Okay, I am really going to show my age. Those of you reading this will relate, those who cannot relate…bear with the old man as I ramble on through my words and memory.
I’ve never considered myself a deep thinker of complex subjects. Truth be told, I am not much of a reader either, generally speaking (the Bible is one of the exceptions). There are allowances of course. For instance, as a young boy I would read “Highlights” magazine, primarily while in the dentist or doctor’s waiting room. I really loved “Goofus and Gallant”. (Yes, I leaned more towards Gallant than Goofus in case you were just wondering). Reading this children’s magazine preoccupied my mind long enough from the ultimate doom of unmentionable pain that surely awaited me in the dungeon rooms used by said doctor or dentist. For the record, my doctor’s name was Rocco. Rocco! (Can I get a ‘yikes’ from the saints?) While waiting, I imagined the conversations between Rocco and his nurse.
“Nurse, where’s the hammer to test this young boy’s reflexes?”
“The ball-pein? It’s in the toolbox next to the wooden splints and rusty nails.”
“No. I need the sledgehammer”
“The ten pound?”
“Yes. Is the blood washed off of it?”
“Yes doctor.”
“So where is it?”
“Oh, that’s in the corner hanging in the skeleton cage.”
As my life progressed from young boy to a youth my reading material consisted of a higher brain functioning source. “Mad Magazine”. What, me worry? My favorite part was “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions”. Those of you who know me well, many answers were just explained a lot weren’t they? I think that’s when my sarcastic dry humor began to develop.
In my early adult life, my reading material became more mature: “TV Guide”. Whoever said watching television is a waste of time is, well to say, how to say it, they were (are) correct. Only God knows how many hours I’ve lost watching this vast wasteland. That’s one of the questions I will not ask God when we meet.
Now that you understand me better, let me share just a wee bit more.
One of my favorite television shows from the 1970s is “WKRP in Cincinnati”. A particular episode grabbed my attention when I first saw it. In fact, it still resonates with me to this day. The episode title is self-explanatory, “God talks to Johnny”.
For those too young to remember, one of the main characters of ‘KRP’ is Dr. Johnny Fever. He’s not an actual doctor, rather he is one of their disc jockeys. Fever is an interesting character because he displays all the traits of a rock n roller which is to say he’s into the drug and alcohol lifestyle. (Think Keith Richards) Thankfully, the writers of “WKRP” did not glorify this too much. Nevertheless, Dr. Johnny Fever is quite charismatic and was portrayed by the late character actor Howard Hessman.
Getting back to the episode: Dr. Johnny Fever hears a non-audible voice while sleeping in his simple apartment. He’s convinced it’s God and that He told him that He loved him and to seek knowledge. Fever’s problem: he was not sure if it was God talking to him because, according to Fever, the rest of the unheard message was “muffled”.
So, a perplexed and baffled Dr. Johnny Fever goes to the station manager Mr. Carlson (who happens to be Christian) to get his input. Mr. Carlson listens to Johnny tell his story on how God talked to him. So, the obvious question from Mr. Carlson to Johnny was,
“What did God say to you?’
“God loved me and that he wanted me to seek knowledge, and he wanted me to…it got muffled and it wasn’t clear what he said”.
“Those are good things.”
“So, you think God really talked to me?”
“It’s possible…but I doubt it”
“Why?”
“You said, uh, ‘things got muffled?’”
“Yeah”
“Listen Buster, if God had something to say, you would hear it.”
There’s a lot of truth in what Mr. Carlson said.
To put it another way, when we are in tune with God, especially the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that when He has something to say we would hear it, or see it, or sense it and believe it.
The Bible has a few people who heard, saw, sensed, and believed what God led them to do. Hannah, Elijah, Matthew, Noah, Moses, Abram, and a servant…when he saw a woman drawing water at the well. Yes, when a servant gazed upon a woman getting water from a well, God was there.
With that being said, this reflection is going to focus on the power of a crucial and critical intersessional prayer found in the Old Testament from that servant…and God’s response to the servant’s prayer. As you read this, three points need to be considered while understanding these passages.
1) When God leads, we must surrender and follow.
2) When God reveals, we must open our hearts to see.
3) When God teaches, we must be willing to learn.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, I pray that the words written in my message will resonate to those who read it. May my lesson be true to Your Holy Word and not deviate from it. I pray that it follows Your commandment of the Great Commission. May it give insight and knowledge to those who contemplate Your Holy Word so they may be changed from within on the power of prayer. For you are to get all the credit, all the praise and all the Glory. In the blessed name of our Helper and Your Son…Jesus the Messiah. Amen and Amen.
