Thursday Night Bible Study

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Genesis 24 

"A Bride For Jesus" • 4.15.10 • Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro

- Abraham's wife Sarah has died. For Abraham, mortality is becoming more and more of a reality, even though he still has about three decades left.

- Abraham sees a glaring need in His son Isaac's life. He is unmarried, which for a normal son is not that big of a deal.

- For the son of the promise, who would perpetuate the Messianic line, marriage was a must!

- The chapter before us is the longest chapter in Genesis. In it, Abraham prepares the way for Isaac's marriage.

- This chapter provides us with exceptional practical points on wisdom and leading, as well as how to choose potential mates and partners.

- In the end, I believe that we'll also see a wonderful picture that will tie it all together.

Text

• Genesis 24:1-4 : "Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, 'Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.'" : Verse one is what we should all shoot for. We will all be old and well advanced in age.

- However, to be old, well advanced in age and blessed of the Lord in all things is a choice that we make today!

- What a testimony! Abraham presents us with a life lived well. Here he is, a blessed man about to be a blessing.

- Abraham calls his oldest servant over, the steward of his estate, his right hand man. We are not given a name, though I suspect that this might have been Eliezer of Damascus.

- He was the servant that Abraham was ready to hand everything over to back in chapter 15.

- Eliezer's name means "God is help." Abraham being too old to do it himself, called the helper. Abraham makes this servant swear with a very strong oath.

- When Abraham asked Eliezer to put his hand under his thigh, he was in essence saying, "If you do not perform this act, may my children avenge you."

- Abraham wanted to insure that Isaac would not choose a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites were an idolatrous people with dangerous cultic practices.

- A marriage between Isaac and a Canaanite would be unthinkable. He sends his servant to a distant land to bring a bride that is of equal and like mind.

- He was proposing to send him on a costly 500 mile trip to find a bride.

- Do not miss this: There is no cost too great in the hunt for a godly spouse!

- Paul tells the Corinthian believers that they are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That much is explicit. But what about being unequally yoked with a believer?

- Do you share the same vision for God and zeal for service? When they love Jesus more than you, that is the beginning point!

- Consider this in the realm of a business partner. Do you want to attempt to do business with someone who does not honor Jesus in their lives?

- The cost to avoid this is less than the cost of ignoring this!

• Genesis 24:5-9 : "And the servant said to him, 'Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?' But Abraham said to him, 'Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.' So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter." : The servant wants to clearly spell things out. "What if she won't come? I might need to bring Isaac with me."

- Abraham makes it clear that this not appropriate. The land of Canaan was where Isaac belonged. There was no need to tempt him to be elsewhere.

- Listen to Abraham's voice of experience. Listen to his confidence: God will send His angel before you. I love this about the Lord.

- Wherever He is about to move, it can be said that He sent someone to prepare the way first.

- Abraham knew that God would bring this to pass, even though he allows for his servant's hesitancy. The terms were stipulated and the oath was taken.

• Genesis 24:10-21 : "Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.' And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, 'Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.' So she said, 'Drink, my lord.' Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, 'I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.' Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not." : I like this servant. He has complete charge of Abraham's stuff. He was completely trustworthy.

- He came to the town where Nahor was living and called out to the Lord for help. He did not have any pictures or contacts. He did not put up a sign or hold a Miss Mesopotamia contest!

- He called on the Lord directly, asking Him for help.

- If we want the Lord to guide us, we must with every step invite His wisdom.

- He has come at the right time, when all the ladies would be coming to draw water. Now he proposes a difficult task.

- He asks the Lord for a test. Now, please understand that this test was very specific and was not one that pointed to generalities for results.

- For example, he did not ask to identify a woman with a certain color jar. His test would be miraculous, in that it was daunting to believe that it would take place.

- He would await a woman that would offer him a drink AND offer drinks for his camels as well.

- You might consider this a strange test until you think about what would be involved. Camels can drink a boatload of water, anywhere from 20 to 50 gallons per camel.

- These 10 camels would have just endured a very long journey through a very dusty part of the world! Not the best time to water camels!

- Consider also, that this would be done with well water, drawn completely by hand. Anyone willing to do this for a stranger voluntarily would be an extraordinary person.

- It's interesting what the test would expose. It would expose the character of this woman. Such a person would be gracious and hospitable to an amazing capacity, a servant like himself.

- When choosing a mate, what is it that you are looking for? When looking for a potential friend or partner, what is most important to you. Character is what counts.

- He is praying this and gets his answer "while he's speaking."

- Sometimes that's the way it is! You are so in that right place and God has been waiting for you to be quiet so He can bring you the answer to your prayer!

- Here comes Rebekah, called in the scripture "beautiful and a virgin."

- It's obvious that he did not know who this was and it's a good thing. Her character would rightly identify her.

- When Rebekah began to carry this out, the servant looked and waited.

