A Fruitful Faith

Introduction

Well, good morning!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week! I hope you got your belly’s full…and you had some great time with friends and family. I hope you stayed warm this week! Thank you, Mary and Ralph…the Larsons…thank you for having us over for Thanksgiving dinner. It really meant a lot to us! We just love our church family!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do, open it up with me to Genesis chapter 24.

When we left off with Abraham’s story last week…Sarah had just died and Abraham made a business deal to purchase a field and a cave to bury Sarah in. If you remember, that cave, it was the cave at Machpelah…which was in the very heart of the promised land. And this purchase, it just really highlighted Abraham’s faith in God’s promises, right? That one day, his descendants would come into possession of the land. Chapter 23, it was a great example of Abraham’s faith in God’s future promises and how that faith helps us as Christians navigate loss today.

I think for Abraham, Sarah’s death, it was also a realization to his own old age and his responsibility to make sure that, his almost 40 year old son, would marry well and in turn produce heirs. We’re gonna see that at the start of this chapter…but listen, this’ll be the last time we get to see Abraham’s faith. The next chapter, it’s gonna speak about his death and his future family line. Chapter 24, its’ the last time we get to see Abraham trusting in the Lord and setting this example for us as we walk the same faith journey today.

Listen, this chapter…what we see…its a man that’s really matured in his spiritual walk…and we get to see him make some decisions…godly decisions based on his faith.

Now, chapter 24, it’s mainly about marriage and finding a wife for Isaac…one that honors God…one that would allow God’s plan to continue. We’re gonna talk a little about this, especially for our younger people today. But listen, this isn’t just about finding a spouse…it’s about us walking in the will of God…discovering it and following it. It’s about us trusting in His providence…accomplishing His divine plan. You see, when we’re committed to the glory of God…to mission of God…God will grant us fruit or success as we follow Him. Now, that may be in the form of us finding a godly spouse…maybe the right job…a place a live…this could apply to just about anything, right? Abraham, he gives us a model that shows us what happens when we follow in God’s will.

So many times throughout my week, people’ll call…people’ll stop by…they’ll tell me their problems…what’s going on in their life…and then they always conclude that conversation by asking, “How do I know God’s will for my life? Like, now that you’ve heard my problem…what do I need to do? WHAT IS GOD’S WILL?”

Listen, I love this chapter…because it gives us the answer to that question. We walk in God’s will by trusting in His providence…and by making decisions that we know bring honor and glory to Him. He’s given us a blueprint through His Word…He’s given us instructions, things good for us…He’s given us promises, right? Abraham brings all that together and he allows what he knows to be true about God to drive his decisions and actions. And listen to me…God’s faithful to Abraham…and God uses Abraham’s faith to bring about fruit in Abraham’s life. This chapter, it shows us that our faith, it’s displayed in how we find and follow the will of God. That’s our main idea as we walk through this chapter. This story, it really can be broken up into two parts…there’s the search and then there’s the response. The search lays out how we find God’s will…and the response, it lays out how we follow God’s will.

That’s what we’re gonna see this morning.

Now for the sake of time, and to save your legs…I’m not gonna have us stand and read the whole chapter this morning…it’s 67 verses. I’m gonna read it instead as we walk through each of the points, stopping to kind of explain what’s going on along the way.

But if you’re taking notes, I have four points for us this morning…number 1, trust God to provide…number 2, move out in obedience…number 3, expect God to grant fruit…and then finally, number 4, celebrate the fulfillment of God’s provision.

And so, with that, let’s dive into these first several verses together.

I. Trust God to Provide (vv. 1-9)

Starting in verse 1, it says this:

Genesis 24:1–9 (ESV)

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

And so, let’s pause here…Abraham, he’s 140 years old…Isaac, he’s 40. There’s been a couple of years since Sarah’s death. We see that in chapter 25. It says here that he’s well advanced in years, right? That’s just a nice way to say he’s old. And then it says, “The Lord, He’s blessed Abraham in all things.” God’s been true to His promises…He’s been faithful, trustworthy. And so, as Abraham embarks on this mission to find a wife for Isaac, there’s no reason to believe the Lord won’t be faithful here.

