Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh, and I will have you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live, but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:2-4 HCSB
I have two sons and two daughters. All are married and live in the middle Tennessee area. It would have been tempting to select the husband or wife for each of my children, but I probably would not have selected the right person. I could not be more pleased with the spouses my children have selected. From the day each of my children were born I prayed that they would come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and that God would provide them with a Christian spouse. God has graciously answered my prayers.
In our culture courtship and marriage is a personal relationship that develops between the bride and groom. In Abraham’s time it was common and acceptable for the son’s wife to be chosen by his parents. They would select a girl for their son to marry and then make a payment to the father of the girl for her to become their son’s wife. It was common for a girl to marry in her early teens. Abraham wanted a wife for his son that was not a Canaanite but was from his own tribe. She was not to be forced into the marriage but would willingly enter into the relationship. Abraham knew this was an important decision and because he was too old to travel to his homeland to find a suitable wife for his son, he entrusted that important task to his household manager who was to be led by God to the right person for Isaac.
Challenge: If single, pray for God to lead you to the right person to marry. If married, thank God for your spouse. If you have children and grandchildren, pray for God to direct them to a Christian spouse to marry. Pray for Spirit-filled marriages for your friends, relatives, and neighbors.