Finding a Wife for Isaac – It’s Message
(Genesis 24)
This is the longest chapter in Genesis. It deals with the matter of marriage, that between Isaac and Rebekah. What lesson(s) might we learn from this text? Let’s not create lessons from it, moralizing on a story that may not be teaching what we want it to teach.
First, we ask: Why did Moses, the penman of Genesis, write this extensive historical account into the Genesis record? Or, more precisely asked, why did the Holy Spirit guide Moses to put this here? We can only offer some suggestions. I will deal with the purpose of the account for Moses’ audience first (today) and then suggest the application for us (tomorrow).
One purpose would have to do with the overall goal of Abraham’s servant. Isaac must not marry a Canaanite. In Moses’ day, God promises that He would drive out the Canaanites by hornets (Exo. 23:28; 33:2; 34:11). Consequently, the Israelites were not to make a covenant with the Canaanites nor were they to marry the Canaanites to their daughters nor sons (Deuteronomy 7:1-6). So, first, Abraham was the prototype of the faithful Hebrew response to God relative to intermingling with the people of the land. Just as Abraham would not allow Isaac to marry the Canaanites, so the Israelites should not marry the Canaanites.
Then, secondly, it seems to me the purpose of the passage is brought to our attention by the references to the angel of God being sent before Abraham (Genesis 24:7) and before the servant (vs 40). There are 114 references to an “angel” in the Old Testament. Fifteen of those are in Genesis. The first references (4) are in Genesis 16 where God promises to care for Hagar and Ishmael. The angel there stands in the place of God’s presence. Another reference to an angel and Hagar is found in 21:17.
Angels are found twice (19:1, 15) in the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, representing the destructive wrath of God.
An angel is found twice in chapter 22, dealing with the offering of Isaac (vss 11, 15). We have two references here in 24 (7, 40). Jacob has a dream of angels ascending and descending on the ladder stretching up to heaven (28:12).
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An angel speaks to Jacob in chapter 31 (vs 11) as he flees from Laban and tries to return home. In that particular passage, we have a juxtaposition of “angel of God” (vs 11) with Him identifying Himself as “the God of Bethel where Jacob had made a vow” to Him (vs 13). That strongly suggests that this “angel” is a divine being, the Messenger of God or, we might say, the Word of God.
Jacob continues on his journey back home, afraid, of course, of what Esau will do to him, but angels meet him in 32:1. They did not say anything to him or do anything to him. But, they were there to show that God’s presence was with Jacob and God would fulfill the promises that God had made to him.
Finally, relative to Genesis, observe 48:16. This is Jacob on his deathbed speaking to Joseph. The angel stands in for God’s presence.
Now, we’ve mentioned the “angel” in the book of Genesis – he is found 15 times out of the 114 times in the Old Testament. There are only 17 more references to an angel in the rest of the Law (Pentateuch). We’re not going to point out all of these (10 of those 17 are all in the story of Balaam and the donkey in Numbers 22!) because I’m wanting to get to my point. What does all of this have to do with Moses’ Israelites? Read Exodus 23:20, 23; 32:34; 33:2. To emphasize what I’m saying, look at Numbers 20:16.
What is the significance of this Genesis 24 passage in the overall purpose of the book? I believe it is to emphasize to Moses’ contemporary Israelite audience, on the verge of entering the promised land, that just as the presence of God, personified in the messenger/angel of God, guided the servant to find Rebekah as a wife for their forefather Isaac, so that presence of God will also be with them as they begin their new life in the new land, the land of Canaan.
Tomorrow, we’ll apply Genesis 24 to our modern times.
