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THE CHURCH ON HIGHER GROUND |
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HOMEPAGE |
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THE PLAN |
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HOMEPAGE & MENU FOR OTHER LESSONS |
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STUDY OUTLINE |
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PAGE 15 (23-24)
LESSON #1 Seeking a Land/Ge.23:3-20
LESSON #2 Eliezer Sent for a Bride...Ge.24:1-9
LESSON #3 Eliezer Prays for Success...Ge.24:10-14
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LESSON #1 Seeking a Land...Ge.23:3-20
Sat Jun 16, 2001
"Then Abraham rose from before his dead. (3)" It is interesting to note, in all of his travelling, Abraham never owned any land until he bought a piece to bury his wife. Abraham lived as a stranger and an alien, even in the land which God had promised to him. While seeking his spiritual and eternal inheritance, he lived in tents rather than settle for the comforts found in the fading things of this life. Though we should be responsible for our own needs, as Abraham demontrates by purchasing a burial plot, we should not allow the concerns of life to make us miss the purpose of life. Abraham had spent his life seeking for a city whose architect and builder is God, unlike most people who seek the fleeting things of this world and miss the life which God has mapped out for them. Like others who put faith things frist, Abraham died without receiving the promises of this world, because he sought a better country, a heavenly one (He.11:9-16).
Believers want to be known as men and women of faith, but most of them don't want the life of faith if it means discipline, denial and difficulty. They want the glamour of faith, not the daily grind of faith. Abraham was more interested in the pursuit of the eternal than he was in impressing his neighbors with his passing accomplishments.
When Sarah died, Abraham went to his Hittite neighbors to purchase land on which to bury her (3-4). Abraham had obtained a good standing in the area and was honored by the locals (5-6). A plot of ground with a cave (a good place for a burial spot), owned by Ephron the son of Zohar, interested him. As was the custom of the day, business and government transactions took place at the city gate and this is where Abraham met and dealt with Ephron (7-10).
Ephron offered the parcel to Abraham and it would appear he offered it as a gift. However, it could just be the "eastern" way of doing things (11). The customs of the area are still practiced in some places even in these modern times. A great show of courtesy and benevolence often preceeds the actual deal that is struck. Eventually they agreed on the purchase price (12-16) and Abraham was deeded the land with the trees and the cave (17). It was done in a public manner and thus eliminated any question about the rightful owner (18). Sarah was buried there and it apparently became the burial plot for Abraham and others as well(19-20).
Abraham was not guilty of coveting the land which was owned by Ephron. We can have legitimate desires and we may procure the objects of our interest, provided we do it honestly and fairly. Though we are not to love the world or the things in the world, we do live in the world and we are to use what we have to fulfill God's plan.
One other observation here: Abraham carried his own load so that no one would be able to fault him or question his position at a later date.
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LESSON #2 Eliezer Sent for a Bride...Ge.24:1-9
Sat Jun 23, 2001
Abraham had reached an old age and had been blessed abundantly by God (1). Though he had been promised a son and had been blessed with Isaac, and though he had been promised the land of Canaan and had been established in the land, he was disappointed that Isaac (now 40 years old) was not yet married.
It would have been normal for Abraham to arrange Isaacs marriage but Abraham was not able to do so at the time. It would have also been normal to marry someone from the local area but this was not acceptable to Abraham. Abraham insisted on finding a wife for Isaac from among his own people, which was also customary. However, Abraham's family members did not live nearby and he would need to travel away from his home, back to Haran in order to find a wife for Isaac. Since this was something that Abraham could not do, he assigned his oldest and most trusted servant (probably Eliezer) to find a wife for Isaac. Eliezer was not only Abraham's chosen servant who was in charge of all of Abraham's property (2), he had been the one who would have inherited all of Abraham's wealth if there had been no promised son (15:2). Eliezer was a good and faithful servant who would have done anything to please his master.
It is strange for the modern western mind to understand the concept of arranged marriages. But in Abraham's day and even now in that part of the world, arranged marriages are not only practiced but expected. Parents would plan with other parents the joining of their children in marriage. Areas of consideration would be scoial status, wealth, religion and relationship with the other family or tribes in the area. With Abraham, the most important consideration was that of having his son marry someone who would not be a detriment to his relationship with God.
