Читать книгу Blessed to Bless - Tim Sean Youmans - Страница 26
ОглавлениеIsaac Marries His Cousin Rebekah
Read Genesis chapter 24.
Sarah dies. Notice that Abraham is very careful to offer money to the tribe occupying that territory for the spot where he will bury Sarah—Machpelah. This will come up again at future points.
It is from this point that you begin to notice an ever-increasing delineation of tribal lines. Abraham sends Isaac’s servant to find him a wife, but not from the tribe of the Canaanites (Remember “Cursed be Canaan”? Noah cursed his grandson Canaan a few generations prior in Genesis 9:24–27). There obviously was some cultural tension between Abraham’s descendants and Canaan’s. Be looking for it. And notice Isaac is marrying his first cousin. That is how important it was at this point to marry within one’s own culture.
Isaac’s servant will choose a woman who not only offers him water but also offers water to his camels. It is a practical sign more than a mystical sign. He wants a woman who will help Isaac take care of his tribal responsibilities. You will see in future stories that going to the water well at the end of the day was a good time to meet the women of the tribe. Women were sent to the well at twilight to get enough water to last the evening. Back then, you went to the well to “meet girls.”
Note: When making a covenant, they grasp under the thigh. Why? The most likely answer is this was a way of showing submission to one who had authority over you.
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1. Families sometimes have unspoken rules about who you are allowed to marry. Sometimes those attitudes are not unspoken. Do you sense there are rules about that in your extended family? You might even pose the question to people in your family? Often these restrictions are soft (present but not overtly expressed), things like religion, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic background, vocation. Sometimes it is even an assiciation with a sports team. To what degree are these distinctions important when choosing a spouse?
