Finding a Wife for Isaac

Turn to Genesis chapter 24. Genesis chapter 24. Finding a wife for Isaac mentioned this verse a little earlier there are, I don't know, a couple dozen passages that I are are kind of my my go to passages and this is one of em and so if you haven't memorized it, eventually, I hope that it sticks. Proverbs three, five, and six, trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him that is the Lord and he shall direct your paths.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For being there for us, for directing us through your spirit and through your word. Lord, give us wisdom and willingness to follow where you lead. Lord, we pray that you would be exalted in all that said and done in this service.

We pray that you would draw any who may be here this morning that do not know you to faith in Jesus Christ and we thank you for what you have done for us. For the sacrifice you've made, for the salvation of our souls, and for being with us each day, to guide us. In Jesus name, amen. Genesis chapter 24. Now, God called Abraham, Abraham, when he called him, out of the land of the Ur of the Chaldees, into a land that he would show him and he asked Abraham simply to what?

Trust him. Trust him and follow him and that he would make of him a great nation and that his descendants would inherit a great land and that they would be as the stars of the heaven and as the sand on along the seashore. And Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for what? For righteousness. Now, it wasn't that Abraham didn't have some bumps in the road.

Wasn't that Abraham was perfect in his faith or his understanding or in his obedience. There were times that Abraham struggled. He remember he went to Egypt and he told him his wife was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him to get her. Bad decision. Wasn't trusting God.

Later on, his wife said, well, you know, God hasn't given us a son and you know, I'm 80 some years old and you're nearly 100 and maybe God is going to give us a son another way. Here, take Hagar, my maid. Bad decision. Had Ishmael. Wasn't the one God had promised?

Wasn't the child of Sarah, he didn't wait on the Lord, and to this day, the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac are still at odds with one another in this world. The Jews and the Arabs. But Abraham grew in his faith and the Lord did give him a son with Sarah when he was 100 and she was 90 and then when that son was around 12 years old or so, he said, Abraham, I want you to take that son that I promised to you and that that I would give you all these descendants who would fill this land by and I want you to take him out to Mount Moriah and I want you to sacrifice him there to me. Now, that didn't make any sense, I am sure, to Abraham. I mean, that God says, then give me a sign.

He's going to make great nation and then God tells me to go sacrifice him on this mountain, this three day journey away. But you know something? Abraham still obeyed who? God. He had grown in his faith.

He obeyed the Lord. He trusted in the Lord. In Hebrews, it tells us, he trusted that if necessary, God would raise his son from the dead. Because he had learned that God keeps his what? His promises and so he obeyed the Lord.

That brings us to Genesis chapter 24. Genesis chapter 24, his son, Isaac, is now 40 years old. His wife, Sarah, has passed away. And he focuses his attention now upon a certain need that his son has. So, if you look in chapter 24, we're going to read verses one through nine to start and Abraham was old and well stricken in age and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruleth over all the all that he had, put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son, Isaac. And the servant said unto him, per per adventure, the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land. Must I need bring thy son again unto the land from which thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, beware, thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

Don't take him back to my homeland. Verse seven, the Lord God of heaven which took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred which spake unto me and that swear unto me saying unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall send his angel before thee and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath and only bring not my son feather again and the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swear to him concerning that matter. So, first of all, I want you to see this morning, Abraham's faith manifested in his plea. Abraham's faith manifested in his plea to his servant here. So, the first thing we're going to see is the faith of Abraham.

Sarah Sarah having died in the previous chapter. Now, Abraham is concerned for his son who's now 40 years old and yet he is unmarried. And he is greatly concerned as to also whom he will marry. That's an important thing. I have two sons.

I am concerned as to whom they will marry. I think we're pretty settled on one of them at this point. And you'll find out more about that later on as I think you'll be invited to something next summer but and we're happy about that situation but Abraham was concerned about his son and whom he would marry and so, he being now a hundred four hundred about 140 years of age, wanted him to marry somebody from his kindred and not from Canaan. We'll come to that again in a minute. That's about a 500 mile trip and so, that's a pretty long trip for somebody 140 years old.

And so, he asked his servant, probably Eliezer. Eleazar's mentioned earlier, Abraham wanted its at one point to make Eleazar his heir and call him his son and God said, no. Eleazar is not what I'm talking about. You will have a son with Sarah And so this is probably Eliezer, his oldest and most trusted servant. He asked him, requested of him in a very emphatic way by means of this oath that he took.

