Alan Frow // Genesis 24:1-28
In this passage we see Abraham’s urgency before his death to find a wife for his son, Isaac. He calls his chief servant totravel back to his homeland in Mesopotamia to find a wife, thus ensuring that God’s promise of a faith family that blesses all nations would be fulfilled. God’s steadfast love is mentioned three times. Th word in Hebrew is ‘heed’ which means lovingkindness. God is watching over his covenant with loving kindness to fulfill it and it is fulfilled in minute detail. We see a glimpse of the way's in which God builds his family.
1. Radical Servanthood. Abraham’s servant and Rebekah are examples of radical servanthood in this passage. Remind one another of the length he went to, to find Rebekah and the lengths she went to, to water his casmels. We don’t realize that our inheritance is closely connected to our willing ness to serve those that cannot serve us back. Talk about a time you did this. What did you learn?
2. Disctinctive Presence Isaac’s wife was to be found from Abraham’s household. They were to live in Canaan but not intermarry with the Canaaninites. This is reminiscent of Jesus prayer in John 17 for his disciples to be in the world but not of the world. What would this look like practically in our lives, if we were in the world but not of it?
3. Prayerful Expectation The servant prays an expectant prayer that God answers before he is even finished speaking. Essentially, God is building his faith family at a well with a sudden answer to prayer. On Pentecost Sunday, the theme of God's faith family by suddenly refreshing His people with the Spirit is an enduring one. Read John 7:37-39 to see Jesus referring to this. Acts 2 is also an account of a sudden answer to prayer bye the outpouring of the Spirit.
4. In John 4 Jesus speaks to another woman at a well. She is a Samaritan who has had five husbands and is now living with a man she is not married to. Unlike Rebekah, she is neither pure nor from the family of faith. She is viewed as defiled and stint from God’s people,e. She also has no way to get Jesus a drink, but he tells he that through faith, she can be included in God's family. This is a reminder of the gospel. What qualifies us to join his family is our need, and simple faith in his grace, because he was rejected and defiled on the cross for our sin and shame. This is ultimately how God builds his family. Pray that those who feel distant and defiled would put their faith in Jesus saving work.
