

10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 He said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'-may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master."

The servant took ten of his master's camels and departed: Abraham's servant (likely Eliezer) led a large and impressive caravan. They carried such substantial riches that it could be said with poetic exaggeration, all his master's goods were in his hand. The journey was long. The straight-line distance from Canaan to Ur of the Chaldeans was some 500 miles (800 kilometers), but the most common route was about 900 miles (1,450 kilometers).
To the city of Nahor: This probably refers to the place known as Ur of the Chaldees. Two men named Nahorwere associated with this place: the grandfather of Abraham (Genesis 11:24-26) and the brother of Abraham (Genesis 11:26-29). It was the city of Nahor in this sense.
O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day: As Abraham's servant arrived at his master's ancestral city, he first had a practical concern, to water his camels. He then had a spiritual concern, asking for God's guidance through providential circumstances.
i. This is sometimes a bad way to discern God's will. Generally speaking, circumstances alone can be a dangerous way to discern God's will. We have a way of ignoring circumstances that speak against our desired outcome (or we attribute those circumstances to the devil), while focusing on the circumstances that speak for our desired outcome.
ii. But in this case, Eliezer established what he would look for before anything happened. He wasn't making up the standard as the process unfolded.
Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink: Abraham's servant asked God to show him the woman chosen to be Isaac's wife through an offer to provide water for his ten camels. Eliezer was wise enough to ask for a sign that was remarkable, but (in human terms) possible. He didn't tempt God by asking for fire to fall from heaven or for protection as he leapt from an unsafe height.
Let her be the one: In praying this prayer, there was a sense in which Eliezer set the odds against finding someone. It would take a remarkable woman to volunteer for this tedious task.
i. Considering that a camel may drink up to 20 gallons, watering ten camels meant at least an hour of hard work.
By this I will know: Abraham's servant cared nothing about the woman's appearance. He wanted a woman of character, a woman whom God had chosen.

2. (24:15) God answers the servant's prayer before it was finished.

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.

Before he had finished speaking: Isaiah 65:24 speaks of this kind of gracious answer to prayer: It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Rebekah... came out with her pitcher on her shoulder: The servant did not yet know the prayer was answered; only time would prove it. The woman Rebekah was the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor.

3. (24:16-17) The servant, though surprised, waits for complete confirmation of his prayer.

16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar."

The young woman was very beautiful to behold: We generally regard the Bible as being given to understatement. When we read Rebekah was very beautiful to behold, we should understand Rebekah was indeed very beautiful.
i. Rebekah is one of the women whom the Bible specifically says was beautiful. The others are Sarah (Gen 12:11-14), Rachel (Gen 29:17), Abigail (1 Sam 25:3), Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:2), Tamar (2 Sam 14:27), Queen Vashti of the Persians (Esther 1:11), Esther (Esther 2:7), and the daughters of Job (Job 42:15).
The servant ran to meet her: The servant did not think it was unspiritual to introduce himself to Rebekah; yet, he certainly did not do anything to suggest that she should provide water for the camels. Prayer is no substitute for action.

Gen. 24:1-17 - Bible Ref Commentary

CONTEXT: Genesis 24:1-9 describes an urgent conversation between Abraham and his most trusted servant. Abraham is asking the servant to swear an oath to find a wife for Isaac from among his own people in Mesopotamia. The servant must not allow Isaac either to marry into a Canaanite family or to leave the promised land of Canaan. With the understanding that he will be released from the oath if no young woman will agree to return with him, the servant swears to find Isaac a wife. Then Genesis 24:10-27 follows Abraham's servant from Canaan to Mesopotamia on his mission to find a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's people. Arriving at the town of Nahor, the servant prays that God will reveal the right woman by allowing her to be the one to offer to water his ten camels without being asked. A young woman named Rebekah immediate does exactly that. When the servant learns this young woman is also the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, he quickly worships God for bringing him to the right woman in so little time.

v. 1: Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. - Abraham was old and full of years. Scripture often uses this language at the end of a person's life to set up their final actions. Abraham, however, will apparently not die for another 35 years or so (Genesis 25:1-11). In fact, after Sarah dies, he will marry another wife and father several more children. Still, Abraham's conversation as reported in this chapter contains his final recorded words in Genesis.

Many times in Genesis, God promised to bless Abraham. This is one of the few verses which indicate that God had, indeed, blessed him "in all things." In addition to the birth of Isaac, God had blessed Abraham with great wealth and status in the land. He had not yet received the promised possession of the land of Canaan promised to his offspring, but Abraham was known as a man blessed by God in all things.

v. 2: Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, 'Please place your hand under my thigh, - As wealthy man blessed greatly by God in all things, Abraham would have had many servants. Here he selects his most trusted servant, and the oldest of all his servants, for a crucial assignment. This servant is never named, but we are told that he was in charge of everything Abraham owned. He was Abraham's right-hand man. Earlier in the book of Genesis, Abraham named a man, Eliezer, as his prospective heir, since at that time he had no sons (Genesis 15:2). At that point in time, Eliezer would probably have been considered Abraham's "most trusted" servant. The man Abraham speaks to here, decades later, might be the same person, and many interpreters assume this is the case. However, chapter 24 never specifically names him, so this might well be a different person.

Abraham begins by asking the servant to swear a sacred oath to complete the assignment he's about to give him. That request is concluded in the following verse.

v. 3: and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live; - Abraham is asking his most trusted servant to take a sacred oath to complete a crucial assignment, finding a wife for his son Isaac. Many interpreters assume this servant is Eliezer, the servant mentioned decades earlier as the possible heir of Abraham's estate (Genesis 15:2). However, this particular passage never specifies exactly who this man is.

Abraham begins by asking the man to place his hand under Abraham's thigh. This would have involved the ancient Middle Eastern custom of swearing an oath to a man while touching his genitals as a sign of the importance of the commitment. Strange as that may sound to modern culture, this was a gesture of profound symbolism. It implied that the one swearing the oath would answer to the other man's seed-his offspring-if the oath was not kept.
Abraham, however, also insists that his servant also swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, binding him to answer to God if he failed to do as promised. Abraham, apparently concerned that he might die before Isaac could be married, asks his servant to swear not to let Isaac marry a local, Canaanite woman. In the following verse, he will add that Isaac must marry a woman from Abraham's former homeland and extended family. Further, though, Abraham will insist that Isaac not be allowed to leave Canaan to search for this bride (Genesis 24:5-8).

v. 4: but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.' - In the previous verse, Abraham asked his most trusted servant to swear an oath. This promise was to not allow his son Isaac to take a wife from among the local, Canaanite women. Apparently afraid that he might die before Isaac could be married, Abraham further asks his servant to swear to find a wife for Isaac among the women of Abraham's old homeland and extended family.

Why is Abraham so urgent about this request? He is aware of God's promise to make from him a great people who will belong to the Lord. This promise from God was also to give Abraham's offspring the land of Canaan, as their own possession. He apparently does not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman and to begin to assimilate into the Canaanite people as one of them. He is concerned, even in this first generation, that God's people maintain a separate and distinct identity from the people of the land of Canaan.
Later, the Israelites will be officially commanded by God not to intermarry with the people of the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-4). Then, as now, the issue has nothing to do with race. Rather, the concern is over faith-avoiding the particularly wicked practices of the Canaanite people.

v. 5: The servant said to him, 'Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?' - Abraham has asked his most trusted servant to swear to find a wife for his son Isaac. This man is explicitly charged with finding a woman of Abraham's extended family, in his old homeland outside of Canaan. Before swearing to do so, however, the servant responds with a reasonable objection: What if I find a girl, but she doesn't want to travel away from her family to a strange land to marry a man she's never seen? Should I then take Isaac back to your people to live among them?

The servant's question is very reasonable. He needs to know if marrying a girl from Abraham's people is so critical that Isaac should be taken to live in Abraham's former old homeland, if no woman will agree to come to Canaan. Abraham's response will fully resolve that question-his absolutely forbids the servant to allow Isaac to return to Mesopotamia. Abraham does not want to jeopardize, in any way, his descendants' possession of the Promised Land.

v. 6: Then Abraham said to him, 'Beware that you do not take my son back there! - Abraham has asked his servant to swear to find a wife for his son Isaac among his extended family back in his old homeland. The servant has asked what to do if a woman cannot be found who is willing to live in Canaan. Should Isaac move to Abraham's old homeland to live in order to be married to one of the women of his extended family? That's a reasonable question, since Abraham is so absolutely set on Isaac marrying a woman from that region.

