Bibledoorajar Speaks of Signs

The servant prayed for God's grace, but now he has takesn it a step further. He has asked for a sign. He said, "Here I am, standing by the spring, as the daughters of the townsfolk come out to draw water. I will say to one of the girls, Please lower your jug, so that I can drink. If she answers, 'Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well,' then let her be the one you intend for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown grace to my master." (Gen. 24:13ff.)

I remember studying the issue of asking for a sign from God in this modern age a few years back. It seemed there were two schools of thought. The first was that it should not be done as it showed a lack of faith on the part of the one praying. The second was that it could be done if it did not presume on the will of God. If there was already a direction stirring in the heart of the petitioner then asking would not be just to satisfy one's own curiosity. I admit I have not done much of it over the years; hmm. more food for thought.

At any rate it worked for the servant because the Bible says he had hardly got the request out of his mouth when Rebecca showed up carrying a jug on her shoulder. Here the Bible tells us what kind of girl she was. I wonder if the servant got this revelation? Anyway, she was described as beautiful and a virgin. She provoked a response from the servant---he RAN TO MEET HER.

I like to think that the Holy Spirit runs to meet the needs of the holy ones whether we ask for a sign beyond our holding up our relationship with Jesus or not. We should not presume on Him, but we can stir up our faith and believe that He will.

Bibledoorajar Looks at Identity

     Abraham's servant stands at the well. He has been dispatched to secure a bride for Isaac. The selection is critical. Pick a wicked girl--promote a shameful identity. Pick a righteous girl--promote an identity worthy to be praised. In America we prize our freedom to pursue our lives as individuals. We can go anywhere and do anything to apprehend that which we wish. We tend not to think as much about being fully caring and responsive to a community. The servant seems to know that the girl he selects must bring praise not only to her family of origin for taking on such a great responsibility, but she must also desire to fulfill that responsibility and therefore bring praise to her new family and to their God. It is this commitment that will help influence the budding nation of Israel to understand that they are to be a "light to the nations." Their deeds and their behavior and indeed their character will affect how unbelievers will perceive the true God. So, here we see in this proposed marriage, the root of something very powerful that will lead to a national identify.
     As a Christian, I am called to project the highest standards of my faith. I am part and parcel of how the kingdom of God is perceived. If I express contempt for my Christian brothers and sisters I bring shame on my family. If I express contempt for any whom God has created I cease to be a "light to the nations." If I cease to carry out acts of service, I imply that my Father does not care about the community around me.
     There are stories in the Old Testament that tell of evil ways of Jewish people. In the these stories, you will often find the name of the parentage of the person and which tribe they were from. It is a testament to the fact that our actions reflect on our parentage and our community. My mother is deceased, but I can still hear her counsel to my brother and I, "Don't bring shame on your Daddy's good name."  As I have matured I realize the importance of her counsel. More importantly, I realize the importance of not bringing shame on my Heavenly Father and His good Name. It certainly makes you want to implore Him for His help and even follow the Servant's example and ask for a sign in matters that will affect our future and our community doesn't it?

Bibledoorajar Speaks of Those Who Summon

     Abraham's faith had looked up to God and because of that faith he was made righteous in God's eyes. This does not mean that he was a perfect man, but he was a man who identified and related to God rightly. In the book of Genesis we have seen Abraham lean on God through ten trials of his faith and now he has come to the ending of his life successfully.  The Bible calls such common people who are rightly related to  and leaning on God as "holy ones", "saints", or "righteous ones" more than 200 times. These are those whom God summons to be summoners as He Himself is. Over and over these "holy ones" lean on God through their own personal trials of faith and summon others to Him.
     Now in our story this summoner has summoned his servant to go and summon a bride for the chosen son. The servant was to go to Haran, the city founded by Abraham's father and the place where Terah had died. Family still lived there and it was to that family that a summons would go but all of this was unbeknownst to them and to the servant until the time it would be revealed. The servant and his band began their long journey with ten heavily gift laden camels. On these ten animals was everything the servant needed to complete his summons successfully. But still the servant addressed God : " Lord, God of my master Abraham, please let me succeed today; and show your grace to my master Abraham." The Bible says that they arrived at even, a time when the women would come to draw water at the wells of Beersheba. The Servant continued in prayer: "Here I am standing by the spring, as the daughters of the townsfolk come out to draw water. I will say to one of the girls, Please lower your jug, so that I can drink. If she answers, 'Yes drink, and I will water your camels as well', then let her be the one you intend for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown grace to my Master." (Gen. 23 ff) He asked for a sign and the sign was to be an act of service. How appropriate.

