In the previous article, I shared the lessons we can learn in facing the reality of death based on Abraham's experience of losing his wife. In this post, based on Genesis 24, our attention will shift from a death narrative to a wedding story. It is interesting to observe the life of Abraham the transition from death to marriage. As already mentioned in the last article, newly married couples should have a realistic view of marriage, that it is not forever, and that there will come a time of separation. But such separation is only temporary for a great reunion in the next life.
So death and life are important themes in the two chapters under study. As the death of Sarah ended in her burial, life here was inaugurated through the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. And the central person that made this wonderful marriage come to fulfillment was a richly blessed old man, Abraham.
We read in our text:
Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
God blessed Abraham because of the covenant. The blessing of God touched his whole life: spiritual and material. It is just unfortunate these days that many Christians either spiritualize or materialize the blessing of God; they separate the two, which God wills to be one.
I believe with Apostle Paul that God has already richly blessed Christians in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). But such spiritual blessing to be real must penetrate our entire life: a loving relationship with God, a peaceful relationship with yourself, a persevering relationship with each other, and faithful stewardship of material things.
In this article, we will see insights from Abraham's life when he was already old and well advanced in years. Let these insights be our prayer as we age.
Let us notice here how Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, described the blessing of God upon the life of his master. He said in verse 35:
The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys.
And then in verse 47, Eliezer said that he put the ring and bracelets on Rebekah. And then when Eliezer heard that Laban and Bethuel agreed to give Rebekah to be Isaac's wife, "he brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and her mother" (v. 53).
These verses describe the extent of Abraham's wealth. Reading this story, caused me to realize that wedding during those times was very expensive. The father must be rich to be able to give gifts to the relatives of the bride of his son.
Reflecting on this story and relating it to our time, it is unfortunate that the dominant culture perceives aging as something to be sorry for in your life. Aging is usually associated with a life of helplessness, powerlessness, poverty, and want.
It is my prayer that this will not happen to any of you. The Bible describes a different worldview. If we just follow what the Bible says, we will see people who age, who gained a lot of experience and wisdom who will be imparting such wisdom to the next generation. I pray that the readers of this article will be counted among those whom God has richly blessed as you age.
As already mentioned, this chapter is about a wedding story. Abraham's request to his servant Eliezer was to find a wife for his son, Isaac. This shows Abraham's concern for the continuity of the covenant and the welfare of his son.
As parents, naturally, we love our children. And the greatest gift we can pass on to them is the fear of the Lord, faith in God. It is a sad thing to see that a father can pass his wealth to his children, but not his faith in the living God. The greatest wealth parents can leave to their children is the gospel; that will be your legacy, and your children perhaps while young may not appreciate its significance, but in God's perfect time, they will see how much you love them by doing your best to explain and to demonstrate to them the reality of the love of God.
In verse 56, the Lord has answered Abraham's final wish for his son. God granted success to Eliezer's journey. Finally, Isaac had a wife.
And so with the arrival of Rebekah, Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. With the presence of love of Rebekah, he soon forgot his sorrow.
Yes, as parents, we long to see the best for our children. However, our heart's desire must go beyond the welfare of our children. For there is also this danger to making idols out of our children, that we always think of them, and forget to focus on our love for the Lord.
Again, the words of the psalmist remind us:
Whom have I in heaven, but you? Earth has nothing I desire besides you.
This should be our ultimate desire as we age, and I believe that God will be pleased with such desire and he will satisfy it.
In Psalm 37: 4, David said:
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Many have misinterpreted this verse thinking that if you pray to the Lord, go to Prayer Mountain, fast, and faithfully attend all the services in the church, whatever you wish even though it is selfish, will be given by the Lord. If you want a house and lot, pray! If you want 1 million dollars, pray! If you want to marry a rich husband, pray!
Many have used this verse in selfish ways. They failed to recognize that it is the word of God, and no one has the right to manipulate the word of God to obtain their selfish desire. It is right to pray. It is also right to fast and to be faithful in worshipping God. However, it is not right to use these means to achieve our ends.
If you truly delight yourself in the Lord, all your self-centered desires will be changed. They will transform into God-centered desires, and foremost among them is the desire to be with God. And that is why it is promised that those who delight themselves in the Lord, their hearts' desires will be granted.
I believe Abraham's desires are not self-centered, but God-centered. And that is also my prayer for all of you, that as you age the Lord will grant the desire of your heart.
We see Abraham as he aged, he lived a life of fullness because of God's blessing. I do pray that God too will richly bless you as you age, and not only you, but also your children as well, and that he will grant the desires of your heart.
