1. Introduction
a) Coming down to the last acts of Abraham's life
b) Will begin to pick up on Isaac and Jacob, whose name will be changed to Israel by God
c) Abraham is living with his family in Canaan
i) This is before it will become the promised land
ii) Surrounded by people who worship idols
2. The importance of marriage in the covenant (eternal marriage)
a) At the beginning of Genesis 24, we find that "Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1)
b) Isaac is not married
c) Abraham calls "his eldest servant that ruled over all that he had" (Genesis 24:2)
i) This is the servant, likely named Eliezer (see Genesis 15:2-3), manages all of Abraham's considerable flocks, herds, etc.
(1) Analogous to the position that Joseph held for Pharaoh in Egypt
d) Abraham has his servant make a solemn oath to him
i) Note that Joseph Smith translated thigh as "hand"
ii) Reading 1 – Genesis 24:3-9
3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 ¶ The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
iii) Abraham understands the vital importance of the covenant he has made with the Lord and at the heart of that covenant is covenant marriage.
(1) Without a covenant marriage, the blessings of the covenant could not go down to Abraham's descendants
(2) Reading 2 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written: "Celestial marriage is a holy and an eternal ordinance; as an order of the priesthood, it has the name the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Adam was the first one on this earth to enter into this type of union, and it has been the Lord's order in all ages when the fulness of the gospel has been on earth. Its importance in the plan of salvation and exaltation cannot be overestimated. The most important things that any member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever does in this world are: 1. To marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority; and 2. To keep the covenant made in connection with this holy and perfect order of matrimony -- thus assuring the obedient persons of an inheritance of exaltation in the celestial kingdom." (Mormon Doctrine, p118)
(3) READ Elder Bruce R. McConkie also wrote: "Those portions of it (the Abrahamic covenant) which pertain to personal exaltation and eternal increase are renewed with each member of the house of Israel who enters the order of celestial marriage; through that order the participating parties become inheritors of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (Mormon Doctrine, p13)
(4) If Isaac did not marry in the covenant, the descendants of Abraham would not receive eternal increase
(a) Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, was not the covenant son and apparently had not kept the covenant
iv) We don't know why Abraham did not make this journey himself
(1) About 40 days round-trip, without including time spent in Haran
(2) Abraham was "old and stricken with age"
v) Don't know why Isaac did not make this journey
(1) Perhaps the Lord wanted Rebekah to operate entirely on faith, without seeing Isaac, who may have been a handsome guy
e) The servant, Eliezer, is very faithful to his oath
i) Takes 10 camels and travels to Nahor, a town near Haran, in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq)
(1) He goes to this town because this is where Nahor, the brother of Abraham, lives with his family
(a) Abraham charged him to go unto my country, and to my kindred (Genesis 24:7)
ii) Eliezer arrives in Nahor well into the evening, at the time when the women of the city come to draw water from the well.
iii) Eliezer prays
(1) Reading 3: Genesis 24:12-14
12 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
iv) Response to Eliezer's prayer
(1) Reading 4: Genesis 24:15-20
15 ¶ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
(a) Verse 15 - before he had done speaking
(b) Verse 15 - Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother
(i) Granddaughter of Abraham's brother
(c) Verse 17 - the servant ran to meet her
(d) Verse 17, 18, 19 – Eliezer asked the question and received the response that he had prayed for.
(e) Amazing physical feat in watering the camels
(i) Camel drinks about 30 gallons per day
1. These camels had just arrived at the end of a long trip and would have been thirsty.
(ii) 10 camels = 300 gallons
(iii) Weight of a gallon of water – 8.34 pounds
(iv) Weight of 300 gallons of water – 2,502 pounds
1. About the weight of a Mini Cooper automobile
(v) Well
1. Not likely a small hole in the ground, although thinking of the upper body strength necessary to drop a bucket down and lift it up for 2500 pounds of water – impressive
2. More likely a large hole in the ground
a. Inverted cone
b. Walk down to the water along a spiral path along the outside of the well
c. Walk down on stone steps to the water
d. Note verse 16 - she went down to the well
e. In one well of this type that archeologists discovered, the water level was 80 feet below ground level
i. Eight story building
ii. Eight stories down to get the water and eight stories back up to give it to the camels
iii. Five gallons per trip – 41 lbs – 150 trips
iv. Ten gallons per trip – 83 lbs – 75 trips
v) Eliezer gives thanks and asks whose daughter Rebekah is
(1) He learns that she is of the kindred of Abraham and asks if he can stay at her house that night.
(a) Rebekah says he can and runs home to tell family they will be having company
(2) Rebekah's brother, Laban, comes to the well and escorts Eliezer to his home.
