Genesis 24 reads,
24:1Abraham
was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 24:2Abraham said to his servant, the elder of
his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my
thigh. 24:3I will make you swear by
Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take
a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 24:4But you shall go to my country, and to my
relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
24:5The
servant said to him, "What if the woman isn’t willing to follow me to
this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"
24:6Abraham
said to him, "Beware that you don’t bring my son there again. 24:7Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me
from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who
swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will
send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 24:8If the woman isn’t willing to follow you,
then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son
there again."
24:9The
servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him
concerning this matter. 24:10The
servant took ten camels, of his master’s camels, and departed, having all
goodly things of his master’s in his hand. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia,
to the city of
24:15It
happened, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was
born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with
her pitcher on her shoulder. 24:16The
young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known
her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 24:17The servant ran to meet her, and said,
"Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
24:18She
said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her
hand, and gave him drink. 24:19When
she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your
camels, until they have done drinking." 24:20She
hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to
draw, and drew for all his camels.
24:21The
man looked steadfastly at her, holding his peace, to know whether Yahweh had
made his journey prosperous or not. 24:22It
happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of
half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of
gold, 24:23and said, "Whose
daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us
to lodge in?"
24:24She
said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she
bore to Nahor." 24:25She said
moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to
lodge in."
24:26The
man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh. 24:27He
said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not
forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh
has led me in the way to the house of my master’s relatives."
24:28The
young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about these words. 24:29Rebekah had a brother, and his name was
Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. 24:30It
happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and
when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the
man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the
camels at the spring. 24:31He said,
"Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have
prepared the house, and room for the camels."
24:32The
man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and
provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men
who were with him. 24:33Food was set
before him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have told my
message."
He said, "Speak on."
24:34He
said, "I am Abraham’s servant. 24:35Yahweh
has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and
herds, silver and gold, men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and donkeys.
24:36Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a
son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him. 24:37My master made me swear, saying, ‘You
shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose
land I live, 24:38but you shall go
to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 24:39I said to my master, ‘What if the woman
will not follow me?’ 24:40He said to
me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your
way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father’s
house. 24:41Then will you be clear
from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don’t give her to you, you
shall be clear from my oath.’ 24:42I
came this day to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham,
if now you do prosper my way which I go. 24:43Behold,
I am standing by the spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes
forth to draw, to whom I will say, Give me, I pray you, a little water from
your pitcher to drink. 24:44She will
tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels." Let the same
be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’ 24:45Before I had done speaking in my heart,
behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to
the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 24:46She hurried and let down her pitcher from
her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I
drank, and she made the camels drink also. 24:47I
asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and
the bracelets on her hands. 24:48I
bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master
Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter
for his son. 24:49Now if you will
deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me. That I may turn
to the right hand, or to the left."
24:50Then
Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t
speak to you bad or good. 24:51Behold,
Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s
wife, as Yahweh has spoken."
24:52It
happened that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down
to the earth to Yahweh. 24:53The
servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and
gave them to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother and to her mother precious
things. 24:54They ate and drank, he
and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the
morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
24:55Her
brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few
days, at least ten. After that she will go."
24:56He
said to them, "Don’t hinder me, seeing Yahweh has prospered my way.
Send me away that I may go to my master."
24:57They
said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her." 24:58They called Rebekah, and said to her,
"Will you go with this man?"
She said, "I will go."
24:59They
sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his
men. 24:60They blessed Rebekah, and
said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten
thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
24:61Rebekah
arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The
servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 24:62Isaac
came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi. For he lived in the land of the South. 24:63Isaac went out to meditate in the field at
the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels
coming. 24:64Rebekah lifted up her eyes,
and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. 24:65She said to the servant, "Who is the
man who is walking in the field to meet us?"
The servant said, "It is my master."
She took her veil, and covered herself. 24:66The servant told Isaac all the things that
he had done. 24:67Isaac brought
her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He
loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Marry
Only Among Those Yahweh Approves
Learning from Abraham's example in 24:3-4, shouldn't we refrain from marrying with those whom Yahweh does not approve we marry, and marry only with those whom Yahweh approves?
