Genesis 22:1-24:67

After involuntarily losing a child, I can NOT imagine the pain in Abe's heart knowing that to be obedient he was to sacrifice his child.  His only son.  In my over-active imagination, I can picture Sarah kneeling on the floor, arms wrapped around herself and weeping, sobbing, a keening cry.  [bawling, bewailing, howling, lamenting, mourning, shedding tears, sobbing, sorrowing, tears, wailing, weeping, yowling]

I always imagined Isaac at about 5-7, someone wise told me he was believed to be 12-13.  Either way, he had to be terrified when his father bound him and placed him on the alter.  Abe had the knife held over him when the angel spoke and revealed the sacrificial ram in the bushes.  Isaac's cheeks could not have been dry.  [ok - the sick cynic in me also hears the sound effects from Psycho - e-e-e-e-] The sacrificial lamb - to save his son.  Hmmm...

Imagine Sarah's overwhelming joy to see her only son return - ALIVE!!!  He was there to touch, hold, see, smell...he was alive!

Abe then bargained to buy a cave and field to bury his dead. It does matter where you bury a loved one - especially when you are in an area where you are a 'stranger and an alien.'  Abe loved Sarah and wanted her buried with dignity and respect.

When Abe was old (as if 100 wasn't old in the first place!) he made his servant promise to find a wife for Isaac that wasn't from Canaan, but from the land of their ancestors.  The servant went out with gifts and then set a 'sign' to show him the right girl.  I don't know what I think about 'signs.'  When I hear other people talk about watching for a 'sign' from God, I am leary.  When I hear someone talk about all the signs that lead them to a certain place in life, I don't really believe them.  I think 'signs' are personal in nature and are likely used still by God, but there is so much corruption that we have to be careful who we believe and exactly how the signs are interpreted.  (I have a personal 'sign' story that I will post later.)

The servant met Rebecca - Abraham's great niece (if I calculated correctly) - everyone respected the servant's tale and the fact that it was of the Lord.  My favorite verse I think is 24:67 67 "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."