Prayer: A Prayer for Hope: Lord help me to hear you saying, “I am your hope over all the other voices. I’m running to you with both hands stretched out and grabbing on to you. Fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline. In Jesus Name, Amen.[1]
Main Scripture: Read Genesis 24:12-15.
Then he prayed, "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. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.
Associated Scriptures:
But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord , what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir" (Genesis 15:2-3).
Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?" "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. "The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land' — he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine (Genesis 24:1-8).
Then he prayed, "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. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder (Genesis 24:12-15).
The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor." And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night." Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord , saying, "Praise be to the Lord , the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives" (Genesis 24:17-27).
Correlative Quotes:
Translations differ, but Eliezer is variously described as Abraham’s steward or chief servant, effectively Abraham’s right hand man. I like to imagine him as something of Abraham’s executive officer, responsible for the day to day running of the extended household while Abraham had his mind on the big picture. He must have been very close to be so trusted and yet nothing more is said of him in the Torah. This is the only time that Eliezer is named.[2] – Joseph Pranevich
Genesis 24 is a great encouragement for those who want God's will in the selection of a mate. Today, while we do not use the same manner as Abraham's servant, the principles still apply: We must want God's will, we must pray and seek His guidance, we must be willing to obey, and we must be alert to what God is doing. Of course, when the husband in the story is Isaac, the beloved son of Abraham, then the narrative takes on greater significance. After all. Isaac was the next "living link" in the chain of blessing that culminated in the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ; so whatever happens to Isaac is of utmost importance in God's great plan of salvation.[3] – Warren W. Wiersbe
The true spirit of the man is Seen in his earnest prayer for guidance (vs. 12); his task was a difficult one. He was on a very unlikely and unusual errand, and so he prays that the God of his master would give him good success. Not only does he pray for guidance, but for grace (vs. 13-14). He seeks to know the road, and then asks for power to walk along it. He requests opportunities, and then grace to use them. There is scarcely anything more touching and beautiful than this prayer, especially in its emphasis upon his master, and his desire that God would show kindness to Abraham.[4] – W. H. Griffith Thomas
Study:
In the account of Abraham and his servant (Genesis 24), we see a remarkable example of faith in action. Abraham’s faith in God was rewarded again and again as he traveled throughout the middle east under God’s direction. It is the unquestioning faith of Abraham that we see mirrored in his servant.
Abraham requests that his servant travel a great distance with the hope of finding a wife for Isaac. The conditions of Abraham’s request are narrowly specific. First, the future bride for Isaac must not be a Canaanite woman. Secondly, she is required to be from Abraham’s homeland and family. Finally, the servant must not take Isaac with him.
The servant’s response to his master Abraham’s request and his subsequent actions during the ensuing adventure are a wonderful expression of extraordinary faith. The servant’s response should be considered a result of His masters deep and abiding faith. Faith, once it has been rewarded is recognized and emulated.
“In the ancient Near East marriages were always arranged.”[5] Ordinarily the father would be the one choosing the bride for his son. However, Abraham was, by this time in human history, very old. Due to Abraham’s advanced years, he was sending his most trusted servant to complete the transaction.
There were two reasons why Abraham did not want a wife taken from the Canaanites. First, the Canaanites were pagan idol worshipers and he was concerned that Isaac might be persuaded to give his allegiance to another god instead of the one true God.
However, this claim for a future inheritance was accompanied by a dowry for the new daughter-in -law. Daughters who lived at home when unmarried were a valuable asset to the family. Their marriage left a void. There would be one less person to complete either household or shepherding responsibilities. Therefore, losing the daughter was compensated by a dowry. The dowry was given to the family of the betrothed as restitution for the loss. It was to be paid to the bride’s father (vs. 53). Also, to make the affianced happy, a portion of the dowry or additional compensation had to be given to the potential bride (vs. 22, 59, and 61). Marriage today is much less complicated.
The servant is believed by many theologians to be Eliezer the faithful servant mentioned in Genesis 15:2-3,[6]
Eliezer was concerned about this long trip and his relationship with his mater, therefore, he had a couple of questions (vs. 5). He wanted some assurance that, if for some reason he would not be able to locate a suitable wife, he would be freed from the obligation and still maintain his close relationship with Abraham.
Abraham (vss. 6-9) assures his servant that he will not be held responsible. Abraham promises the servant that an Angel from God (vs. 7) will be accompanying him on this mission. However, as further assurance of Abraham’s confidence of the journey and its goal, he tells that servant that if he cannot find a suitable wife, the servant will be freed from his obligation and the oath that is sworn (vs. 8).
