Chapter 24, verses 1 to 28, and that's on page 23 of the Red Bible.
So, Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,
put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth,
that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,
but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.
The servant asked him, what if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?
Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?
Make sure that you do not take my son back there, Abraham said.
The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land,
and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, to your offspring I will give this land.
He will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.
If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine.
Only do not take my son back there.
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master.
He sent out for Aram Naharim and made his way to the town of Nahor.
He made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town.
It was well towards evening, the time for women to go out and draw water.
Then he prayed, O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham.
See, I am standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
May it be that when I say to a girl, please let down your jar that I may have a drink, and she says, drink, and I'll wash your camels too.
Let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.
By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.
Before he had finished praying, Rebecca came out with her jar on her shoulder.
She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, and was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
The girl who was very beautiful, a virgin, no man had ever lain with her.
She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.
The servant hurried to meet her and said, please give me a little water from your jar.
Drink, my lord, she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
After she had given him a drink, she said, I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.
So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the lord had made his journey successful.
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.
Then he asked, whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?
She answered him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.
And she added, we have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.
Then the man bowed down and worshipped the lord, saying,
Praise be to the lord, the god of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master.
As for me, the lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives.
The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things.
Thank you, Kate.
Just ask Michael now to come up and bring God's word to us.
Thank you, Michael.
It's nice to be back with you once again in Cargilline.
Always enjoy coming over and sharing the word with you.
And as we've heard, we want to look this morning at Faith in Action,
as it's seen in the lives of the characters that are mentioned in the story that we've read together.
It's a tremendous story.
It begins with Abraham, and it goes on through his servant,
and on to Rebecca, who would become the wife of Isaac.
Abraham is a man of faith,
and his faith continues right to the end of his days.
In the next chapter, we read about his death.
But right up until that time, he continued to live by faith,
and it's no mistake that the writer to the Hebrews refers to this faith.
I was surprised when I looked at Hebrews 11 again
that nearly a quarter of that chapter,
that catalogue, that photo of men and women of faith,
that a quarter of that chapter is taken up with the life of Abraham
and how he lived for the Lord.
So here is this man, Abraham.
He's getting on in years.
He's nearing the end of his life,
but he wants a wife for his son Isaac, the son of promise.
And he sends his servant, Eliezer,
to go out and to find a wife for his son.
And this story, although written in the Old Testament,
is so demonstrative of what faith really is.
We see faith in action right the way through.
We have the story of how Rebecca does indeed come back with the servant
and become Isaac's wife.
Paul, when he's writing to Timothy,
reminds us in his second epistle, chapter 3 and verse 16,
that all Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting,
and training in righteousness.
And certainly this story, which is part of Scripture,
does indeed train us in righteousness.
It does show us the right way in which we ought to go.
It's also, of course, a beautiful love story, isn't it?
It's fascinating to read these customs of days gone by.
I think it's far better than a Mills and Boone faith in action
in this beautiful love story.
So let's look at these three characters
and see what they teach us about faith,
about trust in the Lord.
So the first one we look at is Abraham,
and we see his faith in God.
When old age comes,
of course there is a temptation, isn't there,
to sit back.
Most of you would not know about that being young,
but the temptation is to take things easy,
to let life go on by.
But that didn't happen as far as Abraham was concerned.
The years had taken their toll.
He was full of years.
He was getting on.
He didn't have the energy that he once had.
But he did remember the promises
that God had made to him.
The promise that God was going to send a seed,
and that seed had come in the form of Isaac.
And God had said to him
that through his seed all the earth would be blessed.
And this had, by definition,
had to have a son to be born to his son Isaac.
He needed a wife.
And so we have Abraham looking down through the years,
seeing what's going to happen in the future,
and knowing that the purposes of God will be fulfilled,
but they will be fulfilled in a wife for Isaac
and for other children being born.
Put your hand, he says, to his servant,
verse 2,
under my thigh.
I want you to swear by the Lord God of heaven,
the God of earth.
Something very important is about to take place.
Go and find a wife for my son Isaac.
The plan to us may seem very strange.
An arranged marriage.
But this arranged marriage
had its authority in heaven itself.
And it did meet the approval of God himself.
And we will see the hand of God through all the events.
But how do we see Abraham's faith?
Well, we see it
in that he's obedient to God's revealed will.
Abraham's faith in what God had made known.
That God would bring to pass what he had promised.
