Providence

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 115

Psalm 115 ESV

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:14-20

Philippians 4:14–20 ESV

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Sermon:

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Speaker 1

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Well once again, and as always, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord. Well, this morning to jump straight into it, we will be covering Genesis chapter 24. And I will just warn you. I will not be reading this entire chapter.

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It's the longest chapter by far in Genesis. It's 67 verses long, but even that doesn't quite get it, uh. In my Bible, it is one full column. An entire page. The entire next page. And then most of a column on the next one. So it's rather long. There's a bit of repetition in it for good reason, and we'll cover some of what's going on and how that happens.

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But we're just gonna not read it. We will cover it and you all have homework. You're not off the hook. You have to go home and read chapter 24 of Genesis. You have to check is what David says, right? We should be the New Testament, says the bereans, who gladly accept the word, but then check.

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Make sure what I'm saying is said and done is what is said. And done. But we're just going to cover and look through. My goal is to give you. In some ways, an overview. In other ways. A way to read through this story to understand what exactly? Is going on.

01:32

We will be discussing Isaac and the finding of a wife for Isaac is the better way to say it, the SV says. It's Isaac and Rebecca. But in many ways, those. Don't do much in this story, as we will see. Yet, it's still a beautiful story, a wonderful story.

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And a very important story for us. One of my commentaries I was reading was commenting on the length of Genesis, chapter 24, and now the chapter in verse markings. Added to help us read scripture easier. Those were not originally when Moses right, he didn't write chapter and verse. But the fact that this is such a long chapter means that.

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It's viewed as one story, so it's the longest sort of one story in all of Genesis. That's a pretty big deal. And that probably means that it's a very important story, and one we should pay attention to. So before we dive in, let's open our time together with a word of prayer.

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Our Father in Heaven. The Sovereign King of Heaven and Earth, the one who holds all things and knows all things. The one who providentially is in control of and orchestrates all things according to your good pleasure. We thank you. For the precious gift of your word given to us that we might know you.

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We thank you for the precious gift of your son given to us that we might be saved. We thank you for the Holy Spirit who works within us, shaping us molding us, teaching us giving us precious gifts. We asked this morning that you would meet with us, give us ears to hear, and eyes to see.

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May we be a people who hear your word and are changed by your word. I asked this morning that you would speak through your servant and you would speak to all of our hearts from Jesus name that we pray. Amen. Amen. When approaching a text, this long one of my? Key thoughts. How do I preach it? How do I teach it to you all? One of my key thoughts is trying to understand what is the the key? That if we understand this, one thought it'll unlock the rest of what's going on. And a lot of texts have that. Honestly, not every passage has one key thought that if you completely understand it, the whole text will make sense.

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But I believe this one does. And I. What ties this text together, I believe, is that we are trying to see God. Providence. I've titled this series it through Genesis in the beginning God with the focus that God's the one moving God's the one orchestrating God's the one doing these things. And here in the story of. Finding a wife for Isaac? It is still about God and what God is doing. And in particular. What I would say is the doctrine of God's Providence. So, these were the question, what is Providence? It's a great question, what do we mean? It's not just a city in Rhode Island. What is?

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Providence. And there's a few ways to think through this. I was talking to someone this summer who was concerned about the idea that that God is in control of all things. The deal with the sovereignty of God. How do we understand this sovereignty of God that he it? He controls. He holds. He rules over, he governs, and all things happen according to his. Commands. Well, one of the ways we understand the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Is the doctrine of the Providence? Of God. If. Sovereignty is about God's control. Providence is about how God enacts that control.

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Another way I would say it. We believe that God controls the ends. That sovereignty. What happens? And the means that's Providence. That's how these things happen. But I found a quote by someone more eloquent and wiser than myself, John Piper. As he was writing, what is Providence? This is, was his answer. It is God's seeing to everything. Providence is what we say how God controls all things that he has. Control is sovereignty. How he controls is through Providence. And what we will see is this entire story? Nowhere will we read God did this? Instead, we'll see a whole bunch of other characters doing a whole bunch of other things.

