The Priorities of Covenant
Genesis 23-24; Luke 9
“I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
Genesis 24:3, 4
Why did Abraham send his servant far away on a mission to find a wife for Isaac from among his own relatives?
Why not marry a local Canaanite girl?
Abraham valued covenant relationship with God above all else. God’s covenant with Abraham included provision for raising his children in the ways of the Lord (Genesis 18:19). Abraham was not going to risk this covenant by bringing other gods and worship practices into his family. Paul’s instruction about marriage to other believers in the new covenant is based on the same principle.
Do we value our covenant with God more than any other covenants in our lives?
Are we praying for and counselling our children to keep covenant with God, marrying only those who have covenanted their lives to the Lord?
Abraham found God faithful as he made his family’s covenant with God a priority.
Will we do the same?
“Lord God, thank you for your hand on our family and for the blessing we’ve received by covenant with you. I pray for godly spouses for our children.”