Verse 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, that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth…

Abraham does two things here to really intensify this oath. He tells his servant (most likely Eliezer…the one who Abraham said was his heir back in Genesis 15), he tells him to put his hand under Abraham’s thigh (which I know, it’s a little weird) and then he says, “Swear to me by the God of heaven and earth.”

And so, the first thing…his hand under his thigh…it was a very intimate thing for him to do…and what it meant…Abraham was saying, “You swear on my life…my children’s life…my grandchildren…you swear to me, the man of God’s choosing…the man of God’s blessings…you swear to the nations that God said was gonna come from my body…Swear to the promise God made me.” (That’s what Abraham’s saying here. It was near the reproductive organ, that’s why he had him put his hand under his thigh…I mean aren’t you glad that we just shake hands today?). (And then the second thing) “You swear on God!” Abraham was trusting this man with something extremely important.

He says, “[Swear to me] that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

And so, if you remember back in the Genesis 3…God promised that a seed, a child would come from the woman, from God’s chosen people…and that this child would crush the head of the serpent, right? That was Genesis 3:15. And as we progressed through the story…after Cain and Abel…we went through the line of Seth…we come to Noah…God told Noah to build an ark because the heart of man had become evil continually. God had Noah build an ark, him and his family got on the ark, and God flooded the earth…destroyed all creation. Noah gets off the ark…and immediately he plants a vine and it leads to him sinning all over again. But listen to me, Ham (one of his sons) he mocks his father’s nakedness…and it says that Noah curses Ham and his descendants, right? Which if you remember, it specifically calls out who?…the Canaanites. And so, we know, right there…God’s chosen people, they’re not gonna come from the Canaanites. Abraham says, “Don’t choose a wife from among them!”

When Abraham says, “Instead, go back to my country and my kindred.” He’s saying, “Go back to the original descendants of Shim…go back to the son that was blessed by Noah…to the people God blessed!” Abraham knew the promise…Abraham knew the blessing…which means, it turn, Abraham knew God’s Word. He’s remembering the words of God.

Verse 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?” Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 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. 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.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

And so, why does Abraham say, “You don’t take a wife from the Canaanites?” Because he’s believing the blessings given to Shim. And why does he say, “You don’t take my son back to where I’ve came from?” It’s because he’s believing the promises God gave him back in Genesis 15…and primarily Genesis 17, that God would give him this land…the land of Canaan as his possession. And so, he says, “Just because I’m dying…just because I’m in my old age and my son’s about to step in here…don’t abandon God’s Word…don’t abandon God’s promise…It was good enough for me, its gonna be good enough for him too! He’s got to continue trusting in the Lord.” Isaac’s not gonna get anything based off Abraham’s faith…Isaac’s got to trust too!

Point number one…when it comes to finding and following God’s will…we have to trust God to provide.

And so, how do we do that? Well, pay attention to the passage…Abraham knew and He remembered God’s Word. And so, what do we do? We first, search God’s Word for answers, right? I mean don’t we believe it to be true? Isn’t it inspired? Authoritative? Powerful?…Guys, God’s Word, its sufficient for every problem we face…for every answer we need answered. When it comes to finding God’s will, we start with His Word…the thing He gave us…the thing He inspired.

Which…since the context here is marriage…what does Abraham show us about the will of God concerning marriage? Rebekah, who we’ll see becomes Isaac’s wife, she’s from the family of God, right? Abraham says, “Don’t find a wife from among the Canaanites…they’re not from the family of God…they’ve not been blessed…Don’t find her there!” And listen, the reason he says that, its because he doesn’t want Isaac to become religiously compromised, right? It’s the same thing that the New Testament says to us, “Don’t be unequally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Don’t put yourself in that situation…Now, of course, the Lord’s gracious…He can extend grace to anything…He can redeem anything…but the Word of God, its very clear…don’t put yourself in a situation that’s gonna compromise what you believe. And so, when it comes to finding the will of God concerning a spouse, where do you start according to the Word of God? You start with the family of God…the people God’s blessed!

