Abraham, my Friend – 59

A bride for the son

So we arrive at Genesis 24. It is a long chapter, more than twice the length of most others we have read together. If we were justified in asking why the Bible gave a whole chapter to a burial perhaps we should ask the same question about a wedding. If you are ever able to acquire a long ‘out of print’ book by Brownlow North, ‘Wilt thou go with this man?’, I would heartily recommend it. It is a sermon written on the basis of this chapter, and very moving.

Let’s remind ourselves of the chief characters in our story. Abraham means ‘the father of a multitude’ and in the latter part of his life he begins, quite naturally, to reveal the character of God’s father-heart. The earlier chapters show the steps of his faith; the later chapters do the same but we see in Abraham thrilling pictures of God’s character and plan.

Isaac is the father’s laughter (his joy) who has passed through sacrificial death at the father’s hand, and is now reunited with the father. Sarah’s lifeless body has been hidden from sight. The old has passed away, all things are becoming new.

There is another character in this story who will now become the main focus of our thoughts; it is Abraham’s ‘eldest steward’. It is likely that this is the same Eliezer of Damascus referred to in Genesis 15:2, but it is the servant’s role more than his specific identity which is our focus here. Perhaps there is a deeper significance in that the ‘servant’ remains anonymous.

Then we shall meet, too, the distant family of Abraham, and a particular young woman — Rebekah, whose name means either ‘captive’ or ‘captivating’; the words seem to come from ‘the loops of a cord’. We shall find that both derivations will suit our purpose.

The Father pronounces his decree

A bride must be sought for the son who has passed through death and is alive. The nameless agent of the father and the son must travel into distant parts on his commission — a bride for the son. In the cultural pattern of the day, the bride seeker swears a solemn oath to the father. The son must abide by his father’s side, and wait the endeavours of the bride seeker. Again the imagery is breath-taking. Sent from the side of the Father and the Son, the divine executive, the anonymous Holy Spirit, begins his journey to seek and to find, to woo and to win, a Bride for the Son. In that last sentence, our story is told; all we need to do is to fill in the details.

As Abraham receives the servant’s oath an unmentioned part of the story surfaces:

And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spake unto me, and who sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence. (Gen 24:6–7 ASV)

At some time in Abraham’s walk with God, there had been a conversation about Isaac’s bride. I wonder when this could have been? Abraham was crystal clear that Jehovah who had triggered Abraham’s pilgrimage had also spoken that Isaac’s bride must not be from the land in which Abraham was a sojourner.

Abraham’s understanding of this may be seen from his next words to his servant:

And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son thither again. (Gen 24:8 ASV)

This is a remarkable statement when we consider the culture of the day in which every woman was ‘owned’ by someone: her father, her husband. The woman had no say in her choice of bridegroom; the woman just did as she was told. Others made all her significant decisions for her. Later on, her promises and vows would only have validity if they were endorsed by the ‘man’ in her life. And yet here in the midst of that male-dominated culture the father insists that the son’s partner must be consulted as to her ‘willingness’.

Synergy

If we follow the logic of Abraham’s statement we discover that the ‘woman’ has the final say in this matter. Theoretically, at least, this woman could frustrate the plans of the father, son and holy messenger. It will not be difficult to see where I stand on the Arminian/Calvinist divide in this; the most terrifying power that God ever placed into the hands of man was the power to say ‘no’ to God. Irrespective of the Father’s decree, and the son’s passage through sacrificial death to resurrection, and the sent one’s most earnest entreaties, finally it is ‘the woman’ who must make her choice.

Of course, she could never have chosen unless she had been given the opportunity. The ‘invitation’ originates with the father and the son, and is carried personally by the sent one, but finally ‘the woman’ will choose. The initiative of all developments in the souls of men and women must always be with God, but the soul too must decide.

Let’s pause over another word: ‘if the woman will not be willing to follow thee’ (Gen 24:8). This woman in the far country cannot make her own way to Isaac’s side, she must be conducted step by step by the sent one.  Even so, the bride of Christ cannot come unless the Sent One brings her, but the Sent One will not overrule her choice.

She will not come because she has made her choice but because the Sent One will conduct her safely to her Bridegroom’s side. What a beautiful balance we find here in this account. The Spirit will not coerce; but ‘the woman’ must consent. The ‘woman’ cannot make the journey, unless she is willing to ‘follow thee’. Oh that we would allow God to do his own work! She will not arrive at Isaac’s side because she has agreed to ‘four spiritual laws’, or because she has made a commitment, but because she allows the ‘sent one’ to bring her.

