This chapter continues after the death and burial of Sarah in Gen 23. The theme of God's covenantal promise continues on throughout events in this chapter.
(A) The faith of Abraham and his servant (Gen 24:1-9)
The passage begins with a description of Abraham as a man that had been blessed by God in all things. By this time, Abraham was well-advanced in years, and his old age motivates his actions in this chapter.
From Gen 24:2-6, we learn that Abraham was concerned with finding a wife for his son Isaac. He appointed his most reliable servant, the oldest of his household, to accomplish this task. This wife could not be from among those he dwelt with, the Canaanites. Rather, the servant had to head back to Haran to find her. Isaac too, was not to return to Haran, which meant that she had to leave her country and family when married.
Abraham's urgency was unmistakable but yet, it is interesting to note that he did not relax his standards. Isaac's marriage was still carefully thought out and planned. Abraham had faith that the God who made a covenant with him, who brought him out of his home country, who spoke to him and promised the land to him would go ahead and prepare the way and prepare the right woman (Gen 24:7-8). Abraham was confident that God will do all that was needed to fulfil his plans.
In the narrative, the servant proceeds to swear an oath with Abraham (Gen 24:9). This was an act of remarkable faith on the part of the servant. In placing his hand under Abraham's thigh, the servant showed great obedience and submission to his master. In some ways, the faith of Abraham has rubbed off on, and influenced his household. There are two other considerations that further highlight the faith of this servant.
If this “eldest servant” (Gen 24:2) is Eliezer of Damascus (Gen 15:2), the one who was supposed to inherit Abraham’s wealth, Isaac was his competitor to Abraham's inheritance. The servant agreement to undertake this task shows the extent of his love for Abraham.
Also, if we consider the extent of the task, we realise that it is no easy feat. Abraham was asking his servant to return to where they started in Genesis 12. It was a journey covering 837km, expected to take about 21 days. And when he is there, he had to convince some woman to marry a man she has never met, and to leave her country to meet him.
(B) The humble prayer of the servant (Gen 24:10-21)
The first thing the servant did upon arrival in Mesopotamia was to pray humbly for God's guidance (Gen 24:10-12). This simple gesture is something that is significant and can be applied in our lives today. Do we pause and take time to pray? Have we prayed about things we ought to pray about, or do we dive head first into the busyness of life?
Note that the servant does not pray for a miraculous sign from God, but prayed that God would work through ordinary events and display his steadfast love for his master this way. He trusted that God would work through the simple act of offering water to him, and his camels. This is the same God of the book of Esther (which we covered a while back), who works in seemingly hidden ways! Furthermore, this was actually a tiring task and to draw enough water for 10 camels could take as much as 2 hours.
In his prayer and criterion, the servant set out to find a godly woman with strength of Christian character. This lady would, in her act of service to him, display a heart of servant-heartedness and sacrificial commitment, kindness, generosity and compassion for others, even a total stranger.
Before he is done Rebekah appeared. Verses 15-16 describes her as one who was attractive and a virgin, and born to Abraham's brother. What was more astonishing was that her actions mirrored the servant's earlier prayer, and she did everything with a great sense of urgency. She did not hesitate to meet the needs of the servant.
(C) The Steadfast Love and Faithfulness of God (Gen 24:22-28)
The servant took out a gold ring and two bracelets after she completed the tasks, and asked for her identity and room in her father's house (Gen 24:22-25). He learns of her identity and received permission to spend a night with her household. Imagine his nervousness through this exchange. Could she really be the answer to his prayers?
At the end of this section of the narrative, the servant responded in worship and praise (Gen 24:26-28). This spontaneous prayer of praise was a result of seeing God's kindness as he swiftly answered his prayer. His task and mission had been completed, because of the steadfast love of God.
In these verses, we see once more the God who is in control of every single "ordinary" event in life. He does not merely work through great miracles (such as giving old barren Sarah a son), but also even in simple daily events. This is a God who also continues to be faithful to, and shows steadfast love to His people. He is faithful to his promise that Abraham's descendants would inherit the land, and blessed the process of finding a wife for Isaac. He Himself was ensuring that the promise of the covenant would be fulfilled.
What does this mean for us then? The obedience and faith of the servant is a lesson in discerning the will of God. He did not wait passively, but committed all things to God in prayer, before taking an action in faith. It did not eliminate the possibility of patient waiting, but ultimately God revealed the results and his will, which resulted in worship and praise.
God uses the obedience of his people to carry out his plans. Rebekah was being true to her faith, and being a godly woman when she served the servant. Ultimately, she met Isaac, and played a part in God's plan of salvation, which led to Jesus Christ. For us today, doing our part faithfully and being faithful in the small things is also part of God's will. It could mean serving those around us, it could mean loving people, it could also mean starting a family. But the faithful God can and will use these things for his purposes and glory.
What gets us excited about this passage and to go out and live faithful lives, is not merely the example of these characters. Rather it points us to Jesus Christ. The servant's love for his master was evident, and this reminds us of the greater servant in Jesus. The servant took a long journey of 3 weeks, but Jesus came down from on high to earth, to die for our sins. He came as a servant to redeem a people, and was completely faithful to his task, even to death on a cross. He did all these, because He loved the Father, and because He loved the people that he came to save.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:26)