“Thankful” (Part 2)

K. Adrian Scott

September 13, 2026

This chapter contains the story of Abraham sending his eldest and most trusted servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham is about 140 years old and he is making estate succession plans so that his family remains faithful to that covenant the Lord made with him so the blessings of God would be upon them for generations to come. Abraham wants to make certain God’s pledge to Israel that through them all the families of the earth would be blessed would come true, which it certainly did through Abraham’s greatest son, the one who through Him alone, truly all the people of the earth would be blessed, and that is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Surely, as John the Baptizer said of Him, He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1.29).

In Johann Lange’s Commentary on the book of Genesis, particularly chapter 24 he states that one of the pearls of this chapter is “the religious glorification of the human bridal state.” In other words, the wonder and glory of marriage. I would like to remind you that marriage, after all, is the first institution the Lord created, and it began in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve.

The prospects of marriage is a beautiful thing; there is nothing like it in the rest of the universe. Right before our very eyes in Genesis 2 the Lord God nor only created human beings, but in creating human beings he also physically, spiritually and emotionally facilitated their capacity to become one unit we call family. This oneness has been given a name and we call it marriage. It is a solemn and sincere endeavor of two people, one man and one woman to emulate what God did in the book of Genesis chapter 2. This institution of marriage was God’s idea from the beginning, and when done advisably will not only provide a great deal of incredible personal happiness and the euphoric sense of being loved while loving another human being in a way we never could have imagined otherwise. Since its inception, the uniting of a man and woman is holy because God ordained it, and in seeing the wisdom of God human governments around the world have acknowledged marriage as the best means by which communities and societies best live up tother potential as well.

When done correctly, marriage of a woman and a man not only makes marriage legal but first, marriage is a spiritual institution also since human beings being married are a direct reflection of the holy and indivisible union between the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church of the Living God.

In just this one chapter 24, the name ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ is referenced at least 20 times. And all of the details including the extravagant preparation for sending his most trusted servant along with other servants on this trip to find a wife for Abraham’s son, is astounding. The food and clothing for the servants who were traveling, and then the list of extravagant gifts they took along with them to give to the young lady who would be chosen as Isaac’s wife. Then there was the servant’s specific prayer about how he will know who the right woman is, then meeting her family, etc. All of this says that marriage is a big deal, and this marriage specifically is a monumental event. God takes marriage, particularly the marriage of his people serious! As the traditional marriage vows so often used in American wedding ceremonies says, “marriage is honorable.”

Abraham’s entourage travels what it is thought to have been 450 miles when the caravan finally arrives at a watering hole in Mesopotamia. It would take about one month to travel this far by camel, and once they arrive, the senior servant prays and asks God to reveal Isaac’s wife to him in a very specific way.

Verses 12-14 records the prayer of Abraham’s servant. It is a very good thing for employers to have praying people in their organization! I’m not telling you to discriminate, but I am just saying praying people make a difference on the job and of course, in the home.

v. 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.”

God did not need the servant to say any more, because the Lord knew what was in his heart and what he was going to say and his prayer was being answered before he could get all of the words out of his mouth!

It is wonderful to be in the will of God which says God approves of your prayer, and to know that when you pray God is listening and God will respond.

V. 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.”

V. 17 - 19; “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.”

v. 20; “So she hurried and emptied her jar into the watering channel and ran again to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.”

It is said here Rebekah ran twice! And who gets excited about watering camels?!? Especially when she has to water ten camels which means she must carry about 200 pounds of water in order to water the ten camels who were with the servant. This is hard work, but it is often the manner in which a person goes about doing their job, as if they are experiencing some level of joy in it that gets the attention of the right people! Rebekah was even joyful in offering to do the hard work! What this is telling us is Rebekah has a servant mentality! She has a humble spirit. This is the Spirit Christ possessed - “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20.28). And if Rebekah had displayed a bad attitude we can rest assured the Lord would not have allowed her to have been selected.

It has been said this verse is the true definition of greatness - “The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23. 11-12).

V. 21; ““The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.”

Abraham’s servant paid close attention to Rebekah to try to discern rather or not she is the right woman for his master Abraham’s son, Isaac. The lesson for you and me is this - people are watching to see if we are the right person for the job!

v. 25; “She added, We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.”

Why is Rebekah a great candidate for the servant to consider for Isaac? This verse shows us Rebekah has the gift of hospitality. She is also said to be “beautiful” and obviously not only beautiful physically, but her spirit, is also beautiful. Rebekah has personality and she loves people. She is industrious and hard working also.

Please note that these gifts and personal traits all come from the Lord who deposited them in the genes of her parents and grandparents and they have matured in Rebekah. But these gifts are not only helpful to her father and his ranch, but these gifts are also to be used for the work of God. God is to be at work in each of us! Ephesians 2.10 says, “For we are His workmanship (‘work of art’ or ‘masterpiece’), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

There is something else about Rebekah, something that we already know that should not be forgotten, and that is she is from among Abraham’s clan. She is not a Canaanite, which complies with Abraham’s instruction to his servant and she qualifies as a candidate to be Isaac’s wife and co-laborer.

Notice that the servant not only wanted his assignment to be successfully completed, but in completing his assignment, he wanted to make certain he was following the leading of the Lord - “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.” Then in verses 12-14, Abraham’s servant prays to the Lord and asks that the Lord would smile upon his efforts to find the bride for his master’s son.

Vv. 26-27; “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.”

In verses 28-29; “Then the girl (Rebekah) ran and told her mother’s household about these things.” “… and Laban (Rebekah’s brother) ran outside to the man at the spring.” Everybody is running!

Friends, when the Holy Ghost is moving, you just might run! When you realize you have been chosen by God, selected, called into the Father’s service like Rebekah, you just might run! Rebekah’s brother Laban ran because “when he saw the ring (in her nose) and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists” and heard the words the servant spoke to his sister, Rebekah, Laban ran to meet him also! Why? Not only was Laban excited by this new blessing that his sister has experienced, but Laban is excited because not only will Rebekah be related to Isaac and his great father Abraham, but although they are already related, they just did not know one another, and now they will all truly become one family! All more closely joined to Abraham through Isaac!

Vv. 30-41; “As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and 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. 31 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. 32 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. 33 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.

34 “So he said, I am Abraham's servant. 35 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. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 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, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son. 39 I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me. 40 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. 41 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.”

V. 42a; “I came today to the spring and said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham,…”

Preaching Point.

I pray that after I am gone from this earth my daughter or son, sibling, one of my grandchildren, or a friend, neighbor or former co-worker would pray saying, “O Lord, the God of my friend, brother, uncle, co-worker or pastor, Adrian!” Is your relationship with the Lord obvious to those with whom you have contact with? Or is your Christian light hidden under a basket and of no use?

In verse 43; “behold, I am standing by the spring, and it may be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; and she will say to me, ‘You drink and I will draw for your camels also.’

v. 44; “… Let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her. “Please let me drink.” She quickly lower her jar from her shoulder, and said, “drink and I will water your camels also.’ So I ran, and she watered the camels also.”

My question is this: you have prayed and asked the Lord for direction and for the Lord’s blessings to be upon you, but are you standing by the spring? Are you praying with expectancy? In other words, do you believe God to the point where there is the expectation God will do what you have asked him to do? This is faith? Are you expecting God to do something in your life or are we just wishing God will respond to us?