But listen, this idea, when it comes to finding and following God’s will…it’s the same principle in everything we face…start with the Word of God…search the Word for answers.

Second, we have to believe God’s faithful to His Word. It’s not enough to just know what God’s Word says…we have to believe God’s faithful to what He’s inspired and to what He’s gave to us, right? I mean, doesn’t Abraham show us that he believes God’s faithful to His promise and to His Word?

When it comes to finding and following God’s will, we have to believe God will provide for us…because ultimately, God’s a good and faithful God.

Let’s keep going.

II. Move Out in Obedience (vv. 10-27)

Verse 10:

Genesis 24:10–27 (ESV)

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 (a ram of two rivers…a little rendering of the Hebrew there…its speaking about the upper bend in the river, Euphrates) It says, “[And] he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor (Nahor, if you remember, was Abraham’s brother. It doesn’t actually mention Nahor here, it appears that Abraham’s out lived his brother…and of course, we saw his other brother die earlier on. Abraham’s been blessed by God). It says, “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.” (He’s putting himself in a place of likely success, right?)

Verse 12:

And he said, “O Lord”…

(That’s a prayer, right? It’s introducing dialogue with God…prayer to God. Listen to the content of this man’s prayer). He says, “O LORD (YAHWEH), God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 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

(Here we go, sovereignty of God) 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.”

The second point when it comes to finding and following God’s will…it’s to move out in obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what we know about God’s Word…and obedience to what we trust about God, right?

And so, what do we see first here? The servant, he was discerning of God’s will through prayer.

You see what’s he’s acknowledging here? “God, you’re sovereign over the whole thing! You’ve appointed out, one woman in all the world…You told me what city’s she’s from…You made me swear to my master where I’d go to find this woman…now I’m gonna try and narrow this search down because we’re looking for a needle in a haystack. And so, it’s not any woman that comes to the well…Lord, its gonna be a woman that shows incredible hospitality. Let her be the one…let her be like my master Abraham! Lord, I’m depending on you to pinpoint this person…to pinpoint the answer to my question. Lord, I’m depending on you! Would you be specific with me?”

Guys, what’s he doing here? He’s not just praying…he’s pleading with the Lord here. Abraham’s searched the Word…Abraham’s believed the Word…and now, the servants pleading with God about His Word.

Now, just a side note here…what’s this telling us about finding a God ordained spouse? He or she, they should be hospitable and generous, right? Isn’t that what it says there? She’ll be one that stops and gives water. In fact, we’ll see in just a moment…not only does Rebekah give water but she also invites the servant into their home to rest and be refreshed…Young people, don’t settle for just anyone. If they’re not generous and hospitable…not only will they pull you from the presence of God, but they’re probably not gonna treat you in a way that honors God down the road.

But guys, understand this…when it comes to finding and following God’s will…not only do we remember and believe God’s Word…we move out in obedience by discerning His will through prayer. We test God’s Word to things around us, trusting God to guide and direct us. And take note here…prayer isn’t us just asking for God to reveal His will…we plead with God. Pleading, its us placing dependence on Him to answer our prayers. Guys, why do we expect God to speak to us when we never speak to Him? Doesn’t the Bible tell us in the New Testament, “You have not”…because why? “You ask not! Ask, seek, knock”…go to the Lord in prayer…plead with Him…wrestle with Him…until He gives you an answer…yes or no or wait, right?

