God Prepares the Way



Genesis 24:1-27
As the reading is a little longer today, I have given you a link to the passage. Don’t skip this part! It’s the most important.

http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis+24%3A1-27/

As a good father, Abraham is taking care of his responsibilities. It is time to find a suitable wife for Isaac. This is an important woman, for she would become an integral part of the fulfillment of God’s promise that Abraham would become a might nation. It is crucial that she not be from one of the pagan tribes that surrounded Abraham, but instead be from Abraham’s own people. As an old man Abraham is unable to go himself so he sends Eliezer, his chief servant, entrusting him with this huge responsibility. After extracting a solemn vow from Eliezer that the woman would come only from his family, Abraham sends him off with 10 camels and assorted riches to shower upon the woman and her family. That’s how marriages were accomplished at that time. But riches aside, what Eliezer actually takes with him to meet this potential bride is the Lord. No decision is made without the power and presence of the Lord. We are told how he prays his way through the journey, allowing God to show him the woman that He has chosen for Isaac.

Eliezer sets up a test for God. While this is not recommended, it works this time. He is looking for the woman who will offer him a drink of water and then water his camels as well. This is quite a test. Camels can drink up to 27 gallons of water in 7-8 minutes. Seriously!!! Rebekah volunteers to water 10 camels for this stranger. So not only is she a beautiful virgin she’s strong and willing to work – hard. In the end, this exertion proves to be a good idea. It lands her the husband that God has planned for her.

The most startling verse in this passage for me is verse 15. “Before he had finished praying . . . “ God’s got his hands all over this meeting. He has prepared in advance the woman Rebekah as a suitable wife for Isaac. Now He has arranged a meeting so that Rebekah can move into the phase of her life as the mother of a new nation. While Eliezer prays, God is moving forward with the plan that has already been set into place. Once again we see that God is in full control. We can pretend that we’ve got the whole thing figured out all the time, but we don’t. That is an illusion (possibly sent by Satan) and we need not entertain it. Life is just so much easier when we just pray and then watch God work.

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