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But the background, the backdrop, and the lesson that we're learning is. God is the one who is providentially controlling all of the Affairs of every character. In this story. In the introduction, which is really like the first nine verses. Or so we see, the thought that God's going to be over this. In some sense, we read in verse one. Now, when Abraham was old well advanced in years? Likely. At this point, he's like 150 years old, so to say he's old and well advanced in years is probably a bit of an understatement. And his wife has died to remember context. What came before his wife has died?

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His wife has been buried. His son is now growing up. His son is likely at this point about 40 years old. And now, the same problem that Abraham once had. He's starting to maybe get hints that this might still be a problem. Because if Isaac's not married, Isaac doesn't have kids either. And from Isaac is supposed to grow forth a great nation. So, what do we do? Well, there's this weird scene. And for many people, it's the most interesting and maybe puzzling part of this text. Abraham calls his oldest servant. And if Abraham's like 150, the servant's probably pretty old too, he calls his oldest servant, and he makes him swear.

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Servant, you're gonna go and find a wife for Isaac. But listen carefully. Cannot be a Canaanite. Cannot be a Canaanite. You got to go back to my family to my people. You got to go back to find someone that's not a Canaanite. This one's like, well, wait, a second, that might be hard. What if she doesn't want to come? Can I take Isaac? I says no. Isaac can't leave. So here's the important part of this. Why is it so important? We get away from afar, and why is it so important that Isaac not leave? It's God's Providence.

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Speak. God has promised. A land. And a nation that set apart and holy. And God's in control of how that's going to happen. And so we can't have a canine and we can't have Isaac leaving the land because it's part of how God has called to directed all things. And so if God has promised sovereignly will have this, God must providentially provide a wife for Isaac. And so the interesting part, there's this. They make this promise by putting their hand underneath each other's thigh. And the call here. And this is important, maybe a little graphic. What was the sign for Abraham and his family? It was circumcision.

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Putting your hand. It's actually on the inside of the thigh. There's a connection here, and we see the promise. Make this promise swear concerning this matter. Abraham said. Verse 6 C2, the United States, the Lord, the god of Heaven who took me from the father's house from the land of my Kindred, who spoke and swore to me these things. That's who we're praying by. Verse 3 swear by the Lord, the god of Heaven and the Earth that you will not take a son. We are saying this is by God. This is this is Yahweh, the god of Heaven and Earth, The Sovereign one who's in control. He will be the one to providentially.

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Supply. In our introduction, we we have Abraham. In the last thing that he will do. Hey verse 25. He will die. He won't speak. We'll read some other things about his life, but this is the last speaking part of Abraham and his. Go find a wife for my son. That God will providentially surprise, you're going to promise to God. And if God does not provide, then, then you're fine. You're off of your promise, but God will provide this is Providence. Is God seeing to everything? And here, he will see to. The procuring of a wife for the child of Promise for Isaac?

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And then, as the story plays out, what I want us to see is God is providentially in control of. This faithful. Servant. Starting in verse 10, we read the servant took 10 of his master's camels. Which is a note is a picture of how just extraordinarily blessed Abraham is if this servant can take 10 camels plus all sorts of choice gifts. Worry later. It's gold, it's silver, it's Rings, it's jewelry. It's those things by which he can try to help. Woo, a wife for Isaac. And he heads out. And the interesting part of this story. He, he starts praying.

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And this is what he prays. I'm going to read his whole prayer in verse 12. And he said. Oh Lord, God of my master Abraham. So again, note. Even though the Servants of undoing? The servant is praying, who's he praying to Lord God, my of my master Abraham? And it's going to be up to God to provide, and God must provide an extraordinarily specific way. Please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham, the servant says in verse 12. Behold. I am standing by the spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

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Let the young woman to whom I shall say, please let your jar down that I may drink and who shall say, drink, and I will water your camels. Let her be the one whom you have appointed that's Providence for your servant Isaac. By this, I shall know that you have shown steadfast love. To my master. God you must provide and the way that I will know God that you are providing, says this servant. Is this? This is what's going to happen. I'm BioL, women are coming. I'm going to ask one of them for water. She's going to say yes, and not just you. But let me water your remember 10 camels?