The servant received the words that he sought. Therefore, the faithful servant was convinced that it was safe to proceed with his assignment and that he would not be held responsible for any failure on his part as long as he followed Abraham’s instructions.
It is obvious, from this section of scripture, that the servant was a believer in God. His belief is evidenced by his works. Although good works are not a prequisite for our salvation, they are a reflection of it (Ephesians 2:10). It is clear that the faith of Abraham has influenced the servant’s life and decisions. This is evidenced by the action of the servant. Immediately when he reached a watering hole in the land of Abraham’s ancestor’s, he prayed. His prayer was for God’s direction in finding the right women for Isaac.
Included in the servant’s prayer are a series of events that will be proof of the answer to prayer. This helps him to eliminate anyone who might come along but is not God’s chosen vessel. How we pray is as important as the circumstances of the prayer itself.
His prayer was answered with a miracle. Not the right person, at the right place, at the right time; but God’s person, God’s place, in God’s timing.
God’s model for praying is that we would ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 makes this statement about praying in God’s will, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
It was God’s will that Abraham would seek a wife for Isaac from his family. Abraham, therefore, was acting in the will of God when he sent his servant back to Nahor’s country. The servant was acting in the will of God when he believed that God would answer a specific prayer for the right woman. Because they were both acting in the will of God, the prayer was answered even before it was finished.
We see a similar example of this truth about prayer in the prayer of Daniel for Israel, in Daniel 9:20-23 where he says, “Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, ‘O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved.’”
Since both Abraham and his servant were acting in the will of God, He answered the servant’s prayer showing that the plan the servant had designed was indeed God’s plan for Isaac’s future wife. The faithful always experience God’s perfect plan for their lives by acting in the will of God.
Why is it that we are always surprised when God answers our prayers? Why do we have to study or question His action just to make sure it is God who is responding? Receiving exactly, to the letter, the answer to his request, should have been enough for the servant. However, he had to make sure. Human nature just won’t let us take God’s blessings at face value and simply say “Thank and praise You, our Maker and Lord.”
Once the servant realized that God had prepared each person’s heart before the servant’s arrival, he did the right thing. The thankful servant accepted God’s grace on behalf of his master by praising Him for laying out the plan and path to a successful journey.
As we go through life, we will experience many miracles. Some we will consider small and others big. Each miracle is equally important. The answers to prayer that we receive strengthen our faith and increase our hope in the future. Also, we should give God the credit and the glory for each answered pray regardless of our interpretation of it’s significance.
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen (Romans 11:35-36).
Summary:
The unquestioning faith of Abraham and his open gratefulness to God for His great provision was obviously the motivating factor in the servant’s actions. Abrahams extraordinary faith was an example to this servant and therefore guided his actions to fulfill the master’s request.
The example of others in their walk with God is a powerful testimony to His faithfulness and one we should want to emulate. Trust in God is catching. When we as believers see others living a life of faith and being continually rewarded by God, it is only natural that we will begin to practice that same faith.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).
Sometimes Christians unknowingly make themselves unapproachable by refusing to be transparent and thereby projecting a false, almost plastic, image. It leaves their co-workers believing that Christians live a perfect life. Perhaps believers fear that sharing their struggles with other people at work reveal a lack of faith.[7]
The worthy servant listened to his master, requested and received clarification, acted immediately in complete faith, followed the master’s plan exactly, received and recognized the miracle, and praised God for it. A perfect example of obedience to his master and to God.
[1] Wendy van Eyck, A Prayer for Hope, © ibelieve.com, ibelieve.com/faith/a-prayer-for-hope.html
[2] Joseph Pranevich, Is Eliezer Abraham’s Servant in Genesis 24?, © 2015, June, 2013 coatofmanycolors.net,
coatofmanycolors.net/2013/06/02/is-eliezer-abrahams-servant-in-genesis-24/
[3] The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.
[4] Rev. W. H. Griffith Thomas, Genesis, A Devotional Commentary, The Religious Tract Society, London, 1909, p. 286
[5] Merrill Chapin Tenney, Ancient Marriage, © Bible History online bible-history.com/biblestudy/marriage.html
[6] Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved, Joe, Pranevich, ibid., David Guzik, enduringword.com/commentary/genesis-24/, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.,
[7] Lynn Thompson, Making an Impact in the Workplace, © 1197-2016 Focus on the Family, focusonthefamily.com/faith/faith-in-life/living-in-hd-overview/making-a-difference-in-the-workplace