Listen, when you’ve been around young kids…maybe they want something at a store…what they do they do? They plead with mom or dad, “Mommy, daddy…pleaseeeee buy me this!” Right? Now, most of time, that’s coming from a sinful place…maybe a selfish place. But understand the principle, they trust mom and dad so much…they know mom and dad’s capable of fulfilling that request so they plead with them. Shouldn’t that be our response to a God we believe’s capable of anything? When we know His Word and when we believe He’ll fulfill it…we move out in obedience by pleading with Him to reveal His will.

Now notice, after he pleaded with the Lord…he started observing.

Verse 15:

Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah (Mill-cur), the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.”

(Before he was even done saying the prayer, what did God have? God had the answer already…but you know what he had to do? He had to open his eyes and look. He had to observe what was going on around him).

It says, “The young woman was very attractive in appearance.

(Now notice this, the prayer wasn’t “lead me to an attractive woman”…but yet it says that here. In fact, we saw that Sarah was beautiful as well…Remember what the servant asked for…he asked for a woman that was generous and hospitable…Guys, God’s faithful to that prayer…meaning, this beauty, its about godliness. Rebekah’s godliness, it was physically apparent and it was beautiful. Listen, we think far too much about physical beauty when it comes to finding a spouse. But hear me, I’d much prefer a woman that shares Rebekah’s qualities…She’s humble…she’s hospitable…she’s faithful....guys, that’s beauty. It says this,“[She’s] a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 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. The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

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, and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are.

(He’s still trying to figure this out, right? She can be hospitable but if she’s not the daughter of Abraham’s brother, she’s not the woman from God).

Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah (Mill-cor), whom she bore to Nahor.” She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 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.”

And so, we see them searching…we see them believing…we see him moving out obediently by pleading and observing…What’s the Psalm say, “Only fools rush in”, right?

Proverbs 14:15 says:

Proverbs 14:15 (ESV)

The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

And so, he’s making sure he gets this right. He’s come this far, and he’s making sure he stays within the will of God. He’s not just jumping on the first door that opens…because understand Satan can open doors too. He pleaded and now he’s confirming. He wants to honor God by being faithful to what he knows to be true and good. He’s waiting, he’s patient…he waits on the Lord to confirm it for him. In fact, he confirms it three different times, “Confirm it with me (how she treats me), confirm it with the camels…confirm it with who her father is.”

And so guys, when it comes to finding and following God’s will in our life…we have to, at some point, move out obediently…and we do that by pleading with God and patiently waiting for His confirmations. Like how many times do we just mindless pray? We say “Amen,” and then we just go about our day. Guys, us pleading with God…its being diligent in our prayers, throughout the day.

That’s the second point…Let’s move on to the third.

III. Expect God to Grant Fruit (vv. 28-49)

Verse 28, which a lot of this is just a repeat of what just happened:

Genesis 24:28–49 (ESV)

Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban (Lay-ben) ran out toward the man, to the spring. As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms (Guys, I want you to remember Laban…there’s gonna be some interactions between him and Jacob next year when we go through that account. But Laban, he’s a trickster, and according to this…when he sees the ring and the bracelets, he says “Chick-cing!”), It says, “and [he] heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.” Obedience before rest! That’s what we see from the servant here.

So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old (that’s why I’m asking my master’s son be able to marry his brother’s grand-daughter), and to him {Isaac} he has given all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

And so then, he just retells everything that happened at the well with him and Rebekah.

Skipping down to verse 49:

Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

Guys, he’s just giving his testimony of how God worked in his life. He’s just rehashing the first parts of the chapter.

Now, I want you to put yourself in this guys shoes. This family, Abraham’s family…they’re still pagans. We see that later on with Jacob and his interactions with the family. They don’t follow God. And so, here’s this man…he’s rehashing everything God’s done…He says, this God, He’s brought me to your doorstep…and He’s telling me to take your daughter back to my master’s house.

Guys, if someone came and said that to me today, about my daughter…I might just pull my guns out, right?

This servant, he has faith in the response…in God’s response. He expects God to grant him fruit. That’s the third point.