That he would go find his son a wife and not a wife from the Canaanites but a wife from his kindred. Well, why was that? Well, couple things to consider here. Number one, it was customary in Abraham's day to marry others of your own tribe or extended family Like a cousin, which was the case with Rebecca. She was the daughter of Isaac's cousin.

As we'll see here in a bit. But and so this this was customary. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But there is I think another issue here. There was also the issue of rampant paganism, idolatry, which had which had in fact infected or infested the Canaanite civilization.

And which Abraham did not want his son to be infected by. Nothing was more important to Abraham than his faith. As we saw in chapter 22, when he took Isaac to sacrifice him. Nothing was more important. So, when it came to finding a wife for his son, was that also important?

In finding a wife. I think it was. He wanted his son to have a wife that would share his what? His faith. And that their children would be taught to know the Lord.

That was important. And as it should have been and as it should be today for Christian parents. Later, God would clearly direct Jacob's descendants not to intermarry with the Canaanites. Why? Well, because of their bloodline, because of their their physical genetic makeup or heritage?

No. Because of their idolatry, because of their wickedness, because of their blasphemy of the God of heaven through choosing to worship every other thing under the sun but the God who made it all. Because of their sacrifice of little babies to the idol Molech and all kinds of other unbelievable atrocities that they committed. By the way, we live in a nation that's committing such unbelievable atrocities by the thousands every day via abortion. So, before we get all upset at them, we need to take a look at our own culture and society as well.

So, God, so, the point being Abraham did not want Isaac to have a Canaanite wife and so he made this servant take an oath that he would go get him a wife from his kindred. In the New Testament, we're told this, in first Corinthians, second Corinthians chapter six, it says, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial or essentially Satan?

Or what part have he that believeth with an infidel which simply means unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. So, Paul says to the Christians at Corinth, if you're choosing to be yoked together in a relationship, a partnership with someone else that will affect you, make sure that that person shares your faith, that that person shares your values, that that person shares your goals because if their goals are drastically different and their values are drastically different and their faith in particular is drastically different, then, it's going to cause you a world of trouble.

Abraham understood that and we should understand that. Sad to say a lot of Christians don't seem to. A lot of young Christians don't seem to. Sometimes, parents don't seem to. And the results are often very sad because our decisions are made purely on physical things and not on things of eternal value and that goes for many different areas of life, not just this one.

So, moving on He said, do not give her a wife from the Canaanites. Do not take Isaac back but bring the wife here. Why? Well, as Abraham noted, God had faithfully brought Abraham to to Canaan and he had promised his descendants the land. Therefore, Abraham did not want to send his son out of Canaan to Mary for fear that he would not what?

Return. And so, he said, do not send my son back. We'll keep my son here. You go find a girl for her him to marry and you bring her back. If she won't come back, then you're released from your oath.

But Abraham further demonstrated his faith by telling the servant, I know that God is going to send his angel before you and that you will find this person. Abraham believed this to be God's will and that God therefore would assist. In doing his will. You know, sometimes we don't exactly know how to pray or what to pray for but often times, we do. And we ought to pray in faith.

Because God spells out his will most times right here in his what? In his word. Believe it and trust that God will help assist in the fulfillment and accomplishment of the thing that he has called you to do or the thing that he has declared he wants to do. Pray with confidence. Serve with confidence.

Step out in faith with confidence that God will fulfill what he says. And he will. That brings us to verse 10. So, we saw Abraham's faith. Now, I want us to see Eleazer's faith, the servant's faith.

So, verse 10, the servant took 10 camels of the camels of his master and departed. For all the goods of his master were in his hand and he arose and went to Mesopotamia under the city of Nahor and he made his camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening even the time that women go out to draw water. So, why 10 camels? Did he need 10 camels to travel? Probably not.

They were probably a dowry. The camels and other things that he took of his masters in order to give to the family that in turn would give of their daughter to go back and marry his son. So, this is probably essentially a dowry and he gets to the place. He's he's his place he's going to and he gets there about evening about the time that the women came out of the city to draw water from the well. Obviously, they didn't have running water.

