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Sarah was now 127 years old, and
she died in Hebron, and Abraham and Isaac wept for her. Abraham
bought the field of Machpelah, where there was a cave, for a
burying-place; and there he laid the body of Sarah. But Sarah's soul
did not die; it went to heaven, to be with God for ever. It is very
sad to see our dear friends die, and to see their bodies put into the
coffin, and laid in the tomb; but if they loved God, as we may believe
Sarah did, then we know their souls are gone to heaven, to be safe and
happy there; and if we too love God, we shall go to meet them when we die,
and never part from them again. This thought comforted Abraham. Abraham
had a good and faithful servant named Eliezer, who had lived with him, and
Sarah, and Isaac, many years. Abraham called Eliezer, and said,
"Go now to Mesopotamia, where I used to live, and find there a wife
for my son Isaac, and bring her here." Abraham did not wish his
son to marry one of the women of Canaan, because they were idolators.
Eliezer obeyed; he took ten of his master's camels, and went away to
Mesopotamia. When he came here, it was evening; and he was tired,
and sat down by a well. He
did not know the people who lived there, nor whom to choose for a wife for
Isaac; but he prayed to God to direct him, and God heard his prayer.
He soon saw a young woman coming to the well; she carried a pitcher with
water out of the well. The servant asked her to give him some water;
and she was very kind, and gave him the pitcher, and then she gave water
to the camels. Eliezer had asked God to show him, by this sign, the
wife whom he was to take for Isaac, and now he felt quite sure that this
was the right person; so he took two bracelets, and put them upon her
hand, and gave her a gold ear-ring, and asked, "Whose daughter art
thou?" She told him her name was Rebekah, and her father was
Bethuel, a relation of Abraham. Then Eliezer went home, and staid
with Bethuel and his family. And he asked if Rebekah might go to
Hebron, and marry Isaac; and they were willing she should go, for they
believed it was God's will. So Rebekah left her father, and mother,
and brothers, and sisters; and went with her nurse and her maids, upon
camels, with Eliezer, to Hebron. And then Eliezer told Isaac all
about Rebekah; and how God had answered his prayer; and Isaac loved her,
and she became his wife; and God blessed them. Abraham
was now a very old man, 175 years old. He died, and his sons Isaac
and Ishmael laid his body by Sarah, in the cave in the field of Machpelah,
and his happy soul went to God whom he loved. God
gave two sons to Isaac and Rebekah. Their names were Esau and
Jacob. When they grew up, Esau was fond of hunting in the field, but
Jacob was very quiet, and liked to stay in his tent. One day, when
Esau had been hunting, he came home very hot, and tired, and hungry.
Jacob was eating pottage in the tent, and his brother said to him,
"Give me pottage, for I am faint." Jacob said, "Sell
me thy birthright;" and Esau sold his birthright for the pottage, and
Jacob gave him the food he wanted, and Esau went away. But God was
not pleased with Esau: he had done what was wrong. He was the
eldest son of his father, and it was his privilege and duty to offer
sacrifices, as a priest in his family; this was his birthright. But
Esau did not love holy things; he did not believe in Jesus, who should
come and be a sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. He
thought Jacob might attend to these things, but he cared only for the
pottage; and for that he was willing to lose his birthright. It
is very sad, and very wicked, to despise holy things, as Esau did:
to care more for our bodies than our souls; to think more about what we
shall eat and drink, than about what we must do to be saved. Jesus
says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness." Matthew 6:33. Jacob
was a better man than Esau. But it was not right of him to take away
Esau's birthright, when his brother was hungry, and asked for bread.
We ought to be glad to give away what we have, and not wish to be paid for
being kind. Isaac loved
Esau, because he ate of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Isaac
was now a very old man: he could not see; his eyes were dim with
age. But God was with Isaac; He did not forget him. God will
keep His people all their lives; when they are young, and when they grow
old; and when they die, He will be with them, and bring them safely to
heaven. He says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee." Hebrews 13:5.
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