Gen.24:3

Vs.3- “And I will make thee swear”- There are two types of communication that enter people’s minds when we use the word swear.  1.)  People think of cussing or curse words.  The Bible does condemn wicked and corrupt communication.  2.)  People think of making an oath.  To swear means to affirm or utter a solemn declaration, with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed.  There has been much controversy and confusion over the issue of swearing in the Bible.  The question has been asked if swearing is allowed in the Bible.  Jesus said in Matt.5:33-37 that we are not to swear at all.  In Matt.23:16-23 Jesus again condemns swearing.  James 5:12 also tells us that we should not swear.  But, on the contrary, scriptures such as Heb.6:16, Number 30:2, Acts 21:23, and others seem to speak positively of swearing.  Abraham is causing his servant to swear in this passage, Paul took an oath, and God himself swore and made oaths with His people.  Many Christians ask questions such as, “Can I swear under oath in the court of law to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  Can I make a vow to my spouse on the wedding altar?”  As with many issues in the Bible there is a right way to do things and a wrong way.  In the Bible we find godly wisdom and worldy wisdom, we find godly repentance and worldly repentance, we find saving faith and empty faith.  The issue of swearing is no different.  There are basically two types of swearing when it comes to making an oath.  A.)  One is an oath before God that you will perform an action.  This is what a person does when they make their marriage vows.  They are vowing before God that they will stay married for richer or poorer, in sickness of in health, etc.  God expects us to keep our vows to Him!  The Bible makes it clear that it is better not to promise at all then to promise and not keep your vows.  B.)  The other type of oath is where someone is calling on a power higher than themselves to testify with them that they are telling the truth.  Like when someone says something silly like, “I swear on a stack of Bibles that I am telling you the truth.”  Jesus condemned this practice of the Pharisees.  Jesus told them not to swear by God, his throne, the altar, or the temple, etc.  The Pharisees also had a funny way of wiggling themselves out of oaths.  Jesus is condemning their hypocrisy in swearing in Mat.23.  Basically, it is not wrong to go down to an altar and make a commitment to God to be a better husband, or soul-winner (as long as you keep your commitment.)  It is however, wrong to invoke holy things and the name of God in rash frivolous matters. 

“ by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth,”- Abraham has his servant swear by the Lord because there is no greater name to swear by.  Heb.6:13 tells us that God swore to Abraham by His own name because He could swear by no greater.  When you make an oath the idea is that you are making an appeal to a higher power that will hold you responsible.  When you swear by God or to God you are attesting that God will hold you responsible for the oath that you have made. 

Three attributes of God are alluded to in this verse.  Abraham is admitting to God’s greatness, superiority, and he appeals to God as one greater in an oath by these three attributes.    1.)   He is the LORD.  When you see the word LORD in all caps it is the Hebrew word JEHOVAH.  Jehovah means self-existent or eternal.  Everything exists because of God.  I was created in the image of God and it’s by him that I live, and breathe, and have my being.  Everything we see around us is upheld by the word of God’s power.  He is the glue that holds it all together.  Jehovah is the cause of all existence.  There is not anyone, anything, or any event that created God.  God is eternal and self-existent.  It is hard for us to comprehend an eternal God.  We can comprehend an eternal future, but it is difficult to comprehend an eternal past.  We, as humans, are eternal beings and will live forever; but we all had a beginning.  God is from eternity past to eternity future.  He had no beginning and He will have no end.  Abraham said that he wanted his servant to swear by the self-existent, eternal One.  Why?  Because he always has been and always will be and He will never change!  You and I may sign a document and make an agreement that is subject to change, but when you swear by the Lord you are making an agreement based on a factor (God) that will never change.  2.) The God of heaven.  The word for God is Elohim which simply means “God” or “Deity.”  This tells of his position as the ruler and king of the kingdom of heaven.  In the third heaven, where the angels, seraphims, cherubims, the four and twenty elders, and the redeemed of all ages dwell, God is sitting upon His throne and rules as the sovereign majesty of the blessed kingdom in glory.  3.)  The God of Earth.  God is not just ruling in heaven, but His providence reaches to the earth also.  The Lord executes judgment, justice, and mercy upon earth.  The earth receives the bounty and blessing from its Creator.    