Rely On
Yahweh To Provide A Marriage Partner
Shouldn't we follow Abraham's example of faith in Yahweh in matters of providing a person with a marriage partner? Didn't Abraham have unshakeable faith that Yahweh would indeed provide his son Isaac with a suitable marriage partner? Didn't Abraham have unshakeable faith that Yahweh would guide his servant to the woman Yahweh had appointed to be his son's wife? Shouldn't we also rely on Yahweh to lead us to the marriage partner that he has appointed for us?
Marriage
Is A Relationship That Ought To Be Willingly Entered Into
Didn't Abraham acknowledge that marriage is a relationship that is willingly entered into, without compulsion? Didn't Abraham acknowledge that if the woman Yahweh had appointed to be his son's wife was unwilling to depart from her parents' household and land and join the husband Yahweh had appointed for her in his house and land that her unwillingness was to be respected? Didn't Abraham understand that a woman is not to be forced to become wife to a man, even where Yahweh has appointed her to be wife to that man?
Do Not
Be Party To A Forced Marriage
Following Abraham's example shouldn't we ensure that all marriage relationships that we are involved with are entered into willingly? Shouldn't we respect the unwillingness of a prospective marriage partner to go ahead with the marriage even where Yahweh has appointed that individual for the prospective marriage? Shouldn't we understand that even in situations where Yahweh has appointed a blessing for us, he does not force the blessing upon us, giving us the freedom to receive or reject his appointed blessing for us?
Ask
Yahweh To Reveal A Marriage Partner In A Clear Manner
Didn't Abraham's servant ask Yahweh to reveal to him in a clear manner the woman Yahweh had appointed to be Isaac's wife? Didn't Yahweh reveal to Abraham's servant in a clear manner the woman he had appointed to be Isaac's wife?
Learning from Abraham's servant, shouldn't we likewise ask Yahweh to reveal to us in a clear manner the person he has appointed to be our marriage partner? And when we ask Yahweh in faith, even as Abraham's servant asked, won't Yahweh indeed reveal to us in a clear manner the person he has appointed to be our marriage partner?
Worship
And Thank Yahweh When He Reveals To You A Marriage Partner
Didn't Abraham's servant worship and thank Yahweh for having prospered his journey, in that Yahweh had answered his prayer for revelation of the woman Yahweh had appointed to be Isaac's wife? Shouldn't we, following Abraham's servant example, thank and worship Yahweh when he reveals to us the marriage partner that he has appointed for us?
A
Woman's Parents Have Authority In Giving Her Away In Marriage
Didn't Abraham, as seen from 24:41, acknowledge that a woman's parents have authority in giving her away in marriage or to be wife to a particular man?
Shouldn't we likewise acknowledge the authority parents have in giving their daughters to be wife to a particular man, and in giving them away for marriage? Doesn't this mean that where the parents of a particular woman refuse to give her as wife to a particular man we should respect the decision reached by that woman's parents?
Shouldn't we refrain from following human traditions in many parts of the world that have attempted to strip parents of their authority over their daughters with respect to giving them in marriage? Shouldn't we follow Yahweh's ordained family order rather than errant human tradition, irrespective of the number of humans following their errant tradition?
Rebekah's
Father Acknowledged Yahweh's Hand In Appointing Her To Be Isaac's Wife
Didn't the household Rebekah belonged to acknowledge that Yahweh had indeed appointed her to be Isaac's wife? Didn't they also acknowledge that where Yahweh had spoken they really had no authority to withstand Yahweh's word, but that their role was simply one of facilitating the fulfilment of Yahweh's word?
Look
For Yahweh's Hand In A Particular Marriage Proposal And Act According To
Yahweh's Hand
Isn't it for parents to determine whether Yahweh's hand is involved in a particular marriage proposal, and then to act according to Yahweh's will in the matter? Isn't it for parents to acknowledge that their authority over their daughter in situations where Yahweh has specifically appointed that daughter as wife to a particular man is restricted simply to facilitating the fulfilment of Yahweh's word? Doesn't this mean that where Yahweh has appointed a particular woman as wife to a particular man, her parents really have no authority to resist Yahweh's word in the matter?
