January 22, 2024 • 18 mins
In this Bible Story, Sarah passes away and God continues his promise through Isaac. He provides Isaac with a wife, Rebekah, and the two loved one another deeply. This story is inspired by Genesis 24. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Genesis 24:26 from the King James Version.
Episode 17: Abraham is dying, and it’s time for his son to have a wife. So he sends his most loyal servant on a mission to go to his homeland to find a wife for his son. As Abraham’s servant was at the well in that town, he prayed, and God delivered unto him the woman Rebekah, who would become the wife of Isaac.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
Producer: Ben Gammon
Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham
Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and the man bowed down his head
and worshiped the Lord. Genesis twenty four, twenty six. Dear God,
as I am on my journey to fulfilling the purpose
you have for my life, thank you Lord for partnering
me with the right people. I decree and declare that
(00:23):
to day is the day that you begin to partner
me with kingdom connections. I decree and declare that as
I'm moving in obedience and working in alignment with your assignment,
that your giving me uncommon favor with uncommon men and women.
I want to also thank you in advance for my spouse.
(00:44):
Thank you that they are being preserved and protected. I know,
like Isaac and Rebecca, my spouse will be your best
for my life. I declare that my marriage will be
one of purpose and understanding. I declare that we will
be in sync as two hearts become one. Lord, I
(01:07):
praise you for helping me to become the person I
need to be to love them completely. Thank you for partnerships.
Thank you for relationships. Then, thank you Lord for placing
the right people at the right place at the right
time in my life. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you
(01:34):
for praying with us today. Continue your time with God
by listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by
Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Isaac and Rebecca. Before this story, we learned how God
told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God had had finally given
Abraham his promise, but now required an act of faith. Abraham,
with anguish and sorrow, obeyed, but the Lord provided a
ram instead and blessed Abraham for his obedience. Now we
(02:15):
will learn about Sarah passing away and Isaac meeting and
marrying Rebecca, as inspired by the Book of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Now that God has tested
Abraham's faithfulness, which he passed with flying colors, our narrative
turns to a time of grieving loss, followed by a
preparation for the future. The first thing we'll hear of
is the death of Sarah. She had lived long, finally
(02:48):
born a son to Abraham, and now the Lord was
calling her to her eternal rest in him. This was
to be a time of sorrow and grief for Abraham
and a final opportunity for him to demonstrate care for
her and honor her memory, but understanding that his work
on earth was not yet done. We see that Abraham
(03:09):
would turn to future planning, to securing a wife for
his son Isaac, so that God's plan to bless and
grow his family would continue progressing. Today's passage demonstrates great
wisdom on the part of Abraham, both in where he
sends his servant to look for a mate for Isaac
and in what he insists Isaac do as the search
(03:31):
is happening. Listen to what he commands his servant to
do and why he requires that Isaac remain in the
land where they were. Notice also how Abraham's servant goes
about finding a suitable partner and how he brings the
Lord into the process. Watch also as God works through
the process to ensure that Isaac is provided with the
(03:52):
right mate in Rebecca. You'll once again see how God's
plans for his people come together, often in unexpected ways
and unexpected places. There's God's surprise. Listen now to today's story.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Abraham and Sarah lived a long life together together. They
braved famines, journeyed to new lands, made mistakes, and experienced
the faithfulness of God over their marriage. And family. Together,
they endured heartache and shared in triumph. Yet time is
the cruel thief of life, and Sarah, in her old age,
(04:30):
had gone to be with her Lord. Abraham ventured to
the land of the Hittites and purchased a field and
cave there to bury his wife. Filled with sorrow, he
said goodbye to Sarah, his truest partner and friend. God
had blessed Abraham in all things. He had accumulated wealth, influence, land,
(04:53):
and adoration. Yet the death of Sarah reminded him that
his life was but a vapor, and soon he would
returned to the dust from which he came. It was
time to consider his son, Isaac and securing his future.