Not everybody had their own little well back in those days. There was usually a a well in the center of town and people would come to that well particularly the women to draw water in the evening and so he knew this. So, that seemed like a good place to look for a wife for Isaac because they would come to him. So, look if you would again in verse 12 and he said, oh Lord God, of my master Abraham, I pray thee. Send me good speed this day and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

Notice the humility just in those words. He's not concerned about himself. He's concerned about Abraham and he is relying upon the faithfulness of God that God had demonstrated in behalf of his master, Abraham. Verse 13, behold, I stand here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. Let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down the pitcher, I pray thee that I may drink and she shall say, drink and I will give thy camels to drink also.

Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master. So, the servant gets to the place, destination, he comes to the well. He prays and he asks the Lord to show him the right one. Yeah, this this is important task that his master has entrusted him with. Says, Lord, show me the right one.

And I want you to notice how he wanted God to show him. What he asked God to do because I think there is a purpose behind his request, okay? First of all, it shows that he put his trust in the Lord and that he put God and that he put God in the driver's seat, okay? So, he had a task. He got there and he said, God, okay, I'm stepping out of the driver's seat.

Now, please, you step in and show me. I want you to help me with this. I need your assistance. I trust you. Proverbs three, five, and six.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not into thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Now, that verse hadn't been written yet when Eliezer made this request. But don't you see the connection in the parallel there? He trusted the Lord with all his heart.

He didn't lean on his own understanding. He leaned upon the Lord. And he allowed God to direct his paths. He showed great faith and trust in God. Number two, it revealed a humility and an understanding of the importance of his mission.

He did not feel worthy to make such a decision simply on the basis of his intellect or his gut. He needed God's help. This decision would have a lasting impact on his master's home. For many years to come. This was important.

God was going to make of Isaac a great nation to follow the Lord. His descendants, the descendants of this wife, they would be the fulfillment of that promise. This is important. And so he was humble enough to say, God, I can't do this on my own. This this is too much.

This is too big for me. I need your help. I need your wisdom. I need you to show me. James one five tells us, okay, it's not going to work now.

Alright, forget it. James one five. What does it say? It says, if any man, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and abrade it not does not hold back and it shall be given him. If you lack wisdom, do what?

Ask God and and what's God going to do? He's going to give you wisdom. If you sincerely from your heart need God's wisdom and you ask, you know what God's going to do? He's going to give you wisdom. He's going to direct your path and so we see that here.

Elijah and Lord, I need help. I need your direction. I trust you. Please give me wisdom. Please direct my path.

He actually showed great wisdom as we'll see in a moment in the request that he made. God was already given him wisdom. Are we willing to pray and seek God's will in such matters? Are we so arrogant as to think that we do not need his help? I'm afraid sometimes, we got big decisions to make, important decisions to make, and we leave out the one who we should be asking.

We ask ourselves, we ask others, but we don't sincerely ask God. If you really want to know what God wants, I think he'll show you. I think he'll tell you. If you really want to know, but you really gotta wanna know, and be willing to do what he shows you. I think Eliezer was sincere, don't you?

And I think he really meant what he said. And no matter who that woman was, he would accept whose will. He would accept God's will because God does not make mistakes. Third thing I want us to see is his request here revealed a definite character quality or definite character qualities which he thought should be in a wife for Isaac, okay? The test he chose was not whimsical.

He didn't flip a lot. He say, okay, Lord, heads or tails and flip the coin, okay? Where back then, they threw lots, cast lots or something or sticks or something. No, that's not what he did. The test revealed that he did not believe beauty to be the most important thing because that had nothing to do with his request.

The test did demonstrate at least these three things which he felt were vital. Number one, that she have a servant's heart. That she was willing to serve was of a humble spirit That's why he said, when they come to bring water, to get the water, and I say, can you give me a drink? The one who gives me to drink and says, can I also water your camels, your livestock? Let that be the one.

Because only a servant is going to make that offer. Nobody that's selfish and nobody that's only thinking about themselves and unwilling to serve is going to make that offer. We'll come to that again just a second. Number two, he's looking for a young lady who has a good work ethic and a strong back. A good work ethic and a strong back.

Why? Well, camels. How many camels? 10 camels. Anybody know how much camel drinks if they are in really need of a drink?

They can hold up to 20 gallons a piece. 20 gallons, 10 camels. What is that? 200 gallons of water. Now, it doesn't necessarily follow that she had to give 20 gallons to each camel.

I think it's somewhat felonious when preacher say, well, that means that she gave 200 gallon. No, it doesn't necessarily mean that she gave them that much water but camels don't drink just a few swallows in a bucket. They drink buckets before they even begin to quench their thirst. So, many many gallons, many many times of putting the bucket down. I mean, this this had to take her an hour to water, at least to water these camels, let the bucket down, pull it back up, pour it into some, let it down, pour it back up.