The Bible is filled with powerful prayer requests. Some are long as in King Soloman’s 1,079-word prayer in 1 Kings 8:23-53.
Some are short such as Peter’s three-word prayer found in Matthew 13:30.
“Lord, save me”
And some are even silent like Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 2:4
Then the king (Artaxerxes) said to me, “What are you requesting?” So, I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king…” (bold added).
On a personal note, this is my favorite prayer because God quickly answered yes. I love it! Think about it and put yourself in Nehemiah’s sandals for a moment after the king (the king, mind you) asked Nehemiah a question,
“What are you requesting?”
(Nehemiah did not reply back to the king),
“Hang on a sec, Art. Lemme finish my prayer to God Almighty.”
<prayer pause>
“Ok, thanks king, now what was your question?”
No. Nehemiah quickly prayed a silent prayer. We don’t know how many words he thought, nevertheless, it was very short…maybe five simple thought words.
“God, soften the king’s heart”.
And God fulfilled Nehemiah’s request via King Artaxerxes’ yes answer.
However, there is one particular prayer in the Old Testament that can be very easily overlooked. It is so penetrating and secretive (known only to God at the time), yet, without this prayer, the chain seemingly would have never been completed that would eventually lead to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This bears repeating. Without this prayer, the chain seemingly would have never been completed that would eventually lead to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, do you think this prayer is pertinent and vital? (and don’t give me any snappy answers either.)
This prayer is so special to God that He answered before the servant man was finished speaking. So, who is the man servant? We do not know the name. All we are given is that he is the unknown servant in Mesopotamia at the city of Nahor on a special assignment from Abraham. So, let’s find out more about this servant. This matchmaker if you will.
I am delving into Genesis 24: 2-9 and then verses 14-27. It’s a lengthy passage but with God’s help I will break it down into smaller chunks for clarification and interpretation.
An Intersessional Prayer from the Unknown Servant.
Let’s dig in.
Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
According to this passage Abram was old and well advanced. Although there is no mention in Scripture of his exact age in Genesis 24:1 for the sake of discussion, let’s assume he was 170 at the time. What Scripture tells us is in Genesis 25:7-8 is that Abraham breathed his last at 175, This will be explained further but it’s important to realize his age when he died. 175.
We continue in
Genesis 24.2-4
2And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”(Bold added)
Let’s stop here for a moment to put our first focus on Abraham’s servant. Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” calls him the senior servant. I like that, so I will also use that adjective when referring to the servant.
Getting back to the age numbers, we need to do some quick math. The pivotal character in this message is the senior servant to Abraham. We need to know how many years the servant was with Abraham. Well, we get a clue. It was long enough that Abraham referred to him as his senior servant, which means that Abraham acquired the servant, most likely from Haran. If that’s true, let’s backtrack a few chapters.
Genesis 12:5
And Abram took the people they had acquired in Haran.
We need to know how old Abram was when he lived in Haran (with the assumption he acquired the senior servant at that time.) Genesis 24:4 tells that Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Remember: do not be confused with Haran the person and Haran the place. In Genesis 12:5 they are speaking of Haran, the important commercial center. Its location was on one of the main trade routes between Babylonia and the Mediterranean, so it is safe to say that many people lived or worked in Haran. So, getting back to numbers and ages and the simple math. Abram left Haran at 75. He died at 175. My educated guess is that he was 170 years old or well advanced in years as written in Genesis 24:1.
Doing the math, Abraham was 170 years old (Genesis 24:1), 75-years-old when he acquired the servant in Haran (Genesis 24:4), therefore 170-75=95 years. Ergo, the servant was with Abraham for a solid 95 years, hence he was considered the senior servant.
In other words, these two men knew each other for 95 years.
Think of what was taught and learned between these two. Ponder the depth of their mutual relationship. Consider the strength of their bond. Mull over the admiration the servant had for Abraham because of his worldly possessions. Conversely, reflect on the trust Abraham had with his servant to guard and protect said worldly possessions. The respect they must have had for each other was as strong as their bond.
As the decades went by it forged and solidified their relationship. An awful lot can be transferred from master to servant in 95 years. I am not speaking of tangible transfers, rather, the intangibles. In other words, they most likely learned from each other considerably. I will be so bold as to say the servant became wiser about God through his master’s teaching.
