Eliezer’s Quest (Part 1)

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Short Summary

The discourse explores the biblical account of Abraham’s servant Eliezer’s quest to find a bride for Isaac, highlighting its deeper spiritual meaning as a type of God’s selection of a bride for His Son, Jesus. It emphasizes the symbolism of the characters—Abraham as Jehovah, Eliezer as the Holy Spirit, Isaac as Jesus, and Rebekah as the faithful church—and draws lessons about faith, obedience, and wholehearted devotion illustrated through Eliezer’s journey, Rebekah’s qualities, and the divine guidance involved. The study encourages self-examination and active participation in God’s plan, underscoring the importance of prayer, faith, and eagerness in serving Jehovah.

Long Summary

Detailed Summary of the Discourse on “Eliezer’s Quest” (Genesis 24) – Part One

Introduction: Understanding the Term “Quest” 
– The word “quest” is defined as an act or instance of seeking, pursuit, or search. 
– Also described as a chivalrous medieval adventure, implying nobility and an important journey. 
– This definition fits Abraham’s servant Eliezer’s mission to find a bride for Isaac, a quest of utmost family importance. 
– Beyond the narrative, it is a profound type symbolizing Jehovah’s quest for a bride for His Son, Jesus, involving all faithful Christians.

Spiritual Significance of the Quest 
– John 6:44 is cited: *“No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…”* 
– This illustrates God’s active role in drawing individuals to Jesus, preparing the bride (the church). 
– The lesson ties into the memorial season, reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice and His call to become His bride.

Rebecca as a Type of the Bride (The Little Flock) 
– Rebecca’s name in Hebrew is “Rivkah,” meaning “to tie or bind,” symbolizing connection, commitment, loyalty, and love. 
– She typifies the faithful Christians (“little flock”) who harmonize their lives with God’s will.

Genesis 24 Overview and Typology 
– Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, rich with detail and emotion, recounting Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac. 
– Key figures and their symbolic meanings: 
– Abraham = Jehovah God (Heavenly Father) 
– Eliezer (the servant) = Holy Spirit (helper and guide) 
– Isaac = Jesus Christ 
– Rebecca = the Church, the bride of Christ (little flock) 
– Rebecca’s companions = the “great company” (other faithful believers)

Abraham’s Age and Context (Genesis 24:1) 
– Abraham was about 140 years old when Isaac took Rebecca (Isaac was 40; Abraham was 100 at Isaac’s birth). 
– Sarah had died three years earlier at age 127 (Genesis 23), a significant event symbolizing the completion of a phase in God’s covenant with Abraham (Sarah representing the old covenant phase). 
– Isaac’s marriage after Sarah’s death symbolizes the church’s betrothal after the old covenant is fulfilled.

The Servant’s Identity and Role (Eliezer) 
– The servant is unnamed in Genesis 24 but identified as Eliezer in Genesis 15:2–3, Abraham’s trusted household manager. 
– The omission of Eliezer’s name in chapter 24 is significant, suggesting the servant represents the Holy Spirit, an unnamed divine helper. 
– The name Eliezer means “God of help” or “God helps,” aligning with the Holy Spirit’s role as helper (John 14:25-26). 
– The discourse references the concept of “Ebenezer” (1 Samuel 7:12) meaning “stone of help,” connecting God’s help in the spiritual journey.

Cultural Custom: The Hand Under the Thigh Oath (Genesis 24:2) 
– Abraham makes Eliezer swear by placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh, a cultural sign of submission and solemn oath in ancient Hebrew context (also seen in Genesis 47:29 with Jacob and Joseph). 
– This act signified deeper commitment than a handshake or modern oath rituals.

Abraham’s Instructions and Promise (Genesis 24:3-4) 
– Eliezer must not take a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites but from Abraham’s country and kindred. 
– Abraham’s emphasis reflects the spiritual truth that the bride is selected from the household of faith. 
– Abraham, though old and unable to travel, entrusted this important mission to Eliezer with full confidence.

Eliezer’s Concern and Abraham’s Assurance (Genesis 24:5-9) 
– Eliezer worries the woman may not agree to follow him back to Canaan. 
– Abraham reassures him that Jehovah will send His angel to prosper the journey, but Isaac must not return to the original land. 
– Eliezer swears again to obey this command, underscoring the seriousness of the mission.

The Journey and Symbolism of the Camels (Genesis 24:10) 
– Eliezer takes 10 camels loaded with his master’s goods and gifts for the bride’s family. 
– The camels symbolize the word of God carrying gifts of truth, knowledge, and the divine spirit to the prospective bride. 
– The destination is the city of Nahor (likely Haran), approximately 500 miles away, a long and arduous journey.

Eliezer’s Prayer for Guidance (Genesis 24:11-14) 
– Upon arrival at the well, Eliezer prays for Jehovah’s guidance to identify the right bride by a specific sign—Rebecca offering water to him and his camels. 
– This prayer exemplifies reliance on God when facing uncertainty. 
– Encouragement is given to believers to pray earnestly for guidance in their own spiritual quests.

The Appearance and Character of Rebecca (Genesis 24:15-16) 
– Rebecca arrives with a pitcher on her shoulder, described as very fair (beautiful) and a virgin. 
– The immediate answer to prayer shows God’s swift response when matters are of vital importance. 
– Physical beauty here symbolizes spiritual beauty — love, generosity, faith, patience, and submission to God’s will (Psalm 45:11). 
– Spiritual purity and virginity are emphasized, relating to Revelation 14:1-5 and the 144,000.

