Open your bibles with me to Genesis Chapter 24 as we continue in the Old Testament and read about Abraham finding a bride for Isaac.

Overview: This is a longer chapter, 67 verses – but oh what a good, encouraging read! I highly suggest you read this entire chapter. Abraham is getting old and knows he will die soon so he calls in his oldest, likely most trusted servant, and makes his put him swear to the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that he would not take a wife for Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanties, where they were dwelling, but that he would go back to the country where his family was and take a wife for Isaac. The servant said, “What if she won’t come with me?” But Abraham said, “Beware you do not take Isaac with you. God took me from there and when he spoke to me, he promised me he would give my descendants that land; He will send an angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.” If for some reason the woman won’t follow you back, you are released from the oath you took to me. The servant departed and he stopped and prayed saying, “O Lord God of my Master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my Master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink’, and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels a drink’ – let her be the one you have for Isaac. And by this I will know you have shown kindness to my master.” Sure enough, before he even finished speaking Rebekah, a very beautiful young woman, a virgin, came to the well with a pitcher on her shoulder and as the servant approached her for a drink she gave him a drink and then took her pitcher and said “I will also give your camels a drink.” The servant just stared at her, wondering if this was the one. He remained silent and when the camels finished drinking he took out a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekles of gold and said “Whose daughter are you? And please tell me, is there any room for me to lodge in your father’s house?” She told him she was the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor. (the correct lineage) and she also told him they had enough room for him. So he bowed down and worshipped God for this divine appointment and for not forsaking Abrahm. When they get to the house they repeat the story and the servant asks for her to go with him. At first they wanted her to stay a few days, and they would send her later. But Rebekah agree to go with him right then to meet Isaac. So they sent her away with the servant, with her nurse, and they blessed her and said to her “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.” then Rebekah and her maids arose and went with the servant. As Isaac went out in the field to medicate in the evening, he lifted his eyes and saw them coming. Rebekah asked the servant who it was and when she found out it was whom she was to meet, she raised a veil over her face. The servant told Isaac the entire story. Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Lessons from Today’s scripture: There are so many! But the ones that stood out to me the first time I read this – and ones I still firm believe to this day:

• In my bible I have a note written by verse 7 – God will prepare the way!! Abraham is telling his servant – “God will send an angel before you”. God still directs our paths today! It says in the bible that His word (The bible) is a lamp unto unto our feet and a light unto our path. I believe if we are following Him and praying, seeking divine appointments to share the gospel, and to do His will, he’ll send angels before us to prepare the way.
• I have another hand-written note in my bible by verse 12: He prayed – for a divine appointment – we should ALWAYS seek God FIRST! How many times do we try to do it our way and then when it falls apart, wonder why?
• Verse 59: Her brothers “blessed” her before she left. We should be speaking life and blessings over our family! Our words are powerful and what you speak over your children is more important than you think. I cringe when I hear a parent say, “That child is so bad.” or “That child is the devil.” DO NOT give place to that or speak that over them. They hear that and start to recognize that as their identity “I’m the bad kid.” Instead, when reprimanding them say, “That’s not who you are. You are a good kid. You make good choices. And that was a bad choice wasn’t it?” Speak life and blessings over your family.
• Abraham wanted Isaac to stay in Canaan, but he didn’t want him to marry one of the local girls. This contrasts to the way Hagar selected a wife for Ishamel in 21:21. To have Isaac stay and marry a woman from Canaan would have been easier. But Abraham wanted to obey God in the who as well as in the where. We should make our obedience to God full and complete.

Happy Monday! May you have a blessed week ahead!!