This section of scripture was definitely full of stories. Sarah dies. Abraham looks for a wife for Isaac. Abraham dies. Jacob and Esau are born. Isaac and Abimelech make a peace treaty.
May it be that when I say to a girl, Please let down your jar that I may have a drink, and she says, Drink, and I'll water your camels too -- let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master. Genesis 24:14
Footnote: Was it right for Abraham's servant to ask God for such a specific sign? The sign he requested was only slightly out of the ordinary. The hospitality of the day required women at the well to offer water to weary travelers, but not to their animals. Eliezer was simply asking God to show him a woman with an attitude of service -- someone who would go beyond the expected. An offer to water his camels would indicate that kind of attitude. Eliezer did not ask for a woman with looks or wealth. He knew the importance of having the right heart, and he asked God to help him with his task.
Rebekah had physical beauty, but the servant was looking for a sign of inner beauty. Appearance is important to us, and we spend time and money improving it. But how much effort do we put into developing our inner beauty? Patience, kindness, and joy are the beauty treatments that help us become truly lovely -- on the inside.
What is a birthright?
Footnote: A birthright was a special honor given to the firstborn son. It included a double portion of the family inheritance along with the honor of one day becoming the family's leader. The oldest son could sell his birthright or give it away if he chose, but in so doing, he would lose both material goods and his leadership position. By trading his birthright, Esau showed complete disregard for the spiritual blessings that would have come his way if he had kept it. In effect, Esau "despised" his birthright.
Esau traded the lasting benefits of his birthright for the immediate pleasure of food. He acted on impulse, satisfying his immediate desires without pausing to consider the long-range consequences of what he was about to do. We can fall into the same trap. When we see something we want, our first impulse is to get it. At first we feel intensely satisfied and sometimes even powerful because we have obtained what we set out to get. But immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future. We can avoid making Esau's mistake by comparing the short-term satisfaction with its long-range consequences before we act.
Did you find anything interesting in your reading and studying of God's Word?
Keep reading -- 357 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV.
No comments:
Post a Comment