(3) They offer Eliezer a meal, but he will not eat until he performs his duty
(a) He is Abraham's servant
(b) Abraham has an unmarried son, Isaac
(c) The servant is here to find a wife for Isaac among those who believe as Abraham does
vi) Perhaps because they know who Abraham is or are guided by the Spirit, Rebekah's father, Bethuel, and her brother, Laban, immediately approve of the marriage.
(1) They want Eliezer to wait for 10 days in order to celebrate the betrothal
(2) Eliezer wants to complete his task and wants to leave right away.
(3) READ – Genesis 24:57-58
57 And they [Bethuel and Laban] said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
(4) READ – Before Rebekah leaves, she receives a blessing from Laban
(a) Genesis 24:60 - 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions
3. Family of Isaac and Rebekah
a) Like her mother-in-law, Sarah, Rebekah has difficulty bearing children
i) Is childless for 20 years
ii) After Isaac's prayer, Rebekah conceives twins
b) Rebekah's revelation
i) Reading 5 – Genesis 25:22-23
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
ii) Rebekah bears two sons – the elder is Esau and the younger is Jacob
c) Great difference in the righteousness of the two sons
d) Reading 6 - Genesis 25:29-34
29 ¶ And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
i) According to Jewish legends, “With the purchase of the birthright Jacob came into possession of the garments which Esau had inherited from Adam and which were the official robes of the officiating minister.”(“Jacob’s Ladder,” Jewish Encyclopedia, http://bit.ly/cQuCB6) For the Jews, this garment had profound symbolism.
e) Birthrights
i) The birthright was usually passed from father to eldest son. Receiving this birthright meant that the eldest son would inherit a double share of the family wealth, and in return he would preside over the family and take care of his mother and sisters after his father’s death. The statement that “the elder shall serve the younger” in the Lord’s revelation to Rebekah meant that in this situation the younger son would receive the birthright and his descendants would be the covenant people.
ii) Material Birthright
(1) Double portion of inheritance
(a) The second portion was only to be used for the support of the mother and unmarried sisters
(b) Esau said in Verse 32 - what profit shall this birthright do to me? Because he was not supposed to materially benefit from the second portion.
iii) Spiritual Birthright
(1) The birthright was far more than just an economics arrangement. It was a token of the covenant God made with Adam, that a Savior—the Firstborn Son—would come into the world to provide salvation for us, to deliver us from death and to atone for sins we could not pay for ourselves.
(2) The birthright also conferred the responsibility to preside in the priesthood. Beginning with Adam, the patriarchal order provided that the oldest man of each generation should preside.
(3) Great and glorious responsibilities came with the birthright blessing: first, the promise of eternal increase; second, the privilege to preside over and minister to a righteous posterity forever;
iv) While the eldest son usually received the birthright, the recipient must be righteous. If he was not worthy, the birthright would go to another.
(1) In determining the heir to the covenant, the Lord chose Isaac over his older brother Ishmael (Galatians 4:22–23), Jacob over his older brother Esau, Joseph over his older brother Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:1–2), and Ephraim over his older brother Manasseh (Genesis 48:17–20), Nephi over his older brothers Laman and Lemuel.
v) Reading 7 – Brother R. Val Johnson has said, “The birthright given anciently to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also yours. Your patriarchal blessing identifies your lineage in the house of Israel and describes many of the blessings and responsibilities you will receive if you live worthy of your birthright.” (R. Val Johnson, “You Have a Birthright,” New Era, Nov 2005, 9)
vi) READ - Elder H. Ross Workman asks, “Why should you be interested in this birthright, Esau being long dead? Because God has offered the birthright to you. Through temple ordinances every man and woman can receive the birthright blessing.” (Elder H. Ross Workman, “Devotional,” Oct. 28, 2008, BYU-Hawaii, http://bit.ly/cqD7j6)
4. Marriages of Jacob
a) Esau
i) Esau married out of the covenant, taking two idolatrous Canaanite women as wives
ii) When they learned of Esau's choice of a wife outside of the covenant it was a "grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah" (Genesis 26:35).
iii) When Isaac blessed Jacob "he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan" (Genesis 28:6).
iv) "And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?" (Genesis 27:46)
b) Jacob Seeks for a Bride
i) Isaac tells Jacob to go to "the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother." (Genesis 28:2)
ii) In connection with his trip to find a wife, Isaac gives Jacob a blessing
(1) Reading 8 – Genesis 28:3-4
3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
iii) On his journey to the home of Laban, Jacob has a powerful vision in a dream concerning the importance of covenants
(1) 
On his journey, Jacob had a vision that clarified for him the vast significance of the covenant. Lying down to rest in a lonely, rock-strewn place, he dreamed.
(2) READ – Genesis 28:11-17
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [These are the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, renewed with Jacob in this vision]
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16 ¶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
(3) Reading 9 - Elder Marion G. Romney said of this dream: “Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord … were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord” (“Temples—The Gates to Heaven,” Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16).
5. Conclusion
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