Rebecca’s Generosity and Energy (Genesis 24:17-20) 
– She promptly gives Eliezer water and then waters all ten camels, showing generosity, thoughtfulness, and energetic service. 
– The huge amount of water (potentially ~250 gallons) indicates her dedication and strength. 
– Her actions exemplify the qualities expected of the faithful “little flock” — eagerness to serve God and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

Eliezer’s Observations and Gifts (Genesis 24:21-22) 
– Eliezer watches her closely and then gives her a gold ring and two gold bracelets, symbols of divine blessings. 
– The gold represents spiritual riches and the blessings from hearkening to God’s word (Holy Spirit). 
– The ring (possibly nose ring) symbolizes hearing the word of God (the call to discipleship). 
– The two bracelets (ten shekels) may symbolize the Ten Commandments, highlighting obedience to God’s law. 
– These gifts come only after Rebecca’s service, symbolizing that blessings follow faithful study and labor in God’s word.

Dialogue with Rebecca’s Family (Genesis 24:23-27) 
– Eliezer asks about lodging and family, and Rebecca confirms ample provisions. 
– Eliezer bows and worships Jehovah in gratitude, recognizing God’s guidance and kindness in the mission’s success. 
– The family’s hospitality and readiness to receive the visitor is noted.

Rebecca’s Enthusiastic Sharing (Genesis 24:28) 
– Rebecca runs to tell her family about Eliezer’s visit, showing enthusiasm and willingness to share truth. 
– This eagerness reflects the attitude Christians should have upon receiving truth — the desire to share it.

Laban’s Hospitality and Eliezer’s Priority (Genesis 24:29-33) 
– Rebecca’s brother Laban runs out to welcome Eliezer, offering lodging, food, and care for camels and men. 
– Eliezer refuses to eat before explaining his mission, showing dedication and focus on the task.

Eliezer’s Detailed Explanation (Genesis 24:34-49) 
– He recounts Abraham’s blessings, the oath not to take a wife from Canaan, Abraham’s faith in Jehovah’s guidance, and the sign at the well. 
– He describes Rebecca’s response and his gifts, concluding with a request for kindness from the family. 
– The repetition underlines the importance of transparency and thorough communication in God’s work. 
– The family listens attentively, impressed by Abraham’s status and Eliezer’s faith.

Family’s Decision and Divine Approval (Genesis 24:50-52) 
– Laban and Bethuel acknowledge the matter comes from Jehovah and consent to the marriage. 
– They offer Rebecca to Eliezer to take to Isaac without delay. 
– Eliezer bows down to Jehovah in gratitude and worship, recognizing God’s hand in the successful outcome. 
– Rebecca’s personal consent is not mentioned here, emphasizing the cultural norms of the time and the divine orchestration.

Closing Remarks 
– The discourse pauses here, to be continued in part two starting at verse 53 in Genesis 24. 
– The speaker thanks the audience and prays for blessing on the study.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– John 6:44 (ASV): 
*“No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…”*

– John 14:25-26 (ASV): 
*“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach you all things…”*

– 1 Samuel 7:12 (KJV): 
*“…and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.”*

– Genesis 24:2 (ASV): 
*“I pray thee, thy hand under thy thigh.”*

– Psalm 45:11 (KJV): 
*“So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord and worship thou him.”*

– Revelation 14:1-5 (summary): 
The 144,000 are described as virgins, purchased from the earth, symbolizing spiritual purity.

– Genesis 24 (entire chapter studied verse by verse)

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This detailed summary captures the main points, spiritual symbolism, cultural background, and scriptural references from the discourse on Eliezer’s quest to find a bride for Isaac as a type of God’s selection of the church as the bride of Christ.

Transcript

As brother John announced, the title of our lesson today is Eliezer’s Quest, and this is going to be in two parts. I went online to get a definition of the word quest, and here’s what I found. An act or instance of seeking, a pursuit, a search. Then secondly, it says, a chivalrous enterprise in medieval romances, usually involving an adventurous journey.

Well, I kind of like that last definition. There certainly is a certain nobility about going on an adventure. Well, this describes very well the experience that Abraham’s servant Eleazar had and the task giving him the quest that was given him. It would be the utmost thing of importance since it involved family, namely the acquisition of a bride for Isaac. Now, taken as a standalone narrative, it captures our attention and interest.

But understood as a picture of the Creator’s quest for a bride for his son, it takes on paramount significance. In fact, it’s one of the most important quests in history, and it involves each of you. That this is Jehovah’s work can be seen from John, chapter 6, verse 45, and Jesus said there no man can come unto me except the Father that sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.

This is a work that Jehovah God is doing with you and with me. We have been drawn to Jesus for one express purpose, to be with him in carrying out God’s divine plan of the ages, and what a plan that is. How exciting that is, that we have the hope of working with Jesus to fix all the problems in this world. Now, our study today will be a review of a type that details this selection.

