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January 18 Daily Devotional

TAKE A WIFE UNTO MY SON ISAAC

Henry T. Vriesen

Genesis 23–25

After a time, Sarah, the wife of Abraham, finished her earthly pilgrimage, being one hundred twenty-seven years old. Abraham bought a field containing a cave, called Machpelah, to bury her. This field was at Hebron near Mamre, where Abraham and Sarah had lived many years.

After Sarah’s death, Abraham and Isaac felt lonely. Isaac at this time was nearly forty years old, and his father thought he was old enough to get married. But the women who lived in Canaan were idol worshippers and did not know the living God. Abraham had the idea that at Haran in Mesopotamia, where his brother lived, a God-fearing wife might be found for his son. So he called his faithful servant Eliezer and asked him to journey to Haran and get a good wife for Isaac.

Eliezer took ten camels and many valuable presents. For days and days he traveled, crossing valleys, hills and rivers and edging alongside the great, lonely desert. At last he came to Haran in Mesopotamia, and the tired camels stopped outside the city and knelt down near a well. Eliezer had learned to trust in Abraham’s God, and now he lifted up his heart and prayed to the Lord that he would send to him the young woman suitable to become Isaac’s wife.

And just while he was praying a beautiful young woman came to the well with a pitcher upon her shoulder. She went and filled her jar with water. Eliezer asked her for a drink. She gave him a drink and offered to draw water for the camels. When she had done this, he gave her some presents of gold and asked her about her name and family. She said, “I am the daughter of Bethuel who is a son of Nahor.” And she invited Eliezer to her home. Nahor was Abraham’s brother.

Rebekah hurried home and told her parents about the stranger and showed them the presents he had given to her. Her brother Laban went and brought him into the house and found a place for the camels. They offered Eliezer water to wash his feet and invited him to eat supper with them. But he said, “I will not eat, until I have told my errand.” Then he told them about Abraham and Isaac and why he had come; he also mentioned his prayer at the well and that he met Rebekah and believed she was the one that the Lord would choose for Isaac’s wife. Bethuel and Laban said, “The thing proceedeth from the Lord … Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife.” The next morning Eliezer insisted on leaving again. Rebekah consented to go along. She left with the blessings and well wishes of her father’s house. At eventide Isaac went out to meditate in the field, and he lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming. So Rebekah met Isaac, and he loved her and she became his wife.

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