Abraham desired to find his son a wife as faithful
in God fearing as his mother was. This would be
(05:15):
a great challenge, since he dwelt in a land where
God was not yet known. Canaanites worshiped the gods of
the earth, and in vain they pursued no higher purpose
besides self pleasure and preservation. Abraham called his most faithful
servant to him, the oldest in his household, and his friend,
(05:37):
come and swear an oath to me. Abraham said, swear
to the Lord, the God of heaven and Earth, that
you will find my son a wife among my home
country and family. Shall I take your son with me?
The servant asked, for a woman might be reluctant to
come with me if her potential husband is not there.
(05:59):
You shall go to mine my home country without Isaac.
Abraham pressed, God has promised him this land, and he
shall not depart from it. If a woman is unwilling
to go with you, then I release you from your oath.
But I trust God will provide, since he has promised
that my son will continue to build a nation with
(06:19):
his children. So the servant swore an oath to Abraham
by putting his hand on his thigh, which was a
form of serious covenant promise. Then the servant departed back
to the land of Mesopotamia, to the city of Neor
with ten of his master's camels and gifts. After a
long journey, the servant had arrived on the outskirts of
(06:41):
his master's homeland at the time of evening. He brought
his camels to drink from a well. This was the
time when women from town came to draw water for
their families. The servant looked to God, saying, O, Lord,
please grant me success today, show love to my mate,
and show me who might be the wife of his son.
(07:04):
Then the servant, knowing God's faithfulness, prayed a strange prayer, saying,
I am standing near this spring, and the young women
of the city are coming out to draw water. I
will ask them for a drink, and whoever also offers
to give my camel's water will be the one you
have chosen. It may have seemed like a strange prayer,
(07:26):
yet the servant knew that a woman who was willing
to go the extra mile to bless a stranger would
truly be an excellent wife. As he was speaking to
the Lord, Rebecca, the daughter of Abraham's brother, came near
the spring to draw water. She had an elegance and
beauty that stood out among the rest of the women.
The dim light of dusk accentuated her beauty, and the
(07:49):
servant prayed again that she might be the one for Isaac.
He approached her gently and asked, would you mind drawing
me some water. Rebecca, even more young and beautiful, looking
up close, smiled with kindness emanating from her eyes. Of course,
drink my Lord, she said, while drawing him some cold water.
(08:11):
The servant thanked her and took a drink with anticipation.
As he was drinking, she put her hands together and said,
I will draw some water for your camels. It seems
like you have come a long way. So she emptied
her own jar into a trough near by, and led
each camel to drink from it. Ten times. She drew
(08:31):
water and carried it and waited for each camel to
have its filled. She did so with diligence and speed.
The servant watched her work with excitement welling up inside him.
Have you done it, Lord, the servant thought to himself.
When Rebecca finished with the camels, the servant ran to
her and adorned her with gifts and gratitude. Please tell
(08:53):
me who you are and who your family is, he said,
Would they have any room for me to spend the night?
Rebecca replied, my father is Bethul and my brother is Laban,
and we have plenty of room for you and your
camels to stay the night. The man bowed his head
to God and worshiped with a grin of astonement. He
spoke to the Lord, saying, blessed are you Lord? God
(09:17):
of my master Abraham. Your steadfast love and faithfulness has
orchestrated everything perfectly, and I am simply blessed to watch
it unfold. Then the young woman told her household about
these things. Lauban hurried to the well to assist the
servant and gave his warmest welcome by saying, come on in.
(09:38):
I've got the house ready for you, and there's also
a place for your camels. They all happily settled in
the house and prepared to eat a meal together. Before
I eat anything, I need to tell you why I
am here, the servant said, I am the servant of Abraham.
And the Lord has truly blessed Abraham since last time
(09:59):
you saw him. He has become great with flocks and
herds of thousands. He owns land, silver, gold, servants, and
all sorts of treasures. Yet his greatest treasure is Isaac,
a son he had with his wife Sarah. He was
a son given to them in their old age, and
(10:19):
God's favor is on him as well. The family sat
at the table, astonished by what he was saying, for
they knew Abraham from years ago before he had departed.