Since it involves selection by Jehovah and it involves the lives of each one of us, it should be particularly important, especially during the memorial season, where we remember both what Jesus did for us, but we also remember his call to follow him, to follow in his footsteps, to become, if we’re faithful, his bride. So the type we’re going to consider today is the selection of the bride for Isaac. You remember what her name was? Rebecca. Yes.

You do remember. Here’s a little information about the name Rebecca, and I noticed that in different translations, it’s spelled different ways. I mean, one way is R E B E K A H or R E B E, C, C, A. It’s from the same Hebrew word, so it’s just a matter of how you Anglicize it.

But it’s derived from the Hebrew word Rivkah, which some scholars suggest to mean a tie or to tie or to bind. Now, this interpretation suggests themes of connection and commitment highlighting the bond that Rebekah held with her or formed with her family, and later her husband Isaac. In a broader sense, the name symbolizes loyalty, devotion and love, and remember, Rebecca represents the little flock. She represents you and me, at least as much as we endeavor to harmonize our lives with her life.

Our study will be a verse by verse consideration of Genesis, chapter 24. So I’m going to do as brother Rick invited. Get your Bibles out, and we’re going to go through that entire chapter in the next couple of hours. One hour today, one hour next time. By the way, in reprint 752, we read no part of the blessed Scripture is more calculated to feed the souls of Christ’s redeemed and chosen people, and to set more plainly before them Christ our hope.

Then Genesis 24, where we have Abraham sending the servant after a bride for Isaac. Now, if you look in the book of Genesis, you’ll find probably no surprise that Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in the whole book of Genesis. It’s a chapter rich with typical detail and quite beautiful and emotionally moving as well. Let’s give an overview of the type before we start to get into the details. The players in this type are Abraham, Eliezer, Isaac, Rebecca, Rebecca’s companions.

Abraham represents Jehovah, God our heavenly Father. Eliezer represents the Holy Spirit. Isaac, of course, represents Jesus. Rebecca, as we’ve already suggested, represents the church, the bride of Christ. The little flock and Rebecca’s companions represent the great company.

So let’s start out in verse one, and Abraham was old and well stricken in age, and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. Let’s ask a question. How old was Abraham at this point in his life? Well, in Genesis, chapter 25, verse 20, we are told this Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah.

Now we know that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Therefore, just do your little bit of math there. He was 140 years old.

We might also note that this was three years since Sarah had died. She died. She was 127 years old. Now, though, Sarah is not part of the narrative that we’re going to consider today. She symbolizes, or what she symbolizes is very relevant to our story.

Did you ever notice that Genesis 23, the chapter before we’re considering today, is a chapter wholly devoted to the death and burial of Sarah? A whole chapter. Not only that Sarah appears to be the only woman in the Bible whose age at death is given to us. Might also note she’s the only One in the Bible who had her name changed by God. Why so much detail about Sarah’s death and burial?

Well, we understand Sarah to represent that portion of the Abrahamic covenant under which Jesus and the church are developed, the seed illustrated by the stars of the heaven. We also know that when the church is raised in glory and united with Jesus beyond the veil, this portion of the Abrahamic covenant completed. So in harmony with this, Isaac weds Rebekah after the death of Sarah. Now say only after, because the completion of the church, the completion of that part of the grace covenant must take place before the marriage can take place. So the sequence of these two chapters, the death and burial of Sarah and the wedding of Isaac or the betrothal of Isaac, they form a very nice sequence.

Now, Abraham was 137 years old when Sarah died, and she was 127. By the way, there’s been some discussion going off script here now about why is it that Sarah was the only one whose age was given, and is there any significance about the age of 127? Well, I don’t know, but my mathematical mind looks at numbers and sees certain things. 127 is 100 plus 27.

Those are both one’s a squared number and one’s a cubic number. 100 is 10 squared and 27 is 3 cubed. What’s significant about that? Well, you think about 100 being Jesus number and the emphasis of 3. 3 times 3 times 3, 27.

Maybe the emphasis here on Jesus as the seed of the Sarah covenant. Just a suggestion. If anybody’s got another suggestion, boy, I’d love to hear it. You know, one of the wonderful things about scripture is that you can look into these things and you scratch your head and say, gee, I wonder what that means, and remember, there is not one single detail in the whole Bible that is there accidentally or without meaning.

This is the difference between studying the Bible, the inspired word of God. Every word. Inspired word is important. I say inspired word because sometimes in translations they kind of invent their own translations. But when you go back to the original Hebrew and try and understand what the words there, every one of them is significant.

So whenever we think about Sarah being 127 years old, there’s some significance there. Now, since Abraham lived to be 175 years old, it would be another 35 years after Isaac’s marriage that he finished his his life. In fact, he would have seen the birth of Jacob and Isaac at 160 years old. So he was alive to see the birth of those twins, Verse two, and Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house that ruled over all the land he had put, I pray thee, thy hand under thy thigh.

Trivia question for you. Who is the servant that Abraham sends on this assignment? Now I’m sure you’ll say, brother David. You’re trying to trick us. We already know the title of your talk.

It’s Eliezer. It’s got to be Eliezer. Well, can you prove is interesting that this servant whom Abraham chose for his most important assignment is unnamed in the chapter? Now this is not at all to suggest it wasn’t Eliezer. In fact, we presume it was.

