But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Old and expecting soon to die, Abraham commanded his faithful, experienced servant who ruled over all he had to go to his country and kindred in Mesopotamia and secure a wife for his unmarried son Isaac, rather than taking her from the Canaanites among whom Isaac lived. His kindred still believed in the true God while the Canaanites were idolaters, and the Lord had forbidden intermarriage with them lest His people be led into idolatry, so Abraham feared the corrupting influence around Isaac and sought a wife who knew and feared God to keep him in the worship of the living God and in obedience. The choice mattered because Isaac was to remain in Canaan, continue the promise, and lead God's chosen people, and a wife who did not fear God could draw him from God and lead him to compromise. Marriage choice belonged to Abraham's responsibility for his household to guide his children's affections, and Isaac, then forty and trained to obey God, submitted to his father's judgment through his God-fearing servant, trusting God to direct the choice. His obedience is an example teaching children who fear God to make marriage a matter of prayer, to seek divine guidance and the counsel of older, experienced people, and to yield to godly parental authority, since marriage to an irreligious companion can draw even a godly person away from obedience.
Context and Purpose
Abraham was old and expecting soon to die when he commanded his faithful, experienced servant who ruled over all that he had to secure a wife for his unmarried son Isaac, with the choice not left to Isaac to make independently of his father. The servant was to go to Abraham's country and kindred in Mesopotamia to find the wife, rather than taking her from the Canaanites among whom Isaac lived. Those kindred believed in the true God while the Canaanites were idolaters, and the Lord had commanded against intermarriage with them lest His people be led into idolatry.
Abraham feared the corrupting influence around Isaac and sought a wife who knew and feared God and believed in the true God, so that Isaac would maintain the worship of the living God and not be drawn away from obedience to God. Marriage to an irreligious companion who did not know or fear God could draw even a godly person away from obedience, and Abraham wanted a wife who would not lead Isaac from God. The choice mattered because Isaac was to remain in Canaan, continue the promise, and lead God's chosen people, and a wife who did not fear God could draw him from God and lead him to compromise.
The command was sealed by a solemn oath before the Lord, with God to send His angel before the servant to direct him. The servant was charged not to take Isaac back to that country because nearly all there were affected with idolatry, and he would be released from the oath if no woman of the kindred would leave her family and kindred and come to Canaan to join Isaac. The woman would need to leave her home and come to where Isaac was to remain, and only if none was willing to do so would the servant be free from his oath.
Parental Guidance and Example
Abraham's direction to his servant to go to his own country and people to obtain a wife for Isaac shows that the choice of a companion belongs to a parent's responsibility for the household, requiring fathers and mothers to guide the affections of their children and to use their own judgment in seeking suitable companions for sons and daughters. His training had led Isaac to love a life of noble obedience, so that Isaac yielded to and respected his father's authority in marriage rather than choosing independently. The notion that the affections should not be guided or restrained is rebuked by Abraham's course, for Satan controls the affections of the young to a great extent.
Isaac was forty years old when his marriage was thus arranged, yet having been trained to obey God he submitted to his father's judgment and accepted the choosing of a wife through his father's experienced, God-fearing servant. He believed and trusted that God would direct the choice made in that way. He entrusted the lifelong decision to that older, experienced counselor instead of insisting on his own preference.
His obedience and trust stand as an example for later generations, especially for those who profess to fear God. Children who fear God are thereby taught to make marriage a matter of prayer, to seek divine direction and to respect their parents' judgment and godly parental guidance in choosing a marriage partner. They are taught likewise to seek the counsel of older, experienced persons before entering a lifelong commitment. The account is recorded for the benefit of parents, to lead them to command their households after Abraham and to instruct their children to yield to and respect parental authority. It warns that marriage to an irreligious companion who does not know or fear God can draw even a godly person away from obedience to God, and therefore the religious and moral character must be guarded in the choice.
Old and expecting soon to die, Abraham commanded his faithful, experienced servant who ruled over all he had to go to his country and kindred in Mesopotamia and secure a wife for his unmarried son Isaac, rather than taking her from the Canaanites among whom Isaac lived. His kindred still believed in the true God while the Canaanites were idolaters, and the Lord had forbidden intermarriage with them lest His people be led into idolatry, so Abraham feared the corrupting influence around Isaac and sought a wife who knew and feared God to keep him in the worship of the living God and in obedience. The choice mattered because Isaac was to remain in Canaan, continue the promise, and lead God's chosen people, and a wife who did not fear God could draw him from God and lead him to compromise. Marriage choice belonged to Abraham's responsibility for his household to guide his children's affections, and Isaac, then forty and trained to obey God, submitted to his father's judgment through his God-fearing servant, trusting God to direct the choice. His obedience is an example teaching children who fear God to make marriage a matter of prayer, to seek divine guidance and the counsel of older, experienced people, and to yield to godly parental authority, since marriage to an irreligious companion can draw even a godly person away from obedience.
Context and Purpose
Abraham was old and expecting soon to die when he commanded his faithful, experienced servant who ruled over all that he had to secure a wife for his unmarried son Isaac, with the choice not left to Isaac to make independently of his father. The servant was to go to Abraham's country and kindred in Mesopotamia to find the wife, rather than taking her from the Canaanites among whom Isaac lived. Those kindred believed in the true God while the Canaanites were idolaters, and the Lord had commanded against intermarriage with them lest His people be led into idolatry.
Abraham feared the corrupting influence around Isaac and sought a wife who knew and feared God and believed in the true God, so that Isaac would maintain the worship of the living God and not be drawn away from obedience to God. Marriage to an irreligious companion who did not know or fear God could draw even a godly person away from obedience, and Abraham wanted a wife who would not lead Isaac from God. The choice mattered because Isaac was to remain in Canaan, continue the promise, and lead God's chosen people, and a wife who did not fear God could draw him from God and lead him to compromise.
The command was sealed by a solemn oath before the Lord, with God to send His angel before the servant to direct him. The servant was charged not to take Isaac back to that country because nearly all there were affected with idolatry, and he would be released from the oath if no woman of the kindred would leave her family and kindred and come to Canaan to join Isaac. The woman would need to leave her home and come to where Isaac was to remain, and only if none was willing to do so would the servant be free from his oath.
Parental Guidance and Example
Abraham's direction to his servant to go to his own country and people to obtain a wife for Isaac shows that the choice of a companion belongs to a parent's responsibility for the household, requiring fathers and mothers to guide the affections of their children and to use their own judgment in seeking suitable companions for sons and daughters. His training had led Isaac to love a life of noble obedience, so that Isaac yielded to and respected his father's authority in marriage rather than choosing independently. The notion that the affections should not be guided or restrained is rebuked by Abraham's course, for Satan controls the affections of the young to a great extent.
Isaac was forty years old when his marriage was thus arranged, yet having been trained to obey God he submitted to his father's judgment and accepted the choosing of a wife through his father's experienced, God-fearing servant. He believed and trusted that God would direct the choice made in that way. He entrusted the lifelong decision to that older, experienced counselor instead of insisting on his own preference.
His obedience and trust stand as an example for later generations, especially for those who profess to fear God. Children who fear God are thereby taught to make marriage a matter of prayer, to seek divine direction and to respect their parents' judgment and godly parental guidance in choosing a marriage partner. They are taught likewise to seek the counsel of older, experienced persons before entering a lifelong commitment. The account is recorded for the benefit of parents, to lead them to command their households after Abraham and to instruct their children to yield to and respect parental authority. It warns that marriage to an irreligious companion who does not know or fear God can draw even a godly person away from obedience to God, and therefore the religious and moral character must be guarded in the choice.