“ that, thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:”- The servant was to promise Abraham that he wouldn’t take a wife for his son Isaac from the Canaanites.  Two questions come to my mind from this statement.  1.)  Why could Isaac not choose a wife for himself?  Isaac was 40 years old at this time.  Was he not old enough to choose a wife for himself?  His brother Esau had chosen his own wives.  I believe there are possible two answers to this question.  A.)  Isaac was the chosen seed.  He was the miracle child that God’s nation, Israel, was to come from.  He was also the seed line of Christ.  It was of the utmost importance that he marry right.  B.)  Because he was the miracle child and the one through which the blessing would flow, it may be that Abraham did not want him to leave the Promised Land.  2.)  Why could Isaac not marry a Canaanite woman?  There are two answers that are really one and then a third answer.  A.)  The Canaanites had been cursed by God.  The Israelite nation was to come through the posterity of Isaac.  The blessed seed of Israel was not to mix with the cursed seed of Canaan.  This does not mean that God is a racist or that God doesn’t love everybody.  The children of Israel were not to intermarry with the heathen because they were a chosen people.  B.)  The seed line of Christ was not to be mixed with the cursed line of the Canaanites.  One of the main reasons that the Jews were not to intermarry was because through them the Messiah would come.  Although, interestingly enough, there are Gentiles in the seed line of Christ!  This was no mistake, but part of the providence and plan of God.  C.)  The Canaanites were cursed for a reason.  They were sacrificing their children to Molech by burning them alive on altars.  They were committing lewd and detestable sexual acts that went against nature.  The cup of the iniquity of the Amorites was about to be full and God would tell the children of Israel to completely wipe out these people for their gross sin.  God told the children of Israel not to intermarry because they would become involved with the pagan worship and idolatry of the Canaanites around them.  This took place in the life of King Solomon who clave to many strange gods because of his many foreign wives.  Isaac was not to marry a pagan, idolatrous woman.  He was to marry a woman who knew Jehovah God.

 

One-Line Explanation:  Abraham causes his servant to swear by God that he will not get a Canaanite wife for his son, Isaac.

 

Lesson:  1.) It is important that we keep our commitments that we make to God.  God will hold us accountable for what we say.  Let us be careful not to make rash vows.  It is smart not to make many vows at all.  When you do make a vow, then you need to take it seriously.  Husbands and wives need to take their marriage vows seriously; preachers that vowed to serve God faithfully need to take that vow seriously; laymen that made a promise at an altar to serve God faithfully need to take their vows seriously.  2.)  God is self-existent and eternal.  He holds all things together, therefore, we should not worry about tomorrow.  Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.  God is in control of all things and He will take care of His own.  We need to stop worrying so much and just trust our heavenly Father.  3.)  Isaac was not to marry a heathen woman.  The New Testament principle is that we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  Young people need to be diligent and prayerful about finding a spouse that is saved and serving God.  A saved young person has no business dating someone or marrying someone who is not saved.  They may have the tag of Christian but that does not mean they are a Christian.  A Baptist that believes in salvation by grace through faith should not date and/or marry a Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Church of Christ, Catholic, Pentecostal, etc.  If you are already unequally yoked then there are principles in 1 Cor.7 that help you to know what to do or how to behave while being married to an unbeliever.  The single Christian should not seek to be married to a Canaanite!  You may have a weird idea that you can change them, but the odds are against you.  Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived and he penned scripture, yet ungodly wives turned his heart away from God.  You are not smarter than Solomon!  Stay away from the Canaanite woman and marry an equal yoke.  Your life will be so much happier if you will follow God’s teaching.

 

Where is Jesus?- 1.)  Jesus Christ is Jehovah God!  Jesus Christ is Elohim!  Jesus is not a god, He is the God.  Jesus is the creator and sustainer of all things.  All things are upheld by the word of His power.  All things were created by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.  Jesus is the self-existent one.  Jesus is God in the flesh.    2.)  Jesus is pictured by Isaac.  Jesus is the Son who receives a bride.  Jesus bride does not consist of those that reject God (The Canaanite).  Jesus bride is made up of believers.  If you have trusted Christ as your Saviour then you are part of the bride of Christ.  The popular teaching is that everyone will go to heaven, but the reality is that only those who make up the bride of Christ will be brought into the groom’s chamber (heaven.)  Are you a part of the bride or are you still a Canaanite?