July 2 Daily Devotional

"Arranged Marriages"

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading

Genesis 24:1-9

¹And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
²And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
³And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
⁴But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
⁵And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
⁶And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
⁷The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
⁸And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
⁹And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Devotional

A Chinese friend of ours was once asked whether hers had been an 'arranged marriage.' She laughed and replied, 'Yes! It was arranged by God.' In our culture parents do not ordinarily arrange marriages for their children. As Christian parents, however, we may have the confidence that God our Father arranges them according to His will. His arrangements are for the good of His children and for His own glory.

Abraham was concerned about the marriage of his son. He was probably particularly concerned about this marriage because of his confidence that God was doing a very special thing with his family. His concern was converted into action. He made provision that his son's marriage be 'in the Lord.'

It would not be possible for us to follow the course Abraham followed. But there are things we can do that the Lord may use in arranging a Christian marriage for our children.

Being a happily married couple in the Lord is of paramount importance. Setting within our children the goal of having a marriage like ours flows from this. In addition it is important to provide positive, and, when needed, negative teaching about sex and marriage and interpersonal relationships. It is important, also, to provide the climate for the development of Christian companionship at home, at church, and if possible at school. In general we need to strive to maintain in the home a relationship of confidence and respect so that parental advice concerning marriage plans will be sought and accepted.

Are we who are parents praying now that God will arrange the lives of our children including their marriage? What concern are we showing about other young people in our church family as they approach adult years? God uses means as He arranges marriages. When young people see our marriage, are they encouraged to seek for themselves a marriage that is in the Lord?

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.