The faithfulness of an unamed servant.
The faithfulness of an unnamed servant • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:13
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Intro: Welcome friends. I’m excited to share with you a passage that has been on my heart for the last month or so. The story of Isaac and Rebekah. It is a story of a marriage that only God could orchestrate. It is a story of provision in God providing for the continuance of His chosen nation. It is a story we commend Rebekah’s diligence and trust in the Lord to go to an unknown land to and unknown man.
Oddly enough, the person we see the most often in Genesis 24 is not even named in this passage. Abraham’s servant. There are some who believe this is Eliezer from Genesis 14, but I don’t know if there is anyway we can know for certain it is him.
As I was reading this passage a month ago this intrigued me. Isaac finding a wife is so important, it is a part of God fulfilling his covenant promise of making Abraham a great nation. It is a part of the Messaiah, our Lord Jesus, eventually coming to earth.
Why is this person not named, why are people like this included in Scripture? Abraham’s servant is just an unsung hero. He gets no credit for what he did. And there are others like this in Scripture: Noah’s wife, Job’s wife, the wise men.... unnamed. In Judges there is a man, Shamgar.
Judges 3:31 “31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.”
Shamgar gets a single verse. But you know Sampson, the most famous judge, he gets 4 chapters. And what do I hear nearly every day at school with the elementary kids, and what do I hear in my own heart so often, and if we are honest what do we at times get caught thinking.
That is not fair.
There are those who get no credit in scripture... no name, no recognition for what they did.
This is because no individual in Scripture deserves the credit. God and God alone deserves the glory. Jesus alone should we boast in. We don’t deserve the accolades or a name on a plaque. It is because of Jesus I am what I am.
1 Corinthians 15:10 “10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
The grace that is within us enables us to stand, to work hard for the Lord, combat the enemies lies in our hearts that we are prone to believe. Only by His grace.
Abraham’s servant is an unsung hero. But what did God’s grace enable him this unnamed servant to do? To be faithful, with no regard to earthly accolades. People don’t need to remember you or I, they need to see Jesus. I believe we can learn from Abraham’s servant, and from his faithful life.
Turn to Genesis 24
Even if this is Eliezer, he used to be an heir to Abraham’s possesions. If Isaac didn’t find a wife that would benefit his lineage in the long run. But no, this servant had no regard for himself he was a selfless servant, and ultimately was a picture in that of Jesus, the greatest unsung hero of all time.
In seeking to follow the Lord’s lead we must...
Commit - Genesis 24:9
Commit - Genesis 24:9
In following faithfully, we must commit.
Say yes to what God is calling you to. It may be uncomfortable. It may not have been your plan. But if God is calling you to be of service to Him in a different way than you anticipated, do not hesitate.
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.
Abraham did not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites were not God fearing. The sins of the Canaanites were many, some alluded to in Leviticus 18. Violence and impurity, and combinations of the two ran rampant among the Canaanites for about 400 years. Abraham did not want his son to be led away from the Lord by a wife that did not fear the Lord.
Abraham did not want his son to leave the land God had promised to Him. Genesis 12
Abraham’s servant didn’t know what was going to come about in his journey. He knew the purpose, but he didn’t know the timing. He didn’t even know if he would accomplish his purpose and bring back a wife for Isaac. The servant was going to an unknown land, to a family that he just knew by name. All that, and yet he swore to Abraham that he would do all that was asked of Him.
In seeking to be a faithful servant. Commit. Say yes to what God is calling you to.
Is it ministering to a neighbor? To a friend of family member? Is he calling you to step into a roll that you are not comfortable with? Is he calling you to serve in a different area? Where is he calling you to be a servant. Commit. When you know the calling is of God, commit.
There are going to be circumstances not under your control. Gen 24:5. Perhaps the woman won’t come. Our job is never the results. Our job is to be faithful in what God has called us to.
In following the Lord faithfully.... Commit.
In following the Lord faithfully.... Pray.
Pray - Genesis 24:12-14
Pray - Genesis 24:12-14
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 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 I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”
He recognized the LORD was sovereign and would grant success.
Just think of how many things that God had to orchestrate for this encounter to even happen. The servant ended up at the exact well that Abrahams relatives drew water from. The first young lady that the servant sees is Rebekah. She offers to draw water for him and all his camels. I’ve heard it said, “What we call miraculous, God sees as commonplace. What we call a miracle, God calls normal.” He is sovereign, He can do anything he chooses. He can grant success and he can thwart our plans as He chooses.
He desired the LORD’s steadfast love to be shown.
His key desire was not to be remembered or a desire for himself in anyway, his selfless request was for Abraham and for God to show His steadfast love to Him.
Knew the LORD would do great things.
If you look down in verse 10, how many camels did the servant bring? 10 Camels. Camels can drink up to 30 gallons in 13 minutes. So for a young woman to offer to draw water for your camels would be an all day endeavour. It would be a sign of care for others, of strength, perseverance, persistence, and commitment. But it was a big ask. And yet this wise old servant had confidence in his prayer that God could do great things.
As we endeavor to work and live for the Lord, what if we have this prayerful mindset at all times? That we know that God is sovereign and working in all things. We know that the results are up to God. We desire more for God’s love to be shown than for people to love us. What if we had the confidence that God can do mighty things for us and through us for His glory?
