Abraham's servant has arrived at his destination. His mission is to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac, from among Abraham's extended family back in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:3–4). The city of Nahor, named after one of these relatives, is a likely spot to begin searching. The servant has made his ten camels kneel down by the well outside the city. These animals, themselves, would have been a sign of great wealth and power. At this time in the Middle East, it seems, camels were not yet commonly used. This servant has also brought lavish gifts to give to a prospective bride. Those material goods are not his only plan, however.

Now, he prays to God. More specifically, the servant prays to Abraham's God for Abraham's sake. He asks Abraham's God to give him success in this mission of Abraham's. And He asks that God would, in doing so, show His steadfast love to Abraham.

Has there ever been a more servant-minded servant? Not only is he doing what his master has asked, he is doing it with the prayer that his master's God would show love to his master. This prayer of faith still stands a model of selflessness and servanthood 4,000 years later. This is especially poignant, if this servant is, in fact, the man Abraham named as his potential heir many decades ago (Genesis 15:2). In this particular passage, the servant is not named, but it's possible that this is the very same man.

Genesis 24:10–27 follows Abraham's servant from Canaan to Mesopotamia on his mission to find a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's people. Arriving at the town of Nahor, the servant prays that God will reveal the right woman by allowing her to be the one to offer to water his ten camels without being asked. A young woman named Rebekah immediate does exactly that. When the servant learns this young woman is also the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, he quickly worships God for bringing him to the right woman in so little time.

Abraham asks his most trusted servant to travel to his former homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac. Swearing to do so, the servant arrives at the city of Nahor and asks the Lord to show him which young women is appointed for Isaac. Finding Rebekah, the very granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, the servant reveals the reason for his journey to her family. Her father Bethuel and brother Laban agree to allow Rebekah to travel to Canaan and marry Isaac, which she does.

Genesis 24 takes place a few years after Sarah has died. Abraham becomes urgent to find Isaac a wife, not among the women of Canaan, but from his own people back in Mesopotamia. His trusted servant, sent to accomplish this mission with the help of the Lord, eventually returns with Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's own brother. Isaac is married to her at the age of 40. Abraham's death is recorded in the following chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/4/2024 3:51:41 AM

© Copyright 2002-2024 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved.

Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.

www.BibleRef.com