Abraham required Eliezer to enter into a binding agreement (2-3,9) that he would follow certain stipulations in finding a wife for Isaac. Apparently Eliezer must have had a living faith in the God of Abraham, otherwise why would he have him swear to an oath in the name of his God (3,9). How rediculous it is to require people to swear an oath in legal matters today by placing their hand on the Bible and saying "so help me God." Since they neither believe the Bible or follow the God of the Bible they might as well place their hand on the comic section of the newspaper and swear in the name of Hagar the Horrible.
Eliezer was directed to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's former country, Haran (4), and to be certain not to take a wife from among the Canaanites (3). It was not so much a racial as a religious concern which Abraham had. He was concerned that a woman from among the pagan society would draw Isaac away from God. But Abraham was also concerned with the future homeland of Isaac as well as the solidarity of the home. Abraham did not travel back to Haran, maybe because of his age and health, but also because he did not want to leave behind the blessings of God and possibly never return to them. Neither was he willing to take a chance of Isaac leaving and never returning to the land God had promised. He pointed out to Eliezer that he was not to take Isaac back to Haran (5-6).
Eliezer was concerned about failing to do what he was commissioned to do (5). Abraham told Eliezer that God would be with him and would give him success in his task. The same God Who had promised him descendants and land would send an angel before Eliezer to prepare the way and lead him to the right woman (7). Abraham was convinced of Eliezers success, but he also realized that it would be up to the free will of the bride-to-be to choose to come or stay (8).
We are both God's servants and His children. As His servants, we are sent out to find those who will come and be His Son's bride. God will lead us to the right people. We can offer them eternal life with Jesus, but they will decide for themselves.
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LESSON #3 Eliezer Prays for Success...Ge.24:10-14
Thu Jul 12, 2001 8:43 am
Abraham's faithful servant (though it was probably Eliezer, I will just call him "servant"), loaded ten camels with gifts for the family of the bride-to-be. Because of servant's loyalty to Abraham, his dedication to duty and his commitment to excellence, Abraham had put all of his business affairs in the hands of servant (10). After the long trip which took him to a foreign land, servant arrived at the city of Nahor (10). Upon his arrival, servant went to the local watering hole to look for the bride-to-be. He didn't go to the local sports bar or the theatre or any other social scene. He chose to look for her at a place where she would be involved in productive activity.
The need for water was real and the procuring of it was a chore. Most people in the western world have no concept of hauling water. Since we have moved to the mountains of Tennessee and chosen a more simple lifestyle, I have needed to hew wood and haul water. We live a rather laid back and simple life, but simple does not mean easy. Getting enough water for a family can be hard work, yet it is essential.
As we consider thispassage, we must put aside all prejudices about the Bible being sexist and oppressive to women. Though these injustices have always existed throughout the world, God and His Word denounced them and judged those who were guilty of them. The Scriptures neither make social slaves or queens of women, nor social slaves or kings of men. It was a woman's job to do this important but difficult task of hauling the water, as it is in many parts of the world today. Servant was looking for a woman who could and would fulfill her reponsibilities (11).
Servant realized he could only succeed in his assignment if God gave him success. He called on God in prayer to have success in finding a bride for his master's son (12). Servant understood that God answers specific prayers in specific ways. He declared his plan and asked God to signify the woman of God's choosing with a specific answer (13-14).
Not only was servant looking for an industrious woman, he was looking for a woman with hospitality and compassion. A woman with an appreciation for the important things in life. He asked that the woman whom he would ask for a drink of water would not only comply but offer to water his camels also (14). There must have been many women who would have refused, and among those who would comply, how few would offer to draw water for this string of 10 camels?
He understood that finding the right woman for Isaac required more than just human wisdom and taste. Servant believed that God already had the right woman chosen (notice the word "appointed" v14). He saw his task was to find God's choice, not to make his own choice. Note also, servant asked for traits in the woman which were reasonable, yet he did not trust his own ability to find her, he needed and wanted God's direction.
Likewise, our prayers should be specific, practical, reasonable. We should have a clear understanding of our assignment in life, and then we should ask God to give us success in fulfilling it. We should not leave the outcome of our lives to chance, nor should we presume that we can make the right choices on our own. Once we have discovered the will of God, we still need Him to give us success. God constantly tells us to trust in Him and not in ourselves.
God has planned our lives. He has designed us for our calling. We can only have succes when and if we find and fit into His plan. Servant understood this. Why do so
few servants today understand this basic truth which goes back to the biginning of the Divine record. God has a plan for our whole life, and we need to find His will for our education or training, our relationships (especially marraige) our vocations and our ministries. We need to pray and obey.
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