The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'--He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there. The LORD, the God of heavenThis phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and supremacy of God. In Hebrew, "LORD" is "YHWH," the personal name of God, signifying His eternal presence and covenant faithfulness. "God of heaven" underscores His dominion over all creation, contrasting with the localized deities of surrounding cultures. This title reassures the reader of God's ultimate authority and His ability to fulfill His promises. who brought me from my father's house and my native land
This reflects Abraham's journey of faith, leaving Ur of the Chaldeans as recorded in Genesis 12:1. The Hebrew verb "brought" (הוֹצִיא, "hotsi") implies a purposeful action by God, highlighting His guidance and providence. Abraham's departure from his homeland symbolizes a break from idolatry and a commitment to God's call, setting a precedent for future acts of faith. who spoke to me and promised me on oath
God's communication with Abraham is foundational to the Abrahamic covenant. The Hebrew word for "spoke" (דִּבֶּר, "diber") indicates a direct and personal revelation. The "oath" (שְׁבוּעָה, "shevu'ah") signifies a solemn promise, underscoring the certainty and seriousness of God's commitment. This divine promise is central to the narrative of Genesis, affirming God's faithfulness. 'To your offspring I will give this land'
This promise is a reiteration of the covenant made in Genesis 12:7 and 15:18. The term "offspring" (זֶרַע, "zera") can mean seed or descendants, pointing to both immediate and future fulfillment, including the nation of Israel and ultimately, through faith, all believers. "This land" refers to Canaan, a tangible symbol of God's promise and a foreshadowing of the eternal inheritance for God's people. He will send His angel before you
The mention of "His angel" (מַלְאָכוֹ, "mal'akho") suggests divine intervention and guidance. In the Old Testament, angels often serve as messengers or agents of God's will. This assurance of angelic presence emphasizes God's active role in fulfilling His promises and guiding His people, providing comfort and confidence in the unfolding of His plan. so that you can get a wife for my son from there
This task is part of God's covenantal plan, ensuring that Isaac's wife would come from Abraham's kin, preserving the purity of the covenant line. The phrase underscores the importance of marriage in God's redemptive history, as it would lead to the continuation of the promise through Isaac's descendants. It highlights the providential care of God in the details of life, orchestrating events to fulfill His purposes. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-keeping God of Abraham, who guides and fulfills His promises. 2. AbrahamThe patriarch who is speaking in this verse, recalling God's promises and guidance. 3. IsaacAbraham's son, for whom a wife is being sought. 4. The Angel of the LORDA divine messenger sent by God to ensure the success of Abraham's servant's mission. 5. Abraham's HomelandThe land from which Abraham was called by God, representing his past and God's faithfulness. Teaching Points Faith in God's PromisesAbraham's confidence in God's promise serves as a model for believers to trust in God's faithfulness and guidance in their own lives. Divine GuidanceThe sending of God's angel illustrates the importance of seeking and relying on divine guidance in making significant life decisions. Covenant RelationshipAbraham's relationship with God is based on a covenant, reminding believers of the importance of maintaining a covenant relationship with God through faith and obedience. Legacy of FaithAbraham's actions are motivated by a desire to secure a godly legacy for his son, encouraging believers to consider the spiritual legacy they are leaving for future generations. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Abraham's faith in God's promises in Genesis 24:7 inspire you to trust God in your own life circumstances? 2. In what ways can you seek God's guidance, similar to how Abraham expected divine intervention for his servant's mission? 3. How does understanding the covenant relationship between God and Abraham deepen your appreciation for your own relationship with God? 4. What steps can you take to ensure that you are leaving a godly legacy for the next generation, as Abraham sought to do for Isaac? 5. How do the connections between Genesis 24:7 and other scriptures enhance your understanding of God's faithfulness throughout the Bible? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 12:1-3This passage details God's initial call and promise to Abraham, which is referenced in Genesis 24:7 as the foundation of Abraham's faith and actions. Hebrews 11:8-10This New Testament passage highlights Abraham's faith in God's promises, connecting to his trust in God's guidance in Genesis 24:7. Exodus 23:20This verse speaks of God sending an angel before the Israelites, similar to the angelic guidance promised to Abraham's servant. Matthew 1:1-2The genealogy of Jesus traces back to Abraham, showing the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to Abraham's offspring. People Abraham, Aram, Bethuel, Canaanites, Isaac, Laban, Milcah, Nahor, Rebekah, SarahPlaces Beer-lahai-roi, Hebron, Mesopotamia, Nahor, NegebTopics Angel, Birth, Descendants, Father's, Hast, Heaven, Heavens, Household, Kindred, Mayest, Messenger, Native, Nativity, Oath, Offspring, Promised, Saying, Seed, Spake, Spoke, Spoken, Sware, Swore, Sworn, Thence, WifeDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 24:7 2203 Christ, titles of
4111 angels, servants
4140 angel of the Lord
4207 land, divine gift
5078 Abraham, significance
5431 oaths, divine
5523 servants, good
7258 promised land, early history Genesis 24:1-9 5076 Abraham, life of
5681 family, nature of Genesis 24:3-9 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 ScriptureNo 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 Links Genesis 24:7 NIVGenesis 24:7 NLTGenesis 24:7 ESVGenesis 24:7 NASBGenesis 24:7 KJV
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