When We Try God Helps
When We Try, God Helps
Genesis 24:1-8, 61-67
The heavenly father, like a wise earthly parent, will help his children, but won’t necessarily finish a job for them unless it’s a job they can’t do themselves. The mission of Eliezer, servant of Abraham, to find a bride for Isaac clearly shows us this truth.
Sarah had been dead now for about 3 years. Abraham realized that it was time to find Isaac a bride. He may have understood that God’s plan for a chosen people would require Isaac to have children and that God did not want Isaac to marry among the people of Canaan. If we were to read this entire chapter tonight, which we won’t do, but I would encourage you to do it when you get home, we would find that God not only provides Isaac with a wife, but gives Eliezer a chance to perform a task faithfully, giving us a great example of duty well done.
Eliezer knew exactly what Abraham wanted, a bride for Isaac. The servant insisted on a clear definition of what his job was. We find that definition set out precisely in verses 5 & 8 that we read just a few moments ago.
How many times in our lives would a plain understanding in advance of a job’s requirements have prevented problems? Job descriptions usually set out a number of things that are expected of you, but they are not infallible in avoiding conflict. Many times misunderstandings of what was expected came back to haunt the employee or the boss. We need to have a clear understanding of what God wants us to do. We find that from our Bible’s. That is where we discover if we are completing our job description or not.
A wise Christian of a previous generation said, “Until you have prayed about a situation, you can do nothing about it.” There is a ton of truth in that statement. Eliezer, of course, used all possible human means of help that he could. He took 10 camels to carry provisions and presents for the bride. He was prepared for whatever physical challenges he might face.
We cannot ignore the social customs and the culture in the day we live, but on the other hand, though faith and duty are one, the spiritual side is even more important. The servant prayed and asked for a sign from God. In our day, as we learn from the teachings of Jesus, we do not feel that the highest means of determining God’s will for us is necessarily a sign. The person that is constantly asking for a sign is the one that refuses to take responsibility for their choices in their lives. That attitude is not the attitude that Christ wants us to have, which, as we talked about on Sunday mornings earlier this year, should be led by the Holy Spirit.
Eliezer, though, asked for a sign. We should remember also that this is an Old Testament event when signs were commonly asked for. We that live in the light of the gospel need to pray, but then ask for God to lead us.
Notice the sign that he asked for. VERSE 14. Eliezer had a method to his madness. He wanted someone who was kind and not afraid to work.
Another practical consideration was related to the woman and her family. Eliezer let them know the kind of man he represented. He gave her a generous gift, which was even enough to impress her brother, Laban. Laban invited Eliezer to come home with him for a meal.
Eliezer went, but refused to eat until he shared with the family why he was there. He was not carried away with the emotional events in connection with his new friends. The reality of his duty was still with him. Emotion is a part of virtually all decisions we make as humans, but it should never be an end in itself.
One we have decided to do God’s bidding, we need to be insistent that it takes first place in all the decisions that we make. Eliezer was not even willing to wait a few days for Rebekah to enjoy some time with her parents. This story shows the determination of a person who put forth his own best effort and was blessed. Only when we give our all do we have the right to ask God for blessings. Eliezer did not stop until his job was done completely. Let’s go forth from this place and do the same. Let’s not stop till our job is done.