In following faithfully… commit… pray.
In following faithfully… Watch and wait.
Watch & Wait - Genesis 24:15-21
Watch & Wait - Genesis 24:15-21
Faith in its very nature involves waiting, looking to the future, having hope for the future that God has worked and that God is going to continue to work.
It is kind of counter intuitive. That to follow, sometimes there is a season of waiting. Be still to go forward. Sometimes the doors are cracked open and you only see half a step in front of you that God is providing. Sometimes the door is so wide open you can see clearly what God is calling to you next.
But everyone will experience waiting and have a need for patience and a calm trusting spirit.
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 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.
Abrahams servant perhaps waited more time that you would initially think. Yes Rebekah instantly came out after this prayer by the well, but for the servant to travel from Hebron to Abraham’s homeland of Heron and the city of Nahor would have been a 17 day journey. Traveling for over 2 weeks straight would have been a grueling process.
At the well also, the camels would have required up to that 300 gallon mark of water which would have been approximately 60 trips down to draw water and put it into the trough. This would have required some time as we know that all the camels had finished drinking when she stopped bringing water up.
The oldest servant of Abraham watched and waited as she completed her task to see whether God was prospering and granting his request. Rebekah didn’t waiver, she wasn’t simply being hospitable to gains something from this servant.
And so the man gazes at her in silence. Waiting to see if God would grant him success in finding a worthy woman for Isaac.
He watched and waited to see what God would do in providing for Isaac a wife.
He was wise to watch and wait for God’s will to come about. God chose to bless his journey in an instant when Rebekah came to the spring. He wisely watched and waited before finalizing his decision on whether Rebekah was the one for Isaac.
Be careful to spend time prayerfully watching and waiting. We don’t have to have everything figured out. In what way are you having to wait on the Lord right now? For Abraham’s servant it was obvious what God was doing and what he was waiting for. It is not always going to plopped in our lap.
That is why I believe the commitment of the servant is so good to remember. At the start he had no clue whether his journey would be blessed or not. But nonetheless, he went. He commited despite not knowing how long he would have to wait. He was all in.
In following faithfully… commit… pray… watch and wait.
In following faithfully… worship.
Worship - Genesis 24:26-27, 52
Worship - Genesis 24:26-27, 52
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, 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.”
As he figures out how God is working, bam, on his face in complete worship. One commentary put it, “He praised God before His assignment was complete.” He does this both here, and later in verse 52. A quick interlude from the action to worship his sovereign God.
Are we quick to worship our Lord? Are we quick to recognize where and how He is working? It’s second nature for the servant to bow in reverence to His Lord.
Now I know what you may be thinking, Joel, if I get down like that I will never get back up. My knees would be destroyed for good. God cares far more about the posture of our heart towards Him.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
God has always desired a circumcision of the heart. Our hearts turned and set apart for Him to mold and use for His glory.
What is the posture of you heart towards the Lord? Is your heart bowed in complete submission to Jesus?
In following faithfully… commit… pray… watch and wait… worship.
In following faithfully… recount.
Recount - Genesis 24:33-48
Recount - Genesis 24:33-48
Share with others God’s faithfulness.
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.”
He shared everything in detail once again. I on the other hand, will not. But in excruciating detail all that God has done. He begins with God blessing and prospering Abraham. The oath that was required of him and that he swore. He continues with sharing His prayer and the immediate answer. He shares his worship and asks if Rebekah could come with him to marry Isaac.
The duplication of the story can encourage us in the wonder of all that God orchestrated in bringing these circumstances about.
I believe also, that the duplication of the story indicates how powerful a personal testimony can be. What God has done in you is special. It is remarkable. Laban did not question the servant for a second. He knew what God was doing.
It is so encouraging to hear stories of God’s faithfulness.
Tell people about what God has done for you! Be quick to share blessings of the Lord and how he is growing and challenging you.
Just as the servant had to recount the marvelous works of the Lord, lets to the same.
In following faithfully… commit… pray… watch and wait… worship… recount.
In following faithfully be… prompt.
Prompt - Genesis 24:49,56
Prompt - Genesis 24:49,56
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.”
There are many who wait to choose Jesus. There are many who wait to long to follow Jesus.
Abraham’s servant did not have this issue. He was prompt in leaving and returning to his master Abraham when the task was complete. If God had prospered his journey thus far, why would he stop now?
Do not delay to follow where God leads. Use wisdom, prayerfully watch and wait, but seek to be aware of when God calls you to go to fulfill his call for you.
Conclusion - The time we spent this morning I do not simply want it to be a moral lesson. We cannot be the faithful servants of God that we need to be on our own. We cannot submit to the Lord’s will, watch and wait for his timing in our own strength.
This unsung hero had a profound trust in the LORD who he know would provide.
This week, lets not be fleeting, but commit to serve the Lord. Lets not be looking within for strength, but looking to Jesus in prayer. Let’s not take matters into our own hands, but watch and wait for God to give success. Let us not praise ourselves for accomplishments, but give glory fully to God as the only one who deserves it. Lets be quick to recount God’s goodness and blessings. Lets be prompt in all this, where God leads in the moment, may He tune our ears to hear and do.
Be a faithful servant of the Lord.... committed… prayerful… watching and waiting to see God work… worshipful… recounting God’s faithfulness… and prompt to follow his lead.