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Genesis 24:1-25:11
A Wife for Isaac: God’s Guidance and Care

The focus of Genesis since chapter 12 has been God’s promise to Abraham of the land, the offspring, and the blessing. The offspring promise is especially important, because nothing else is possible without it. The miraculous birth of Isaac (when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90) represented initial fulfillment of this promise – and the promise was perpetuated when Isaac as a teenager survived God’s test of Abraham on Mt. Moriah. But Isaac must take a wife and have children if the offspring promise is to continue – something which became abundantly clear when Sarah died at 127, and Isaac was 37.

We ask . . . since this is so important, why is Isaac 37 and still unmarried? Some commentators say he seems a passive personality – dominated by his father (and later by his wife). That may be true . . . but it’s important to remember that – even though God has promised this land to Abraham’s offspring as an “everlasting possession” (17:8) – Abraham is a self-described “alien” (23:4) living among the Canaanites . . . sole worshiper of the one true God, living among idol-worshipers. It’s therefore critical that Isaac marry someone who will raise offspring to follow God – ignoring the pagan practices of the neighbors. This means Isaac can’t take a local Canaanite wife (24:3), who will be subjected to family influences to assimilate into Canaanite culture. Isaac’s wife must be an outsider – preferably young and without deeply ingrained pagan beliefs . . . someone who can learn and practice the ways of God. But Abraham can’t just go out and buy such a wife. He’s a “mighty prince among” the Canaanites (23:6), so Abraham’s daughter-in-law must be a woman of quality and good character, whose family will allow her to go to far away Hebron – and who will voluntarily agree to go. A tall order!

Abraham and Isaac probably struggled with these issues for 20 years, but the death of Sarah seems to spur them to action. In last week’s lesson, it was mentioned that Abraham’s brother Nahor moved to the Haran area after Abraham left (chapter 22) . . . so Abraham proposes to procure a wife from among his relatives there (24:4). Why make such an effort? His relatives are idol worshipers; but he knows something about their character . . . and vice versa. Maybe after 20 years of unsuccessful searching he believes his best chance of finding the right woman – who will agree to come to Hebron – lies with his family. This is such an important and sensitive task Abraham really ought to do it himself . . . but perhaps at 140 he’s too old to travel 450 miles and return; so he sends his chief servant and manager (who many commentators identify as Eliezer (cf 15:2)).

Abraham asks the servant to promise he will do just what Abraham says – and to swear by placing his hand under Abraham’s genitals. The exact significance of this act is unclear, but it most likely indicates the oath he takes is not cancelled if Abraham dies, but will extend to posterity. In any case, this is an oath of great seriousness, because the servant is reluctant. “What if the woman is unwilling to come,” he asks (24:5). It’s easy to imagine she might not wish to travel to far away, rural Hebron, marry a man she has never met, and probably never see her home or family again. The servant asks if he might return and take Isaac to meet her (24:5). Abraham is unwilling to allow Isaac to leave the promised land (24:6, 8) . . . but he promises something better: “The LORD . . . will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son (24:7).” Abraham trusted God to provide a sacrifice in place of Isaac, now he trusts God to chose the right woman . . . and lay upon her heart to marry Isaac, sight unseen. But as a consideration to his servant, Abraham agrees: “If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath” (24:8). So with that assurance, the servant places his hand under Abraham’s genitals and swears.

A caravan is loaded for the trip – including a lavish dowry of luxury items and 10 camels. Domestication of camels was just beginning at the time of Abraham, so these may be highly coveted. The 450 mile trip to the town of Nahor is like walking from Cincinnati to Atlanta; the bible gives no details, but the servant has lots of time to pray for God’s guidance . . . and to evolve a strategy for his difficult task. He decides to go to the well of the town, where people congregate. He arrives there “towards evening, (when) the women go out to draw water” (24:11) . . . all the better to have the eligible young women of the town parade before him! Then he prays to God that the woman whom God has chosen for Isaac will offer to water his camels. This is a request for a sign from God – but carefully a chosen one, because a woman who will go out of her way to help a stranger in this way is a woman who might fit in with the godly household of Abraham.

“Before he had finished praying,” the servant’s prayer is answered: Rebekah appears . . . offers him a drink, and offers to water his camels (24:15). According to the genealogy in chapter 22, she is Abraham’s great niece – Isaac’s 1st cousin, once removed – but the servant doesn’t know this . . . he only knows she is the answer to his prayer; and he has such confidence in God’s provision that he gives her lavish gold jewelry right away – the gold alone is worth about $2,000 today – with no questions asked . . . THEN he asks who she is and if he can spend the night in her father’s house. She readily agrees – as is the custom – and the servant bows down to thank God.

While the servant readies his caravan, Rebekah runs ahead to tell “her mother’s household.” Her greedy brother Laban is so impressed with his sister’s new jewelry he goes out to the spring to personally extend hospitality to this man “blessed by YHWH” (24:31) – a name for God he may have just learned from Rebekah.

