What's the D.I.L. - Part 1
Abraham • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewFor the first part of this piece of Abraham's story, the search begins for Isaac's wife.
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Transcript
Park Project
Park Project
I have some great news!
The elders have officially decided to move forward with the park project on the north 40!
Since the project was first presented, we have decided to move in phases rather than one big expense
It came down to $38k, so not enough to do a vote of the membership
Eventually, we would like to move to phase 2 on the project, but it may take some time
Probably waiting until the budget is levelled out
Then, once the total project goes over $50k, then we will need to go to a vote
By then, what we’re doing now will be used for some wonderful community events!
Lord willing...
As elders, we’ve spent a lot of time seeking the Lord in this
It isn’t just some fun project because mark likes to ride teeter-totters...
We truly believe this is what God is leading us to do...
As part of trying to lead well, we sent a final survey to the membership to be sure people wanted to go along with this
The results were overwhelming - only three people were fully against or moderately against the plan
The rest of the membership was all for it, so we’re moving forward
I’m very grateful to God in this...
Conversations actually began before Josh ever left
Then, during our first staff/elder retreat we started discussing ideas to reach our community
And when we later had a retreat with staff/elders and spouses, we all loved the idea of a park
Then we’ve had three different committees working on this
We’ve had meetings, emails and surveys, and now we’re officially moving forward
Keep in mind, we will be asking for help as the project gets moving
Thank you all for your input, your work on the committees, the work to come, your generosity, and of course, your seeking the Lord in this process
Before we get into the Word, I think we should go to the Lord in prayer for this project...
Introduction
Introduction
My family has a weird thing - I think my wife started it
We have BIL’s, FIL’s, DIL’s and MIL’s
Stands for Brother-in-law, Sister-in-law, etc.
Tash calls my mom MIL, my mom calls Tash DIL
Somewhere along the line, my SIL picked it up, calls my mom MIL
This is so common to us now apparently, my mom even introduces herself that way
Awhile Tash met someone and said, “Hi, I’m Tasha.”
And my mom comes in and says, “Hi, I’m her MIL.”
They were like, “what kind of name is Hermill...”
They had to explain, “No, it means mother-in-law.” Sorry...
In-laws are often seen as a bad thing
Two people fall in love
The rest have to fall in law… not quite the same ring to it
But these are important relationships!
You kind of stuck with these people until one of you dies!
Fortunately, I like my in-laws, and Tash has been very close to hers from the moment they met
Today, we’re going to look at a special in-law relationship for Abraham
He is getting a wife for his son Isaac, so he’s looking for his daughter-in-law - or his DIL
YouVersion: The D.I.L.
We’re In Genesis 24:1-28
Today’s passage starts with reminder:
1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
Isaac is the firstborn son
Customarily, the firstborn would have a wife selected by his parents
But Abraham has been held up
Before Easter, Sarah died at 127
She had Isaac at 90, so he was 37 when his mom died
Now it’s probably been another year - it was customary to mourn for one year
During that time, you didn’t do anything “happy”
No celebrations, no dealmaking, no dating, nothing like that...
So Abraham wouldn’t have looked for a wife for Isaac for at least another year
So Isaac is 38-ish, Abraham is 138-ish, and Sarah has passed away
“Well advanced in years” is often translated “well-stricken with years”
As if time was an ailment!
Abraham probably feels some pressure to get this done now
He’s going to live another 37-ish years, but he doesn’t know that...
Don’t leave important things undone!
How many times do people say when someone dies
We never reconciled before they passed
I don’t know if they knew how much I loved them
I didn’t spend time with them
Bronnie Ware (The Top Five Regrets of the Dying) : “It is possible to reach the end with no regrets. It takes some bravery to live it right, to honour the life you are here to live but the choice is yours. … Appreciate the time you have left by valuing all of the gifts in your life...”
When I was an Associate, a friend named Isaac Mathu passed away from a sudden stroke
Part of Kenyan community, 70 people in the waiting room
Allowed special service for 200, but end had only family and pastors
Everyone gathered and said final things to Isaac - beautiful experience
They didn’t want to leave anything unsaid
Let’s see what Abraham has to take care of:
2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
Hand under thigh thing sounds weird, but it makes sense
Why do we shake hands?
To show peace - no weapons
Why do Japanese bow?
It shows nonresistance, it’s a defenseless position
To allow a man to put his hand under your thigh, is pretty defenseless
We think of the make body part as a sexual organ more than a reproductive organ
Essentially Abraham is saying, I’ll put my descendents on the line to trust you
This probably isn’t a trend we’re going to bring back… but it’s important to know!