At the onset of Abram acquiring the servant, the servant plausibly asked Abram where they were going. I can only imagine the conversation.
“Well servant, I do not know exactly where we are headed, but I have faith in God knowing and believing He is going to deliver us…you included…to a land flowing with milk and honey…wherever that is. How do I know this? Listen carefully servant to what my God told me. ‘God will bless me and make my name great, so that I will be a blessing. I will also bless those who bless you.’ The ‘you’ that God is talking about is you, my servant. You are to be blessed. So, servant…are you in?”
This also applies to us. God continues to bless us in so many ways.
So, are you in?
Getting back to the Scripture, we know that Abraham has made an oath with his servant to find a wife for Isaac. In a sense, he wants his servant to be a matchmaker.
The story continues.
Verses 24.5-9
5The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
Abraham mentioned something very interesting to his servant. I have high confidence that the servant raised an eyebrow in careful thought when he heard his God fearing master say:
“He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there”.
Listen closely and ruminate on these words:
He (God) will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
God will lead. Surrender and follow.
The Almighty One is sending his angel AHEAD of you. Sound familiar? This is what God tells us in
Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
What a marvelous promise God makes to us. Such Heavenly protection. Such wonderful guidance. Our God who created the heavens by His spoken Word is the same God who commands His angels to guard us or in the case of the servant, will send His angel to be with him as he ventures forth to find a wife for Isaac. I can scarcely take it in. The host of the Heavenly Armies sends angels ahead of us for protection and guidance.
I would think that after hearing what Abraham said, the servant could have thought that his assignment runs much deeper than an oath with his master. Perhaps, just perhaps, it helped the servant deepen his own faith in the God of Abraham. Imagine what was going through the servant’s mind the night before he was to begin his matchmaker task. He could have thought this as a win-win situation.
“Lord, my oath won’t be broken with my master, whom I have built a 95-year relationship with, because our God is sending His angel ahead of me as I seek the woman. My bond with my master will remain intact and my faith in you my God will deepen. Now that’s a win-win scenario.”
Have any of you had similar thoughts, perhaps a prayer? Have you been completely at peace knowing God has everything under control even though we do not know the outcome?
Whatever situation we are in or are going to go through, be at peace. God is commanding His angels concerning us to guide us. God only wants what is best for us according to His will.
Matthew 26:39 …not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Pressing on.
Verses 10-11
10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
Notice the plurality – women – meaning there is a selection of women to choose from although Scripture does not tell us how many women there are at the well drawing water. Nevertheless, there still remained a selection.
This is one of those word details that can be quickly missed. Actually, to be more specific, it is a vowel detail. Like yesterday, today can still have so many variables and selections to choose from. Which [fill in the blank] shall I choose God? Shall I choose the red car or the blue? Shall I approach that good looking guy, although I prefer an average person? I like the location of this church, albeit the other church has a better pastor.
I remember when my wife Pearl and I began looking for another first condo. There were so many to choose from. We knew our financial parameters, our aesthetic requirements, and the neighborhood preferences. We must have looked at seven or eight high-rise condos, but as soon as the agent showed us another one, we immediately knew. So, we told our agent,
“This is it. We can feel it. Let’s put a bid in.”
We just felt that this is where God wanted us to live. It was unexplainable. Even though the message was not audibly heard, it was crystal clear. Months later, we moved in. As of this writing, Pearl and I are still in the condo that God showed and is still providing us.
Similarly, the senior servant did have a selection of women to single out. Swiftly, he was able to bypass them all sans Rebekah. In other words, God showed the exact woman to Abraham’s servant immediately. More importantly, the servant knew!
“This is it. I can feel it. I will talk with her.”
So, the next step came from the servant: the intercessory prayer (part one)
Genesis 24:12-13
12And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
The servant was letting God know that he was ready and waiting for the Sovereign One to act. The servant had the faith (belief) knowing that God will act (reveal his miracle).
As Jesus said to Martha just before the raising of Lazarus,
John 11: 40.
“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
How wonderful that is. Unfortunately, many have it reversed.
“Show me the miracle first God, then I will believe.”
The servant was not praying for himself, instead he was praying for his master, Abraham.
But the prayer was not finished. Read how his intercessory prayer continues only this time it is more detailed and specific. Very specific.
Verse 14
14Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”(bold added).
