“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.” Genesis 2412
Life is filled with small and great commitments. These commitments involve coming not only to an intellectual, logical decision concerning a matter, but acting decisively upon it. One of the very simple, and yet, clear examples of this faith that commits is found in the story story of Abraham’s servant who was commissioned by Abraham to travel to Abraham’s country and family, there to take a wife for Isaac, his only son. Sarah, Abraham’s wife had died, and Isaac was about forty years of age when Abraham called his most trusted servant, instructing him in no uncertain terms to not take a wife of the Canaanites for Isaac, and also, not to bring him from the land of promise to seek a wife. Abraham was old by this time, a seasoned veteran of walking by faith. In this matter of finding a wife for his son, a wife who would be chosen without him seeing her beforehand, Abraham would of necessity be “shut up to the Lord,” and Him alone. However, we discover by his conversation with his trusted servant that Abraham’s faith, which he had learned to apply to like situations, was nothing new for him. Why? It was because of the true concept of His God. He told his servant, “And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and God of the earth…” (Gen. 24:3) Abraham’s vision of God was greater than the impossibility of circumstances, and yet, he most certainly had sought the Lord a good deal concerning a wife for Isaac, believing Him to guide him. He would also tell his servant that, “The Lord God of heaven, …He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.” (v.7) Abraham had come to the place in his heart where he was willing to commit all to God, and this by committing all to his trustworthy servant, to go to a place that the servant had never seen, to meet a family that he did not know, and to “commit” to bring a wife back, the one appointed by God, to Isaac. How could this ever be realized?
Abraham’s servant, like his master, was brought beyond just an intellectual faith. His faith, again like that of Abraham, was founded in the greatness, mercy and kindness of God, who was sovereign over all. The servant was a man of prayer like his master, and prayed the following, after arriving in the area of Abraham’s “country:” “O, Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.” (v.12) But how would this servant know the will of God in the matter, and make the right choice of the woman? First of all, he would pray, in the expectation that, as he had seen his master Abraham pray and believe God, he would do the same. So he prays, but in a particular way, and for a specific thing. The servant of Abraham is wisely seeking a wife for Isaac, who is a woman of faith, with a servant’s heart, and selfless. How will he find this? He would ask God to prove to him that his choice was right by the watering of ten camels!!! Not only would he ask personally for a drink of water, but the key would be found in the response of the woman, offering to draw water for all of his camels until they had had their fill. Who does this, especially for a stranger? Only a selfless person? The servant of Abraham came to the moment of commitment, by relating his story to the family of Abraham, and requesting that he not be delayed in taking the woman back to Isaac. HIs commitment was based on the faithfulness of God. Rebekah’s choice to leave all to follow was her commitment of faith.
Dear Father, Lead us clearly, convincingly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.