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.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Read Genesis 22

In Genesis, Chapter 22, it says that God wanted to test Abraham in verse 1.

In verse 2, God told him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, and where to go to do it. So, he packed up, got his son, and headed there.

There was no arguing with God. There was no lamenting and begging. He simply obeyed.

In verse 4, they came to a place that was near the site. You can see that he must have also taken his servants with him for support. He told them to stay where they were, because he and the boy had business to attend to, and he went the rest of the way alone with Isaac.

But, here is the kicker: In verse 5, he told them to stay with the ass that was carrying their supplies, and that he and the boy would go, and return when their business was finished.

You could say that it didn't even dawn on him that the boy would not be with him when he returned.

Abraham made Isaac carry the wood in verse 6. Just like Jesus carried the cross that he was to be sacrificed on. There was no argument. The boy was obedient, just like Jesus was.

Isaac was smart. He could see they had all the makings of an offering to God, but he didn't see the animal that was to be sacrificed. So, he finally let curiosity get the better of him and asked about it, in verse 7.

Abraham, like the dutiful servant of God he was, said, (in verse 8) "God will provide." You could say that he heard was God was telling him to do, he knew what he had to do, but not once did he believe that God would let Isaac fall to harm. After all, God made a promise.

In verses 9 and 10, Abraham prepares Isaac and is just about to stab the knife into him to slay him for the sacrifice when, in verse 11 God stops him.

In verse 12, God explains why. Abraham was obedient, even to the point of killing his own son in order to obey the word of God.

In all the other verses, God told Abraham that because he was so obedient, that his seed would bless all the earth. Many years later, Jesus was born, a descendent of Abraham, and through the blood of HIS sacrifice, the whole earth is blessed!

After that, Abraham went to Beersheba to live. A messenger came bringing tidings from his brother, Nahor, and told of the family that Nahor had. Later, Isaac would marry Nahor's grandaughter, Rebekah.

On a personal note, how many of you would find it easy to lay your own life down for the Lord? How many of you, those of you who say you would, would find it harder to lay down the life of your child? Abraham was truly heroic in his obedience!

Israel and Palestine

Read Genesis 21:22-34

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

King Abimelech feared Abraham's God. He knew His power.

So, for insurance, he took his captain with him and went to have a talk with Abraham, to make sure that peace between them is secured.

Abraham agreed to the treaty, but had a problem with a well he had dug that the King's servants had violently taken away from them. Abimelech didn't know anything about it. Abraham decided to be the bigger man and give Abimelech seven ewe lambs in payment for the well, that it could provide his people with needed water. He called the place where the well was dug "Beersheba", in honor of the agreement they had reached concerning it.

They lived in the land of the Philistines. Later, many years later, that area came to be known as part of Israel. The Palestinian people are descended from the Philistines. There is still much unrest in Israel between them.

Tamarisks are a common tree found in that area today. Some translations say it was a tamarisk tree that he planted, not a grove. No one knows for sure, but it seems likely, given the environment today.

Sanctification

Read Genesis 21:14-21

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

The word "sanctify", according to the Mirriam Webster's Dictionary, means "to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : CONSECRATE"

According to the New Testament, when you are saved, your closest loved ones are "sanctified" with you. This does not mean they are saved, too, however. It just means that God is paying them special attention, giving them more conviction, drawing them more strongly, and using them to fulfill His purpose, for good or bad. They still have free will to contend with.

What does that have to do with today's lesson, you ask?

Abraham had already been told that Ishmael would become a great nation. (He was "sanctified", because he was Abraham's son.) So, he did what God told him to do. He believed God at His word, which is why he was chosen to begin with.

Hagar left with her son and wondered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Beersheba has an interesting history. Even in it's present state, it is an interesting subject. Click Here to learn more

The land was dry and barren. There was no water or food to be had for miles. There were only desert shrubs and hot sand and rocks.

The water was gone. They had no food. Without divine intervention, they would die. Hagar did not want to see her son die, so she laid him down under a shrub to protect him from the sun, and walked away.

But, God already had a plan. He had already sanctified Ishmael, so He was not going to let Ishmael die.

She cried, not knowing what to do. But, it was not her voice that God heard. Ishmael, too, was crying. Verse 17 said, " And God heard the voice of the lad".

