"Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac." Genesis 24:3-4
My sister, Mary Claire, is one of my best friends. We are different in some ways, but in a lot of ways, we are very similar. Often, we find ourselves accidentally dressed alike or saying the exact same thing at the same time. This is because we spend a lot of time together.
As you know, we become like the people we surround ourselves with. This is true for everyone, and it is especially important for those who are single to think about when they decide who they will date and potentially marry. As we consider the impact that people we surround ourselves have on us, we are going to read Genesis 24:1-14 and read about the importance of choosing people of character to date, marry, and spend time with.
At the beginning of Genesis 24, Abraham calls on his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. "Swear by the Lord," Abraham said, "that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife for my son Isaac" (verses 3 and 4). By saying this, Abraham was acknowledging that the character of the woman who would marry his son was extremely important. He did not want just anyone to marry Isaac. He wanted a woman of character, and he knew that his homeland was the right place to look for Isaac's wife. You see, the people of Canaan, who Abraham was currently surrounded by, were wicked people and living lives apart from God. Abraham did not want Isaac to marry any of these women. As a result, Abraham's servant went to Abraham's homeland to find a wife for Isaac, where Abraham believed that he would be able to find a woman of character who honored God.
Standing beside a well, this servant prayed to God, asking for favor and success in his mission to find a wife for Isaac. In his prayer, he confided in God that he was going to ask one of the women there for a drink of water. If she gave him water and offered to draw enough water for all of his camels, too, he would know that this was the woman suitable to marry Isaac. You see, by offering this servant water for his camels, she would be demonstrating her character by showing kindness and willingness to do much more than was asked of her.
At a glance, determining who we date or allow into our spheres of influences may not seem like a big deal, but let me assure you, my friend, that it matters. We must be sure that the people who hold the most influence in our lives are people of character who strive to help you live a life that honors God. Choose wisely who you surround yourself with.
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are you spending time with people who have a positive impact on your life? If you are single, are you dating or looking to date people of character who love God more than anything else? If you are single, make a list of the character traits you are looking for in a future spouse. If you are married, think about your other relationships and friendships. Make a list of the character traits you are looking for in all of your relationships. Do you have people in your life who encourage you and encourage you in your relationship with God? If not, pray for and seek out those people.
Read Genesis 24:1-14(NLT)
Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.
“O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
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