Listen, when it comes to finding and following God’s will…when God’s made it clear through His Word…when God’s made it clear through the circumstances around you…at some point, you then have to submit to God’s will…And listen, we have to do that, no matter how crazy it might seem. God doesn’t typically ask of us easy things, right? Think about Noah and the ark…think about Abraham and him leaving his homeland.

What this servant’s saying and asking, it seems radical…but guys, that’s just him having faith in God’s response…expecting God to grant fruit…that’s the third thing.

IV. Celebrate the Fulfillment of God’s Provision (vv. 50-67)

But let’s look at this last thing together…verse 50:

Genesis 24:50–67 (ESV)

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

And so, they hear the testimony of this servant…how God’s worked, right? and what do they do? They also submit to Gods’ will.

Verse 52:

When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.

And so, Abraham remembered the words of the Lord, His promises…He believed God’s Word…the servant moved out in obedience…he sought the Lord…he observed his surroundings to see what would be honoring to the Lord…he expected God to grant him fruit or success…he knew the Lord was faithful…And listen, when he found and followed God’s will…when God made His will known and when He led Abraham’s servant to the feet of Rebekah…how did the servant respond?…He worshiped the Lord, right? We actually saw that earlier in the chapter as well when he encountered Rebekah at the well.

You see, when God works in our life…when God makes clear our path…when He allows us to walk in His ways…we should respond likewise…in worship!

It continues in verse 53:

And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there.

He can rest now. He’s completed most of his task, right? He’s completed his oath.

When they arose in the morning (and so just for context again…realize it’s been like 12 hours here. It’s the next day. And so, they’ve known this man for about 12 hours. And remember, he’s asking them to let their daughter come back with him to some place they’ve never been. They haven’t seen Abraham in over 60 years. “Give me your daughter right now…I’m gonna take her and you’re never gonna see her again!” And you’ve known this for 12 hours. Okay? Rebekah has known this for 12 hours). It goes on…”he said, “Send me away to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days ; after that she may go.”

“Give us 10 days! Give us 240 hours. I mean you just got here. She’s our prized possession. We don’t even know you. We believe you…but we don’t even know you!” I mean you can’t fault them here, right?

But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” And they called Rebekah and said to her (with 12 hours notice), “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” That is spectacular faith! That is spectacular faith. I WILL GO! I mean, doesn’t that echo back to Genesis chapter 12, when the Lord appeared to Abraham? Leave your land…leave your family…leave everything you know for a land and a people and a promise you don’t even know. For a God you don’t know. You remember Genesis 12:4? It says, “Abraham, arose…and he went,” right? I mean, there’s no delay between a man and obedience…because delayed obedience, it’s just disobedience.

So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

(listen to this, it’s almost as if they’re prophesying promises already made to Abraham…promises I don’t even know if they were aware of!)

“Our sister, may you become

thousands of ten thousands,

and may your offspring possess

the gate of those who hate him!”

Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi (Beer-la-high-roy)

(That sounds familiar doesn’t it? We heard about this city back in Genesis chapter 16, back when Sarah banished Hagar and Ishmael from the home. And when Hagar actually came to Beer-lahai-roi (Beer-la-high-roy)…she actually named it that…the well of “the One who sees me”, right? But now, who’s at that place? It’s not Ishmael, Ishmael’s been dispossessed of this place…Now Isaac’s there.)

Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi (Beer-la-high-roy) and was dwelling in the Negeb (that’s the southern parts of Israel). And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening (he’s a praying man). And he lifted up his eyes and saw (there it is again…someone prays and then they see…and the answer was coming along the road all along, right?), and behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel (this was just a sign of respect…its like when we stand for a woman entering the room. It’s just respectful. We don’t do that kind of thing anymore because we’re just a very disrespectful society now…but that’s what’s happening. Add that to her qualifications of a godly wife…Respect, which of course, Paul says is one of the wife’s roles in Ephesians 5, right?) and [she] said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself (she was modest…add that to the list of qualifications)… And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

“God what is your will”…to now, “God, thank you! Thank you for answering our prayer…thank you for fulfilling your will!” And listen, God fulfilled His will because they were submissive, they were faithful, they were willing to go the extra mile…willing to pray a little longer…willing to observe a little longer…discover God’s will and then say, “I’ll go! I will do it…I’ll obey!”