But the only place where the name of that servant, Abraham’s top servant in his household, is given, is in Genesis, chapter 15, verses 2 and 3. One time the name is given in the whole book of Genesis, and those verses there say, and Abram said, this is before his name was changed. O Lord Jehovah, what will thou give me, seeing I go childless?

And he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus, and Abram said, behold to me thou hast given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is mine heir. This is the only time where the name Eliezer is given. Now if we combine this verse with the verse that we just read, Genesis 24:2, we conclude that it could not have been anyone else but Eliezer.

Here he is, this important person given in Genesis 15, and then it says he’s the manager of everything, that Abraham has, the trusted manager. How could it not be Eliezer? So here’s the question. Why isn’t the name given in the whole chapter?

He’s called a servant, or the servant he’s never called by name. Why is that? Remember the principle. We said everything in scripture is inspired. That means the quiet parts of Scripture are inspired.

When it doesn’t say something, it’s inspired. Omissions then contain a lesson. By the way, here’s an example of an omission. Remember the harlot of Revelation? She’s arrayed in red and purple.

No blue. Why no blue? Remember what blue represents? Faithfulness. Is this harlot faithful?

Just the opposite. The omission of blue in the description is very significant. It shows that what we understand it to be, it’s evidence that it’s true. So why is Eliezer’s name not given? Well, here’s a suggestion.

That this servant in Genesis 24 is unnamed is perhaps another indicator that it represents, as we said earlier, the Holy Spirit, which is in itself, the unnamed power of Jehovah, the Holy Spirit is not a person like the false doctrine the Trinity suggests. Thus, the absence of the name perhaps is more evidence that our understanding that it represents the Holy Spirit is correct. By the way, the name Eliezer means God of help or God helps. Nice connection that we have with the name of Eliezer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s a couple of Scriptures.

John 14, verses 25 and 26. This is from the ASV. These things have I spoken to you while yet abiding with you. But the comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. If you look in the esv, it says, but the helper, the Holy Spirit.

Eliezer means God’s help. The Holy Spirit is our helper. You put it together, brethren, it makes complete sense.

By the way, Eliezer, Elie from Elohim means God. Ezer means help. We also use this word help in another word that, that you hear quite a lot in testimony meetings. Can you think of what it is, Ebenezer? What does Ebenezer mean?

A stone of help. It’s taken from first Samuel 7:12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shem and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, hitherto hath Jehovah helped us. So, Ebenezer, the stone of help representing a marker or a memorial of an event or experience in our lives where God unambiguously manifests his help to us. When the brethren describe experiences and they say, oh, I have a wonderful Ebenezer that I want to share with you.

We know right away where they’re going. There’s something where God helped them very clearly, unambiguously, prominently, and then you share it. That was the idea here in Samuel. Now, before we leave Genesis 15, verse 2 and 3 that we read a little bit earlier, we should note a curiosity there where the name is given.

The text calls him Eliezer of Damascus, but it also indicates he was born in Abraham’s house. Now, what does that mean? Well, when I looked it up, there are many suggestions about what this means or what this could mean. Eliezer of Damascus, of all things, I found none of them compelling. The honest answer is, I don’t know.

I’m not sure. An easy answer might be that Eliezer was born in Abraham’s house while Abraham was passing through Damascus. That covers all the bases, you know, and that’s one of the Suggestions. So we leave that to you. Now back to Genesis 24:2.

Another odd point in this verse is that Abraham asked Eliezer to put his hand under his thigh. It seems a little bit odd, doesn’t it? But sometimes we find certain cultural norms, cultural traditions seem odd to us because they’re not our culture, and this seems to be a cultural custom back in the time of Abraham for us, you know, a handshake does it. But evidently this was something more.

Here’s something that I got, and one of the brethren was talking about the Internet. Got to be careful of the Internet. So I confess I got this off the Internet. But here’s this cultural thing in our culture, and I’m quoting from what I got.

Taking an oath usually involves raising the right hand or placing the hand over the heart, or on a Bible. In ancient Hebrew culture, we find something a little different. Genesis 24:9 describes an odd practice that involved Abraham’s servant swearing to obey his master’s command to find a wife for Isaac. So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. In Genesis 47:29, Jacob makes his son Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, not Egypt.

The same ritual is observed. Joseph is required to put his hand under Jacob’s thigh as he makes the promise. It seems strange to us, but placing one’s hand under someone else’s thigh had a symbolic purpose. According to Rabbi Ibn Ezra, the phrase under the thigh means literally that for someone to allow his hand to be sat on was a sign of submission to authority. If this is the symbolism, then Joseph was showing his obedience to his father by placing his hand under Jacob’s thigh.

So there you go. It’s sort of like putting your hand on your heart, as we say today. I honestly mean it or I swear to it. Well, kind of the same thing. Let’s go to verses three and four in Genesis chapter 24.

And I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that thou wilt not take a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for Isaac. Well, this was the solemn promise that Abraham asked Eliezer to give to swear that this is what he would do, and it was so important. He says, I want you to swear in the name of Jehovah, the God of heaven, the God of the earth.

So this was very important in Abraham’s mind. He wanted to make sure that was understood, and what is it he was to swear to? Well, that Eliezer would travel to his home country, which was in Mesopotamia, and to his family that he left there and still had there, and from there to find a wife. Now, Abraham evidently was too old for such a journey.

Remember we saw in verse one, Abraham was stricken in age, somewhat frail, even though he would live another 35 years past there. But this was still very important to Abraham. We can make a beautiful observation about you and me. Jehovah’s plan was to select from the same family of faith as Abraham. You and I are selected from the household of faith that there’s some faith necessary before we can be selected.

Now, Eliezer responds in verses five through nine, he’s got a concern again. Here’s the servant. He wants to carry out exactly what Abraham tells him to do. He’s very loyal, very faithful, but he’s thinking things through, and he said, well, it might be a problem.

Let’s read verses five through nine, and the servant said to him, notice the servant again, no name peradventure. The woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land Must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thy camest, and Abraham said to them, beware that thou bring not my son thither again. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my Father’s house and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke unto me and who sware unto me, saying, unto thy seed, I will give this land.

He will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence, and if the women be not willing to follow thee, he’s addressing his concern. Then thou shalt be clear from my oath only thou shalt not bring my son thither again, and the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and sware to him concerning the matter. Eliezer was quite concerned about not being able to carry out what Abraham wanted him to do.

He certainly wanted to do it, but you know, you can’t always depend upon other people’s choices, and this was a big choice to become a prospective bride. Why was Abraham so adamant against his son going back to Mesopotamia? Well, let’s consider the antitype for a moment. The bride is taken from humankind, as we mentioned a moment ago, from the household of faith brought to Jesus.

Jesus, having completed his earthly sacrifice back in 33 AD will never again return to that human domain. So Isaac would never go back to the land of Abraham’s. Fathers, and of course, Eliezer places his hand under Abraham’s thighs and promises to do it all. Let’s go to verse 10.

And the servant. There it again. The servant took 10 camels of the camels of his master and departed, having all goodly things of his master’s in his hand, and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of nahor. In reprint 161, very early reprint, we read this.

The camels upon which he came to Rebekah, which also carried the presents, represented the word of God. So here’s a suggestion on the part of our pastor. The 10 camels represent God’s word, and really there’s a certain consistency with this. What did the camels carry?

Well, they carried Eliezer. They carried all the gifts. They carried some assistance along with them. What does God’s Word carry? God’s Word contains all of the gifts that God wishes to give us.

The gifts of truth, the gifts of knowledge, the gifts of understanding. God’s Word also carries the Holy Spirit. The word of God is alive and powerful. The Holy Spirit can be found there, and of course, all of these divine truths, they are carried to you and me, to the prospective bride.

It mentions the city of Nahor. Doesn’t seem to be a city of Nahor, but I think the reference is to the city that Nahor lived in, probably Haran. How many miles do you think he had to go? Anybody have an idea from your studies? I was surprised.

500 miles. Would you like to travel 500 miles on a camel? When we went to Israel a few Years ago, back 2017, most of us that were on that trip, we had a chance to ride on a camel. So I rode on a camel. At least in a circle a little bit.

It was. Yeah, Janelle remembers. It was fun. I don’t think I want to go 500 miles, though, on that camel. Let’s read a little bit further, verses 11 through 14.

And he made the camels to kneel down without the city. He has arrived now by the well of water, at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water, and he said, o Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, send me. I pray thee, good speed this day and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water, and the daughters of men in the city are coming out to draw water.

This is all his prayer now, and let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee that I may drink and she shall say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac, and thereby shall I know that thou hast shown kindness unto my master. What a beautiful prayer.

He gets there, and what’s the first thing? He kind of repositions his mind, all right, what am I here for? What am I going to do? Let’s say a prayer so that I can carry it out. Now, was it a lack of faith on the part of Eliezer to say Jehovah, God, here’s what I want you to do.

If this happens, then I know it’s all right. You know, we’re never to test God. But on the other hand, this was a service, a journey that his master had sent him on, and remember a few verses earlier, he said, and the angel of God would go before you. This is a divine quest.

This is a wonderful quest, and Eliezer, from the very beginning, am I going to find somebody? Will they be willing to come? So he starts out, okay, I’m here. Let’s say a prayer.

Brethren, it’s a beautiful practical lesson to us. Sometimes we have experiences where we’re not sure what we should do next, and we’re not sure what’s going to happen. What a good time to pray to God, to say, heavenly Father, here I am, like by the fountain, as Eliezer said, please give me your direction. Please let me see what you would want me to do right now. Eliezer was a very, very faithful man.

So he arrives at his deshen after a long trip. It’s now time for the recognition of the prospective bride. We saw he prayed to Jehovah for guidance in a test. The test is that he asked for a drink. The one selected with the drink would offer to give camels a drink also.

And that interchange is a definite indicator. So let’s think about a little bit what he’s asking for. You know, sometimes you ask some people something in the world and they might say, get it yourself. Not always very appreciative. So the test that he proposed is someone that would respond positively not only to his request, but.

But to take it further, he’s looking for a girl that’s generous, energetic, and thoughtful. Brethren, are you generous, energetic and thoughtful? Remember, one of the lessons we’re going to review again and again is that Rebekah represents you and me and all of those who will make up the little flock, and we can twist this around and say, if you want to make up the little flock, you better be just like Rebecca Energetic, generous, and thoughtful. These are the traits that are required.

We’ll see more about him. So what happens next? Let’s go to verses 15 and 16. By the way, I always offer my notes, and I didn’t have time to put together a PowerPoint. I’m not real good at PowerPoints.

Some of these brethren, they can put a PowerPoint together in a few hours. Not so much with me. But I did put a lot of nice little pictures and illustrations, some from the photodrama of creation. If anybody wants my notes, just send me an email and there’s some beautiful illustrations here. All right, verses 15 and 16.

And it came to pass. Now, note this. Before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel to the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder, and the damsel was very fair to look upon a virgin. Neither had any man known her, and she went down to the fountain and filled her picture and came up.

So now, here in Act 2, Rebekah comes on the scene. Now, first of all, we notice the quickness with which Eliezer’s prayer was answered. Must have been startling. It says, before he was done speaking, he didn’t even get a chance to say Amen, and here comes Rebecca Brennan.

There’s a lesson here as well. When we pray to God and we ask for things, and you should ask for things, God wants you to ask for things. Now, what things are you going to ask for? Well, things that you should. But the heavenly Father wants you to ask for things so that he can give you what he has promised.

And it builds your faith up on matters of importance. God doesn’t delay answering us. God sometimes does delay answering us. Remember the Israelites when they left Egypt, they were starting to get low in water, and they were moaning and groaning. God didn’t give them water right away.

It was three days before he gave them water, and of course, he gave them a little test. Then, remember, they got to the waters of Mera. There. Exodus, chapter 15.

Oh, water. Very good. God’s heard us. Oh, it’s brackish. It’s terrible.

And of course, Moses had to do something. A beautiful picture there. But in our own experiences, sometimes God doesn’t answer our questions and our requests quickly. Now, number one, I could tell you based upon this that what you’re asking isn’t vitally important, that he answer right away. Now, that’s not to diminish how important you may think it is.

We’re talking about how important God thinks it is. But when something is important, God does not delay in answering us. He is there, and I think all of us have had both of those kind of experiences where we ask for something and there it is, and other times we ask, and we ask again.

We ask again. We ask again. By the way, God answers every request. There’s three possibilities in his answer. Yes, no, and wait.

We get a lot of weight, don’t we? And that’s because he wants us to develop patience. But in this case, there was no reason for Eliezer to be patient. He answers right away. It describes this damsel, Rebecca.

Very fair to look upon. She was gorgeous. She was a beautiful young girl. When it comes to beauty, when it says that it’s fair in the scriptures, you know, there’s an inspiration there. She was a virgin.

Being physically beautiful is a wonderful talent to have. You know, most of us here have long gone past the handsome and beautiful stage. But there’s something more important here. Remember, this is a type, and it’s not talking about physical beauty to us. It’s talking about the beauty of character.

There’s God’s standard for being beautiful. How much like Jesus are you? If you are striving to be like Jesus in every part of your life, Jehovah, God considers you beautiful, and so does Jesus. Rebecca’s physical beauty reflected that. By the way, we may have a little time in the end of part two to look at Psalm 45.

In Psalm 45:11, it says, so will the king desire thy beauty. Brethren, do you want to be beautiful to Jesus? Then exercise love, generosity, compassion, mercy, understanding, faith, patience, sympathy, empathy. These are all the things that Jesus says, if you’ve got it, you’re beautiful in my eyes.

Here’s a little list. You are beautiful if you love righteousness and hate iniquity, you’re very beautiful if you live a life of full consecration and submission to the will of God. You are gorgeous. If you lay down your life daily for the Lord to truth in the brethren. If these things describe you, you’re incredibly beautiful.

It mentions that she was a virgin, pure. In Revelation, chapter 14, verses 1 through 5. We have a description here of 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb. I don’t want to read the whole thing, but just a little bit further down. It says, no man could learn the song save the 144,000, and they had been purchased out of the earth.

These are they that were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. We’re talking About a spiritual virginity here. A spiritual purity. All right, so what does Eliezer do next? Right, all the conditions.

There she is. Let’s read verses 17 through 20, and the servant ran to meet her and said, give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher, and she said, drink, my Lord, and she hasted and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him to drink.

And when she had done giving him a drink, she said, I will draw for thy camels also until they have done drinking, and she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran again to the well to draw and, and drew for all of the animals.

Pretty energetic lady, isn’t she? Do you notice, though, that at the very beginning it says Eliezer, the servant ran to meet her. She’s back and forth, he’s got to run to keep up, just to get over to her to ask her the question, and here’s the test. She passes it beautifully.

Give me the drink. Sure. Here have. I’ll get your camels, by the way, too. Unbelievable.

Her service to Eliezer and the camels shows a close association between the Church and the Holy Spirit and the doctrines of truth. Remember, water represents truth. Eliezer represents the Holy Spirit. Rebecca represents you and me, little flock. She hasted several times, it says she hasted.

The members of the church haste to do God’s will. We must be energetic in doing our Father’s work if we’re going to be part of the little flock. Now, for us, it’s not physically moving fast. You know, I dare say that not many of us move as fast as we did about 40 years ago, but we don’t let grass grow under our feet. We are energetic in doing what we can do in the service of the Lord, the truth of the brethren, and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

Remember, the Heavenly Father never expects you to give what you do not have. He never asks for things that we don’t have. But the flip side of this is very true. God does expect us to give what we can give, what we can do. Each of us has to do an examination ourselves and ask ourselves the question, what can I do in the service of the Lord?

