Abraham Seeks a Wife for Isaac

Text: Genesis 24:1-67

Introduction

Genesis 24 ends with the picture-perfect marriage between Rebekah and Isaac. But this is the climax of what is actually the longest single narrative in the book of Genesis! The chapter begins, however, not with a picture-perfect situation but with the the simple, telling statement: “Abraham was old.” Which means Isaac is also getting older, about 40 years old at this point. Now this is sounding less like a whirlwind romance and more like the agonizing, patience-trying, prayer-inducing challenge that many godly people face, isn’t it?

How does a long, painful trial end in a picture-perfect result? We will see how God blesses faithful labors, how God answers prayerful pursuits, how God supports loyal persistence, and finally why all this—always—results in a picture-perfect ending.

I. Faithful Labor (vv.1-9)

1.  v.1 The summary that ‘the Lord/Yahweh had blessed Abraham in every way’ indicates God had fulfilled his promises to prosper and protect Abraham.
   1.  Abraham’s faith—though challenged, strained thru patience, sometimes even faltering—was ultimately not disappointed.
2. vv.2-9 Display Abraham’s faith in keeping the line of his descendants holy, while also keeping them in the Promised Land.
   1. Abraham believes God’s promises to him, yet also commits this errand only to his most trusted servant. Abraham trusts God will give him descendants, but Abraham also sends his servant to find a wife for his son!
      1. God’s promises do not preclude our best actions, but rather inspire them!
   2. The Canaanites were the wicked people God would eventually drive out before Israel in order to give them the land. Abraham did not want his descendants to be associated with or influenced by Canaanite society. Rather, the Promised Seed needs to be holy.
      1. On the other hand, Abraham’s family is still pagan. So Abraham’s solution is for Isaac’s wife to come from his own people, but live in the Promised Land.
      2. The wife is to come from Abraham’s home, but Isaac is not to return there!
   3. While the exact same factors will not influence us in our culture today, we should reflect this carefulness in choosing a spouse today, with whom we can be ‘equally yoked’  in the service of God!
      1. Then as now, godly family is one of God’s primary means of grace in life.

II. Prayerful Pursuit (vv.10-28)

1. vv.10-14 Record the faithful, and remarkable, prayer of Abraham’s servant.
   1. The fact that he is praying to Yahweh, Abraham’s God, on the way speaks of how Abraham’s own faith had saturated his entire household.
2. And vv.15-28 show how God answered the servant’s prayer, ‘before he had even finished speaking’!
   1. The servant had asked for a godly/God-like wife for Isaac, and God brings hospitable, noble Rebekah his way.
      1. It is estimated that, with a one-gallon pitcher, it would take roughly 200 trips to bring water for 10 camels—several hours’ work!
      2. No wonder the narrative pauses in v.21, as the servant waits and watches to see whether God has prospered his journey/answered prayer! And clearly she proves to be a generous, hard-working, hospitable young woman.
   2. Then in response to God’s answer to his prayer, the servant praises God.
3. The narrator plainly means for his readers to marvel at how God provided such a faithful servant, such an open-hearted Rebekah, and then brought the two together so providentially in v.15.

III. Loyal Persistence (vv.29-56)

1. v.29-33 Introduce us to Laban, who will figure later, more prominently in Jacob’s story. From the beginning we can see indications of Laban’s character.
   1. In v.30, it is the ring and bracelets on his sister Rebekah’s arms that peaks Laban’s interest and elicits hospitality from him. Whereas Rebekah had exercised generosity and hospitality toward Abraham’s servant without knowing anything about him or his errand, Laban’s actions are materially motivated.
   2. In v.33, whereas Abraham’s faithful servant won’t even eat until he knows his errand has been fulfilled, one gets the sense that Laban listens impatiently to a complete recounting of his journey and answer to prayer, just in order to seal the deal selfishly as quick as possible: vv.50-51 ‘take her and go’.
2. vv.34-56 Yet in the face of the discouragement of Laban’s greediness and desire to delay, we again see the servant’s faith. He remains loyal to his master and loyal to his task.

IV. Picture-perfect Result (vv.56-67)

1. v.52-55 Laban’s character is further hinted at as he delays Abraham’s servant rather than helping him finish his errand from Abraham/for Abraham’s God.
2. vv.56-61 Rebekah’s character and faith is confirmed yet again by her willingness to immediately follow Abraham’s servant/God.
3. vv.62-67 record the culmination of Abraham’s mission, of his servant’s labors, and of Isaac’s desires.
   1. In v.63, then, even Isaac’s part in the story seems to be providentially directed, that he  just ‘happens’ to be walking in the field meditating as Rebekah’s caravan draws near.

Conclusion

1. We learn that God blesses faithful labors, prayerful pursuit of his will, loyal persistence in the face of opposition with picture-perfect results.
   1. However, we also learn that, looking backwards from God’s blessed results, such sweet occasions do not come about easily, painlessly.
2. We learn that God is intimately concerned about and sovereignly guiding world events and personal endeavors in order to bring his promises to pass.
3. And most importantly, we learn (again!) of God’s faithfulness to bring about redemption through his Promised Seed.
   1. Even for Jesus, God’s Savior for the world, there would not be a painless path to accomplishing God’s perfect purposes.
   2. If we looked at Jesus’ story backwards, as we did Isaac’s, we might just see him standing on a mountain in his glorified body, and then descending into heaven to sit at the right hand of God.
   3. But, like Isaac’s story, that is not the whole story! There was faithful labor, prayerful pursuit, and loyal persistence thru opposition before there was the picture-perfect result of Redemption accomplished!
4. A fourth possible lesson. Some Bible students have pointed out the similarities between Abraham’s pursuit of a bride for Isaac and God’s pursuit of a bride for his son Jesus.
   1. It is as though all of history is telling and retelling the story of what God is doing for his people in Jesus Christ!