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This is not a it's not just like, oh, here's some water, and I'll sprinkle some for camels. One of my commentaries said this was likely a three to four hour laborious work of of bringing water up, filling up the trough, going back, filling up your kit, your your vessel, coming back up, filling up the trough camels drink. Huge amounts of water. That's why they're so good in the desert, and he had 10 of them. This is an hours-long ordeal. Hey, God, I'm going to stand here. I'm going to ask for water. She's going to give me some, and this woman is going to water my camels for me.

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When that happens, I will know she is the one. So, how does God providentially reply to or answer this faithful servant verse 15 before he had finished speaking? Behold, Rebecca.

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This is how we know this. Is God providentially working these things? Because Rebecca would have had to leave her house long before he started praying. She had to already be walking towards the house before he even started praying. God was ordaining, and God was working all of these things out. This servant is praying God. I'm going to ask this woman something Rebecca's already on her way. God, when this is going to Rebecca's already coming okay, God? She's going to have to. Rebecca is already coming God's already working these things out.

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And lo and behold, who comes? Rebecca, who was born to Bethul, the son of milk of the wife of nehor Abraham's brother. We saw her in chapter 23, and I said chapter 23, verse 23, as we got to the ending Bethul, father Rebecca. That was the important thought in this little note at the end. We're transitioning here to Isaac and Rebecca. Here she is. God has worked all of these things out. He's providentially worked in the heart of this faithful servant that he will know how to ask, he's providentially had Rebecca already come out, and he's already started to work on Rebecca's heart.

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He's given her a servant's heart, who will be willing to offer him water. And then, when she sees him in need, get water also for the camels. When she does this, there's no arterial motives. There's no thought that this is something she can gain. This is service. And so, in verse 22, when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring Wing, half a shekel. And two bracelets for arms wearing ten gold shekels. And said, please tell me, whose daughter you are? Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?

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She says who she is. And he says, verse 27, blessed be the Lord, the god of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness towards my master. Praise God for his Providence that he has sought to figuring out how this will work. He has led me. He has done this verse 29. He has led me in the way of the house to my master's Kinsmen. This servant. This faithful servant did not know Rebecca was Rebecca born to Methul, the son of Milk of the wife of nahor, Abraham's brother. He does know he's promised. Abraham, I'll go find someone from your family. I'll go find someone.

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But he prays, and God providentially orchestrates these things, and he he goes through, and he sees, and he sees God at work, and he Praises the Lord. This is a story, even though the servant is faithful. He does what God's called him to.

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It's about God and His Providence. This continues to play out as we go to chapter 29, and we move from focusing on the servant as much. To focusing on the Willing family.

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The Willing family. Verse 29, Rebecca, had a brother whose name was Laban. And now we're introduced to Laban, and this is where the story gets a little bit repetitive. Because. Rebecca comes to the the her brother and is, like, hey, there's this man, and he was had his camels, and he said, you're blessed. Can I come inside and they invite Abraham's servant inside? So, the family here is being hospitable. The food was brought to the servants. I was, like, wait. Still, the faithful servant. He says, you have to hear what I have to say. I need to tell you a story.

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Verse 34, I'm Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master notice again. It's the Lord's doing God's Providence. The Lord has blessed my master. He has all of this stuff and Sarah verse 36, my master's wife, Bora's son. Hint. That's going to be our problem. Abraham, my master's wife, Sarah, had a son, Isaac. Isaac has no wife. And so Abraham made me swear made me promise. That I will not take away from the daughters of Canaan. Verse 37. But I shall go and find to my clan and take a wife for my son.

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And then I tell the servant is telling the whole story. But what if she doesn't come? This is what will happen. You're free for my oath, then verse 42. He's still retelling the story. I came to the spring. This is what I prayed and guess what? Verse 45 before I had finished speaking in my heart. Behold, Rebecca came out with her watering jar. And then she did all of these things. The servant says, look, here's the deal. Here's the promise I made to Abraham, just so you know, my promise, and what I'm after. Here's what I prayed to God, just so you know where my heart is. Here's what Rebecca did just, so you know how God has worked all of this out.