Rebekah’s household quickly arranges to entertain the servant and tend to his animals. A meal is laid before him . . . but he refuses to eat until he has explained his mission. He tells them Rebekah’s great uncle Abraham has been blessed by YHWH with great wealth – and a miracle baby born in his wife’s old age, who will inherit Abraham’s entire estate. (He no doubt says these things to emphasize that even though Abraham is Rebekah’s great uncle, Isaac is not an old man; and that if Rebekah marries Isaac, she will be the mistress of a wealthy household.) Then the servant relates his oath to Abraham . . . Abraham’s promise that YHWH would “send his angel” to “make (his) journey a success” (24:40) . . . and his answered prayer for a sign of the woman chosen by God. Rebekah’s father and brother seem overwhelmed with this display of wealth and God’s orchestration of events. They may have never heard of YHWH, but they see He has provided so well for Abraham; so they say: “This is from YHWH; we can say nothing. . . . Here is Rebekah; . . . let her become the wife of your master’s son, as YHWH has directed” (24:50-51). The bible doesn’t say anyone consults Rebekah, but they must have, because the bible shows she definitely has a will of her own! In any case, the servant again bows down to thank God; then he brings out gifts, and a marriage contract is finalized right then and there. Then and only then does the servant eat.

The only remaining question is when Rebekah will go to Hebron. The servant wants to mount his camels and leave the next day, but Rebekah’s mother and brother want her to stay with them another “10 days or so” (24:55). Ultimately, they leave the decision up to Rebekah – who agrees to leave right away. She is obviously a strong woman, fit to be matriarch of a godly clan in the midst pagans; Rebekah quickly packs her bags and departs with Abraham’s servant – together with her nurse and maids (24:59, 61).

The bible again skips over details of the 450 mile trip home and focuses on the main event: Rebekah’s marriage when she reaches Hebron. It seems Isaac is living in the Negev, south of Hebron, and has come home for a visit. He goes out to the field to meditate, and sees a caravan approaching. Rebekah has surely been told she is nearing Abraham’s compound; when she sees a man in the field, she gets down from her camel as a sign of respect. Upon learning who the man is, she veils herself – as appropriate for a bride-to-be in the presence of her husband-to-be.

The marriage custom at the time of Jesus was that a contract was struck between two families, and a couple was “betrothed.” They did not sleep together, but were considered married; the contract could be broken only with proof of the bride’s infidelity. Then, after a period of time, a marriage feast was held, and the bride and groom went into a bridal chamber to consummate the marriage. We know less about marriage customs at the time of Abraham – but if we assume they are similar, Isaac and Rebekah are already married, since the marriage contract has been finalized.

It seems appropriate to mention this in the context of what happens as chapter 24 comes to an end . . . because when Isaac learns the identity of the woman behind the veil, he “brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah” (24:67). This may seem like rape from our point of view – or at least that Isaac and Rebekah are jumping into the sack without proper ceremony. But that’s not the case at all. Sarah’s tent has apparently been prepared as a bridal chamber, kept in readiness for this very occasion. And although the usual thing to do might have been to have a meal and relax and freshen up after such a long trip . . . apparently that’s not the way Isaac and Rebekah feel. They are married and have the right to consummate the marriage whenever they chose – and I have no doubt the strong-willed Rebekah was involved this decision.

Isaac is 40 (25:20); it’s been 3 years since his mother died. Abraham is 140. Sometime after Isaac’s marriage, the widowed Abraham takes another “significant other”: Keturah. This is a story most Christians don’t know; 99% of us can’t identify Keturah in a bible trivia quiz . . . but she bears Abraham 6 more sons. She’s called Abraham’s “wife,” but more likely she was a concubine, because Abraham’s entire estate goes to Isaac (25:5), and if Keturah were a bonafide wife, the “law” of the day would require that her 6 sons receive shares of the estate. However, Abraham gives gifts to these sons while he is still alive, and sends them away to the Arabian desert in the east.

Of the 6 sons of Keturah, the descendants of Midian reappear in the bible: as the merchants to whom Joseph is sold as a slave later in Genesis . . . as the people among whom Moses settles when he flees Egypt before the Exodus . . . and as the desert marauders whom Gideon defeats in the time of the Judges. Others of her sons have been identified with Arab tribes.

Abraham dies at the age of 175. Nothing is recorded about the remainder of his life . . . but since he is 140 when Isaac marries, he is 160 when Isaac’s twin sons are born – which we discuss next week – and lives until the twins are 15. He is buried with Sarah, his only real wife, in the cave of Machpelah near Hebron. The bible records that Isaac and Ishmael come together for the burial. After a separation that seemed so cruel, it seems remarkable Ishmael does this honor for his father – but perhaps time and success have healed his wounds . . . and the Arabs, descended from Ishmael, proudly claim Abraham as their ancestor. The sons of Keturah are not mentioned as being present.

Isaac has apparently settled in Beer Lahai Roi in the Negev (25:11), the place he came in from when he married Rebekah. Beer Lahai Roi was where the Angel of the LORD visited the pregnant Hagar at a spring when she was fleeing from Sarah (Gen 16); some commentators say this indicates Isaac now lays claim to God’s blessing to his brother Ishmael, given there by the Angel of the LORD.

Isaac returns to Beer Lahai Roi after his father’s funeral. Next week’s story focuses on the story of Esau and Jacob, twin sons born there to Isaac and Rebekah. From there Isaac follows some of the route of Abraham – both geographically and behaviorally – but most of next week’s lesson focuses on the deceitfulness of Jacob. If Abraham practiced deceit despite his close relation with God – most notably when he told pharaoh and Abimelech his wife Sarah was his sister – his grandson Jacob brings deceitfulness to a new high. We should discuss the question of why such a man – who is not the firstborn son – is chosen by God to be the ancestor of Jesus the Messiah.