Remember that Abraham is living in a land that isn't his.
He's surrounded by unbelievers who worship a multiplicity of God's.
But he couldn't allow his son to marry any of these women.
He was a man of faith.
And he knew that it would be wrong for a believer to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.
So he says,
verse 3,
You will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living.
He sends him out to find one who worshipped the true God.
The God who had made the world.
The God who lived.
The God who was active.
Abraham knew what was required of him.
He knew that through the seed of his son,
the nations of the world would be blessed.
So he sends his servant back to his relatives
that a wife might be found for Isaac.
Abraham's faith, if you like, is seen in his works.
His one desire is to be pleasing to God.
And how could he be pleasing to God
if he was disobedient to the revealed will of God?
And, accordingly, there's an application for each one of us here this morning.
Age, ill health,
prevents us from doing what we would like to do.
But we never reach that age in our lives
when we stop being obedient to the will of God.
We should always be committed to what God has made known to us
in his word.
No matter what our age might be.
Abraham knew what was required of him.
And we know what is required of us
if we are Christians this morning.
We have it here in the scriptures.
God has made known
how we should live our lives.
What we should do.
The whole revealed will of God is there for us to see.
And if we are committed to God
and if God has spoken to us through his word
then we must be obedient to that word.
We can never retire from this commitment.
We have his commands to obey.
And his commands, we're told, are not burdensome.
When I was a young child
I used to go along to
an organization which was called
the Bible Club Movement.
And they had a motto.
And it went like this.
God said it.
I believe it.
And that settles it.
And that should always be our motto.
God has said it.
God told Abraham
I'm going to bless
through the seed
that you are going to bring into the world.
And through his seed
the nations of the world
will be blessed.
And we are blessed
because we are children of Abraham
by faith.
So what took place all those years ago
has relevance to us today.
as God calls us
to live this life of faith.
Of being obedient
to what God has made known
in his words.
That Abraham's faith is also seen.
And that he believed
and submitted himself
to the overruling providence of God.
See what's happening here.
Abraham gives his servant
his instructions.
Verse 4
Go to my country
and to my relatives
and get a wife
for my son Isaac.
He'd left his family
almost a hundred years previously.
He'd left that land
because God brought him
into the land of Canaan
and God showed him that land
and God said to him
I'm going to give you this land.
I'm going to bless you.
So a hundred years later
he sends his servant back
in order to find
his family
to find a woman
who would be willing
to leave home
and family
and marry his son.
One who worshipped
one true God.
It was a big thing to do.
But Abraham is committed
to the will of the Lord
and he's also committed
to the overruling providence of God.
What if the woman doesn't come
says the servant?
What if she's not willing
to follow me?
It was a legitimate question.
Well whatever else happens
says Abraham
don't take my son back there.
We have left that old life.
We're committed to God's will
and we're committed
to his providence.
Look at verse 7.
The Lord, the God of heaven
who brought me out
of my father's household
and my latest land
and who spoke to me
and promised me on oath
saying to your offspring
I will give this land.
He will send his angel before you
so that you will get a wife
for my son from there.
Abraham was too far
in his walk with God
to lack confidence in God.
God wasn't going to let things
go wrong.
Is there doubt
in Abraham's mind?
What does he say in verse 8?
It appears at first reading
that there's some doubt
in Abraham's mind.
If the woman
is unwilling to come back
with you
then you will be released
from this oath of mine.
Only do not take
my son back there.
Now I don't believe
this is doubt at all.
We've emphasised the fact
that he believes
in the revealed will of God.
But he's also believing
that God is able
to providentially overrule
in all things
even if things
don't turn out
as expected.
If things don't turn out
as expected
if the woman
isn't ready
to go back
then obedience
must be the hallmark.
Obedience is required.
Isaac is not
to return
even if things
don't turn out
as we expect.
You see here is a man
who was saying
in effect
that if things
go wrong
I am there
for you.
I trust in you
the living God.
And you are
the living God
who can be trusted
regardless
as to the way
things turn out.
Abraham
wouldn't have known
Romans 8
and verse 28
but he surely
believed it
that all things
work together
for good
to those
that love God
and to those
that are the called
according to his purpose.
Of course
we know the end
of the story
but Abraham
at this time
remained in ignorance
as to how
things were going
to turn out.
But he believes God
he trusts God
and he recognized
that even if things
didn't turn out
as he expected
them to
that God still
had to be
obeyed.
