Saved by Grace - Class Notes

Genesis 24:1-4 (ESV)
¹ 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."

1.) Why was Abraham anxious to find a wife for his son Isaac and why not send Isaac on his own to find his wife?

Arranged marriages may have been common but these are usually meant to align families or based on another family providing the best dowry. Abraham’s desire was that his son should marry from his own clan and not marry a Canaanite woman. If he died before Isaac was married, Isaac would be on his own and would either be tempted to find a local wife or travel himself back to Nahor and leave the land God had sent Abraham.

2.) We don’t arrange marriages for our children today. Is that right or wrong? How involved should we be in our children’s lives and at what point should we pull back? Do we tend to pull back too early? Why?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

3.) Why did Abraham insist that Isaac find a wife from his own family and not from amongst the Canaanites?

There is no reason to believe that Abraham’s family in Nahor followed God anymore than the pagans living in Canaan. In following God’s covenant promise, Abraham was called to start and new people in the land. Inter-marrying with a Canaanite would cause Abraham’s line to just be mixed in with the people already there. Later, God establishes a direct law with Israel not to intermarry because that would lead to turning from God and to the Canaanite's gods.

4.) 2.) What is the significance of the title of Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth?

This draws a distinct differentiation between God and the multiple pagan gods in the land. This same distinction is made in Genesis 14 with the benediction of Melchizedek and in Abraham’s oath to God.

Genesis 24:5-9 (ESV)
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.

5.) Why is Abraham insistent that Isaac is not to go back to Nahor to find a wife for himself?

Isaac was to carry on Abraham’s family line and establish the people God had promised in the land of Canaan. If Isaac were to return to Nahor, he could be tempted to stay. We know when Jacob returns, Laban does his best to keep Jacob from returning to Canaan. He would surely have done the same with Isaac.

6.) How are we tempted sometimes to put ourselves in a position where we can fall out of God’s will for our lives?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

7.) Why does Abraham give his servant an out? What is Abraham not willing to compromise on? Why not?

Abraham knows God will fulfill his promise and produce a great nation from his seed and that Isaac is the next in that generation. He knows God will provide Isaac with the proper wife to carry on the family even if one cannot be found in Nahor that will return. However, Abraham knows God has sent him to this new land and he must not put Isaac in a position where he could decide not follow the family calling.

8.) Do we ever set our children up for failure and sin? How? How do we guard against it?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

Prayer time:

Pray for wisdom with our children. Are we involved enough in the lives of our children? Do we flirt with what the culture has to offer us and put our family at risk? Do we set up our children for failure and sin?