- Here is a smart move. She began to do this, but would she complete it. Would she finish what she started? Would she be true to her word? It takes time to examine character.

• Genesis 24:22-28 : "So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, 'Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?' So she said to him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.' Moreover she said to him, 'We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.' Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, 'Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.' So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things." : The servant is satisfied with what he has seen. She has shown that she is God's choice for Isaac, now he busts out the gifts.

- He discovers her identity. She is the very one that Abraham likely had in mind for Isaac.

- God had given this servant success. He had led him to this place.

- All that's left to do is to engage the family in order to seal the deal.

• Genesis 24:29-49 : "Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, 'Thus the man spoke to me,' that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. And 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.' Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. Food was set before him to eat, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told about my errand.' And he said, 'Speak on.' So he said, 'I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 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. Now 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; but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,' and she says 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.’ But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.'" : Most of this section repeats what we have studied. Laban's response is instructive. He is impressed with the wealth that has come to his home.

- Laban puts his best foot forward, showing the hospitality that you would see in that ancient part of the world. The servant however, was not going to sit back and enjoy. He stayed on point.

- The servant recounts the story with little divergence in the details. The important aspect here is that he is recounting the nature of these events, not for information, but for persuasion.

- He wants them to come to a conclusion about this generous offer. It's now in the family's court. One wonders what there is to think about. Rebekah would not likely get a better offer.

- But this means the loss of a family, a way of life and trusting in a servant that is barely known.

- Let me say how important it is to have our families approval when talking major relationships and decisions. What do they see? What are their thoughts?

- Too often, the paradigm is the lone ranger mentality that seeks to discover God's will all alone. God has given us blood relations, as well as spiritual family to help uncover His will.

- Frankly, more often than not, we are ill equipped to judge situations ourselves because of our emotional involvement and investment.

- That being said, there can be exceptions, which we'll talk about at the end.

• Genesis 24:50-60 : "Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 'The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.' And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, 'Send me away to my master.' But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.' And he said to them, 'Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.' So they said, 'We will call the young woman and ask her personally.' Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.' So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: 'Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.'" : Laban and Bethuel rightly recognize God's hand in what has taken place. The servant's story was convincing and the circumstances revealed God's hand.

- They are resigned to God's will for Rebekah's life and consigned her into the servant's care.

- When they agreed, the servant again worshipped the Lord. He worshipped the Lord when he discovered who she was and here, as the family releases Rebekah to his care.

- However, when the morning came and it was time to leave, the family was not as excited as they had been the night before. The reality is setting in. They call for a delay.

- Here is when a person has to make a personal choice. When it has come before the family and there has been a conclusion that it's God's will, then the person must be made to choose it.

- The servant's mission required immediate action. A delay would be appropriate. He wanted to be sent away as soon as possible.

- At this point, in verses 57 and 58, we see the unique request for Rebekah's choice to be made clear. I cannot think of another time when such a thing was requested.

- She is caught between two worlds. One life is known and comfortable. The other will require a journey into new circumstances.

- Rebekah has heard the story, seen the gifts and experienced the joy what could be. She makes the courageous and resolute step in the direction of this new suitor.

- Her family, respecting her response, sends her out with a wonderful blessing.

• Genesis 24:61-67 : "Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, 'Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death." : This is such a beautiful picture. The romance of it is somewhat rare in the scripture, as usually you hear the antiseptic line of so and so being married to so and so. Mose has spent 65 verses developing one of the most romantic chapters in the Bible.

- This last part, with a little soft John Tesh music, beats about any scene in any movie!

- We have not seen or heard from Isaac since Moriah. He has been dwelling in the south.

- Here he is, sitting contentedly in his field when the large caravan makes it's way toward him.

- Rebekah saw him first and apparently could'nt wait for the camel trip to be over.

Conclusion

- As we come to the end of this chapter, it's evident that God has given us a story that illustrates godly principles that we need to attend ourselves to.

- Who are we seeking to relate to? Are they of the same mind and heart as ourselves?

- Are we proceeding with caution, asking God for help at each step? Have we involved the strength of our family unit?

- As servants, are we resolute in our mission, not willing to be delayed? All of this is invaluable information tnat needs to be tucked away into our hearts.

- On a deeper level, let's also understand that this chapter provides a deep type of God's activity on Earth, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

- God is searching for a bride who is being called out of the world. The Holy Spirit goes forth with gifts and an offer of love. The world doesn't mind a little devotion, but scoffs at full attention.

˚ “If the world does not succeed in persuading the believer to abide in the world, it will seek to delay his exit . . . When you decide to go with the Lord, the world will applaud your devotion but will say, ‘Don’t rush. Abide a few days, at least ten, and then go.’” Donald Grey Barnhouse

- When one takes the plunge, there is a journey and at the end of that journey, there is Jesus waiting for His bride to be delivered to Him.