2. The Witness of the Servant (24:10-49)

The servant. Neither Abraham nor Isaac went to find the bride; the task was given to an anonymous servant, who was completely devoted to Abraham. His favorite name for Abraham was “my master,” which he used nineteen times in this narrative. He lived and served only to please his master, and that is a good example for us to follow today.

The servant got his orders from his master and did not change them. When he made his vow of obedience, he meant it and kept it. Whether his mission succeeded or failed, the servant knew he would have to give an account to his master, and he wanted to be able to do so without embarrassment (Rom. 14:10-12; 1 John 2:28).

But how would he go about finding the right woman for his master’s son? The servant acted by faith in the God of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 24:12). He believed the promise of God and trusted the providence of God to direct him (v. 27). He took time to pray and to ask God for help, and he kept his eyes open to see what God might do. In fact, while he was praying, God was sending the answer (Isa. 65:24). The servant was not impulsive but waited on the Lord to see what He might do (Gen. 24:21). “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isa. 28:16 nkjv).

The bride. In His providence, God brought Rebekah to the well just as the servant was praying, and she did exactly what the servant had been praying about. The servant did what Gideon would do years later, put out a fleece (Judg. 6:36-40). This is not the best way for God’s people to determine the will of God because the conditions we lay down for God to meet might not be in His will. We are walking by sight and not by faith, and we may end up tempting God. However, God accommodated Himself to the needs of the servant (and Gideon) and guided them as they requested.

Little did Rebekah know that doing a humble task for a stranger would make her the bride of a wealthy man who was in a covenant relationship with God. She would become the mother of Jacob, and he would become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel! Years ago, I read a quotation from a writer identified only as “Marsden,” and it has stuck with me: “Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when someone may be taking your measure for a larger place.”

The servant was evaluating Rebekah to see if she would make a good wife for Isaac. He could see that she was kind, pleasant, humble, healthy, and a hard worker. Watering ten camels is no easy job! After a long trek, a thirsty camel might drink as much as forty gallons of water, and Rebekah had to draw all that water by hand.

“Whose daughter art thou?” (Gen. 24:23) is a key question for any suitor to ask. Of course, the servant was interested in her family, but the question has a wider application for Christian believers today, both men and women. “Are you a child of God? Have you been born again into the family of God?” What a tragedy when believers marry unbelievers and try to establish a home without the full blessing of God.

The family. Rebekah took her gifts and ran home to tell her father, mother, and brother Laban (who seemed to be the leader in the home) that a generous stranger needed a place to stay for the night. Hospitality is the first law of the East, so the family went out to meet the visitor. Laban’s character is revealed in verse 30: He was more excited about the expensive gifts than the privilege of showing hospitality to a stranger. Isaac and Rebekah’s son Jacob would discover years later what a clever rogue Laban really was (Gen. 29–31).

The servant would not eat until he had fulfilled his mission (24:33; John 4:32). He did not speak about himself but about Isaac and his great wealth. (The train of ten camels helped to tell the story.) He reviewed his experience at the well, and for the first time Rebekah discovered that she had been “measured” for a new and exciting assignment. But, would her family let her go, and would she be willing to go?

Before we learn the answer to those questions, we must pause to see how the servant illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit in the world today as He uses us to witness about Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). He did not speak about himself but about his master and his riches (John 15:26; 16:13-14). He gave tokens of his master’s wealth just as the Spirit gives us the “firstfruits” and “down payment” of our spiritual riches in Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). The best is yet to come!

The servant’s job was not to argue or bribe but simply to bear witness to the greatness of his master. He did not force Rebekah to marry Isaac; he merely gave her the facts and the opportunity to make a decision. While there is nothing wrong with urging people to be saved (Acts 2:40), we must be careful not to try to take the place of the Spirit, who alone does the work of conviction in the human heart (John 16:7-11).