Here Abraham makes his position clear: in no uncertain terms, Isaac cannot be allowed to go to Mesopotamia. In fact, Abraham instructs the servant not to take Isaac back to that land. Isaac's place is in the Promised Land of Canaan. This is the home of Abraham's future offspring-period. Isaac must not be allowed to leave and, by implication, risk settling outside of Canaan among Abraham's extended family.
Abraham has established why this mission is so critical. Isaac must not marry into a Canaanite family and thus be assimilated into the Canaanite people. This is a spiritual issue, not a racial one: Abraham does not want to risk the identity of Abraham's descendants as God's chosen ones. But Isaac also must not return to Abraham's people and settle outside of the land of promise, which would also risk the family's loss of identity as those who belong to God.
Only one path would work: Isaac must marry a woman from Abraham's people and also live in the land of promise as a people living among, but separate from, the Canaanites.

v. 7: The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land'-He will send His angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. - Abraham is answering his servant's very valid question: what to do if he could not find a woman willing to move away from her family and live in the land of Canaan as Isaac's wife? Abraham insists that God will make it happen. More specifically, he is sure an angel of the Lord will intervene in such a way as to bring it to pass.

Where did Abraham's confidence that God would work in this way come from? He remembered that the Lord did the exact same thing in his own life. He came to Abraham in the land of his own people and took him from his father's house and promised to give the land of Canaan to his offspring (Genesis 12:1-7). If God did that in Abraham's life, the Lord would also do that in the life of this woman Isaac was meant to marry.
Abraham's confidence in God's ability to move people where He wanted them was based on the experience of God acting in his own life. We, too, can have confidence in God's ability to work in the circumstances of others as He has worked in ours.

v. 8: If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.' - In the previous verse, Abraham expressed confidence that God would make a crucial mission successful. The servant Abraham is sending is meant to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac, among Abraham's people in Mesopotamia. An angel of the Lord would go before his servant to ensure that a suitable wife would be found for Isaac among Abraham's people, a woman willing to move from her family and live in the land of Canaan.

Now, though, Abraham assures his servant that if he's wrong, if the woman is not willing to return to Canaan, then the servant will be released from the oath. The most important thing is that his servant not take Isaac out of Canaan under any circumstances. Did Abraham make this concession because he suddenly doubted God would provide? Probably not. More likely is that Abraham wanted to reassure his servant. This would make it easier for the man to swear to take on this mission without himself having to be confident that God would supernaturally intervene.

v. 9: So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter. - Abraham has ordered his servant to find a wife for Isaac, among Abraham's kinsmen back in Mesopotamia. However, Isaac is not to leave Canaan-the woman must be brought here. The servant is concerned he might not be able to find a suitable woman and convince her to travel so far to marry Isaac. So, Abraham made it clear to his servant that this oath would not be binding if circumstances were beyond his control.

With that reassurance, as Abraham had requested, the servant would swear not to allow Isaac to marry any local Canaanite woman and would, instead, travel himself to the land of Abraham's people to attempt to find a wife for Isaac who would agree to marry him and live in Canaan. The servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh, as was the custom, and took the oath. This symbolic gesture implied that the oath-taker would be at the mercy of Abraham's descendants if he did not fulfill his end of the bargain.
The whole conversation raises an obvious question: Where was Isaac? As a man around the age of 40 (Genesis 25:20), why did he not participate in this conversation? Why was Abraham's servant given so much authority over Isaac's decisions instead of Isaac himself being included?
We're never told. Perhaps custom demanded that finding a wife was absolutely a father's duty and one Abraham could not fulfill without the help of his servant. Perhaps Isaac was a particularly passive person. In any case, Abraham saw it as his responsibility to find his son a wife without, apparently, Isaac's input.

v. 10: Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; so he set out and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. - Abraham's servant has accepted his mission and sworn his oath. He will do all he can to find a wife for Isaac among Abraham's people in northwest Mesopotamia, also known as Aram Naharaim.

To that end, he takes with him a demonstration of Abraham's great wealth, beginning with ten camels. In that era of the Middle East, apparently, camels, were not yet common. To bring ten of these rare, useful animals would communicate great riches to the family of any perspective wives. In addition, the servant packed a variety of expensive gifts to present to a potential bride and her family. Custom demanded that a suitor give gifts to the bride's family. Abraham's servant would make sure not to fail in his quest due to a lack of generosity.
Sufficiently equipped, the servant soon arrived at his destination in the city of Nahor. Nahor was the name of Abraham's brother (Genesis 11:27), making this a good place to start looking for a bride among Abraham's kinsmen.

v. 11: He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water when it was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. - Abraham's servant is on a mission to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. He has been sent to find the family which Abraham left behind in Mesopotamia. The servant is not named, though some believe this is Eliezer, mentioned earlier as Abraham's prospective heir (Genesis 15:2).

