1 NOW ABRAHAM was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house [Eliezer of Damascus], who ruled over all that he had, I beg of you, put your hand under my thigh; [Gen. 15:2.] 3 And you shall swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I have settled, 4 But you shall go to my country and to my relatives and take a wife for my son Isaac. 5 The servant said to him, But perhaps the woman will not be willing to come along after me to this country. Must I take your son to the country 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, from the land of my family and my birth, Who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To your offspring I will give this land–He will send His Angel before you, and you will take a wife from there for my son. 8 And if the woman should not be willing to go along after you, then you will be clear from this oath; 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. Genesis 24:1-9 AMPC
The story of Abraham’s faith and walk with God typically stops with the birth of Isaac, however closer inspection of Abraham’s life will reveal that God’s faith endured beyond that event. In the scene above, we see a well aged Abraham whose wife has died, and he has a young son (relatively young for that time period) who is unmarried and living amongst people who don’t believe in the one true God. Abraham, as any good father should, now shifts his focus to securing love and companionship for Isaac that is pleasing to God. It’s very interesting in this passage that God had previously instructed Abraham to leave his father’s land, yet here Abraham is instructing his servant to return to that land to obtain a wife for Isaac. This post isn’t about that, but I’ll present this point for your consideration, “carefully consider when you forget or don’t understand why God close a particular chapter of your life.”
This post is dubbed the anonymous servant even though we likely know this servant as Eliezer whom Abraham previously believed he would have to leave his wealth to because he and Sarah had no male child. Though his identity is likely known, I want to remove his name so that we can place ourselves in his shoes as a loyal, obedient, and faithful servant to a righteous master who is entrusting us with a command. This servant had likely walked with Abraham for years and had shown himself to be trustworthy and capable to complete the purpose that Abraham had for him on this matter. It’s also important to understand that if this servant was actually Eliezer, the mere existence of Isaac was a threat to his ability to be named heir to Abraham’s wealth. The scene in the passage above completely removes the idea that he would have an ulterior motive, and if he did, he was being presented with a great opportunity to derail it, or at the very least seek his freedom given the wealth he would have in possession during his journey to Abraham’s peoples. While writing this, I’m receiving a holy spirit re-route, and going to break this passage down in a different way. Please walk with me through the following points:
- Go to my country and my relatives (v4)- The servant in the passage can be seen figuratively as the prophets, judges, kings, etc of Israel who were given the responsibility of leading and recalling the children of Israel in the old testament in preparation of Jesus’ arrival. In the old testament, the leaders, like the servant in this passage is given the command to only go to Abraham’s country and relatives, which later can be seen as those leaders having a responsibility solely to lead and minister to the children of Israel to prepare them for the messiah’s arrival. Abraham is arranging for Isaac to get a wife, like God was preparing a bride, the church, and in the old testament, his chosen people, to be united with him as one. The servant is explicitly instructed where he is to look for this bride.
- Don’t take my son back there (v6) – Abraham was instructed by God to leave his father’s land in order to travel to a land that he did not know, and receive a blessing that he could not comprehend. God’s reasons for Abraham leaving were not explicitly laid out in the text, yet it can be deduced that the people living there could have proven detrimental to Abraham’s ability to grow in relationship with God given their influence on him. Later, for the Israelites, God give them explicit instructions to never return to Egypt, not because of the physical environment or journey involved with that, but because what Egypt represented symbolically; a place of separation from God and overwhelming influence by culture. The servant to Abraham, like God’s later servants is not to take his heir(s) to a place where their ability to receive and hear from God is endangered.
- If she won’t leave with you, then you’re free (v8)- Abraham makes it very clear to the servant, if the selected woman refuses the invitation/proposal, then you are free from the terms of this covenant/oath. God’s later servants to Israel are given a similar mandate to walk boldly and faithfully according to all that God instructs them to do, and if the people won’t accept their testimony, then they are held responsible for their own decisions (Ezekiel 33:4-7). God is just, and places responsibility on all involved parties, however there is a additional level of accountability on those whom God have entrusted to protect his flock. Abraham’s servant, like later servants of Israel, can’t abandon their assignment, or shortcut the system, they must faithfully carry out the assignment in order to be found faithful at the conclusion.
- Give me success today (v12) – when the servant arrived at Abraham’s homeland, we observe him pray to God for success BEFORE he even encounters anyone from the village. It’s important to note that the servant realized that the success of his assignment was not dependent upon his abilities, but rather on the faithfulness of God. Remember to let the Lord lead your steps.
- All that my master has instructed me (v34-49) – please read these verses in Genesis chapter 24 because though they are a regurgitation of Abraham’s command to the servant, it’s important to see how well the servant retained and executed the instructions. ALL that Abraham instructed the servant, the servant followed, and repeated to Rebekah and her family. Later the servants of Israel beginning with Moses were entrusted with God’s commands to model and impart to the people for their own well-being. Those servants success were dependent upon their faithful obedience, and consistency to adhere to God’s instructions, NOT on the actions of those who heard their instructions. Like Abraham’s servant in this scene, once he has shared the commands of his master, it is up to those who were given the message to act accordingly.
Reflection Time
How well do you follow and adhere to God’s commands. Is God’s word written on and stored in your heart? Like Abraham’s servant, each of us has been given a great commission to reach those whom the Lord has entrusted to us. It is past time that we judge ourselves for the decisions of others, and instead evaluate ourselves according to God’s standards for us. Have you bowed out of the journey because you prematurely completed your mission? I’d like to remind you to pause and pray before you allow yourself to be led by your own understanding. This moment of intentionality can be helpful to position you to hear from God, remind you of his promises, and help you to bear proper fruit at the appointed time. Assess your life and see if you could be considered a faithful servant, worthy of the calling from God.