The servants spoke again saying, I have come here to
find my master's son a wife, and I believe Rebeccah
is the woman God has chosen for him. He then
(10:41):
told them all the things he had prayed to God,
and Rebecca's actions confirming all that he had prayed for.
Laban and his father answered, this is undoubtedly from God.
Take her and go. Let her be the wife of
your master's son, as God has made it plain. The
servant praised God and blessed the entire household with expensive gifts.
(11:06):
The thought of Rebecca leaving saddened her family, and they
wanted her to stay a little while longer, but Rebecca
felt the call of God to go. Similarly as God
had beckoned Abraham and Sarah to depart from their homeland
into something greater, so Rebecca departed as well. Back home,
Isaac went out into the field to meditate. The sun
(11:28):
was setting and the warm breeze whistled across the plains.
Colors of orange and purple filled the skies, and the
clouds moved with the wind. Isaac closed his eyes to pray.
He missed his mother. He whispered to God and breathed
in the sweet air of the promised land. He then
opened his eyes, and in the distance he saw the
(11:50):
camels approaching on the horizon. Rebecca, sitting upon the camels,
also lifted her eyes to see a distant figure standing
among the fields. She saw him drawing nearer and got
off her camel. Who is that man walking in the
field to meet us, she asked, It is my master,
the servant replied, so Rebecca put on her veil to
(12:13):
hide her face for the wedding. Isaac came to greet
them and was informed about all the things that had
taken place. So Isaac brought Rebecca to his home and
the two entered a prepared wedding ceremony. He removed her
veil and fell madly in love with Rebecca. The two
became one, as Abraham and Sarah once were. Isaac enjoyed
(12:36):
the warm embrace and comfort of his wife, and the
two began to build a.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Life with one another.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Abraham and Sarah have been through so much together, countless
miles of travel, ups and downs in their marriage, and
at long last, the joy of a beloved son. Sarah
has lived a long life and has fulfilled her purposes.
Her time on earth has come to an end, and
Abraham grieves her death with great sorrow. Wanting to honor
(13:09):
her in her passing, he lavishly provides a resting place
for her body, purchasing a field and a cave. But
Abraham will not remain stuck in his grief. He understands
that there is a time to mourn and a time
to grieve, and also a time to look to the future.
God has promised to bring him many descendants through Isaac,
(13:30):
and for that to happen, he must find a mate
for his son. Here we find Abraham acting as a
wise father and leader of his family. He could easily
have sent his servant to search the region for a
young woman for his son, but that could mean a
marriage to a pagan woman who knew nothing of his God.
That would mean disaster, So he sends his servant out
(13:53):
to his homeland far far away. His servant makes a suggestion,
why don't I bring Isaac along for the journey so
the prospective wife can know I am telling the truth.
Once again demonstrating great wisdom, Abraham insists Isaac not leave.
God had promised that land to him, and Isaac must
(14:13):
stay there to protect his claim and be obedient to God.
But there was something more at play here. If Isaac
had journeyed far away and found a beautiful young woman
to marry, the temptation would be to stay right there,
abandoning the land God had given him. By now, Abraham
has lived long enough to understand the importance of trusting
(14:34):
and obeying God, and of staying the course that God
has set. So his servant heads out on his quest.
It is notable here that when he arrives in Nahor,
the servant praised to God and proposes a way to
identify the ideal wife. Look what he says in Genesis
twenty four, verses twelve through fourteen. He said, O, Lord,
(14:57):
the God of my master Abraham, please me success today
and show loving kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I
am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the
men of the city are coming out to draw water.