I think Eliezer is probably a really awesome guy
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Eliezer was going to be heir to everything from Abraham
But then Isaac came along, and now he has to get him a wife
You’d think he would choose the meanest, ugliest woman… but that’s not what he does
Abraham tells him, go to my people - stay away from Canaanites
Canaanites have been god to Abraham up to this point, but there are issues
They are evil people who don’t know God
Ultimately, God will wipe them out - He doesn’t want them starting His people
The best partners are equally yoked
The best partners are equally yoked
Paul uses this illustration in 2 Cor. 6:14
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
A yoke was a piece of wood tying two animals together to pull a load
If you have a huge ox and a tiny donkey on the same yoke
It's more work for the mule, and the donkey will struggle to keep up!
Ever see cartoon where dogs are pulling sled, but the little one in the middle can’t touch?
Paul is saying our partnerships can end up like that
Marriages with a believer and unbeliever, not good
Unbeliever usually pulls the believer down
Or they struggle to teach their kids faith
Or one criticizes the other for begin religious
Business partnerships too
One person wants to make money, the other wants to honor God
The NHL wanted teams to wear pride jerseys to celebrate LGBTQ stuff
I’m not saying you should quit your job if a company isn’t Christian owned...
But you have to think about who you are venturing with and what that could cost you
Followers who are yoked with unbelievers will always face tension
In this case, God doesn’t want Abraham’s son to be yoked with the Canaanites
5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
So they make the deal
Two important things about this deal
Don’t take Isaac out of the promised land
Don’t force the girl to come with you
Be willing to go or stay where God wants you
Be willing to go or stay where God wants you
Sometimes God wants you to move, sometimes He wants you to stay
This is a lesson Abraham learned the hard way
Later God will tell Isaac this same thing:
2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.
Sometimes God puts people somewhere for a reason
Could be a job, a church, a family...
So often we just want to run because:
a. We don’t like where we are
b. We think we’ll like what’s over there (grass is always greener)
I’ve seen so many people leave their church for foolish reasons
I’ve seen so many people leave their marriages for foolish reasons
When I left California, I spent a lot of time in prayer
We knew we didn’t want to live in California
But we loved our church
I asked Glenn for advice, and it was simple and wise
He said, “Pray for God to open doors where He wants you, and close them where He doesn’t.”
So I did
You remember how I had left the mill? God provided in amazing ways:
Random checks in the mail
People would drop off a weeks worth of groceries
Someone paid for Tasha’s doctors visit
He also gave us opportunities for supplemental work
I coached football and basketball, taught uke and guitar, taught a leadership class
Tash did yard sales and helped a disabled lady by cooking, cleaning, etc.
But then I started praying, “God, open doors where You want me, close them where You don’t”
I surrendered the whole plan to where God wanted to point
You want me here, I’ll stay; but if You want me to go...
All of those money-making opportunities I mentioned, disappeared
School budget cuts cancelled my classes
Yard sale supplies had dwindled
The lady Tasha took care of got new housing far away
God had provided for us incredibly, and then I asked, and it all disappeared
I felt the message was pretty clear
The reality, is I was willing to do what He wanted
Leaving California hasn’t always been fun, but I have no doubt that’s what God wanted
I know I’m in the right place
It’s important you stay where God wants you to be
In Abraham’s case, he sends Eliezar to get a wife for Isaac
If she comes, then God took care of it
If she won’t come, then Eliezer is released from his duty
And Abraham doesn’t want him to cheat:
Don’t force her to come back
Don’t try to take Isaac to her
Don’t move on to the next person
Don’t manipulate anything in any way
So let’s see how this goes:
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
Men handled the fields, went to war, etc.
Women were responsible for running the household
This included gathering water
There was no running water, so wherever it was is where you got it from
Often, this was quite a walk and very physical
The average pot held 3 gallons, so this is about 40 pounds
This meant that is wasn’t just women’s work, it was young women’s work
So if you wanted to pick up chicks, the watering hole is where it’s at!
So that’s where Eliezer goes
12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”
Eliezer uses his best tool here: prayer
One of the great things about prayer, is what it does for us
For one, it proves how much we think God can do
If you keep your prayers small, maybe you don’t understand how big God is
Here, Eliezer is asking for something big
He wants a very specific person to show up
Someone from Abraham’s family who is single and would be absolutely right for establishing God’s people
That’s pretty big!
But he’s also asking for it in a specific way
The Hebrew word for “drink” here suggests a sip
And from asking for a sip, he wants the right girl to offer up water for camels!
Most people probably wouldn’t do that!
But I love what Eliezer is doing for his friend Abraham here
He asks for success for himself, but only so that it will show God’s love for Abraham!
I wonder how much better our world would be - our church would be - if we asked for blessings like that for our friends
So often we only want to compete with our friends
And ask for blessings for ourselves!
