by Gerlinda

This is a beautiful love story.

The Characters in this True story are:

Abraham: In his old age still loved and did all that was right before the Lord God Almighty who called him out of the Land of Ur and who had blessed him richly. His concern was that his son not marry of the unrighteous Canaanites among whom he lived.

His Servant: Loved Abraham, his master and the God that his master served.

Isaac: The son of Abraham, reared in all the ways of Abraham who followed the One True God.

Laban: The Nephew of Abraham

Rebekka: The Sister of Laban

So concerned was Abraham to keep the Word of His God that he called his eldest servant to him to make him promise to not let his son Isaac marry from among the Canaanites. And to seal that promise, he was to put his hand under Abraham's hip and swear to keep his word.

The servant takes off for the Land where Abraham's brother lived, taking many camels and men with him on the journey.

The Servant put a fleece out to the LORD God of Abraham saying that when he got there and was at the well where the young unmarried women came to draw water, the one he would ask for some water would do so and also say that she would draw water for the camels.

Immediately, Rebekah came to draw water; when asked by the servant if she would give him some water, she did and also volunteered to draw water for the camels. God will honor a fleece put out in this manner of seeking His will. For that answer, the Servant bowed his head and worshipped the LORD.

All the formalities behind them, Rebekah agreed to marry the son of Abraham, sight unseen. At the journey's end, Isaac was out walking in the evening and saw the camels as they neared home. Rebekah saw Isaac, jumped off her camel, put on her veil around her face and went out to greet him.

Isaac took her as his wife and loved her very much. Everything was done according to God's Will and plan and they all worshipped the Lord through-out their lives.

Laban, the nephew will become a part of another story where Abraham sends his men to rescue Laban from attack from outside tribes. Laban's son is the one we know as Lot, who himself was rescued from Sodom.

The point I want to make in this summary is that too many of the people who claim to read their Bibles do not seem to understand how serious it was for God's people to not marry among the Canaanites and other "ites". Why?

Because they bore the bloodline of Lucifer, which began when the Mother of all humanity Eve, was seduced by Lucifer and she bore Cain.

I believe the mandate given to not be unequally yoked (married) to someone in this manner holds true down through the centuries. The blood-lines follow. One will want to serve the True God Almighty...the other's heart is not with Almighty God but on all the other gods that feed this worldly system. It is a choice given to us all to make.

Now, the question of why the hand was placed under the Thigh;

Question: "Why did oaths involve putting a hand under someone's thigh (Genesis 24:9)?"

Answer: In our culture, taking an oath usually involves raising the right hand or placing a hand over the heart or on a Bible. In ancient Hebrew culture, we find something a little different. Genesis 24:9 describes an odd practice that involved Abraham’s servant swearing to obey his master’s command to find a wife for Isaac: “So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.” In Genesis 47:29, Jacob makes his son Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, not Egypt. The same ritual is observed: Joseph is required to put his hand under Jacob’s thigh as he makes the promise. It seems strange to us, but placing one’s hand under someone else’s thigh had a symbolic purpose.

In both cases, the request is made by a patriarch nearing death. Also, both oaths deal with family matters. In the case of Abraham and Jacob, the family was blessed by God Himself (Genesis 15:5; 28:14).

The thigh was considered the source of posterity in the ancient world. Or, more properly, the “loins” or the *********. The phrase “under the thigh” could be a euphemism for “on the loins.” There are two reasons why someone would take an oath in this manner: 1) Abraham had been promised a “seed” by God, and this covenantal blessing was passed on to his son and grandson. Abraham made his trusted servant swear “on the seed of Abraham” that he would find a wife for Isaac. 2) Abraham had received circumcision as the sign of the covenant (Genesis 17:10). Our custom is to swear on a Bible; the Hebrew custom was to swear on circumcision, the mark of God’s covenant. The idea of swearing on one’s loins is found in other cultures, as well. The English word testify is directly related to the word *********.

http://www.gotquestions.org/hand-under-thigh.html

Disclaimer: Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum, ( http://www.rapturebibleprophecyforum.com ) does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site. We do however, encourage a healthy and friendly debate on the issues of our day. Whether you agree or disagree, we encourage you to post your feedback by using the reply button.