An old man trying to do his job and determined to keep his promises

By Dean Collins

No I’m not talking about myself! I am nicely between my younger and older readers, but I can only trend toward the latter! But I’m thinking about age because I’ve been reading and thinking about Abraham and his oldest servant who was given a tough assignment that required faith and hundreds of miles of travel by camel.

The promise

Grief filled the family. God’s promises to Abraham had been made so long ago, and God’s test of Abraham’s faith was confusing to say the least. The trip to Moriah to offer his son Issac as a sacrifice tested both Abraham and Sarah. Sarah’s grief probably began when Abraham left with Issac. Consider the conversation you would have with your spouse given the same request from God. I can imagine some marital tension between Abraham and Sarah when he returned from the father-son hike up the mountain. The Scriptures tell us none of the details, but in the chapter following this account, we learn of Sarah’s death .

In order for God’s promises to Abraham to be fulfilled, Issac would need a wife. Abraham called his servant and made him promise to go all the way back to Mesopotamia in search of a bride for Isaac. The servant took ten camels and some supplies, including a dowry for the brides’s family once they were discovered.

The plan

There wasn’t any GPS, social media, or trip-planning service. This was a tedious, manual, months-long process. And while this unnamed servant had none of our modern travel technology, his old-school story reveals techniques we would be wise to use. I may have missed something, but it seems to me this unnamed servant played a big role in helping Abraham receive blessings of God that have been passed on even to us in Christ. Here are key behaviors of this servant on a mission from God through Abraham:

• Ask questions when given an assignment
• Commit
• Prepare
• Pray
• Wait and Watch
• Make the offer

We all are given assignments daily at work, at church, in the community, and at home. Sometimes it’s the boss that gives the task. Maybe it’s your other boss, your spouse. Maybe it’s a request you believe has originated from God. Whatever the source, it’s okay to dialogue about it. Sometimes it takes no discussion because the assignment is clear and easy to do. Other times it might be difficult or nearly as impossible as the one Abraham gave his servant. Before the servant agreed he made sure he knew the assignment.

Next the servant made the commitment. In this case it was an oath. Our word should be our promise to do what we’ve been asked to do.

Once the servant made the promise to Abraham and to God, he went to work. His first work was preparation. For some of us preparations take a lot of effort. Honestly, I like sometimes (maybe many times) to step into the moment and trust God and my talents just to figure it out. But other times the task’s size and difficulty require much thought and preparation.

Some people have the opposite tendency. They like to plan so that every possible scenario is covered before they act. Their preparation freezes them from taking the faith step.

This servant found the balance. He prepared and he left on his assignment into an unknown outcome.

And he prayed. Yes I know I have that fourth. And yes, we should always be praying about everything. I’m assuming the oath Abraham had the servant take in the Lord’s presence would likely include prayer. It’s also obvious the servant had observed Abraham’s faith and conversations with the Lord. But on this mission we find the servant in prayer when he reached the destination to complete the assignment, asking God to reveal Isaac’s bride . And like Gideon, this servant used a fleece of sorts to verify he was on the right track.

Whenever we begin and whenever we are unsure of the next step or need verification, we must pause to seek God’s direction. And then we wait. And oh how I hate to wait! Especially in those moments when I desperately need assurance now that God will give me an answer! The servant waited for God to move, but in this case the servant found that God was way out ahead of the situation. Things unfolded quickly, and the servant didn’t need to wait long. As soon as he saw Rebekah he engaged her in conversation and then sat back and watched her work.

When he asked for a drink, Rebekah said she would also get water for his camels, all ten! And camels drink about twenty gallons of water each. I suspect the servant was amazed at Rebekah’s work ethic and strength as well as her hospitality. All of these things were confirmation. When God starts working in your situation watch for the confirmation he brings through the integrity and work ethic of those involved.

Finally knowing this was the one for Issac, the servant made the offer to her family and to Rebekah. God’s confirmation was complete in how each responded.

You may be younger or older than me, but whatever you get as your next assignment, take Abraham’s servant as a good example of how to complete the task and honor God in the process.

Your time with God’s Word
Genesis 24, ESV

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Photo by Donald Teel on Unsplash