Having arrived at his destination in the evening, Abraham's servant needed to water the camels. He makes them kneel down by the town well outside the city. It was the time women would typically come to the well to draw water for their families. Abraham's servant is likely tired from his journey, but he has a specific plan in mind to find the right woman for his master's son (Genesis 24:12).

v. 12: And he said, 'LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. - Abraham's servant has arrived at his destination. His mission is to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac, from among Abraham's extended family back in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:3-4). The city of Nahor, named after one of these relatives, is a likely spot to begin searching. The servant has made his ten camels kneel down by the well outside the city. These animals, themselves, would have been a sign of great wealth and power. At this time in the Middle East, it seems, camels were not yet commonly used. This servant has also brought lavish gifts to give to a prospective bride. Those material goods are not his only plan, however.

Now, he prays to God. More specifically, the servant prays to Abraham's God for Abraham's sake. He asks Abraham's God to give him success in this mission of Abraham's. And He asks that God would, in doing so, show His steadfast love to Abraham.
Has there ever been a more servant-minded servant? Not only is he doing what his master has asked, he is doing it with the prayer that his master's God would show love to his master. This prayer of faith still stands a model of selflessness and servanthood 4,000 years later. This is especially poignant, if this servant is, in fact, the man Abraham named as his potential heir many decades ago (Genesis 15:2). In this particular passage, the servant is not named, but it's possible that this is the very same man.

v. 13: Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; - Abraham's servant continues to pray to the "God of my master Abraham," asking for success in his mission to find his master's son a wife. Abraham has sent him to find a wife for Isaac, specifically from Abraham's extended family back in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:3-4). Now the servant becomes very specific in this request. He describes where he is sitting by the spring, the well, outside the city of Nahor. This was named for one of Abraham's relatives, making it a good place to start the search (Genesis 11:27). The servant describes to God how the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. In the following verse, he will ask God to give him a specific sign about which of these young women will be Isaac's wife.

v. 14: now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'-may she be the one whom You have appointed

for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.' - Abraham's

servant continues to pray to the "God of my master Abraham," asking for success in his mission to find his master's son a wife. He has been sent to find a woman from Abraham's extended family in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:3-4). The city of Nahor, named after one of Abraham's relatives, is a good place to start (Genesis 11:27). His prayer reflects a desire to see Abraham's wish fulfilled. Now, the servant becomes specific in this request. He wants God, in essence, to allow one of these young women to be the one God has chosen for Isaac. He also wants a sign from God about which one it is.

The servant's plan is this: He will ask the young women to draw some water for him to drink. The one God has chosen will be the one who says, "Drink, and I will water your camels also." What this young woman would be offering in watering the camels would not be a small task. Abraham's servant had ten thirsty camels with him. That will require drawing a lot of heavy water.
In addition to seeking a divine confirmation from God about which girl is the right one, it's likely the servant also intends this as a test of the girl's generosity and servanthood. Anyone willing to serve in this way without being asked would be demonstrating good and generous character. The servant is not merely looking for the prettiest or the most eager young woman; he is sincerely seeking a woman of depth and virtue.
The servant concludes his prayer by saying that when the Lord does this for him, he will know that God has shown steadfast love to his master. God's answer to the prayer will be a sign of God's love.

v. 15: And it came about, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. - Abraham's unnamed servant is on a mission to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. He has been sent specifically to Abraham's extended family in Mesopotamia. His first stop is at a town named for one of Abraham's relatives. There, he prays for God to give him a sign about which woman he should bring home for Isaac. Specifically, he is seeking a woman with a generous spirit. His prayer involves asking for water, and seeing if a woman volunteers to also bring water for his camels-not a small task.

Even before Abraham's servant has concluded the prayer described in the previous verses (Genesis 24:12-14), Rebekah walks into view carrying a water jar on her shoulder. God immediately responded to the servant's sincere prayer to show love to Abraham by showing the servant the appointed girl.
Rebekah is the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother (Genesis 11:27). Her father Bethuel was born to Nahor's wife Milcah (Genesis 22:20-23). The servant did not yet know all of that, but this means that not only will Isaac's wife be from among Abraham's clan, she will be of his more immediate family.

v. 16: The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. - Abraham's servant has been praying that God will give him a sign. This sign is meant to confirm that he has found the right woman to marry Isaac. The servant has asked God to show him the woman he should approach, based on her generosity and kindness (Gen 24:12-14).