He still
trusted.
And surely
this is a principle
that is vitally
important
as we face
the circumstances
of life.
We commit
ourselves
to a life
of obedience
to the Lord's
will
if we are
Christians.
We take
the Lord Jesus
Christ
as our
Saviour
and our
Lord
and we ask
him to
direct our
paths.
And we need
to constantly
exercise
our faith
in him
when things
don't turn out
as we expect
them to.
Abraham
believed God.
Do we believe
God?
Do we trust
him if things
are not going
as we expect?
Are we going
on being
obedient?
Or do we
say,
alright,
as Abraham
might have
said,
if the woman
won't go,
then I'll
send Isaac
back.
But that
couldn't happen
because he
knew God's
will for
his life.
And we
know God's
will for
our lives.
We're called
to be obedient
to this
word.
So even
when things
go wrong,
even when
things are
difficult,
we are to
trust him.
Faith
in action.
But that
faith of
Abraham
is also
seen in
the servant.
The servant
was one
who evidently
knew God
for himself.
That God
could be
trusted.
So we
look at
the servant's
faith in
God.
This man
who was
sent out
to find
a wife
for Isaac.
Isaac
from whom
would come
blessing for
the whole
world,
I remind
you.
We've
never been
given a
responsibility
like that.
But we
are given
responsibilities
to live
for the
Lord.
And how
can we
live for
the Lord?
Well,
we can
live for
the Lord
as a
servant
did.
Notice
his faith
as it
is seen
in his
praying.
How he
is totally
dependent
upon God.
Look at
verses 12
to 14.
He's
travelled
out through
the desert.
He's
come to
the well.
And we
read,
Then he
prayed,
O Lord
God of
my master
Abraham,
give me
success
today,
and show
kindness to
my master
Abraham.
See,
I am
standing
beside
this
spring,
and the
daughters
of the
townspeople
are coming
out to
draw water.
May it
be that
when I
say to
a girl,
please let
down your
jar that
I may
have a
drink,
and she
says,
drink,
and I'll
water your
camels
too.
Let her
be the
one you
have chosen
for your
servant
Isaac.
By this
I will
know that
you have
shown
kindness
to my
master.
He's
seeking
God
for
himself.
It's
not a
second-hand
faith,
for we
find him
in verse
26 and
verse 52,
as we
will refer
to again
in a
moment,
bowing
down and
worshipping
the Lord.
He knew
this God.
He went
out on
his journey
knowing that
there were
difficulties
to overcome.
He doesn't
know where
Abraham's
family are.
He knows
the danger
of going
ahead of
God.
Will God
direct him?
And so
he seeks
God in
prayer,
because the
girl of
God's
choice
must be
found.
It must
not be
his choice.
So he
leaves it
in the
hands of
God.
He's
asking God
to direct
his steps.
He's
asking God
to clearly
show him
the girl
who will
be the
wife of
Isaac.
And as
he prays,
he expects.
Of course,
this man
had seen
the good
hand of
God upon
his master
Abraham.
And his
prayer is
that God
would continue
to be
gracious.
O Lord
God of
my master
Abraham,
give me
success
today and
show kindness
to my
master
Abraham.
And a
girl comes
to the
well.
Is this
the girl
that God
has chosen?
we have
here an
example
don't we
of
believing
prayer
and the
importance
of prayer
in the
life
of faith.
I remember
when we
had our
children a
long time
ago
but when we
had our
children
Rosemary,
my wife,
knew
that there was a fair chance,
and I use a chance in inverted commas,
that those who they would marry
were also being born at that particular time.
And so she began to pray
when the children were very small
that they would be led to the right partners,
that they would be led to the right people
that would become their wives, their husband.
And how God has graciously overruled in our lives,
and I thank God for a praying wife.
The Lord granted her her request,
and as I joined with her also in prayer.
James Montgomery, a hymn writer, wrote this,
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
that infant lips can try,
but prayer is the sublimest strains that reach
the majesty on high.
Prayer is saying,
Lord, you work out your sovereign purposes.
And we have this man waiting upon God,
seeking God in prayer.
And then waiting upon God,
for we read in verse 21,
Without saying a word,
the man watched her closely
to learn whether or not the Lord
had made his journey successful.
Prayer.
Are we a praying people?
Have we this kind of attitude
as we seek the Lord's will for our lives?
