Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Genesis Chapter 24: The Servant's Obedience Paves the Path of the Future

Abraham was old. God had blessed him in all things, so he was pretty well off.

Abraham called to his oldest servant. His servants were like family. They were treated like family, and most of them were loyal to him. The oldest servant was his most trusted friend.

He made him promise to not see Isaac marry someone from any of the tribes of the Canaanites, in whose land they lived. Instead, he was to go back to his home country and find a wife from one of the families of his kin.

"What if the woman I choose won't come?"

"Then you will be cleared from this oath, but if this is the case, I never want you to take my son there again."

The servant took all that Abraham had and put it on ten camels, and travelled to the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia. He had no idea where to look or who to talk to.

He prayed to God that the first woman that offered him a drink, and not only him, but his camels, too, would be the one.

God answered his prayer.

The first woman who came was Abraham's great niece. She was the daughter of the son of his brother, Nahor.

He gave her bracelets for her kindness and asked if her father had room for him as a guest. She confirmed and then told him who she was and who her father was.

At this point, he dropped to his knees and praised God for answering his prayers.

When Rebekah's brother, Laban, saw her, and she told him where she got the bracelets and about the servant, Laban immediately prepared a meal and invited him to stay there.

The servant refused to eat until he told the family why he had come.

Then he said, "I need to know what I should do at this point. Will she come with me, or not? It is up to you." He gave them all gifts from the belongings of Abraham on the camels.

The next morning, he told them he must return to his master with Rebekah. They begged him to let her stay a few more days, but he was insistent that he had to return.

They said, "We will let HER decide."

Rebekah agreed to go with the servant.

They blessed Rebekah and sent her on her way.

As they were nearing home, Isaac met them in a field during his morning meditation.

The servant told him everything, and he took Rebekah into his mother's tent and they lived happily ever after...sort of.

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When you pray to God, He listens.

The servant was doing what his master told him to do, which is what God told him to do.

The servant was obedient. He completely depended on God throughout this journey, and God led him to the right place, because of his obedience.

Obedience paves the path of the future.

Genesis chapter 23: Preventing Manipulation and Assumption

Sarah died in Hebron. Abraham wept.

He stood up in front of the sons of Heth because he was living in their land. He asked them if they would part with a piece of property that he could use to bury her in.

The men told Abraham that they had great respect for him, and that they were saddened by his loss and had sympathy. They told him that he was a mighty Prince in their eyes, and he could have any part of the land he needed to do what he had to do.

Abraham asked that one of the men, named Ephron, would give him the cave of Machpelah, and he would pay him whatever Ephron asked.

Ephron said that there was no need to pay him anything. He could have the land to do with what he wanted.

Abraham didn't want to argue about it, but he was insistent that he pay for the land. So he said, "okay, if you will give me the land, I will give you money."

Ephron said the land was worth about 400 shekels. One Israeli New shekel is worth 27 cents right now. That means the field was worth about $108. "What difference does $108 make between us as friends?" Ephron asked.

Abraham gave him the money. From that day forward, it became a cemetery for his family.

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Abraham was not about to have the sons of Heth give him anything without payment for it. Furthermore, he insured that when he paid for it there were witnesses to the transaction. Back then they didn't give receipts.

Abraham never took anything he didn't pay for. This was because he never wanted to owe anyone anything, or have them come back and use their charity as a means of applying guilt in order to compromise his decision making when it concerned his family.

The only one who was going to control him in any way was God. The only one he would answer to was God. And only God could provide for him what he needed. He would only obtain what God had enabled him to earn.

Even if it was a place to bury his dead.