Abraham was old, yet
potent. Through Keturah he sired other children, but he was always limited to one
child through Sarah. Infertility of that great couple clearly lay with her not
him.
She knew it was so as she
had no doubt that Hagar could produce an heir from him. It reflects her deep
sadness and the cry of every heart that loves God but remains spiritually unfulfilled.
Most of us have been
there. It is tough to have so much stirring in our hearts, with no outlet, no
release from the agony of a heart that breaks for a richer walk with Him.
It is also a
reflection of the agony of heaven. “Rejoice thou barren that bears not”, in Galatians
4:27, describes how the mother above us all, heaven, yearns for children and an
outworking of the cumulative years taken to bring us into the grace in which we
now stand.
Further, Abraham’s potency
was not enough. His wife had to be a part of it. That alludes to a precious
idea, that no matter how potent Jesus is, He will never see the outworking of
God’s promises except through His bride, the church.
Abraham reached 175 and then lay down one last
time
He breathed his last
to end a golden era as one of the giants of history. He left a string of
children, but sent them away so that his inheritance could fall to Isaac alone.
His other son, Ishmael
lived for a mere 137 years and also sired many descendants.
Anyway, before any of
that happened, and before they laid Abraham alongside his beloved Sarah, in the
cave of Machpelah, Abraham set things in order.
The narrative skirts
the crux, that Isaac was not exactly a strong soul. Indeed, we know from his
bias towards Esau, that he was capable of short-sighted and reckless decisions
about the legacy of his father and the blessings endowed on him.
Clearly Abraham knew
that Isaac was impressionable, so he removed all the influences of his other
children and also prevented him from going back to Haran to find a wife.
Instead he sent his most trusty servant. Later God also forbade him to go to
Egypt.
Eliezer is a mystery
The 318 souls that fought
with Abraham against the 9 kings, reconcile to the numeric value of Eliezer’s
name, which is more than coincidence. They were probably all his family. Yet Eliezer was unquestioningly loyal to Abraham.
It’s a mystery, but God
evidently reserves helps for the heirs of salvation, who quietly guide the sons
of promise along the treacherous road to their destinies.
Abraham made Eliezer solemnly
swear to the task of bringing back the right wife for his son. His language
implied a need to balance a weak son with an able, Godly woman.
Eliezer then took the
trade route along the sea to Haran, in search of a bride worthy of his master,
more than just for Isaac. He prayed that God would help him do the right thing,
revealing the noble heart of a Godly servant.
On reaching Haran, Eliezer set a test before
God
He believed that the
right woman would be gracious and servant-hearted too, especially to a stranger.
Her grace to him and his animals, proved her worthy heart. How many souls has
God set apart based on such hints of deeper character?
Her name means “bound”,
which was her prophetic destiny, for she stayed loyal to Isaac and Abraham’s
legacy against great odds, as a truly great woman.
The grandson of Nahor,
her brother Laban, would take the stage again in the drama surrounding Jacob’s
life. Thus we know in advance that he was a manipulative man, who also tried to
delay her departure, but Eliezer saw through him and stood his ground.
The next picture was
of Rebekah entering the fields of Isaac, veiled in anticipation of her
betrothal. It is a beautiful picture of a church betrothed to Jesus, but as
such, Eliezer is also a delightful picture of the Holy Spirit who goes into the
world to bring us home to our Lord.
The fateful birth of Rebekah’s twin sons
As twins can be born in
two years, two centuries or two millennia, by dint of the moments that separate
them, so the destinies of the twins played like a Shakespearean drama.
Esau’s notably hairy and
reddish hand emerged before anyone was born and he was duly denoted the
firstborn, a very distinction in Jewish tradition for the firstborn was always
the rightful heir. As such, they bound his hand in a red cloth, called Edom.
Yet, Jacob was
actually the first child delivered. Fate hung on such a knife-edge and set the
two on divergent courses. Jacob, the reflective, spiritual boy, sat at the feet
of his courageous mother and towering grandfather to acquire his spiritual
priorities.
Esau went hunting with
his not-so-diligent father, where the two found mutual solace in their carnal
indifference. It set far reaching events in motion.
The catalyst for that was
the moment when Esau traded his birthright, as marginal as it was, for a bowl
of stew. Jacob was shrewd enough to dispossess his oafish brother, because he
sensed what really mattered and was willing to fight for it.
Isaac found his own way
He went to Gerar to
stay with his father’s old friend, Abimelech, but like Abraham, passed off his
wife as his sister. He wasn’t discrete enough and the king saw them making
love, which maddened him. As such, a death sentence hung over any man daring to
touch her.
Well, from then on,
Isaac prospered. He had some challenges digging wells for his livestock, thanks
to the “Philistines”, who made their first appearance in scripture. Eventually
he settled at Rehoboth, meaning “a broad place”.
I pray that you too
will reach a broad place with God, that He will extend your horizons and lift
you up from the narrow straights where your greatest lessons are learned.
(c) Peter Missing at Bethelstone.com
