GENESIS 24
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
– Genesis 24:1-9
GENESIS 24 ABRAHAM MAKES HIS SERVANT MAKE AN OATH
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
To ensure that Abraham’s covenant with God is fulfilled
Abraham made his servant promise to find the right wife for Isaac
She must not come from the Canaanites and made him swear
Though the servant hesitated, he made the oath to his master.
It is interesting that Abraham, in his old age, continues to think of his covenant promise with God. By now, Isaac has not yet married and Abraham wanted to make sure that he marries from his own kindred. There were doubts from the servant that the woman he finds will even come with him and travel all the way to meet Isaac from where they are.
Because they were living in Canaan that time and it was the promised land to Abraham and his offspring, he didn’t want Isaac to leave the place. Up to this point, Abraham kept his end of the covenant in his promise to God.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think Abraham didn’t want Isaac to come with the servant?