One thing is certain; Isaac must continue to ‘rest’ where he is. He has passed through death into resurrection life and abides at his father’s right hand; there is nothing more that the son can add to this process. The work now is in the hands of the ‘sent one’.

The journey

The ‘sent one’ swears his oath and begins his journey. How can we express the relationship between the persons of the Godhead? It says, of God, ‘for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name’ (Psa 138:2b KJV). The Son has been given a name that is above every name. When the Son speaks, however, he says, ‘My Father is greater than I.’ He says that it is expedient that he go so that the Spirit can come, but when the Spirit arrives he only exalts the Son.

There is no pride in the Godhead but mutual honour in three persons. Twice in these few verses it reads that the sent one has all the father’s wealth at his disposal (Gen 24:2,9) but when he speaks he says:

And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. (Gen 24:36 ASV)

There are really quite remarkable links here:

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:14–15 NKJV)

The sent one begins his journey, and subsequently we shall discover what he has in his baggage. If this is Eliezer of Damascus we can’t help but observe the absolute lack of self-interest too. If Isaac had not been born, all Abraham’s riches would have been his (Gen 15:3). Now he is taking the riches that might have been his as a betrothal gift for a son’s bride.

As the crow flies, the distance between Beersheba and Haran is approximately 450 miles, but the sent one was going by camel not by crow. This is a journey of several weeks through dangerous terrain, and perhaps months for the round journey. Meanwhile, the son waits by his father’s side.

The meeting at the well

Eliezer arrived just at the time of sunset and the day’s final visit to the local well. He prays for God’s superintendence of events, and waits:

Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water… (Gen 24:13 ASV)

His prayer is that God will make ‘his choice’ clear by causing ‘the woman’ to behave in a particular way. The story is well known and well-loved. He is looking, not for features which attract the eye, but for a certain behaviour:

…and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels 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. (Gen 24:14 ASV)

He is looking for the woman whom God has appointed. There is mystery here; even the woman whom God had appointed would later have to give her consent to God’s plan.

The sent one’s sign was to be a woman whose generous spirit would offer water for him and his ten camels. The dromedary has been known to drink 27 gallons of water in ten minutes! Potentially, he is looking for a woman who will offer to draw almost 300 gallons of water for a complete stranger. What induced this woman to offer to behave in this way?

And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. (Gen 24:19 ASV)

‘Until they have done drinking?’ It is interesting how many strategic meetings in the Bible take place at wells. In the UK the place of general meeting used to be the village pump. I imagine the scene here. How many young women I wonder would have come to that place? But God had appoint-ed an appoint-ment, although she was quite unaware of it.

This first consciousness of this meeting with the father’s messenger is something that she must have thought back on over the years. I would have loved to hear her testimony… of course I would have been there earlier but the goats had broken into the vegetable store… And through all the mundane and totally unimportant ingredients of the day, it just so happened, that she arrived there before the servant got to the ‘amen’ in his prayer — just in time.

Synchronicity the hallmark of God at work

So we see the wonderful sovereignty of God at work, making all things work together, synergising, for those who love him and are being called. Looking back Rebekah would have seen a thousand significances; so do we. ‘I don’t usually come home down that road… we don’t usually… but God.’

And what was it in the sound of this man’s voice that caught her attention? After all, he was just a man like any other, wasn’t he? Wasn’t he? I can’t read this passage without another coming to mind. All the details are different — a different well, in a different country at a different time of the day, but just enough in common to make us pause in our journey to wonder a while…

But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (John 4:4–7 NKJV)

How different these characters are: Rebekah the beautiful virgin daughter of Bethuel and the multi-used, multi-abused, nameless woman of Samaria. Both going about their ordinary business oblivious to the approaching ‘appointment’.

A word for the outcasts

Don’t fear little Samaritan outcast, the One Sent from the Father and the Son has drawn near. Though all his expert followers ostracise you, and your secret shames haunt you, it was necessary for him to choose this route to meet you.

This is no accident; it’s not too late and it’s not too soon, it’s his appointment. If you will hear his voice, and will ‘follow’ him you may yet discover a truth beyond your wildest dreams; the Father has a plan for you, and if you will ‘follow’ the One he sent to speak to you, you too may become part of His Son’s virgin Bride.