Sunday School Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant

Genesis 24:3 - Swear by the Lord...that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. The lesson manual indicates that this is a demonstration of the importance of marrying in the covenant. But really? What covenants had Abraham's family made that they had not discarded? His own admission is that they had turned from following God to the worship of idols. He may have been concerned about the ramifications of the curse that Canaan bore, and it's impact on his posterity.

Genesis 24:6 - Beware that thou bring not my son thither again. After making his servant swear that he would go find a wife for Isaac from among his own kindred, Abraham freaks out when the servant suggests that he might have to take Isaac back. If it was so important that he marry someone from there, why would it be so bad for him to go there? Is it just because he is trying to act on the covenant that the Lord would give him the land of Canaan? Because don't forget, his grandkids are all going to walk away from the land of Canaan and go to Egypt for 430 years.

Genesis 24:17 - And the servant ran to meet her. After praying to the Lord, and proposing his sign - whoever he asked for water, if she also offered to get some for his camels, she was the one for Isaac, he hangs out far enough away that he has to run (in the desert) to the well to ask her for water. Wouldn't she think that was a bit odd? Some guy has all his camels kneeling down within sight of a well, and himself hanging out with them, but not close enough to get a convenient drink? And would he have ran to ask her if she was not fair?

Genesis 24:30-31 - When he saw the earring and the bracelets...he said, come in, thou blessed of the Lord. Was Laban motivated by a true conviction that the servant was on the Lord's errand or by greed when he noticed the gold? Remember, this is the same Laban who would screw Isaac's son, Jacob, over when he would come to work for him later; he tricked him into marrying Leah first, and he also changed his wages multiple times.