Genesis 24
I was watching a girl this week attending to her baby. I noticed that she (that is the girl) had a ring in her nose. I still haven't quite come to terms I have to admit with the modern fashion of sticking rings and earrings in all sorts of places. However social customs are always changing and I need to learn to move with the times. Genesis 24 is full of interesting social customs. SO for example in verse 22 the servant of Abraham places a gold ring in Rebecca's nose......, vows are made by placing a hand between a thigh, we have here an arranged marriage and the custom of covering the face in front of a man. All strange to us but that doesn't mean they are wrong and that is perhaps more important to understand!
Now as we turn this morning to the main meat of our sermon let us begin be casting our minds back to verse 19 of Chapter 18 in the NIV where we read that the Lord had chosen him, "so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just...". From the day of the implementation of the covenant of circumcision Abraham has been responsible for directing all those who made up his household in the way of the Lord. And so this morning let us look at how this servant behaves .....we will see how the whole matter of finding a wife for Isaac is laid before the Lord.
We pick up the story at verse 11, he has arrived at his destination and the time has now come for action. The first thing he does is to bow his head and pray. Before any action is taken he lays the whole matter before the Lord and shares with God what his intentions are. What wisdom there is in this. he doesn't barge into it in haste. He doesn't rely on his won strength or wisdom, but rather does what is right and proper and falls before the Lord in prayer.
Now let's move forward to verse 21....where we read "the man kept watching her in silence...to see if the Lord had given him success." Wisdom and sense again. Having prayed to the Lord he then waits patiently on the Lord to answer his prayer. Common sense you might think, but how often we are tempted having laid the matter before the Lord to carry on as if we hadn't! It is in reality a form of rudeness, it is as though in our ordinary dealings with people we ask someone for some help or advice and then carry on without them or without listening to their advice. We wouldn't unless we lacked all social grace behave in such away....how much more is it unthinkable to behave that way with God.
As we know from the story the patient waiting and praying brings about the desired result and Rebecca it appears may indeed be suitable. At verse 26 we note the next appropriate response....the servant falls on his knees and thanks God, even although he mission is not yet wholly complete. Do you see the pattern? Here is a man who has his priorities in the right order. Prayer first....the whole operation is soaked in prayer. Waiting with patience for God to act in his own time and plan. Then first and foremost a prayer of thanksgiving.
Moving onto verse 33...food is laid before this servant of Abraham. Ahead lies a pleasant evening, socialising and sorting out details.....how easy it would be to give into such temptation. he must have been weary after his journey. He must be feeling at last the tension begin to flow from his body. How easy therefore and how tempting in those circumstances to relax an put God to the back of his mind..... that is a temptation that we must all be familiar with.... So what does he do? He says, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say".. and between verse 34 and 49 we have laid before us again all that the Lord has done. And please note the gracious way in which the story is told. Do you see in reading it how God is placed at the forefront of the story. How well Abraham has carried out his task of teaching his household about the ways of God.
Having laid the whole business before his hosts and having found at last as we see in verse 52, success, the first thing she does is to bow down and give thanks to God. Instant response acknowledging God's gracious role in all that has come to pass.
The urgency to be about the Lord's business is found finally in verse 56 where he is eager having almost completed the task to return home so that the Lord's work may be completed.
We may also note in passing the response to Laban and Bethuel in all of this as we find it in verse 50, "Since the matter cones from the Lord, it is not for us to make a decision..." Rebecca to responds in the same way. How simply obedient they all are to the Lord and how well therefore do things work out.
We see here God's providence at work, the path is made smooth for the willing and obedient servant of the Lord and of Abraham. He walked in faith and prayer and all was worked out for him by the graciousness of God.
And what a simple lesson by example we can all learn from this chapter. We might as our own interests dictate focus in on the marvellous providential dealings of God with his people. We might marvel at how mature in the Lord this servant is, we might rejoice in the wonderful way Abraham has taught his household about God but if we really want to get the core of this we see it in the times of prayer. These speak of a person who understands what is going on, who understands the role and place and relationship of God to our daily lives.
Here is a man who prays before taking action.
Here is a man who waits for the Lord to act
Here is a man who thanks God for answered prayer immediately
Here is a man who is eager to deal with the things of God even at his own personal discomfort.
Here is a praying man. A mature man of faith. His is no neurotic or fearful running to God in prayer but rather a mature and reasonable response to his creator.
And here for us is an example of how we should behave what we should be doing as maturing Christian people. Most Christian ventures are decided on our knees. Prayer is of fundamental importance to all that we do. Prayer need not frighten us....we need no special words....just plain simple laying of the matter on our minds before God.
Let us pray