September 9, 2026; Genesis 24

Daily Dose of Hope September 9, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 24   Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, We are so grateful that your mercies are new every single morning.  No matter what our week has been like, we can come to you today afresh and anew.  Lord, forgive us for our many failings.  We want to do better.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis and today we are looking at Genesis 24.   Today, we read about Isaac's marriage to Rebekah.  The chapter begins with Abraham asking his senior servant to swear an oath that he will find a wife for Isaac among his father's people rather than the surrounding Canaanites.  You probably noticed that when asking his servant, Abraham has the servant place his hand under Abraham's thigh.  I definitely needed to look this up.   This was the typical way of swearing a solemn oath in the ancient world.  The thigh was considered the source of posterity. Or, more properly, the "loins" or the testicles. The phrase "under the thigh" could be a euphemism for "on the loins."  We really don't know.  But there are two reasons why someone would take an oath in this manner.  First, 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.  Second, Abraham had received circumcision as the sign of the covenant. 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 testicles.  So, there's your trivia for today.   Other scholars say that's totally hogwash.  They would say placing a hand under the thigh indicated someone was under their authority.  I'll let you decide which interpretation works.   The senior servant heads out to find a wife for Isaac.  He goes to the land of Nahor, where Abraham's brother and family live.  I kind of feel sorry for the servant here.  It's kind of an awkward situation.  He needs to find an appropriate wife and convince her family to allow him to take her far, far away.  His sincerity and humility certainly help his case though.  He truly wants to do the right thing and it seems that people can sense it.   God makes sure his promises are fulfilled here.  Rebekah agrees to go with the servant, even when her family seeks to delay it.  She goes back with the servant and takes her place in Sarah's tent, demonstrating that she is the new matriarch.    We get to learn more about Isaac in the next few chapters.  Get ready!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki