January 30, 2023

Would you have served?

Genesis 24

Jamee Munster
Monday's Devo

January 30, 2023

Monday's Devo

January 30, 2023

Monday's Devo

January 30, 2023

Monday's Devo

January 30, 2023

Big Idea

We can trust God when we don't know how things will turn out. 

Key Verse | Genesis 24:14

"Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."

Genesis 24

Isaac and Rebekah

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia 1 24:10 Hebrew Aram-naharaim to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this 2 24:14 Or By her I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden 3 24:16 Or a woman of marriageable age whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, 4 24:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD 27 and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”

34 So he said, “I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

42 I came today to the spring and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.’

45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way 5 24:48 Or faithfully to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken.”

52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you become
    thousands of ten thousands,
and may your offspring possess
    the gate of those who hate him!” 6 24:60 Or hate them

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Footnotes

[1] 24:10 Hebrew Aram-naharaim
[2] 24:14 Or By her
[3] 24:16 Or a woman of marriageable age
[4] 24:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
[5] 24:48 Or faithfully
[6] 24:60 Or hate them

S2:021 Genesis 24

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Genesis 24

God calls us to act in specific ways, and He always fulfills His promises. What would you say, however, if God called you to accomplish a seemingly impossible task without reassurance of the result? Would you serve?

In Genesis 24, we learn about a faithful servant who set out on such a task. His mission: to secure a wife for Isaac—the only son of Abraham and Sarah and the key to Abraham's bloodline—to bear Abraham's descendants and bless all the nations of the earth. He needed only to trek over 550 miles (roughly 21 days) to Abraham's homeland to find the right woman and convince her to leave her family and travel back 550 miles with him to marry a man she had never met. A difficult task indeed.

The servant invites God in on his journey. He asks God for a specific sign to show him the right woman for Isaac. He prays that when he approaches the right woman at the well, she shows generosity by offering water to both the servant and his many camels (a huge undertaking for the woman). Before he even finishes his prayer, Rebekah appears and does just that. Even more, she faithfully agrees to make the long trip to Isaac and her family blesses her journey.

This journey carried no guarantee. Isaac, the servant, Rebekah, and her family act out of incredible faith in the Lord despite the unknown. Each of us faces our own path of uncertainty. And every path this side of heaven includes challenges. Would you faithfully serve and respond to God's commands to take the more difficult path, knowing that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), but not knowing the outcome? Rest assured that God is with you, beside you, and encouraging you on whatever journey you are walking (now and in the future), and all you need to do is invite Him in.

This month's memory verse

We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

– John 1:45b

Discussion Questions

1. Do you trust and believe that God fulfills His promises?

2. Have you ever felt called to a particular place or service without a clear understanding of what would happen?

3. Do you invite God in for guidance when you face obstacles in your path?

4. Are your prayers specific in nature? If not, what might be preventing you from asking for specific guidance?

Respond to Today's Passage

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

This is one of my favorite passages in all Scripture. I used to ask, “Is God a cosmic referee; removed and uninvolved? With a striped shirt and a whistle waiting to catch me in a violation?” This passage clearly demonstrates the opposite. God is deeply engaged in the details and calls me to be so as well. Much of His character is manifested in these events- -Most of all His faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant and all the other promises He has made. -Abraham’s faithfulness in his insistence that Isaac does not marry a Canaanite but marries from his own people. -Rebekah’s faithfulness in leaving land, family, and people- (like Abraham). And her response to the call delivered to her via the servant. See also Ruth and Proverbs 31. -Isaac’s faithfulness in seeing Rebekah as the right woman God has chosen for him.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

"There are two themes, one more central, one more auxiliary, which are highlighted by the example story [in Genesis 24]: the faithful, prudent and selfless steward acting on behalf of his master as messenger, and the good wife as a gift from the LORD, the theme underlying much of the steward's action."[1044] --------------------------------------- Here’s another story that proves it- Reprise- As a boy/young man I deeply desired to have a wife and a family. I had ideas about how that would happen and what it would look like. I pursued my dream through high-school and college. But I had one bad relationship after another. That “quest” ended in the relationship version of a three-alarm dumpster fire on Sunday 9/14/1980. I was at the end of my rope. My mom lay in the hospital dying of cancer. My dad was totally checked out as were my sisters.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

I was about to start grad school and part-time work with no idea how it would all play out. I kneeled on the floor of our laundry room and sobbed as I prayed in total surrender- for the first time ever. I asked God to please bring me the wife He had for me. Afterward I had a sense of peace but no signs. But God… A few weeks later, In an inexplicable set of events. Amy and I were fixed up on a blind date. When we met that first night, I knew right away she was the one. Several years later I looked back and realized the date of my surrender prayer, 9/14, was her birthday.
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 24:4 In the first chapter of his book, TYPOLOGY, James Hamilton suggests Abraham sending his servant, Eliezer, back to Ur to fetch from his kinsmen a wife for his son Isaac (Gen 24:2-9) foreshadows how G-d would later dispatch Moses back to Egypt to retrieve the Hebrews (Ex 3:10) for Him as His bride. G-d would enter into a marital covenant with the Hebrews at Mt. Sinai (Jer 31:32). Similarly, some Christians also see Eliezer as a type of the Holy Spirit tasked with safely conducting the Church to be the Bride of Christ. Re: Gen 24:19 Watering ten camels is estimated to require drawing between 140 - 250 gallons of water. Re: Gen 24:50 Genesis 24:50 (NASB) Then Laban and Bethuel replied, >>>“The matter comes from the LORD;<<< so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Laban and Bethuel acknowledge G-d is guiding the events that bring Isaac and Rebekah together. Re: Gen 24:60 Genesis 24:60 (NASB) They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And >>>may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.”<<< See a similar sentiment in Gen 22:17. If Isaac, Abraham's seed...the son of the promise, foreshadows Messiah Yeshua, then it is reasonable to suggest Rebekah foreshadows the Bride of Messiah (see Gal 4:28). Moreover, when praying that Rebekah's descendants possess the gate of their enemies, they essentially pronounce a curse on themselves regarding Jacob's prosperity when he later serves his uncle Laban.
CL

Chris Landry

“Would you have served?” This is such a good title for this devotional! Without reading the commentary, I would not have realized that this servant (Eliezer) was set to be Abraham’s heir (Genesis 15:2) …..until the birth of Ishmael and Isaac. That said, imagine the humility and selflessness this servant displays in light of losing it all. He was going to have it all!!! But then he wasn’t. Yet he still served. Taking that fact in….Eliezer put on his servant heart. But how? How did he defy his own selfish ambition and pride that we ALL have that is rooted in the Garden of Eden’s original sin? How did he do it? His name means…. “GOD IS MY HELP”…. That’s how. Who’s my help today? Who’s yours? We’d probably serve others well and sacrifice much for others if God is our help.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks, Jamee! Abraham’s servant is one of the coolest characters in the Bible. His trust in Yahweh and his faithfulness to Abraham are off the charts. This winsome narrative is chock-full of delightful details.. I love how it teaches us how to trust in the Lord’s direction. I love how God answers the servant’s prayer before he finishes praying it. The timing points to God’s activity behind the scenes (similar to the book of Esther). Once on a speaking trip, I was being driven back to New Orleans to catch a plane home when we had a blowout in the car full of women. The driver pulled to the side of the road and I prayed out loud for the Lord to send us someone to change the tire. Opening my eyes after “in Jesus’ name, amen,” up walks a young man who asks, “Can I help you ladies?”
SB

Sue Bohlin

We tell him we need to change out the spare tire and he says he’s glad to help. One of the older ladies says, “Whew! THAT was sure lucky!” Oh no. That was not luck. That was God answering prayer before I was finished praying it, just like in this chapter!
MA

Maryann Adams

Thank you for this devo, Jamee! I loved the first two truths in your opening sentence. The question at the end about faithfully responding despite not knowing the outcome reminded me of a truth our teacher in Women's Bible Study recently shared: Our hope is not in an outcome but our hope is in God. I have so many examples of living this out and seeing the reality of God's unfailing faithfulness! Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Yes 2. I have prayed for certain job choices and looked at job opportunities with consideration of God’s values. 3. Yes 4. Yes, my prayers include specific ideas for specific reasons. Valuing God helps me pray and reach for his guidance.
MS

Michael Scaman

For whatever reason Abraham seemed to have deferred 'the marriage of Isaac until after the death of Sarah' He could have sent his 'oldest' of servants on this trip a wile back. Several miracles here. Isaac was not so young. And still single. He didn't find a delight of his heart soul mate closer. He didn't rush into a wrong marriage even though being well off materially and the heir of Abraham important. He waited and got something better. God blessed the servant, probably Eliezer of Damascus , with success finding the woman. God blessed the woman in agreeing to go. A significant choice.