Saturday, November 16, 2019

Genesis 24


    Review:  Use timeline to show approximate timeframe of events
    2236
    Birth of Terah
    Gen 11:24
    2166
    Birth of Abram
    Gen 11:27
    2091
    Abram departs from Haran
    Gen 12:4
    2066
    Birth of lsaac
    Gen 21:2; cf.21:5
    2029
    Death of Sarah (approx 127)
    Gen 23:2
    2026
    Marriage of Isaac
    Gen 25:20
    1944
    Death of lsaac
    Gen 35:28
    1877
    Jacob arrive in Egypt

    1447
    Exodus begins

    1400
    Conquest of Canaan complete

    1043
    Saul becomes King

    931
    Split - Rehoboam: Judah / Jeroboam: Israel

    722
    Assyria takes the ten tribes in captivity

    586
    Babylon destroys Temple and Jerusalem

    516
    Temple complete

    478
    Esther becomes Queen

    458
    Ezra takes a small contingent back

    445
    Nehemiah takes a small contingent back





    Gen 24:1-9 (ESV) Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and 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 will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" 6 Abraham said to him, "See to it 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 kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall 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 oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there." 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

    • Abraham's instructions are clear and also very firm on some points -- What are they?
      1. Do not take my son back to the land of his kindred
      2. Do not get a wife from among the Caananites
      3. God will go before you
      4. You are free of the oath if the woman does not agree
    • Why does Abraham send a servant?
      • Answered in vs 6-7
      • Abraham is afraid that Isaac won't come back
    • Is that a legitimate fear?
      • Yes, but the promise is unconditional
      • No, but … How does Isaac / Rebekah handle the same issue with Jacob
        • Jacob leaves to avoid being killed by Esau (with Mom's prodding)
        • God brings Jacob back, but with a lot of pain (in Jacob's life), a number of lessons, and after many years
      • Ultimately, God would have brought Isaac back, one way or the other, but the prudent thing to do is to guard against that possibility
    • What problem does Abraham have with the people of the land?
      • Only the Amorites, Gen 15:16 (possibly) were not already wicked
      • Same problem God has with the people intermarrying (in OT times) and marrying an unbeliever today, bringing in the worship of foreign gods
        • Primary issue is the introduction of false gods.
    • APPL:
      • We don't need to help God to keep his promises.  He is able to keep his promises, but prudence is not a bad thing
      • Importance of marrying a believer in the Judeo/Christian God

    Gen 24:10-14 (ESV) Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."

    • Where does the servant head to?
      • Haran, the town of Nahor.  It is possible the name is changed or more likely that Abraham just referred to it as the town of his brother
    • Is the prayer specific, a little vague, too general, too easy, …, what do you think?
      • How many camels does the servant have? 10 (which is a lot even then, and probably a sign of wealth)
      • How much do they drink? (can drink up to 25 gallons each)
    • Who is Nahor?
    • APPL:  God works through the common and ordinary.  We need to keep our eyes open to the "coincidental"

    Gen 24:15-28 (ESV) Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." 18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

    22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night." 26  The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord  27 and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen." 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

    • Remember, who is the author (story-teller) here?  God
    • What is the first thing that is unusual or seems highly coincidental?
      • Rebekah is the first girl to arrive
    • Is the prayer answered?
      • Yes, although not exactly the way the servant prayed.
    • Why does the servant wait?
      • The scripture does not say, but maybe to see if she will really water all ten camels
    • APPL:  What if God doesn't answer the prayer?  A "no" is an answer.  The real question is why can we not accept "no"

    Gen 24:29-32 (ESV) Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

    • The author introduces a new character in the story.  Without saying anything specific, what does the author hint at?
      • Laban.  He sees the riches and immediately starts to schmooze
      • If he was only hospitable, why mention seeing all the riches?
      • Also, Laban is deceptive, why?
        • He didn't prepare anything, yet he takes credit
    • APPL:  What are we living for, Christ or things of this world?

    Genesis 24:33–48 (ESV) —
    33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”
    34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
    42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
    45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.

    • Laban is reintroduced in the story in the next passage, and his name immediately follows this discussion of wealth
    • Laban, like Lot, represents the carnal believer
    • APPL:  How would someone characterize your life and what most interests you?

    Gen 24:49-55 (ESV) Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left."

    50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken."

    52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." 55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go."

    • They have already said that Rebekah could leave and yet, on the next day, there is a protest.  Who doesn't protest? 
      • Bethuel, who really is the patriarch (head) of the family
      • In fact, Laban should not have answered in verse 50, he was not the head of the household
      • It could be that the mother ruled through Laban, we will see Rebekah take control in her husband's family
      • It is customary in Hurrian for the prospective bride to have a final say
    • In the protest, why does the mother not want Rebekah to leave?
      • Scripture doesn't say, but that would be natural for the mother
    • Why does Laban?
      • Scripture doesn't say, but Laban pulls a similar trick with Jacob.  What is Laban's reason?
        • He may be trying to see how he can profit more from the situation
        • Maybe another a gift or two to speed up the exit ???
    • APPL: 
      • We need to pray Ps 139:23,24 often to make sure our own motivations are true.
      • There is a time to wait and a time to move on.  Some of us take too much time waiting and God wants us to get started.  Rebekkah had a choice,  even though it was clearly God's will, she could have said no.  What are we saying "no" to that we need to get off our butt and move on.

    Gen 24:62-67 (ESV) Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

    • This is the capstone of the story.  It is very beautiful
    • The location, Beer Lahai Roi, is a place where God had answered prayer in the past (Gen 16:14) for Hagar
      • Possibly, Isaac was praying about a wife at the very moment that Rebekkah arrives
    • But the couple is not without their problems
      • It is easy to blame the parents, overcontrolling (Rebekkah), and only child (Isaac), but ultimately children CHOOSE how they live.  They can change as well
    • APPL:  Prayer should be an important of every major decision of our life, and even the little ones.




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