"How beautiful the radiant bride who waits for her groom with his light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others my live."

                                                     How Beautiful by Twila Paris

Bibledoorajar Thinks about conversation

     I was thinking about the conversation that the servant would have had with Rebecca.  Surely he  rehearsed all he knew about his master and the chosen son picking and choosing what he would say as he went on his way to the land of Abraham's kin. What he would say to the girl would be very important. How he listened would be even more important. He needed to elicit a positive response from a girl toward people whom she had never seen before. He needed to persuade her to leave her world for another. I think the servant would have told her that Abraham, the father, lived in a Land of Promise (Canaan) as a peculiar and different person. He had come to enjoy great wealth and blessings from God and did not live as the heathens around him. Perhaps he would even have shared the wonderful promise that God had made to Abraham. He would have explained for this great nation to come into fruition meant that Abraham's son of promise would need a bride. He could have told her about the supernatural aspects of Isaac's birth and that his name meant "laughter" because his parents were so pleased at the circumstances of his unexpected birth. He would have spoken about how Isaac had always lived in the land of promise and had always shared in his father's wealth. He would inherit or receive ALL HIS FATHER HAD. And if the young woman asked what Isaac was like, he would tell her that he always made sure his father's wells stayed open so that living water was always available. And, if enemies closed the wells up, he would have them dug again. Though a young man, he meditated in the fields and prayed often to God. Surely this conversation would help him persuade a bride to come to the son. But the servant also had another "ace in the hole". He would take gifts and with all his being he would call out to the girl to join with the son.
      Surely this conversation would have peaked interest. Why the servant was talking about being a part of a great dynasty through the chosen son! But even with this information, the girl had NO IDEA about how far reaching this idea would be! Years and years later, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son to earth. Here the Son proclaimed that He would build His church. It would be composed of those He would call out of the world to Himself. The apostles waited in Jerusalem as Jesus told them to do. They were waiting for another Servant to come, the Holy Spirit. This Servant would be very capable and would 1) teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them (John 14:26), and, 2) He would guide them into all truth revealing a message sent from the Father and Son in heaven revealing what was to come (John 16:13). The apostles would be gifted to accomplish what Heaven intended. And so it has been.

Bibledoorajar Observes Hope in New Life

Abraham and Isaac have now left Sarah, wife/mother, as the first to lie in the Cave of Machpelah. After the weeping and mourning they are left with their wonderful memories of her. Now Abraham must focus on newness of life via Isaac. The thought of this new life is a comfort to Abraham. He appeals to the guidance of God in whom he has placed his faith. His heart is assured that, though he is a self-confessed stranger and sojourner in this new land, he will go forward with God. Abraham sends for his oldest servant. The servant, some say Eliezar, was extremely loyal to the father of the chosen son. He was in charge of all that Abraham owned. He had every intent of assisting in assimilating this new lady into the family. He was willing to swear by the Lord God of heaven and God of earth, that he would go where Abraham wanted him to go to find a wife for Isaac. He received his instructions from Abraham and then asked questions to make sure of his assignment: "Suppose the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?" (Gen. 24:5).  Abraham answers, "Don't take my son back to that land." Here is the deal:  Servant, God has promised to be in charge of this process. He is sending and angel ahead of you to handle this. However, if the woman is unwilling to follow you, you are released of any obligations under the oath. (paraphrase Gen. 25:6 ff.)

God does not enter our realm to make us less human, but to bring newness of life and comfort to our weeping. As we stand before Him weeping for our sinful state, He comforts us with the thought of newness of life. The matter of our grieving hearts can be addressed. The suffering Servant who sojourned among us has the power to make our commonness holy. Christ can be assimilated into us, or as Paul the apostle said, "Christ is us, the hope of glory." So, just as Abraham dreamed of newness of life, so can we, if we be in Christ. And there is another Servant who will help us do just that. The Servant is the Holy Spirit.

"Jesus is the object to be assimilated, the Spirit is the assimilating power. Without the objective revelation given in Jesus, the Spirit would have nothing to fertilize in us; without the Spirit, the revelation granted in Jesus remains outside of us....from one without us, Jesus becomes one within us."
                                                                   Frederick Godet

The Spirit will take us to the Son if we willingly follow. It's a great plan, God.