Genesis 24:40
And he told me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house.
And he told me,
This phrase refers to the servant of Abraham recounting the instructions given to him by his master. It highlights the importance of oral tradition and communication in ancient times, where verbal instructions were often the primary means of conveying important messages.

‘The LORD, before whom I have walked,
This phrase emphasizes Abraham's relationship with God, characterized by faith and obedience. Walking before the LORD implies living a life in accordance with God's will, a theme that is central to the narrative of Abraham's life. This relationship is foundational to the covenant promises made to Abraham and his descendants.

will send His angel with you
The mention of an angel signifies divine guidance and protection. In biblical narratives, angels often serve as messengers or agents of God's will. This assurance of angelic accompaniment underscores the belief in God's active involvement in the affairs of His people, a recurring theme throughout Scripture.

and make your journey a success,
Success in this context is attributed to divine intervention rather than human effort alone. This reflects the biblical principle that true success comes from aligning one's actions with God's purposes. The journey's success is crucial for the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham.

so that you may take a wife for my son
The quest for a wife for Isaac is not merely a personal family matter but is integral to the continuation of God's covenant with Abraham. Marriage within the family line ensures the preservation of the covenantal promises and the purity of the chosen lineage.

from my kindred and from my father’s house.
This requirement highlights the importance of maintaining cultural and religious identity through marriage. It reflects the broader biblical theme of separation from surrounding pagan influences to preserve the faith and practices of the covenant community. This directive also foreshadows the later Israelite laws concerning marriage and the avoidance of foreign alliances.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abraham
The patriarch who is speaking in this verse, expressing his faith in God's guidance for finding a wife for his son, Isaac.

2. The LORD
The covenant God of Abraham, who is believed to guide and ensure the success of the mission.

3. The Angel
A divine messenger sent by God to ensure the success of the servant's journey.

4. The Servant
Likely Eliezer, Abraham's trusted servant, tasked with finding a wife for Isaac.

5. Abraham's Clan and Father's House
The family and lineage from which Abraham desires a wife for Isaac, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the covenant lineage.
Teaching Points
Faith in God's Guidance
Abraham's confidence in God's provision serves as a model for trusting God in our own decisions and journeys.

Divine Assistance
The mention of an angel underscores the belief in God's active involvement in the lives of believers, providing guidance and protection.

Covenant Faithfulness
Abraham's insistence on a wife from his own clan highlights the importance of maintaining spiritual and covenantal integrity in relationships.

Obedience and Success
The success of the servant's mission is tied to obedience to God's direction, illustrating the principle that true success comes from following God's will.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Abraham's faith in God's guidance challenge or encourage you in your current life decisions?

2. In what ways can you seek and recognize God's guidance in your daily life, similar to the servant's journey?

3. How does the concept of divine assistance, such as the sending of an angel, impact your understanding of God's involvement in your life?

4. What steps can you take to ensure that your relationships align with your spiritual values and commitments, as seen in Abraham's desire for Isaac's wife?

5. How can you apply the principle of trusting in God's provision and timing in areas where you are seeking success or resolution?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 17:1
This verse connects to Abraham's walk with God, highlighting his faithfulness and God's covenant promise.

Exodus 23:20
Relates to the concept of God sending an angel to guide and protect His people.

Hebrews 11:8-10
Reflects on Abraham's faith and obedience, which is foundational to the account in Genesis 24.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Emphasizes trusting in the Lord for guidance, similar to Abraham's trust in God's provision for Isaac's wife.
Divine GuidanceJ. Irons.Genesis 24:32-49
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 24:32-49
The Marriage TreatyT H. Leale.Genesis 24:32-49
The Unfolding of the Divine PurposeR.A. Redford Genesis 24
People
Abraham, Aram, Bethuel, Canaanites, Isaac, Laban, Milcah, Nahor, Rebekah, Sarah
Places
Beer-lahai-roi, Hebron, Mesopotamia, Nahor, Negeb
Topics
Angel, Clan, Family, Father's, Habitually, Hast, Journey, Kept, Kindred, Mayest, Messenger, Possible, Prosper, Prospered, Relations, Relatives, Success, Successful, Walk, Walked, Wife
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 24:40

     4111   angels, servants
     4140   angel of the Lord
     5681   family, nature of

Genesis 24:12-51

     5695   girls

Genesis 24:28-60

     5737   sisters

Genesis 24:34-41

     5671   clan

Genesis 24:37-41

     5430   oaths, human

Library
Guidance in the Way
'I being in the way, the Lord led me.'--GENESIS xxiv. 27. So said Abraham's anonymous servant when telling how he had found Rebekah at the well, and known her to be the destined bride of his master's servant. There is no more beautiful page, even amongst the many lovely ones in these ancient stories, than this domestic idyll of the mission of the faithful servant from far Canaan across the desert. The homely test by which he would determine that the maiden should be pointed out to him, the glimpse
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

No Compromise
The faithful servant of Abraham, before he started, communed with his master; and this is a lesson to us, who go on our Lord's errands. Let us, before we engage in actual service, see the Master's face, talk with him, and tell to him any difficulties which occur to our minds. Before we get to work, let us know what we are at, and on what footing we stand. Let us hear from our Lord's own mouth what he expects us to do, and how far he will help us in the doing of it. I charge you, my fellow-servants,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

If, Therefore, Even they who are United in Marriage Only for the Purpose Of...
22. If, therefore, even they who are united in marriage only for the purpose of begetting, for which purpose marriage was instituted, are not compared with the Fathers, seeking their very sons in a way far other than do these; forasmuch as Abraham, being bidden to slay his son, fearless and devoted, spared not his only son, whom from out of great despair he had received [1997] save that he laid down his hand, when He forbade him, at Whose command he had lifted it up; it remains that we consider,
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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