Do Not
Delay What Yahweh Has Facilitated The Fulfilment Of
Isn't it clear from 24:55-57 that once Yahweh has determined a particular matter and facilitated its fulfilment human beings should not delay to fulfil what Yahweh has facilitated? In other words, isn't it the case that once Yahweh has revealed to a person the marriage partner appointed to that person, and has facilitated the fulfilment of that marriage, the two people concerned should not delay the fulfilment of that marriage, but should act to bring about its fulfilment?
Take A
Woman As Your Wife Only When Yahweh Has Given Her To You
Doesn't 24:67 show that Isaac took Rebekah as his wife after Yahweh had appointed her to be his wife, her parents had agreed to give her to him as wife and she had agreed to become his wife? Shouldn't a man follow Isaac's example, taking a woman in marriage only after Yahweh has appointed her to be his wife, after her parents have given her to him as his wife and after she has agreed to become his wife?
Genesis 25:1-6 reads,
25:1Abraham
took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 25:2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan,
Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3Jokshan
became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim,
Letushim, and Leummim. 25:4The sons
of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children
of Keturah. 25:5Abraham gave all
that he had to Isaac, 25:6but to
the sons of the concubines who Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts. He sent
them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east
country.
Isn't it clear that Abraham had concubines, who bore him sons?
It Is
Yahweh Who Facilitates Conception, Bearing And Giving Birth
Genesis 25:19-21 reads,
25:19This
is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the
father of Isaac. 25:20Isaac was
forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of
Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 25:21Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because
she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Isn't it clear from Rebekah's life that Yahweh is indeed the one who facilitates conception, bearing and giving birth, for she did not conceive until such time as Yahweh facilitated her conception? Isn't it also clear that Yahweh can indeed facilitate conception when he is sought in prayer to so facilitate, for it is when Isaac entreated him that he facilitated the conception of Isaac's wife?
Abraham's
Polygyny Was Within Yahweh's Word
Genesis 26:1-5 reads,
26:1There
was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of
Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 26:2Yahweh appeared to him, and said,
"Don’t go down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I will tell you of. 26:3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these
lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 26:4I will multiply your seed as the stars of
the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the
nations of the earth be blessed, 26:5because
Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes,
and my laws."
Didn't Yahweh clearly state to Isaac that his father Abraham obeyed Yahweh's voice, kept Yahweh's charge, Yahweh's commandments, Yahweh's statutes, and Yahweh's laws? Doesn't this clearly mean, according to Yahweh's own words, that even when Abraham had concubines and had sex with them that he was still walking within Yahweh's voice, charge, commandments, statutes and laws? Doesn't this mean that polygyny is clearly within Yahweh's word, and is not against it? Doesn't this mean that polygyny, a man having more than one wife or concubine at the same time, is not against Yahweh's word but is within it?
Disclose
Appropriate Matters To Prevent Unwitting Sin
Genesis 26:6-11 reads,
26:6Isaac
lived in Gerar. 26:7The men of the
place asked him about his wife. He said, "She is my sister," for he
was afraid to say, "My wife," lest, he thought, the men of the place
might kill me for Rebekah, because she was beautiful to look on. 26:8It happened, when he had been there a long
time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw,
and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife. 26:9Abimelech called Isaac, and said,
"Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my
sister?’"
Isaac said to him, "Because I said, ‘Lest
I die because of her.’"
26:10Abimelech
said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily
have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!"
26:11Abimelech
charged all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will
surely be put to death."
Wasn't Abimelech right in the words that he uttered in this matter concerning Isaac and Rebekah? Wouldn't guilt have come upon the people of Abimelech, the Philistines, if one of them had committed adultery by lying with another man's wife - Isaac's wife? And wasn't the death penalty Abimelech decreed upon anyone committing adultery with Isaac's wife in harmony with Yahweh's word?
Isn't it clear that guilt comes upon the people or family of a person who commits adultery? Shouldn't we avoid adultery to ensure that we do not bring upon ourselves and our family or people guilt on account of committing adultery?
Do Not
Marry Those Who Grieve The Spirits Of The Righteous
Genesis 26:34-35 reads,
26:34When
Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35They grieved Isaac and Rebekah’s spirits.
Genesis 27:46-28:9 reads,
27:46Rebekah
said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth.
If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters
of the land, what good will my life do me?"
28:1Isaac
called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan. 28:2Arise,
go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife
from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3May God Almighty bless you, and make you
fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, 28:4and give you the blessing of Abraham, to
you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel,
which God gave to Abraham."
