The Story Through the Bible Gen 23-24

The death of Sarah and a bride for the son.

We talked last time about how last week was the climax of the Abraham story what remains is our epilogue so Abraham is still around but his story is wrapping up. Picking up right at the end of Gen 22 we see an update about the family Abraham left behind, they’ve seemingly prospered and his brother has had 8 children with his wife and another 4 with a concubine. These all being male names makes it likely just the male children were listed since it would not be important to list the girls as Abraham or his offspring would not likely have to do any business with the daughters in the future, or he just only had boys, trust me… that’s very possible.

We get to Chapter 23 and it tells us about the death and burial of Sarah. She lived to 127 remember she was 90 when Isaac was born. So we find out essentially that Isaac is 37 when his mother dies. We find out Abraham (137 years old at this point) seeks out a good burial ground and buys it. The burial of relatives is very important for ancient people. The fact that Abraham buys a place is another clue that he’s fully believed the promise. He didn’t take Sarah back to another land but kept her here in the promised land, where he fully expected to remain along with his family. - This is important to remember as it also helps us understand later that Jacob and Joseph insist their bones be taken back to the promised land when their descendants return - their expectations too were that their descendents would be back in the promised land.

Now we get to Chapter 24 and a bride is needed for Isaac.

Genesis 24:1–4 ESV

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Who was the oldest of Abraham’s household the most senior servant that would have inherited if he hadn’t obtained an heir? Eliezer (Genesis 15:2 “But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”” ) and what does the name of this servant mean? (My god is help) I would like to now point out some parallels we can see.

First the name is similar to the description Jesus uses about the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” ,John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Let’s just keep that in mind as we walk through this story.

Genesis 24:10–28 ESV

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

The servant is welcomed and received. He gives more history about their family and his purpose. He essentially retells the story that just happened to Rebekah’s brother and mother. He asks for Rebekah as his master’s son’s wife.

Genesis 24:49–50 ESV

Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

With this blessing he again worships God. He insists on leaving the next day. They want to wait 10 days but he insists he must go right away so Rebekah is asked.

Genesis 24:58 ESV

And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”

They return and we read.

Genesis 24:65–67 ESV

and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

This Helper

is charged by the father to seek a bride for the son.

guides this bride leading her out of the land she was born in and prepares her to meet the son.

does only what the father instructed.

Lets examine what Jesus tells us the holy spirit’s work will be.

John 15:26–16:3 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

John 16:4–15 ESV

But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.