Abraham Finds a Wife for Isaac
Scripture Reading — Genesis 24:1-41
“The LORD, before whom I have walked faithfully, will … make your journey a success.”
Genesis 24:40
Abraham’s servant quoted Abraham’s words in Laban’s house, where he had gone to get a wife for Isaac. Abraham’s walk with God included trust that God would provide a wife for his son from among his relatives. And God did—he provided Rebekah, the sister of Laban. She was the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
Abraham’s conviction that Isaac should not marry a Canaanite woman had deep spiritual roots. The Canaanite worship of fertility gods was steeped in immoral practices. If Isaac married a local Canaanite, he would be strongly tempted to break away from a covenantal walk with the Lord. The future of God’s redemptive plan was on the line. After all, Isaac was the promised son through whom God would make Abraham the father of many nations.
The quality of our relationships matters in our faith walk. In most countries today, parents no longer select spouses for their children, but all parents, if they are believers, want their children to walk faithfully with God in a marriage where both partners honor Christ. There are wonderful stories of believers who have led an unbelieving spouse to Christ. But faith is tested in homes where the blessing of a common commitment to Christ is lacking. A close walk with the Lord is nurtured when marriage partners walk with Christ together.
Help us, Father, to serve you faithfully and, if we have children, help them to do so as well. We admit we are easily led astray. Strengthen our faith, we pray. Amen.
About the author — Adrian A. Helleman
Dr. Adrian Helleman served as a pastor in British Columbia before being called to serve as a missionary-teacher in the Philippines. He and his wife, Wendy, later taught philosophy at Moscow State University in Russia, and then philosophy and theology at the University of Jos in Nigeria. They have also lectured in Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Tanzania. They have three children and three grandchildren.
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