You know, by time she got the next one up, that water was already gone because you know, camel sucked it and and and this this and she understood when she gave this offer that this was hard work but she was willing to what? She was willing and able to do it. You know, when I think of having a servant's heart, I think of Jesus Christ, Mark ten forty five, he came not to be ministered unto but to minister and give his life a ransom for many and you know something he expects that. He expected that also of his what? Disciples he was talking to and we're his disciples too.

We should have a servant's heart. We should be willing to do what we can. Now, not all of us have the ability to do what others have the ability to do. But we ought to be willing to follow through. We ought to have endurance in trusting the Lord and in following through with the tasks he sets before us.

That was evident in her And number three, a servant's heart, a good work work ethic, and a hospitable spirit. Somebody who showed kindness and compassion. And that she did. She showed kindness and compassion to this man, to his animals, which that's one of my shortcomings. I don't have a lot of compassion when it comes to animals, but but our cat is still alive.

He's been alive for how long now? About a decade in my house. I haven't killed him yet. So, but she showed compassion to him and to his animals and hospitality inviting her, inviting him to her home. These are things that should be true in Christians, should be seen in God's children.

These are valuable traits for any child of God but even more so in a wife for Isaac. Peter speaking to Christians and again, that's not working. In first Peter three, three, and four says this, He says, who's adorning? Let it not be that outward adorning of the plating of the hair and of the wearing of gold or of the putting on of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart and that which is not corruptible. Even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price.

What does God expect of wives? He doesn't expect them to be the prettiest one on the block. He doesn't expect them to spend an inordinate amount of time on their outward appearance. What does God expect? For all of us to work on our what?

On our heart. On our heart. And be humble. Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the kind of wife that Isaac needed.

That's the kind of wife that God expects Christian wives to be and those kind of attitudes he really expects of all his children. So, we see the faith of Abraham. We see the faith of Eliezer and we see the Lord's answer. The Lord's answer. What does he say in Matthew seven?

Ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open. For he that ask it receiveth. He that seeketh find it unto him that knocketh, it shall be open.

So, he asked sincerely and God answered. He did. It was immediate. Now, God's timing is always best. In this case, God's timing was right then.

Is that always the case? No, it's not always the case. Sometimes, it is. Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it's weeks, months, years.

Be persistent. Don't give up. Trust in God. His timing is perfect and what happened? Well, Rebecca came out and Rebecca did exactly what the servant had asked for.

It came to pass verse 15, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, With her picture upon her shoulder. Just happened, this is a relative of Abraham. And the damsel was very fair to look upon. Well, he didn't ask for beauty but guess what? Got it anyway.

The damsel was very fair to look upon a virgin, neither had any man known her, and she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, let me, I pray thee, drink a little water from thy pitcher. And she said, drink my Lord and she hasted and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also until they have done drinking. I can only see the smile on the Eleazar's face.

Wow. Wow. God, that was quick and amazing. Here she is. She's all these three things he asked for.

She happens to be beautiful as well and she happens to be a relative of who? A relative of Abraham. The Lord answered. He answered immediately. He answered unmistakably.

You know, if you really want God's help and you really and you really ask him, I believe he'll give you an answer and I believe in most cases that answer will be unmistakable. I was looking for a wife once too. I was in college. I called this room to talk to this girl that I had a date with. She wasn't there.

Her roommate was there. Her roommate answered the phone and she said, well, I think she'll be back in a few minutes. And I said, oh, okay. Well, if you don't mind, I'll just talk to you while we wait for her to come back. I was much more bold over the phone than I was in person.

And so, low and behold, after about forty five minutes, her roommate didn't come back and that's about how long we talked on the phone and before she got off the phone, I think I had probably had I already asked you out by the end of the conversation. Maybe not. I'm not sure which was probably kind of bad when you think about. I had a a matter of fact, I know I didn't ask her out on a date. I waited until because I had a date with the roommate and I had to wait till I had that date before I could ask her out.

Anyway, so unmistakable. Unmistakable. Left college, had to find some place to go in ministry, asked the Lord where to go. I won't tell you the whole story but I ended up a youth pastor in Georgia for twelve years and that answer was unmistakable. Went to leave ministry in Georgia looking for a place to come to minister as a pastor and as far as I'm concerned, that answer was unmistakable and hopefully you're happy about it but I've been here fifteen years since the answer to that one.