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The servants say, here's how the story's gone God seems to be working here.

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But maybe not. Because his brother could say you're not taking her. The family would be like, no. She's not leaving to a place we don't know to people we don't know to a place we have no idea what's happening. We're not giving you. Our sister. We're not letting her go. He could have said that.

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Verse 50, then label Laban and bethul answered and said. This thing has come. From the Lord. It's Providence. God, did this? God worked this this story you were telling is too bizarre to come from any other place God has done this. So, we can't speak to you bad or good. Behold. Rebecca is before you. Let her be the wife of your master son, as the Lord has spoken.

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When Abraham's servant heard the words, he bowed himself to the Earth before the Lord. And the servant brought out jewelry of silver gold garments, laid them to Rebecca. He also gave to her brother and to her mother, costly ornaments pays. The Dowry is what this is. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. And when they Rose in the morning, he said, send me to my master.

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We have the one last hiccup. The families may be a little too hospitable. No, no, no, just stay another day. And one day becomes two and two becomes four, and things drag on. So, what is the faithful servant say? No, no, we got to go today. Verse 56, but he said to them do not delay me since the Lord has prospered my way. This is God seeing to everything? God has called Abraham out of a place and given Abraham a son, God has given Abraham this faithful servant. This faithful servant prays before God. God provides this servant Rebecca. He's given Rebecca this heart to serve. He's worked in the heart of the family that they will let her go. God has provided God has done all of this. God is providentially working all of these things out. Do not delay me.

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And there's one more thought. Let's call Rebecca verse 57, let's ask her. And they called Rebecca and said to her, will you go with this man? She said I will go.

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God did it? So, we stop here. In verse 58. We have a more normally length chapter. And in many ways, we have a complete story. The goal? Get a wife for Isaac. The result? We have it, she said. I'll go, we've we've. We've got a wife. Isaac has a wife. But I want to note one more thing about this text. It's beautiful, and this is what spoke to my heart this week.

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We see God's Providence in the faithful servant. We see God's Providence in the Willing family, but we end up seeing the results of God's Providence, which ends up being. The fruitful. Reward.

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There's a great reward. When God moves and works on behalf of his people.

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The beauty of this is is not that that they had to work and strive in trouble, and then God sort of looks down upon them with some sort of pity and. God's just blessing? This was no CH. The servant had this thought. It's going to be hard. No woman's going to want to come with me. Abraham admits it is going to be hard. That's why, if this doesn't happen, you you don't have to fulfill this oath. It's going to be hard. To go to a land to find a wife. But the servant goes. And before he even finishes his first prayer, God provides.

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They go to the family. And he could have found a family. That's, like, I'm not letting you take our daughter to some place. We're here. This is where we're from. You don't get to take her to a different foreign land. Finds a willing family. With Rebecca willing to go?

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And in the midst of this, God is still working in beautiful, profound ways. As she is leaving a people who have no idea the promises that God has given to Abraham, what exactly their nature and content are? What do they pray over? Rebecca, our sister, may you become thousands of thousands, and may your Offspring possess the Gate of those who hate him, verse 60.

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That's the same problem as God made that you would grow The Descendants of Abraham through Isaac and therefore, through his wife, Rebecca would grow and grow, and be multiplied to thousands upon thousands, and they would possess the gay of their enemy. They would be a blessing, and they would rule over the people. They're promising this. They're blessing the same promise of God. Now to Rebecca. Rebecca now takes hold of the very promises of God. That is a fruitful reward that comes through God's Providence. Then, Rebecca and her young woman arose and rode on camels and followed the man.

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Good thing he has 10. Here's Rebecca and her servants, all the gold, and everything else they took to servant in 10 camels are coming back. Thus, the servant took Rebecca and went his way over 61. And now. We introduced to our next main character if you will of Genesis. It's Isaac. And we meet Isaac. Through The Eyes of Rebecca. Isaac is out, verse 63, meditating the field towards evening. He's lifting up his eyes, and he saw there's camels. Rebecca lifts up her eyes for 64.

