A Faithful Servant

Genesis 24

In Genesis 23:1, 2, we read about Sarah's death and the impact that her passing had on Abraham. "She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her." After a long and fruitful marriage, Abraham is without the wife that God had given him. He purchased a cave and lovingly placed her remains there to wait for him to join her. As with the loss of loved ones, no doubt Abraham became acutely aware of his own mortality and the fact that his time on this earth would soon be over. His attention shifts to finding a wife for Isaac so that God’s promise of a nation might be fulfilled. (Not that He needs any help)

Abraham calls in his most trusted servant and tells him to return to his homeland to find Isaac a wife. He wants a wife that will help Isaac remain faithful to God and have the same values and beliefs. A Canaanite wife could draw him away to worship pagan gods. So Abraham sends his servant to Nahor. His servant is faithful to him and sets out to find a wife for Isaac. "Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor." (v 10) 

His servant arrives in Nahor and waits by the well for the women to come out to draw water. I like his strategy, go to where the women congregate to find a woman that is busy working and taking care of her family. But what he does next really hit home with me. He didn't set out with a list of criteria; it wasn't a search for the prettiest girl or the one with the best figure or hair style. No, he prays. In the midst of his search, the servant takes the time to pray for God to bring just the right lady to him. "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac." (Vv 12-14)

He didn't rely on his own insight or wisdom; he placed the burden of finding the right wife for Isaac on the LORD.... "let her be the one you have chosen". The servant relied on God to deliver that right lady at the right time for the right man. Too often we rely on our own skills, too often we think it is up to us. The servant understood who could make the perfect choice and so he called upon the LORD and left it in His hands. Rebekah comes to the well and gives the servant the exact answer that he had prayed for. He didn't have to guess about God's will in the matter, God made it plain; Rebekah was to be Isaac's wife.

I believe that this story is given to us as an example of a faithful servant. He goes where he is sent, he obeys his master's direction and he leaves the result in the hands of God. If we want to be considered faithful to God, we need to be ready to go, we need to be obedient to His will and we need to be constant in prayer. When we do those things, the result is certain; the result is God's will. When we rely on ourselves, our own craftiness and smarts, we get results that reflect our will, our desires. The servant in this story loved his master and the master’s son and went to find the son a bride. If that sounds familiar, it should! As Christians, we are to love the Father and His Son, we are to be busy doing what he commands and we are to be going to find the Son His bride. (Rev 19: 6-8, Matt 28: 18ff) Remember, just like the servant you made an oath to the Father. You have taken the responsibility of plowing in His field and you must not look back. (Luke 9:62) Be a faithful servant!