When you are "sanctified", God hears your voice, as He hears one of His own children, saved or not. When you pray for someone, you are sanctifying them in the name of Jesus, and that is why praying for others is so important.

1 Timothy 4:5 speaks of two ways that sanctification occurs: The Word of God, and prayer. This is why it is so important to pray for your children and your loved ones.

God told Hagar what He told Abraham, that Ishmael would become a great nation. Then, He gave her water to drink.

This tells us that those whom God sanctifies, He provides for until their purpose is fulfilled.

Hagar arranged, in due time, for her son to marry an Egyptian woman. All of Ishmael's descendents are more Egyptian than Hebrew because of this, and it has served as a thorn in Israel's side even until today.

But, God has a plan. We must always remember that even the enemy of Israel is sanctified. To pray for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem is to pray that Muslims around the world turn to Jesus for salvation.

Good Intentions

Read Genesis 21:9-13

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

Ishmael was making fun and mocking Isaac on his day of celebration. Maybe, because he was the first born, he thought he was better than Isaac. Or, maybe he was just jealous and insecure about his relation with his father. Or, maybe it was learned behavior, copying what his mother did. The reason is not given in the Bible.

The important thing is that Sarah saw him, and heard him, and it made her angry.

So much so, that she demanded that Hagar, the Egyptian servant, and her son, Ishmael both be cast out from the tribe, swearing defiantly that he should not have any part of the inheritance that Abraham leaves his children.

This distressed Abraham, because Ishmael, like Isaac, was his son. He loved his son, no matter what, and no matter who his mother was. He was his blood, just as Isaac was. But, Hagar was not his wife, or the love of his life. In fact, he was so grieved by this, he turned to God in prayer.

We could all learn from this.

When our problems overwhelm us, and we are unsure what to do about it, the first thing we should do is go to God in prayer.

God told Abraham to lift up his head, and not grieve over Ishmael. He told him to do what Sarah has said, because Ishmael was not the seed of His promise. HOWEVER, because Ishmael was Abraham's son, he still obtained the blessing of being so, and God would make him a great nation because of it.

There was no need to grieve.

Ishmael was a good intention, but not the right answer to Abraham's problem, previously. Isaac was the answer.

Sometimes we make decisions with good intentions that are not the correct answer to our problems. This does not stop those intentions from being blessed by God to grow - and whether they will become a problem in the future, or not, depends on the over-all plan of God.

As we shall see, Ishmael DID become a great nation, and the sibling rivalry is present even today between Israel and the Arab nations around it. Ishmael's descendants are the founders of modern day Islam. It is, then, understandable why the Muslims hate the Jews.

Jesus has made a way for even the descendants of Ishmael to come into God's Kingdom, if only they would get to know and follow Jesus. It is not for us to hate them, but to pray for them, and to forgive them, and to teach them lovingly about their Christian heritage, and invite them to once again be part of the family that Abraham was forced to have to banish, though he did not want to.

We must praise God that today, many of them have chosen to come back into the family willingly and with their whole heart. Dr Michael Youseff is one such Christian who has converted from Islam, and his ministry has made waves and converted many more as a result.

Goodness of God

Read Genesis 21:1-8

31 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

When God says something is going to happen, you can take Him at His Word.

What God says MUST come to pass, because God is truth. (Ezekiel 12:25).

God told Abraham he would have a son through Sarah. And, just because they were old, and Sarah laughed, they would not keep God's Word from happening.

Abraham was 100 years old. By this time, Ishmael, would have been around 14 years old.

God had made an old lady, past her time, to have a child.

My grandmother had a child about the same time as her oldest daughter had her second child, my mother. It was well past her time to have children, and odd that my grandma would be a sister to a tiny baby. My mother and her aunt were raised together like close sisters. It was a miracle, and my aunt was called the "after baby".

Isaac, too, was an "After baby". When Isaac was weaned, it was cause for a great celebration. He was growing strong, and would survive. And, I know his mother was as proud and loving toward him as my grandma was toward my aunt.

And, God was GREAT!

When Abraham and Sarah celebrated, it wasn't just a celebration of love for their son. It was a dedication of their son to God, and it was a testament to His goodness and faithfulness toward them.