And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1)
Abraham now draws near to the end of his life. The Bible emphasizes his old age by stating that Abraham was not only old but also “well stricken in age.” He lived a very full life, rich in meaning and blessings from God.
Abraham lived a life of faithful obedience to God. As a result of his obedience and faith, he acquired wealth, won military victories, and gained the respect of his neighbors though he was a foreigner among them. He trusted God to provide him with a son, and God blessed him with Isaac, even though he and Sarah were well beyond child-bearing ages.
Yet, in Abraham’s old age, his son is unmarried and without children of his own. So, Abraham resolves to find his son a wife. He plans to be very particular in this process and only trusts one person to help him accomplish it, his oldest servant.
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: (24:2-3)
God chooses not to tell us the name of this trustworthy servant, but many believe it to be Eliezer, who was mentioned in Genesis 15:2 as Abraham’s steward and possible heir if he remained childless.
Abraham asks his servant to swear an oath. It seems to have been a custom in those days that one person would swear an oath by placing his hand under the thigh of the person to whom he was submitting.
Abraham’s request is two-fold: First, he wants the servant to promise that Isaac will not marry a Canaanite woman. Likely, this is why Isaac wasn’t yet married. Abraham and his family were surrounded by idol worshippers. Abraham would never want his son to be under such influence; he wanted a godly woman for his son.
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. (24:4)
Second, Abraham wants his servant to travel back to Abraham’s home country and find Isaac a wife from among his own family. Abraham was married to his half-sister after all. At this time in history, however, this was still very common. The human gene pool was still close enough to the original creation to allow this. Abraham knew there were God-fearing women among his kindred, and he wanted Isaac to marry one of them.
What an excellent example we see of a father desiring what is best for his son! Paul called it being “unequally yoked together” (See 2 Corinthians 6:14-16) and warned against it. There is profound wisdom in marrying a fellow believer. This gives the husband and wife a unifying purpose to love and serve the Lord, and each other.
So, rather than find a local Canaanite woman for Isaac to marry, Abraham charged his servant with traveling back to Haran in Mesopotamia to find a more suitable choice.
And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? (24:5)
Clearly, the servant understands the seriousness of the situation. He doesn’t want to just make an empty promise to his master. He worried about what would happen to him should he be unable to keep the oath. The man can’t force a woman to go with him against her will. He wonders whether he shouldn’t take Isaac with him to help convince the woman. However, Abraham does not want that:
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. (24:6)
Abraham was very passionate in his response. He tells his servant under no circumstances is he to take Isaac to Haran with him. Abraham was firmly planted in Canaan, the land which God had promised him. If God was going to make a great nation of Abraham’s descendants, then everyone needed to stay put.
Abraham is confident, however, that the Lord will help the servant see this through:
The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. (24:7)
Abraham also encourages his servant to keep him from fearing the weight of the oath he is about to take:
And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. (24:8)
Abraham offers this reassurance to his servant, not because he believes the servant won’t find a suitable bride, but because he is a kind and understanding master. Abraham does emphatically state again, though, that Isaac is not to go back to Haran.
With his master’s reassurances, the servant is ready to take the oath: