In Genesis 24, Abraham is getting old, and sends his servant to find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. How will the servant know whom to choose? Maybe a beauty contest? How about a talent show? How does a man find a wife for another man? I won’t even buy shoes online for myself for fear they will not fit—and I know my sizes.
How can this servant choose a wife for Isaac—and also please Isaac’s father and the servant’s boss, Abraham?
First, he prays. He asks God to guide him. Don’t skip that! Nothing is more critical than seeking God’s help and wisdom. But look at what he is watching for—the trait he values:
He said, “O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master” Genesis 24: 12-14.
What trait does the servant ask to see in a future spouse?
SERVANTHOOD.
Look what happens next:
“Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar.; She said, ‘Drink, my lord’; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.’ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not” Genesis 24:15-21.
So what trait does the man look for? And what trait does God use to help the servant recognize the woman God chose for Isaac?
SERVANTHOOD.
Rebecca is a servant. Remember, this is before water pumps and garden hoses. To water the camels means she has to lower a bucket in to the spring, pull it back up, and pour the water into her jar. Once the jar held four or five gallons, she would empty it into the water trough. If the trough held 40 gallons (like the smaller troughs for sale at Tractor Supply Company) she would need 8 full jars, and would raise the bucket 40 times. But the trough was probably much bigger—and the servant may have been traveling with four or five camels. If it was 200 gallons, she would fill the jar 200 times and carry the jar from the well to the trough 20 times. No matter the exact details, this was a chore. And why did she do it?
The servant asked only for a drink for himself. She had NO idea who he was, but she answered, “Go ahead, and I will water your camels also.”
That shows an amazing servant’s heart. Do you have a heart like that? Do I?
Are you seeking that kind of willingness to serve in a future spouse? Because you should. Marriage and families are a lot of work. Raising kids is a 24-7 job, with no vacations. There are meals, illnesses, bills, home maintenance, your job, chores, laundry, shopping, groceries, doctor visits, sports and hobbies and birthday parties and on and on. The list is never ending.
Be a servant. Be a spouse that serves well. And SEEK a spouse who serves well.
Dear God, make us servants. Make us willing to work hard for our loved ones and families. And lead us to people that will serve us well, and serve you well. May each of us and our spouses or future spouses have hearts like Rebecca. Show us how to serve every day—and show us whom to serve every day.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 