LESSON # 114 IN HIS SERVICE February 25, 2014 GENESIS: 24: 4-9 THE MISSION 4) but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac. 5) And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came? 6) But Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7) The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my fathers house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To your descendants I give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8) And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do 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. (NKJV) Marriages were arranged by parents in those days, and chosen partners were to come from one’s own tribe. It was customary to marry your first cousin. But Abraham’s higher motive was to prevent Isaac from marrying a Canaanite pagan after Abraham’s death which would lead the people away from the true God. Abraham knew that his neighbors fell into two basic categories. The first category consisted of those people who chose to live as if God did not exist. The second category was made up of those people who accepted the idea of god but had substituted some kind of idol or false religious belief for the one true God. Of course, this situation was not unique to Abrahams time because many people also fall into one of these two basic categories today. So why would anyone want to disqualify a person with those qualities simply because of their spiritual beliefs? Well, the reason is that people who do not share your faith are not going in the same direction that you are going as a Christian. Remember that as a Christian, your priority is following Jesus. If you were to get involved in a relationship with someone whose priority is someone or something other than Christ, then you will both be going in different directions- and its hard to stay together as a couple when the two sides are pulling in different directions. Another reason for Isaac to remain in the land God promised Abraham would be to fulfill the Covenant. This land was given to the seed of Abraham so it would be necessary for Isaac to stay and not return to Mesopotamia for a wife. He might be tempted to remain back in the home land (2 Pet. 2:20; Heb. 11:15). Abraham had faith that the 450 mile trip to Mesopotamia was clearly under divine oversight when he stated “He will send an angel before you!” (Angels would be another awesome Bible study!) When we walk in faith and obedience, God sends His angels ahead of us to make sure we arrive at a place of blessing. Abraham had faith in God’s provision. So Abraham was absolutely certain that God had the ability to make this mission a success. In fact, Abraham was so certain that God would bless this mission that he agreed to release his servant from any further responsibility if he was unable to find a young woman to accept his offer. This is just another example where Abraham demonstrated his great faith in God. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity Praise His Holy Name!!!! NEXT: PRAYER FOR GOD’S PROVISION
Posted on: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 10:58:03 +0000
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