Faith, Service, & Oath

Last time, we spent our time speaking of the death of Sarah and Abraham’s purchase of the land where she would be buried.

Abraham allowed himself, somewhat, to be taken advantage of...really he was willing to pay whatever necessary because it was his bride.

He bought the cave and buried her...

But naturally, when there is the loss of someone close to us, we tend to begin to process our own mortality.

In our text tonight, mortality and the directives of God were on the mind of Abraham.

In addition, we recognize that during this day that there would be a necessity of an heir (male of course) to carry on the family name.

Let’s read our text:

Genesis 24:1–10 ESV

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 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, 3 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, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 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.

Genesis 24:11–14 ESV

11 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. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 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.”

What is the significance of Abraham having recognized a need for his forty+ year old son to be married?

Genesis 24:1 ESV

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2. Why did Abraham send his servant back to his own people?

Genesis 24:3–4 ESV

3 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, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

3. What is the significance of Abraham telling the servant to put his hand under his thigh?

Genesis 17:11 ESV

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

Genesis 47:29 ESV

29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt,

This is a sign of: Covenant.

4. Based on the Covenant between Abraham/his servant and what we know about Abraham’s family: What is the difference between taking a daughter from among the Canaanites and from among the Abraham’s people?

5. Why not take Isaac on the journey?

Genesis 24:5–6 ESV

5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.

6. Where is the picture of Abraham’s faith within the story?

Genesis 24:7 ESV

7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

7. How does Abraham’s caveat give confidence to his servant?

Genesis 24:8–9 ESV

8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

8. How does v. 10-14 prove the faith of Abraham was contagious?

Genesis 24:10–14 ESV

10 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. 11 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. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 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.”