Are we seeking him daily in prayer?
Of course, there's a greater example
of a praying life in the Lord Jesus,
who was also the servant.
Remember how he comes into the world.
And we know that he is going to bring blessing
through the world,
through his death,
and through his resurrection.
We know that he was the seed of Abraham.
And as he comes to the cross,
how does he pray?
Lord, not my will,
but yours be done.
He submits himself to the sovereign will of God,
and waits patiently upon God,
and triumphs through his death and resurrection.
The servant's faith in God
ought to be our faith as well.
And as we learn from the servant,
so we must learn from that greater servant,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
But the servant's faith is also seen
in his earnestness.
Now, I don't know whether you will find
the word earnestness in the dictionary.
If you like, put it zeal.
But you know what I mean.
There was a practice, of course,
in the East to show hospitality.
And we find eventually
the servant is taken to Rebecca's home.
We didn't have time to read
the whole story this morning,
but I do recommend that you read it through,
because it is a beautiful story,
right from the whole of the chapter.
But food is set before this servant.
Verse 33.
Then food was set before him,
but he said,
I will not eat
until I have told you
what I have to say.
Now let's remember that here's a man
who's been traveling in the desert.
He's been under the hot sun,
desert sun.
He's been sleeping under the stars at night.
And there's a feast spread out before him.
And we would expect him,
and even excuse him,
if he sat down and enjoyed his meal.
But here is a man who is on his Lord's business.
Here is a man who is on God's business.
He knows that his father,
his master's son needs a wife,
that God's promise might be fulfilled.
And we find him earnestly pursuing that business,
and he doesn't really rest
until Rebecca is on the way home.
Rebecca's relations want her to stay for a while.
But he says,
verse 56,
Do not detain me
now that the Lord has granted success
to my journey.
His faith was such
that he was ready even
to put the legitimate to one side
in order that the purposes of God
might be worked out.
Do we have a faith like that?
There's so many things
that are legitimate and okay.
But faith
is ready to put aside the legitimate
in order to serve God.
Is not our life
more than food?
Said the Lord Jesus
in the Sermon on the Mount.
Did not the Lord Jesus
put this into practice
when he says
that the well
my meat is to do the will
of him who sent me?
Are we not reminded again
in the Sermon on the Mount
that we should seek first
his kingdom
and his righteousness?
What is our priority?
How earnest are we
in the Lord's business?
There's a temptation
as we've already said
to give up.
But we're called to endure
to the end.
And we're called to be zealous.
We're called to be earnest
in our walk with the Lord
as this man was.
And we capture something
of the urgency,
this longing
to do what God
required of him.
But the servant's faith
in God
is not only seen
in his praying,
in his earnestness,
but also in his worship.
I think here is a man
who worships
in spirit
and in truth.
Rebecca comes
and she draws water
for him
and his camels.
And he discovers
that she comes
from the right family.
That God has indeed
directed his footsteps.
That God has brought him
to this particular place.
But what does he do?
Does he give himself
a pat on the back
and say,
I've made it?
I've done it?
No, he worships.
He gives all glory
to God
and faith does that.
Verse 26,
Then the man bowed down
and worshipped the Lord.
Praise be to the Lord.
He gives glory to God
and true faith
always does that.
We find it again
in verse 48.
Then he bowed down
and worshipped the Lord.
I praise the Lord,
the God of my master Abraham,
who has led me
on the right road
to get the granddaughter
of my master's brother
for his son.
True faith
gives glory to God.
The man takes no credit
to himself.
The servant
was all that he ought to be.
We live, don't we,
in a very man-centered world.
And that man-centered world
can enter into the church
where our worship
becomes man-centered.
It's all about us.
But no,
the Lord blesses us
in so many different ways
as he blessed this servant.
But as he gave glory to God,
so we must give glory to have.
All that we have,
all that we are,
all that we are able
to accomplish,
all that we're unable to do
is of him.
And to him must be
all the glory.
How dare we take the glory
to ourselves?
The faith
of the servant.
But finally,
let's look at
Rebecca's faith
in God.
How do we see that
manifested
in the pages
of Scripture?
Well,
we see it,
first of all,
in her purity.
Verse 16.
The girl was
very beautiful,
a virgin.
No man
had ever
laid with her.
Her beauty
was more
than skin deep.
There was a purity.
There'd be no
sexual laxity.
She was all
that a young woman
ought to be.