But how loving is it to ask for blessings for others
And not just stuff, but blessings that shows that God loves them!
Really, he’s leaving the decision making to God
He doesn’t want to pick, He wants God to pick
Here’s what I see:
It’s okay to ask God for directions
It’s okay to ask God for directions
We think we need to figure everything out, but we don’t
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
One of my favorite descriptions comes from my buddy Pat
He owns Redbud Ridge Custom Shop
They build beautiful cabinets and all sorts of cool woodworking things...
When I toured his shop I had a scab on my chin for a week from dragging it on the ground
Before he sits down to plan out a project, he prays about
“God, show me how I’m supposed to get this done.”
Genius!
I would have so many mistakes eliminated if I’d just ask God for directions
But you can ask God directions for anything!
How many decisions do you make a day?
Estimated the average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day!
227 of them are about food alone!
Let me ask you this: For how many of those decisions do you ask God for guidance?
I’ll bet you have a little room left to ask Him for help...
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.
Anyone in here own a camel?
Camels drink about 20 gallons at a time
Up to 32 gallons in just 13 minutes!
Anyone remember how many camels Eliezer brought with him? 10...
If each one drinks 20 gallons, thats 200 gallons of water!
Anyone remember how much water a woman typically carried in a pot? 3 gallons...
That’s 67 trips to get water!
If one trip took 2 minutes, that’s over 2 hours!
That’s amazing, remember Eliezer asks for a sip
Rebekah gives him hours of work
You ever have someone come up to you on the street and ask for money?
We went to see Anastasia and someone asked for money
I walked up to him and showed him I didn’t have any cash - that was it
I didn’t run to an ATM or go work for money for 2 hours for him
But that’s what Rebekah essentially did!
She is obviously a special woman
AND this is obviously a sign from God!
And yet:
21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
I wonder how long he sat there trying to figure this out!
Um, dude, I’m pretty sure she’s the one...
But I think he was probably also in awe of what God was doing
Know what’s cool?
There was that moment when Eliezer was praying, “Please God, send this woman...”
And she was probably already on her way
God was setting things up to answer his prayer before he even prayed it
God knows what you need before you ask
Makes me wonder what God could be doing right now...
You may be praying for something tonight that God was already setting up yesterday...
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
I’ve been praying for Ronnie’s wife and Gracie’s husband for years
I’ve never met them, or at least I don’t know that I have...
But I pray for them
I believe God is doing what He wants to do and has been for years for my kids
That’s how much He loves us
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
Other translations mention that this is a nose ring
Piercings were symbolic of things back then
One type of piercing was through the ear with an awl
This meant that you were a slave
But not the type of slave we picture today
For slaves in the OT, someone could become a slave to pay a debt, earn money, etc., but only for a time
At the end of your time, you had the option to voluntarily serve that master
If you chose that, you would pierce your ear with an awl (Ex. 21)
This piercing was a sign of voluntary service
A nose ring for a woman was also a sign of voluntary service
This was a sign that a woman was engaged or married
It was like our engagement rings today
This is a choice that Rebekah gets to make
God wants to use Rebekah to create God’s chosen people - His nation
But God wants it to be her choice
Remember, Abraham told Eliezer if she declines, he’s off the hook
This goes for us today too - God wants us to submit, but it’s voluntary
Just like Rebekah, He asks us for obedience
God wants us to be obedient, not just religious
God wants us to be obedient, not just religious
I mean just going through the outward motions
You know, the whitewashed tombs Jesus talks about
22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
So if God isn’t using you today, I wonder if it might be because you have refused to say, “yes.”
Some of us want to be living in all kinds of sin
Unapologetically aligning with the world
Then we’re like, God use me for great things!
God’s like, “No, I’m good. Thanks. I want you obedience, then we’ll talk about the other stuff.”
Then Eliezer asks who she is
She says, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
No doubt, when Eliezer hears, “Nahor,” he knows for sure that God has worked out everything
He would know, “Hey! Nahor is Abraham’s brother!
That means Rebekah is Abraham’s nephew’s daughter!
This wonderful woman comes from Abraham’s people
Then he asks, “Is there room to stay with you guys?”
25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
She’s pumped!
Oh, yeah! Lot’s of room! Lot’s of straw!
And then, Eliezer goes right to the Lord in thanksgiving
God deserves our gratitude
God deserves our gratitude
God took Eliezer on a 300 miles journey
God leads him to the right land
...to find the right family
...that has the right woman
…at the exact right time to bring a husband and wife together
And that would then be the first fork of Abraham’s family tree
And Eliezer stops to say, “Bless You, Lord. YOU did this!”
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Communion
Communion
Now we will have a chance to give thanks:
Take Communion by yourself or with family during the next song