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She saw Isaac. She Dismounts from her camel, and she said to the servant, who is that man walking the field to meet us? The servant said it is my master.

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Note this light change here. It's important. This story in many ways is a handing off of. The narrative from Abraham to Isaac?

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Abraham was the master at the beginning. And he sends his servant on a quest. And when this servant comes back, who now is his master? It's Isaac. Isaac's the master. And he comes with a wife. She takes a veil and covers himself. And the servant, verse 66, told Isaac all the things he had done. Thankfully. Moses for us in the retelling of this chapter doesn't have us go through a fourth time. Exactly, was okay, God. I'm going to pray. It's going to happen then. Rebecca does is going to happen. Then we go to Labor and tell him I prayed. And she did all is going to happen. And then we come here to Isaac and he tells Isaac again. This is exactly what happened.

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Then, Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah, his mother, and took Rebecca. She became his wife. It's part of the world's fruitful. She's gonna have many thousands, but even just I think here of the fruitfulness of our heart and soul. This man has a wife. How important is it that he has a wife to him? And. Loved her.

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This is a first time the first time in Genesis. Did we read this about a husband and a wife? Don't overlook this. Isaac loves. Rebecca. We never read. Never once read. Adam loved Eve? He was impressed. He was blessed in my heart of hearts. I'm certain that he did love her. We never read it. Never read about Noah, loving his wife. Never read that Abraham loves Sarah, though again in my heart of hearts, I know he did.

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Because I I thought through and prayed through and looked at this text. This is what I was struck by.

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I would hope most husbands love their wives.

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But. And may this be true even more of all of us. Who are Christians? Love their wife. As a definitional part of who they are.

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That's Isaac. He loves Rebecca.

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This means that God. Providentially. Appointed all of these things. He providentially called this servant providentially had the servant pray. The prayer providentially had Rebecca show up, providentially worked in the hearts of the family. Providentially, had the the servant leave when he must providentially had the women bless Rebecca in this way, all for the blessing of both Isaac and Rebecca that they would be in a loving. Marriage. God didn't providentially do this just so his promises would come about. Though God providentially did this, so his promises would come about. God worked in this situation in such a way to be a blessing to the people involved. When God blesses, he blesses completely.

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Like, well, you have a wife deal with it. I know you don't like her, but at least I gave you one. That's not what God says. He gives him the desires of his heart to use a different verse. When God comes and works in this situation, He blesses Isaac and Rebecca, such that that Isaac loves Rebecca.

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He is comforted. After his mother's death. 67 verse long chapter, and that takes us straight back to where we just were. We were just at the burial of Sarah. This man just lost his mother.

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And now, for years. Likely at least three years. No Comfort. He's by himself. He goes into his tent, where he and his dad and mom used to live.

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And it's empty. It's missing. Their sorrow. Now, he's comforted. He has a wife he loves. God has worked this out. So many times we think.

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That to follow God. Is a chore. Or a drudgery. Difficulty. Or a burden. It's. It's.

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Look here. How God? According to his overwhelming goodness and kindness and mercy, The God Who is Sovereign over all things who has ordained through Isaac and Rebecca to bless the world. One day from Isaac and Rebecca will come the lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. This story of Isaac finding a wife who will then grow into thousands of thousands and then her children will possess the Gatorade. This. This story provides the groundwork for Jesus to come.

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But it's not, just God is not just ordaining the end. The Glorious, blessed end. He's also ordained the means. How it will come to pass, and as God sees to everything he does so in a way that is wonderful. And beautiful.

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And so we rest in the goodness of God.

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The servant, the family, Isaac Rebecca Abraham, even in this story. We do a lot.

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But ultimately God is the one who is control and Sovereign over all things.

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They mean a lot. But God's the one working these things out? No one in this text, I believe, meant anything for evil, as we've been memorizing from Genesis 50.

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But even here, God means all of these things for good. And when God works it out? In the end. We have Isaac and Rebecca. Happily married.

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It's not always going to be happy. There's a lot of family drama that occurs in the pages of Genesis. But here, just just. There's a fruitful reward for those who trust. In God's Providence. Let's pray.