And it demonstrated,
I would suggest to you,
her faith in God.
Do we have
that kind of faith?
How pure
are our lives?
young men,
young women
who are here
this morning.
You're living
in a world
where you're being
pressurized
into a mold
to live
your lives
in this
particular way
as the world
lives.
But oh,
when the time
comes for your
marriage,
may it be able
to be said
of you
that you
are pure.
that there's been
no sexual
laxity.
A faith
in God
will show
itself in the
life that is
lived in
a world
which is
promiscuous.
But Rebecca's
faith in God
is also seen
in her works.
Look at
verse 17
to 20.
We believe
that a man
is justified
by faith
alone
in Christ
alone
for salvation.
It is faith
plus nothing
that saves us.
But faith
without works
is dead.
Works
shows
our faith.
And faith
is put
to test
by the servant.
Give me
something
to drink.
drink.
And she
runs and
gets water
for him
and offers
to get
water
for the
camels
as well.
The story
tells us
that there
were 10
camels.
And I
looked up
some few
facts and
figures.
Do you
know a
camel
can drink
25
gallons
of water?
So she's
not offering
him a
glass of
orange,
is she?
She's going
beyond the
call of
service.
This was
commitment.
And she's
not doing
it for
reward.
Yes,
there was
a reward
of bracelets,
etc.
But she
didn't know
that at
the time.
She is
showing true
hospitality,
true love.
she doesn't
know the
reason for
it at
this time.
Yet she
walks in
obedience to
the Lord.
Not only
in purity,
but she
goes the
extra mile.
And faith
is ready
to go the
extra mile.
It's ready
to do
more
than what
is asked.
Give me
a drink
of water.
water.
Yes,
and I'll
give the
camels
as well.
But finally,
Rebecca's
faith is
seen not
only in
her purity
and in
her good
works,
but in
her submission
to the
will of
God.
If you
read the
story carefully,
you will
see that she
sees the
hand of
God in
all that
has happened,
in all that
has taken
place.
So when
she is
asked in
verse 58,
will you
go with
this man,
this servant,
she says,
I will
go.
She
recognises
that this
is the
will of
God,
and off
she goes
to Canaan
to become
Isaac's
wife.
love.
And a
fitting
postscript
is provided
for us
in verse
67.
Isaac
brought her
into the
tent of
his mother
Sarah,
and he
married
Rebecca.
So she
became his
wife,
and he
loved her,
and Isaac
was comforted
after his
mother's
death.
Rebecca's
faith,
her
commitment
to her
God,
is seen
in all
of her
actions.
And our
commitment,
our faith,
will be
seen in
ours also.
I think
of another
man,
a heavenly
bridegroom.
Will you
go with
this
bridegroom?
It's
something,
a question
we all
have to
ask
ourselves.
Will you
go with
this,
our heavenly
bridegroom?
Will you
go with
him?
Will you
become
his bride?
Will you
know that
over you
is banner
is love?
Will you
go with
him in
the life
of faith?
And it's
a challenge
for each
one of
us today,
from the
youngest to
the oldest.
Will we
walk the
path of
faith?
Will we
walk according
to his
revealed
will?
Will we
walk that
life of
faith,
recognising
his overruling
providence
in our
life?
Will we
walk the
life of
faith in
prayer?
Will we
have that
faith that
earnestly
desires God's
will to be
carried out
above everything
else?
Will we
have that
faith that
gives God
the glory
and causes
us to
bow in
worship?
Will we
have that
faith that
will show
itself in
purity of
life?
Will we
have that
faith that
shows itself
in good
works?
will we
have that
faith that
says I
will go
with this
man, the
Lord Jesus
Christ, to
the end of
my days.
I will
trust him.
May the
Lord give
us that
kind of
faith that
his name
might be
glorified.
Amen.
Let's pray
together.
Father, we
thank you
for the
continual
challenge of
your word
and we
pray that
the word
that has
been spoken
this morning
and read
will indeed
enter into
not only
our minds
but also
into our
hearts.
We pray
that the
evil one
will not
snatch away
the seed
but rather
it will
bear fruit.
And if
oh Lord
we have
been tempted
in the
past week
or will
be tempted
in the
week that
lies ahead
or the
month that
lie ahead
grant that
we will
remember what
we have
heard today
and continue
to walk
by faith
and not
by sight.
Help us
to this
end we
pray in
Jesus name.
Amen.