I mean what a great example here! It started with searching, and believing, right? They trusted the Lord to provide. And then we saw pleading…which just further demonstrated their dependency on God. We saw them observe, they confirmed their circumstances with what they knew about God and His promises…and guys, it ended with them worshipping God for His provision.

The servant worshipped God when He answered him by physically worshipping…Isaac, as we finish up this chapter, he does it by becoming one with His wife…giving an even greater picture of the Trinity and the God they follow…its all worship!

Closing

Guys, in closing, it’s one thing to say, like Jesus, “Lord, it’s not my will, it’s your will be done.” It’s one thing to say that…but it’s something entirely different to actually pick up your cross and follow Him. Right? It was one thing for Laban and the family to say, “She’ll go.” But it was something entirely different for Rebekah to get on the camel and actually go and fulfill God’s will.

Guys, let me close with this…when you discover God’s will, you must obey God’s call. You must obey God’s call. God’s Word, it has answers for every problem you face in this life. Listen, God’s not hiding His will from us…He makes it very known to us. And so, for us as believers, it’s up to us to search the Scriptures…it’s up to us to believe the Scriptures…it’s up to us to obediently move out in accordance with the Scriptures…it’s up to us to trust God will fulfill His will in our life as we apply the Scriptures…And guys, when God’s trustworthy in our lives, it’s up to us to worship Him…to give Him the praise and glory He deserves, as laid out in the Scriptures.

I mean just see how God uses this one family…one family to bring about His will that impacts all of us. If God can do that, imagine what He can do in your life, imagine what He could do if you’d just find and follow His will for it.

You see while the Bible shows us that we’re all sinners…while it shows us that the wages of sin is death…it also shows us that through one man, through Jesus, who is God…who became flesh…through Jesus, who was brought about by this one family, all the way back in Genesis…through Jesus, we can receive freedom from the grips of sin, right? Jesus died our death on the cross…Jesus paid the price of our sin. And the Bible says that when we repent and believe, when believe that Jesus is God and when we believe that He rose from the dead, we will be saved.

Guys, understand that if this gospel message is true…then we serve a God that’s very invested in your life and my life…we serve a God that cares. I don’t know what you’re seeking this morning…I don’t know what kind of decisions you have to make. But pay attention to this story. See the Word of God for what it is. Be reminded of God’s promises…plead with Him…walk with Him…open your eyes to the world around you…give Him the credit, right? And guys, I promise, no matter the problem you face…God will faithfully walk you to His intended purpose.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Listen, Wendy’s gonna come and play…the deacons, they’re gonna come and prepare the Lord’s Supper for us this morning.

Some of you, you’re struggling with some kind of decision. Maybe it’s a job…maybe its a place to live…maybe its with your kids or your family…I don’t know…but guys, here’s the message for us this morning, seek the Scriptures…seek the Lord…open your eyes…obediently follow Him. Do what the Word says. Do what you know brings honor and glory to Christ…Trust Him to provide.

Listen, maybe…as we prepare to take communion…maybe you just need to repent from some things…maybe you just need to plead with Jesus for strength to obediently follow Him. Guys, whatever it is, do that this morning. Seek His will…follow His will!

Do you know God’s will? Do you trust God’s will? Are you following God’s will? Those are the things you need to pray about this morning…because again, our faith, its displayed in how we find and follow the will of God.

But for those of you that don’t know Him, repent and believe. Turn to Jesus this morning and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

And so guys, you take this time and we’ll come together at the Lord’s table in just a moment.

[Prayer]

Matthew 26:26 (ESV)

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:27–29 (ESV)

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”