What else can I do? What more can I do? If we have that attitude of always trying to expand out, then we are like Rebecca, we are hastening. We are looking for opportunities. By the way, how much work was it to provide water for 10 camels?

Anybody have an idea? A typical camel. According to the Internet, a typical camel drinks 100 liters or 25 gallons at one time, and some can drink as much as 200 liters. So we surmise Rebecca had to pour 250 gallons, 1000 liters on this occasion.

That’s a lot of water. I don’t know how big her picture was. I mean, she said she was carrying it on her shoulder, so it couldn’t have been too bad. Although I think probably the women back at that time were very robust. But how many of these pictures did she have to do?

Who knows? But she took care of all 10 camels. A lot of water. Let’s go into verse 21 and 22, and the man looked steadfastly on her.

Again, here’s Eliezer, the man this time. Again, you notice it’s interesting and never named. The man looks steadfastly on her, holding his peace to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not, and it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands of 10 shekels weight of gold. Brethren, as Bible students, you know that these symbols are very, very strong.

Gold represents divine things, divine blessings that come upon those that hearken to the Holy Spirit represent. Remember, Rebekah is hearkening to Eliezer. We are hearkening to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit in our life, and we show a willingness and humility in carrying these things out. Also, this represents the beginning of the knowledge of the divine plan. Remember that he hasn’t had a chance to tell Rebecca or her family at all at this point what he’s there for.

But she’s responsive. She is clearly chosen and designated by Jehovah God. It says she had a ring. Normally we think of earrings, although I saw some commentaries talk about nose rings. That makes me uncomfortable thinking about that.

But anyway, when you think of hearing, it’s the hearing of the word of God. The earrings, the high calling is something that we hear very early as we begin to gather knowledge. We hear it, we begin to respond to it. The high calling to follow Jesus and representing the blessed effect of hearing are these earrings. It mentions a little bit later.

Bracelets. When you think of bracelets, you think of hands, and what do you do with your hands? Everything that you can in the Lord’s work. The blessed effect of the divine call upon all that we do know.

There’s two bracelets on both sides.

Are you wearing your golden bracelets, brethren?

I see some people doing this. Some of the brethren, it’s a question again. A self examination question. Are we putting our hands into the will of God? Into doing the will of God?

And notice that all of these things do not come until we have labored in the word and spirit. Rebekah didn’t get these things until she had given a drink to Eliezer and watered all his camels. Remember, the camels represent God’s word so antitypically. Here we’re seeing the little flock, or at least the prospective little flock, already involved in the study of God’s word, and immediately it begins to bring blessings to them, as it did for Rebekah.

So do us. There’s an interesting rabbinical comment about the ring and the bracelets. The 1/2 shekel ring reminds us of the poll tax leveled on Every Israelite of 1/2 a shekel of silver. Now this is gold, but it brings us back to mind to that poll tax, and that poll tax was an atonement money.

It was a ransom money. You go back and look at the context there, it uses those words. So we think about immediately. Rebecca represents the little flock as recognizing the atonement, the ransom of Jesus and the two gold bracelets wearing 10 shekels. The rabbi says that it reminds us of the two tables of the ten Commandments of the Law.

There’s some connections that many of the Jewish scholars make. Well, let’s read on verses 23 through 27, and said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bare to Nahor.

She said moreover to him, we have both straw and proverb are enough, and room to lodge in. The man bowed his head and worshiped Jehovah, and he said, blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Jehovah led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren. You can imagine after a 500 mile trip having certain uncertainties on your mind.

That he expressed to Abraham before he even began, and coming there and praying, and now everything has worked out beautifully. Precisely. He’s overwhelmed.

The success has just been overwhelming. He’s encountered exactly the family he was sent to first shot, and it seems quite clear that this girl is the chosen one. But the question still remains, will she accept the invitation? He hasn’t gotten to that point yet.

Notice it says, is there room for us to lodge in Eleazar had an entourage that must have included a number of others. We’re not told how many men went with him, but it could have been as many as nine more, since there were 10 camels. That’s not definitive, because you can have lading on some of the camels without someone riding. But there were certainly more with Eliezer than just Himself. Verse 28.

And the damsel ran and told her mother’s house according to these words. Notice again, her energy, enthusiasm doesn’t say she walked to the house. She ran to the house. Boy, this girl’s got some energy, doesn’t she? He makes that little.

What is it, the battery bunny look like nothing compared to her application to us. Again, those of the little flock who have been first informed of the lovely elements of God’s plan and truth immediately desire to share them with others. Remember when you first got the truth, first understood, Somebody said, after somebody gets the truth, makes a consecration, they should be locked up for a year.

Oh, that we could preserve that enthusiasm that we had when we first started on the path. This is the enthusiasm that she showed of someone new, someone just learning the truth, desiring to share it with others, and she runs to the family to tell them. Remember the hymn I Love to Tell the Story that we sang earlier today? She certainly had a wonderful desire to tell her family.

Well, let’s read on. Verses 29 through 33, and Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man. Here’s another guy running.

Boy, this family is really fast on their feet, isn’t they ran out to the man under the fountain, and it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, when he heard the words of Rebekah, his sister, saying, thus spake the man unto me. That he came unto the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels at the fence, and he said, come in, thou blessed of Jehovah. Wherefore standest thou without?