Now may it be that the girl to whom I say,
please let down your jar so that I may drink,
and who answers drink and I will water your camel's Also,
(15:20):
May she be the one whom you have appointed for
your servant, Isaac. And by this I will know that
you have shown loving kindness to my master. Why is
this so notable? We already see that it is not
only Abraham's direct line that is honoring and following the
One True God. This servant, living in the midst of Abraham, Sarah,
(15:41):
Isaac and their family have seen their master's worship and
trust in God, his obedience and dependence upon God, and
this influenced him greatly. So he seeks God also asking
him to find the right wife for his master. He
doesn't ask for the most beautiful woman, as one might
imagine he would, wanting to impress his master with a
(16:02):
striking beauty. For Isaac, his test is looking for a
kind heart, a compassionate person, something that will far outlast
physical beauty. Waiting by the wall, he meets Rebecca. She
is beautiful, standing out from all the others, but what
wins him over is how she demonstrates great kindness and
(16:23):
generosity to a stranger, a foreigner in the land. This
is the one, He's sure of it. God is at
work in this situation. When the servant tells Rebecca he
needs lodging, she welcomes him to her family's house. There,
he reveals the purpose of his visit. To the astonishment
amazement of his host. He is granted favor and Laban,
(16:47):
Rebecca's brother, testifies, this is from God, so far be
it from them to stand in the way. The family
grants their blessing and Rebecca agrees to the long journey
to meet her future your husband, someone that she has
never met or seen. They returned to Canaan and Isaac
is amazed. He is overjoyed that God has provided him
(17:10):
such a kind and beautiful wife. They are married, and
God's plan for his purpose and ultimately the redemption of
the world continues to move forward. This is a story
of God's divine providence, God orchestrating the meeting at the
right time between the right people to provide a right
mate for Isaac. It is a reminder that God works
(17:33):
and does amazing things in our own lives, sometimes even
despite unlikely odds and obstacles. What we need to do
is to always trust God, believe his promises, and to
obey him whatever he asks us to do. Dear Father,
thank you for how this story reminds us that you
(17:54):
are always at work moving to bless us and provide
for our every need. Thank you also for the lesson
in grieving and honoring our loved ones that we see
from Abraham with Sarah's passing. Help us to trust that
you will work in our situation, that we will always
bring glory to yourself and accomplish your purposes in obedience
(18:16):
with our lives in Jesus's name. Amen. Thank you for
listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
and make prayer a priority in your life. If you
enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love and
(18:36):
by sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
their life. And if you want more resources on how
to tap into God's power to trust in him and
obey Him in all things, be sure to visit Jack
Graham dot org.
Let us pray, and the man bowed down his head
and worshiped the Lord. Genesis twenty four, twenty six. Dear God,
as I am on my journey to fulfilling the purpose
you have for my life, thank you Lord for partnering
me with the right people. I decree and declare that
(00:23):
to day is the day that you begin to partner
me with kingdom connections. I decree and declare that as
I'm moving in obedience and working in alignment with your assignment,
that your giving me uncommon favor with uncommon men and women.
I want to also thank you in advance for my spouse.
(00:44):
Thank you that they are being preserved and protected. I know,
like Isaac and Rebecca, my spouse will be your best
for my life. I declare that my marriage will be
one of purpose and understanding. I declare that we will
be in sync as two hearts become one. Lord, I
(01:07):
praise you for helping me to become the person I
need to be to love them completely. Thank you for partnerships.