28:5Isaac
sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian,
Rebekah’s brother, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
28:6Now
Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take
him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying,
"You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan," 28:7and that Jacob obeyed his father and his
mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram. 28:8Esau
saw that the daughters of Canaan didn’t please Isaac, his father. 28:9Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the
wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister
of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
Isn't it clear that when Esau took wives from among the people forbidden his father their relationship with his parents was stressful? Shouldn't Yahweh's people marry only those Yahweh has appointed for them? Doesn't confining marriage relationships to within people appointed by Yahweh facilitate family harmony?
Close
Relatives Are The Same Bone And Flesh
Genesis 29:13-14 reads,
29:13It
happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, that he ran to
meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house.
Jacob told Laban all these things. 29:14Laban
said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for
a month.
Didn't Laban understand that close relatives are one's bone and flesh?
Jacob's
Marriages To Leah And Rachel
Genesis 29:15-30 reads,
29:15Laban
said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me
for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?"
29:16Laban
had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger
was Rachel. 29:17Leah’s eyes were
weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. 29:18Jacob
loved Rachel. He said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your
younger daughter."
29:19Laban
said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her
to another man. Stay with me."
29:20Jacob
served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love
he had for her.
29:21Jacob
said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may
go in to her."
29:22Laban
gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 29:23It happened in the evening, that he took
Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her. 29:24Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his
daughter Leah for a handmaid. 29:25It
happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, "What
is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have
you deceived me?"
29:26Laban
said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the
first born. 29:27Fulfill the week
of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will
serve with me yet seven other years."
29:28Jacob
did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. 29:29Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah,
his handmaid, to be her handmaid. 29:30He
went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served
with him yet seven other years.
Dowry
Is Necessary In Persuading A Man To Give His Daughter Away In Marriage
Didn't Jacob have to give Laban something in return for Laban giving Jacob his daughters as wives? Isn't it the case that the giving of dowry is sometimes necessary to persuade a father to give his daughter as wife to a man?
Rachel
Was Jacob's Wife Prior To Their Marriage
Isn't it clear from 29:21 that Jacob referred to Rachel as his wife prior to going in to her, prior to having sex with her? In other words, isn't it the case that a woman becomes a man's wife once she has been given to him as his wife, even prior to sex between that man and her?
A Woman
Should Not Be Married By Her Husband Prior To Being So Released By Her Father
Isn't it clear from the practice of Laban and Jacob that a man should not marry his wife prior to her father giving consent to the timing of their marriage? Seeing that Rachel was already Jacob's wife, but Jacob had to ask Laban to issue his word to facilitate the marriage between Jacob and Rachel? Isn't this also the practice witnessed with respect to Lot, his daughters and his sons-in-law? Isn't it therefore clear that a man should not marry or have sex with his wife prior to the time of that approval by the woman's father or one in authority over her?
A
Marriage Feast Should Be Held Prior To The Act Of Marriage
Doesn't 29:22 show that when the time for marriage had come between Jacob and his wife a marriage feast was held? In other words, wasn't the marriage feast held in honour of Jacob and his wife, prior to their sexual union? Isn't it the case that a marriage feast, when held, should be held for a man and his wife prior to their first sexual union?
Jacob
Unwittingly Married Leah
Didn't Jacob end up having sex not with the woman he thought he was marrying, but with another woman given to him by her father as his wife? Didn't Leah become Jacob's wife by the sexual union the two of them had, and by the fact that her father indeed gave her to Jacob as Jacob's wife?
Isn't it therefore the case that if a man has sex with a woman given to him as wife by one with authority to so do that she indeed becomes his wife? Irrespective of whether or not that woman was one the man knew to be his wife prior to their sexual union? In other words, doesn't Jacob and Leah's case show that it is indeed possible for a man to unwittingly take a woman as his wife and marry her?
Transferring
Authority Over A Human Being From One Person To Another
Doesn't 29:23-24 show that a person has power and authority to hand over to another a person under his authority? For didn't Laban hand over his daughter Leah to be under Jacob's authority as the latter's wife? And didn't Laban hand over his maid Zilpah to be under his daughter Leah's authority?
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