What are you standing out here? Come on in. For I prepared the house and the room for the camels. The man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels and gave straw and prometheur for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him. Notice there was at least two.

We mentioned that earlier, verse 33, and there was set before him food to eat. But he said, I will not eat until I have told mine errand, and he said, speak on. So this is Kind of neat as well, you know, in our consecrated lives, we need focus.

We have to remember what is important in our father’s business and what is less important here. Eliezer. He’s brought back to the house. His camels are taken care of and they’re ready to serve a meal to him. Hold on.

I have something I need to tell you. They say speak on priorities. His master Abraham’s business was the first thing on his mind, the most important thing on his mind. Now, we’re going to read a large portion here, verses 34 through 49, but let me just give you a little overview of what you’re going to hear. He goes on to explain in precise and complete detail his trek, his purpose.

He recites everything that has happened with Rebecca since he first arrived. He even tells them his concern about not being accepted. We talk about transparency today in political circles. You know, is this politician transparent or is he opaque? Well, Eliezer is completely transparent with everything with her family.

And although he’s explaining it to the family, remember Rebecca’s hearing every word of it and understanding every word of his plan and invitation. So as I read this, I want you to imagine Eliezer surrounded by a fairly large family group who are excitedly and attentively listen to every word. They know who their kinfolk Abraham is. They know he’s a great man, and here’s a representative of that great man of their family.

So they’re all ears. They want to hear everything. All right, so verses 34 through 39, and he said, I am Abraham’s servant, and Jehovah hath blessed my master greatly, and he has become great.

And he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses, and Sarah, my master’s wife, bare a son to my master when she was old, and unto him hath he given all that he hath, and my master made me swear, saying, thou shalt not take a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whom whose land I dwell. But thou shalt go to my father’s house and to my kindred, to take a wife from my son.

And I said unto my master, peradventure, the woman will not follow me, and he said, jehovah, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee and prosper thy way, and thou shalt take a wife for my son, of my kindred and my father’s house. I want to pause here. We talk about the faith of Abraham.

Abraham sent him in his journey, and he had complete faith that Jehovah would even send his angel and would prosper the way. In Abraham’s faith, he knew that this couldn’t help but succeed. What wonderful faith. Continuing in verse 41.

And that shall be clear from my oath when thou comest to my kindred, and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear of my oath, and I came this day unto the fountain and said, o Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if thou do prosper my way, which I go, behold, I am standing by the fountain of water, and let it come to pass that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, whom I shall say, give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink, and she shall say to me, both drink, thou, and I will also draw for thy camels.

Let the same be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master’s son, and before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down under the fountain and drew, and I said unto her, let me drink, I pray thee, and she made haste and let her pitcher from her shoulder and said, drink, and I will also give thy camels to drink also.

So I drank, and she made the camels drink also, and I asked her and said, whose daughter out there? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel Nahor’s son, whom milk abare unto thee, and I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets upon her hands, and I bowed my head and worshiped Jehovah and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who hath led me in the right way to take my master’s brother daughter for his son, and now if ye deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me.

And if not, tell me, then I may turn to the right hand or to the left. That’s a pretty good synopsis, isn’t it? You know, we might wonder that why in God’s word is this repeated a second time? We saw most of this previously. Isn’t this redundant?

Why is it given again? And I think it’s given to us to impress upon us how important it is for us to relate to our Heavenly Father all of the things that happen in our lives, all of our prayers, all the things that we do, all the things that we experience. Redundancy is kind of a bad word. I like repetition. Remember, one of the ways that you learn is through repetition.

When you first learned your ABCs, you first learn Your numbers, How did you learn them? By repetition, and so when things are repeated in scripture, generally that’s a flag. Pay close attention to it. Now.

You can imagine the faces of the family as he goes through each of these details again. He was very thorough. He repeated everything. They all knew of the greatness of Abraham, their family member. Here was his servant, outlining the part that each of them would play, as well as the key individual, Rebekah herself.

Laban’s response, and here’s the last verses we’re going to do here in part one, verses 50 through 52. Then Laban and Bethuel answered, this is the father and son, and said, the thing proceedeth from Jehovah. They recognize this is the hand of God here. No question.

We cannot speak of any good or bad. Got nothing to say about it. You said it all. Verse 51. Behold, Rebekah is before thee.

Take her and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as Jehovah hath spoken, and it came to pass when Abraham’s servant heard the words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto Jehovah. Here was the final element of success. He got permission to take this young damsel, this beautiful woman, to be the wife of his master’s son. He bowed down.

Can you imagine? This is a spontaneous act of thankfulness and appreciation. There’s the expression of faith. This thing proceedeth from Jehovah. That they said, brethren, everything in our lives proceeds from Jehovah.

How do we know? Scripture tells us all things work together for good to those that are called of God and chosen for his purpose. Acknowledging that. Laban and Bethuel basically say, we can’t add anything to you. Say we’re convinced.

And so they commit Rebekah, which is interesting. They haven’t even asked her opinion, have they? Okay, she’s going with you. See Rebecca in the corner? Okay, we’ll see.

But I love Eliezer’s response. He bowed down, no doubt overcome with joyful emotion. Brethren, we will pause here. Part two we will pick up in verse 53 tomorrow. I thank you for your kind attention.

May the Lord bless this to.

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