Thank you for relationships. Then, thank you Lord for placing
the right people at the right place at the right
time in my life. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you
(01:34):
for praying with us today. Continue your time with God
by listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by
Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Isaac and Rebecca. Before this story, we learned how God
told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God had had finally given
Abraham his promise, but now required an act of faith. Abraham,
with anguish and sorrow, obeyed, but the Lord provided a
ram instead and blessed Abraham for his obedience. Now we
(02:15):
will learn about Sarah passing away and Isaac meeting and
marrying Rebecca, as inspired by the Book of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Now that God has tested
Abraham's faithfulness, which he passed with flying colors, our narrative
turns to a time of grieving loss, followed by a
preparation for the future. The first thing we'll hear of
is the death of Sarah. She had lived long, finally
(02:48):
born a son to Abraham, and now the Lord was
calling her to her eternal rest in him. This was
to be a time of sorrow and grief for Abraham
and a final opportunity for him to demonstrate care for
her and honor her memory, but understanding that his work
on earth was not yet done. We see that Abraham
(03:09):
would turn to future planning, to securing a wife for
his son Isaac, so that God's plan to bless and
grow his family would continue progressing. Today's passage demonstrates great
wisdom on the part of Abraham, both in where he
sends his servant to look for a mate for Isaac
and in what he insists Isaac do as the search
(03:31):
is happening. Listen to what he commands his servant to
do and why he requires that Isaac remain in the
land where they were. Notice also how Abraham's servant goes
about finding a suitable partner and how he brings the
Lord into the process. Watch also as God works through
the process to ensure that Isaac is provided with the
(03:52):
right mate in Rebecca. You'll once again see how God's
plans for his people come together, often in unexpected ways
and unexpected places. There's God's surprise. Listen now to today's story.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Abraham and Sarah lived a long life together together. They
braved famines, journeyed to new lands, made mistakes, and experienced
the faithfulness of God over their marriage. And family. Together,
they endured heartache and shared in triumph. Yet time is
the cruel thief of life, and Sarah, in her old age,
(04:30):
had gone to be with her Lord. Abraham ventured to
the land of the Hittites and purchased a field and
cave there to bury his wife. Filled with sorrow, he
said goodbye to Sarah, his truest partner and friend. God
had blessed Abraham in all things. He had accumulated wealth, influence, land,
(04:53):
and adoration. Yet the death of Sarah reminded him that
his life was but a vapor, and soon he would
returned to the dust from which he came. It was
time to consider his son, Isaac and securing his future.
Abraham desired to find his son a wife as faithful
in God fearing as his mother was. This would be
(05:15):
a great challenge, since he dwelt in a land where
God was not yet known. Canaanites worshiped the gods of
the earth, and in vain they pursued no higher purpose
besides self pleasure and preservation. Abraham called his most faithful
servant to him, the oldest in his household, and his friend,
(05:37):
come and swear an oath to me. Abraham said, swear
to the Lord, the God of heaven and Earth, that
you will find my son a wife among my home
country and family. Shall I take your son with me?
The servant asked, for a woman might be reluctant to
come with me if her potential husband is not there.
(05:59):
You shall go to mine my home country without Isaac.
Abraham pressed, God has promised him this land, and he
shall not depart from it. If a woman is unwilling
to go with you, then I release you from your oath.
But I trust God will provide, since he has promised
that my son will continue to build a nation with
(06:19):
his children. So the servant swore an oath to Abraham
by putting his hand on his thigh, which was a
form of serious covenant promise. Then the servant departed back
to the land of Mesopotamia, to the city of Neor
with ten of his master's camels and gifts. After a
long journey, the servant had arrived on the outskirts of
(06:41):
his master's homeland at the time of evening. He brought
his camels to drink from a well. This was the
time when women from town came to draw water for
their families. The servant looked to God, saying, O, Lord,
please grant me success today, show love to my mate,
and show me who might be the wife of his son.
(07:04):
Then the servant, knowing God's faithfulness, prayed a strange prayer, saying,
I am standing near this spring, and the young women
of the city are coming out to draw water. I
will ask them for a drink, and whoever also offers
to give my camel's water will be the one you
have chosen. It may have seemed like a strange prayer,
(07:26):
yet the servant knew that a woman who was willing
to go the extra mile to bless a stranger would
truly be an excellent wife. As he was speaking to
the Lord, Rebecca, the daughter of Abraham's brother, came near
the spring to draw water. She had an elegance and
beauty that stood out among the rest of the women.
The dim light of dusk accentuated her beauty, and the
(07:49):
servant prayed again that she might be the one for Isaac.
He approached her gently and asked, would you mind drawing
me some water. Rebecca, even more young and beautiful, looking
up close, smiled with kindness emanating from her eyes. Of course,
drink my Lord, she said, while drawing him some cold water.
(08:11):
The servant thanked her and took a drink with anticipation.