The previous verses revealed that Rebekah walked into view even before Abraham's servant finished asking God to give success to his mission. The servant does not yet know that this girl is the granddaughter of Abraham's own brother (Genesis 22:20-23), but he does see that she is very attractive. While this is a wonderful thing, it's important to note that the servant's prayer made no mention of appearances. He is seeking a woman of character, first and foremost, and her beauty will turn out to be an additional blessing.
He watches as she goes down to the spring, meaning the well, fills her water jar, and starts to head back into the town. He decides he must talk to her.

v. 17: Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, 'Please let me drink a little water from your jar.' - Abraham's servant, resting by the well outside the city of Nahor, watches Rebekah fill her water jar and begin to return to the city. He has been sent to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac, and recently began praying for God to send the right woman to the well (Genesis 24:3-4; 12-14). Before he has even finished this prayer-asking God to show him a woman who is kind and generous-Rebekah appears. Now he approaches her, seeking to put into effect his plan to find the girl God has appointed for Isaac.

In the previous verses, the servant's prayer was that the appointed woman would respond to his request for water by offering to water his ten camels, as well. So the servant asks for a drink, and Rebekah's response in found in the following verses. As it turns out, this woman is not only beautiful (Genesis 24:16), she is also hospitable (Genesis 24:18). This is the very one God has intended for Isaac.

Genesis 24:1-9 (CSB): Abraham was now old, getting on in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all he owned, "Place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will have you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live, 4 but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I have your son go back to the land you came from?"

6 Abraham answered him, "Make sure that you don't take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, 'I will give this land to your offspring'-he will send his angel before you, and you can take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are free from this oath to me, but don't let my son go back there." 9 So the servant placed his hand under his master Abraham's thigh and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

Why did it matter so much to Abraham that he made his servant swear an oath not to take Isaac back to Abraham's homeland? Abraham talks about God's promise to Abraham to give him the land, but it's not like Isaac going on a short trip elsewhere would invalidate God's promise. So what did Abraham care so much about this?

We know that Abraham came from north Mesopotamia - Paddan Aram - and settled in Canaan. The journey from Hebron to Nahor in the district of Haran is about 550 miles.

It may be true that Isaac going on a short trip would not invalidate God's promise, but this was no short trip to be undertaken lightly! Imagine traveling from Sydney to Brisbane. It may only be 455 miles by aeroplane and 572 miles by car, but how long do you think that would take by camel? Not less than three weeks (with a following wind and no bandits).

Then there is the fact that Abraham's senior servant was directed by God to meet Rebekah, who happened to be the granddaughter of Nahor, his brother.

Imagine if Isaac (who was 40 years old) had gone to Haran and had been welcomed by his father's kin and members of his tribe, having laid eyes on Rebekah. Oh, what a temptation to remain in their tents, being treated as an honoured guest! Oh, what a possibility that Nahor and Rebekah's mother would have tried to persuade Isaac to stay with them, marry Rebekah and set up home in the district of Haran.

As it was, they tried to prevent Abraham's senior servant from returning immediately, but he would have none of it. He was on a mission - God's mission - and he would not be swayed. A besotted young man might have been less determined and more easily persuaded, especially in view of that arduous return journey, one that would take longer because there would now be a caravan of people and goods to transport.

Abraham knew what he was doing when he sent his senior servant on this mission. But perhaps the main reason for keeping Isaac at home was to ensure that Rebekah would literally step out in faith and go to a strange land to marry a man she had never seen. As it turned out, Rebekah's brother and mother blessed her (Genesis 24:60) and sent her on her way - all part of God's divine plan.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Similarly, when the LORD wanted to take a "woman" out of mankind to bring forth a "Son" who was to be both a Savior as well as the King of kings, we see in Genesis 12:1-3 the following profound marriage proposal:

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (My emphasis)

That "woman" is identified in Revelation 12:1-5 as follows:

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. ........ . And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (My emphasis)

Yet, even after the Lord previously proposed (Gen 12:1-3, supra), Abram refused to leave his fathers house, or even leave his kindred. Rather, Abram even went with his wife, Sara, with his daddy, Tera, along with his nephew, Lot, into the land of Cannan, as shown in Gen 11:31-32:

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

FINALLY, Abram told Lot that they must part--Abram must become separated unto the Lord. Only after Abram separated himself from the last member of his father house, do we find this very beautiful marriage covenant in Genesis 13:14-16:

And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. (My emphasis)

That nation, Israel, is that wife of God, greatly loved, that brought forth that Son, the seed of the woman. God even changed Abram's name to Abraham, designating him as being the father of that, and many other nations, which is now history.

As to going back to the Ur of the Chaldees, that would be like leaving "her husband" and going back home to daddy or mommy. Israel was married, and knew it.