Kate needed a job didn't know what she wanted to do when we got here. Nursing's hours do not work well with church and so she had been a nurse and so, we prayed about it. She went to Belton because they had a trial on hearing aids and tried on a pair and then, when she came back, they offered her a job. Basically, right? Unmistakable.

And so, you know something when you really want to know God's will and you're willing to do it, God will show you but you gotta you gotta mean it. Gotta trust him. He'll show you. It was immediate, it was unmistakable, and it was complete. Not only did he find the right girl but low and behold, she was willing to go back with him to marry Isaac.

The family said yes, and she said yes. And she left with him, and back she went to marry Isaac. If you look in verse 61, we'll look in verse 58. Verse fifty eight first and they called Rebecca and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

You know, I think that also demonstrates the faith of who? The faith of Rebecca. So, we see the faith of Abraham, the faith of Eliezer. We also see the faith of Rebecca who was willing to leave her homeland to go to a foreign land to marry a man that she had never seen. She trusted God and she went.

Not because it was Abraham's will, not because it was Isaac's will but it was whose will. It was God's will. Yeah, in the verses we didn't read, he, the servant explained how everything happened to the family. So, they would know it wasn't his will, it was his will. It was God's will and she volunteered and she went.

There are things that God will ask us to do. They'll go, I'm, no, trust him. Trust him. He knows what he's doing. And when you ask for his will and he shows you, don't hesitate.

Verse 61, Rebecca rose in her damsels and they rode upon the camels and followed the man and the servant took Rebecca and and went his way. Isaac came from the way of the well, Hairoy for he dwelt in the South Country and Isaac went out to meditate in the field at Eventide and he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming and Rebecca lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel and for she had said unto the servant, what man is that walketh that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, it is my master. Therefore, she took a veil and covered herself and the servant told Isaac all things that he had done and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rebecca and she became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Eventually, God would give them two sons.

One of them being Jacob who would carry on the line that God had indicated to Abraham of which he would make a great nation and that in him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed in his descendant, Jesus Christ. This is a story about faith. You say but the Old Testament's about law. No. The Old Testament is about faith.

The whole Bible is about faith. Even following the law for Israel was about putting their trust in the God who gave them that law that he would fulfill his promises to them. It was all about faith and we see that demonstrated clearly here in this first book in Genesis. How about you? Do you seek God's help when making important decisions?

I hope you do. If not, you should. Do you use the wisdom God has given you as Abraham's servant did? Or you say, well, Lord now, I I need to know what your will is. Heads, this, tails, this.

I just don't think that's the best way usually to find out God's will. Usually, there's a better way. It starts with praying and seeking God's wisdom and seek what he wants. A lot of times, you can find most of that right here in his word. Do you trust God and then follow his will as both the servant, Rebecca, and her family did?

I will follow. I will follow. Are you willing to say to God today, if you show me, I will follow. It might be across the street to talk to your neighbor. It might be to move jobs or places.

It might be to go talk to somebody, to take on a certain ministry, to help a certain person who's in need but say, Lord, I will follow. You lead, I will follow and he'll lead you. He will. It is sometimes difficult knowing God's will but it will be found if you ask, if you seek it, and if you are willing to follow. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord that Jesus Christ, our savior, from heaven said, I will follow. He came to this Earth, became a man, took upon the form of a servant. Suffered and said, I will follow. In the Garden Of Gethsemane as he prayed to the father, he said, I will follow, not my will but thine be done and he followed all the way to the cross of Calvary where he gave his life for us. Lord, we thank you for following the will of your father in heaven.

Lord, when you died there on the cross for our sins and made a way that we might be saved. Lord, it's now our turn to follow and you have promised you will lead if we will follow. You have promised to give us wisdom if we will ask. You have promised to give us all good things we need. If we will seek first the kingdom of God and your righteousness.

Lord, thank you for those promises. Lord, forgive us for our doubts. Forgive us for our failures. Lord, strengthen our faith and our trust in you. And Lord, may today we say, as we sing this song of invitation in just a moment, where he leads me, I will follow and if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ, I pray as we sing on the first first note of that hymn that they would come and they would follow you today.

In salvation, in faith in Jesus Christ, that they would come, that we can show them how they can be safe today and know it. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.