As he was drinking, she put her hands together and said,
I will draw some water for your camels. It seems
like you have come a long way. So she emptied
her own jar into a trough near by, and led
each camel to drink from it. Ten times. She drew
(08:31):
water and carried it and waited for each camel to
have its filled. She did so with diligence and speed.
The servant watched her work with excitement welling up inside him.
Have you done it, Lord, the servant thought to himself.
When Rebecca finished with the camels, the servant ran to
her and adorned her with gifts and gratitude. Please tell
(08:53):
me who you are and who your family is, he said,
Would they have any room for me to spend the night?
Rebecca replied, my father is Bethul and my brother is Laban,
and we have plenty of room for you and your
camels to stay the night. The man bowed his head
to God and worshiped with a grin of astonement. He
spoke to the Lord, saying, blessed are you Lord? God
(09:17):
of my master Abraham. Your steadfast love and faithfulness has
orchestrated everything perfectly, and I am simply blessed to watch
it unfold. Then the young woman told her household about
these things. Lauban hurried to the well to assist the
servant and gave his warmest welcome by saying, come on in.
(09:38):
I've got the house ready for you, and there's also
a place for your camels. They all happily settled in
the house and prepared to eat a meal together. Before
I eat anything, I need to tell you why I
am here, the servant said, I am the servant of Abraham.
And the Lord has truly blessed Abraham since last time
(09:59):
you saw him. He has become great with flocks and
herds of thousands. He owns land, silver, gold, servants, and
all sorts of treasures. Yet his greatest treasure is Isaac,
a son he had with his wife Sarah. He was
a son given to them in their old age, and
(10:19):
God's favor is on him as well. The family sat
at the table, astonished by what he was saying, for
they knew Abraham from years ago before he had departed.
The servants spoke again saying, I have come here to
find my master's son a wife, and I believe Rebeccah
is the woman God has chosen for him. He then
(10:41):
told them all the things he had prayed to God,
and Rebecca's actions confirming all that he had prayed for.
Laban and his father answered, this is undoubtedly from God.
Take her and go. Let her be the wife of
your master's son, as God has made it plain. The
servant praised God and blessed the entire household with expensive gifts.
(11:06):
The thought of Rebecca leaving saddened her family, and they
wanted her to stay a little while longer, but Rebecca
felt the call of God to go. Similarly as God
had beckoned Abraham and Sarah to depart from their homeland
into something greater, so Rebecca departed as well. Back home,
Isaac went out into the field to meditate. The sun
(11:28):
was setting and the warm breeze whistled across the plains.
Colors of orange and purple filled the skies, and the
clouds moved with the wind. Isaac closed his eyes to pray.
He missed his mother. He whispered to God and breathed
in the sweet air of the promised land. He then
opened his eyes, and in the distance he saw the
(11:50):
camels approaching on the horizon. Rebecca, sitting upon the camels,
also lifted her eyes to see a distant figure standing
among the fields. She saw him drawing nearer and got
off her camel. Who is that man walking in the
field to meet us, she asked, It is my master,
the servant replied, so Rebecca put on her veil to
(12:13):
hide her face for the wedding. Isaac came to greet
them and was informed about all the things that had
taken place. So Isaac brought Rebecca to his home and
the two entered a prepared wedding ceremony. He removed her
veil and fell madly in love with Rebecca. The two
became one, as Abraham and Sarah once were. Isaac enjoyed
(12:36):
the warm embrace and comfort of his wife, and the
two began to build a.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Life with one another.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Abraham and Sarah have been through so much together, countless
miles of travel, ups and downs in their marriage, and
at long last, the joy of a beloved son. Sarah
has lived a long life and has fulfilled her purposes.
Her time on earth has come to an end, and
Abraham grieves her death with great sorrow. Wanting to honor
(13:09):
her in her passing, he lavishly provides a resting place
for her body, purchasing a field and a cave. But
Abraham will not remain stuck in his grief. He understands
that there is a time to mourn and a time
to grieve, and also a time to look to the future.
God has promised to bring him many descendants through Isaac,
(13:30):
and for that to happen, he must find a mate
for his son. Here we find Abraham acting as a
wise father and leader of his family. He could easily
have sent his servant to search the region for a
young woman for his son, but that could mean a
marriage to a pagan woman who knew nothing of his God.
That would mean disaster, So he sends his servant out
(13:53):
to his homeland far far away. His servant makes a suggestion,
why don't I bring Isaac along for the journey so
the prospective wife can know I am telling the truth.
Once again demonstrating great wisdom, Abraham insists Isaac not leave.
God had promised that land to him, and Isaac must
(14:13):
stay there to protect his claim and be obedient to God.
But there was something more at play here. If Isaac
had journeyed far away and found a beautiful young woman
to marry, the temptation would be to stay right there,
abandoning the land God had given him. By now, Abraham
has lived long enough to understand the importance of trusting
(14:34):
and obeying God, and of staying the course that God
has set. So his servant heads out on his quest.
It is notable here that when he arrives in Nahor,
the servant praised to God and proposes a way to
identify the ideal wife. Look what he says in Genesis
twenty four, verses twelve through fourteen. He said, O, Lord,
(14:57):
the God of my master Abraham, please me success today
and show loving kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I
am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the
men of the city are coming out to draw water.
Now may it be that the girl to whom I say,
please let down your jar so that I may drink,
and who answers drink and I will water your camel's Also,
(15:20):
May she be the one whom you have appointed for
your servant, Isaac. And by this I will know that
you have shown loving kindness to my master. Why is
this so notable? We already see that it is not
only Abraham's direct line that is honoring and following the
One True God. This servant, living in the midst of Abraham, Sarah,
(15:41):
Isaac and their family have seen their master's worship and
trust in God, his obedience and dependence upon God, and
this influenced him greatly. So he seeks God also asking
him to find the right wife for his master. He
doesn't ask for the most beautiful woman, as one might
imagine he would, wanting to impress his master with a
(16:02):
striking beauty. For Isaac, his test is looking for a
kind heart, a compassionate person, something that will far outlast
physical beauty. Waiting by the wall, he meets Rebecca. She
is beautiful, standing out from all the others, but what
wins him over is how she demonstrates great kindness and
(16:23):
generosity to a stranger, a foreigner in the land. This
is the one, He's sure of it. God is at
work in this situation. When the servant tells Rebecca he
needs lodging, she welcomes him to her family's house. There,
he reveals the purpose of his visit. To the astonishment
amazement of his host. He is granted favor and Laban,
(16:47):
Rebecca's brother, testifies, this is from God, so far be
it from them to stand in the way. The family
grants their blessing and Rebecca agrees to the long journey
to meet her future your husband, someone that she has
never met or seen. They returned to Canaan and Isaac
is amazed. He is overjoyed that God has provided him
(17:10):
such a kind and beautiful wife. They are married, and
God's plan for his purpose and ultimately the redemption of
the world continues to move forward. This is a story
of God's divine providence, God orchestrating the meeting at the
right time between the right people to provide a right
mate for Isaac. It is a reminder that God works
(17:33):
and does amazing things in our own lives, sometimes even
despite unlikely odds and obstacles. What we need to do
is to always trust God, believe his promises, and to
obey him whatever he asks us to do. Dear Father,
thank you for how this story reminds us that you
(17:54):
are always at work moving to bless us and provide
for our every need. Thank you also for the lesson
in grieving and honoring our loved ones that we see
from Abraham with Sarah's passing. Help us to trust that
you will work in our situation, that we will always
bring glory to yourself and accomplish your purposes in obedience
(18:16):
with our lives in Jesus's name. Amen. Thank you for
listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
and make prayer a priority in your life. If you
enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love and
(18:36):
by sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
their life. And if you want more resources on how
to tap into God's power to trust in him and
obey Him in all things, be sure to visit Jack
Graham dot org.
Host
Jack Graham
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