That part of the prayer is definitely dauntless and full of faith. Come to think of it, this passage parallels with
John 2: 6-9 (The Wedding at Cana)
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So, they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew) (bold added)
It was right there and then at the watering well that God revealed a woman to the servant. Not just any woman either. Thankfully, the servant had an open heart to see God’s work.
Do you want to witness God’s wondrous work?
Wait for it.
A woman ordained by God comes before the servant at exactly the right time.
God knew the time the servant would arrive at the well. God coordinated the timing of the women going to the well. God even arranged what clothing Rebekah would wear so she would be more noticed. It’s amazing how God works behind the scenes in such integrate details that we are simply not aware of. To God be the Glory.
Verses 15-16
15Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known.
Again, going back to Eugene Peterson. He wrote a more contemporary version.
It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah…came out with a water jug. The girl was stunningly beautiful…
This is very fascinating. The servant barely finished praying when he saw Rebekah, who by the way was ravishing. Why did Moses decide to describe the physical attributes of Rebekah? Well, when an alluring person, in this case a woman, crosses our path we tend to notice them immediately. For example, in my case it is the long-forgotten silver screen actor from the 1930s and 40s, Myrna Loy. Although there is no way I will ever meet this dazzling woman (unless I go to her gravesite in Helena Montana), she still catches my attention whenever I see her. I’ve watched most of her movies just to take in her beauty and grace.
A word of caution must be exercised lest we fall into lust rather than admiration and respecting physical beauty.
Continuing on with
Genesis 24:16(b)-21
She (not Myrna Loy) went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar. 18She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. (bold added)
The man gazed at her in silence. Gazed. Stared. Scrutinized. Pondered. Wondered.
Why? Was the servant ogling her physical beauty? Was he hungry for her body? By no means. The servant had faith in God. Then why was he gazing? He wanted to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. The servant wanted to learn.
Putting it another way, when God reveals something to us, He also wants to teach us. When the lesson is taught, we must be willing to not only learn the lesson but to retain it as well. We need to keep our eyes open and pay attention. If we lose our focus on God’s teachings, very little will be learned. And oh, He has so much to teach us. Graciously and thankfully, God knows each of our own attention spans and limitations. After all, some of us had a tendency of watching way too much television.
When the servant saw Rebekah, he knew that God answered his prayers…immediately. He couldn’t define it or hone it down, but his faith in God was so deep that he recognized God’s answer quickly. So, all the servant could do was observe Rebekah silently and learn what God wanted to say to him.
A few samples from Scripture come to mind:
Moses saw the burning bush, so he went to it.
Exodus 3:2-3
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
Hannah heard God through Eli,
1 Samuel 1:17
Then Eli answered (Hannah), “Go in peace, and the God of Israel [will] grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Jesus calls Matthew,
Matthew 9:9
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Elijah obeyed God,
1 Kings 17:2-5
And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord.
And Rebekah comes before the servant.
Genesis 24: 21
The man gazed at her in silence.
But there is more to God’s lesson that is interwoven in the silence. The servant saw God’s answer, however, he wanted to be sure this woman was ordained by God. In other words, was this truly God’s answer? Has God made the servant’s trip a success? Did the servant have deep enough faith? Truth be told, none of us have large enough faith. Thankfully a mustard seed will do. Nonetheless, this begs the question: Can we ask God for confirmation on His answer?
Consider Gideon and the fleece of wool. He needed proof positive that it was, in fact, God that called him to the task of leading a force against Midian.
Judges 6:17
And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.
Judges 6:36-40
36Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
We know the rest of the story. God confirmed to Gideon and Gideon routed the Midianites. God apparently does not mind when we ask him to confirm His prayer answer, especially when the answer comes quickly.
Moving forward.
Verses 22-23
22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels…
Now, read closely the following statement and question the servant asked Rebekah.
23“Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
Why did the servant say this to Rebekah? I believe it was his way of determining – nay – confirming that Rebekah had indeed come to the servant’s presence by God’s divine, ordained, and sovereign plan. So, did she tell the servant about her lineage?
Verses 24-25
She said, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.
Good. That’s a God confirmation. Rebekah also answered his second inquiry affirmingly and willingly. In fact, she took it a step further.
25“She added, we have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” (bold added)
How’s that for a holy acknowledgment from God?
This is where we get a bit of insight on Rebekah’s bubbly and giddy personality. Remember: she quickly let down her jar (24:18), she quickly emptied her jar (24:20) and ran to the well (24:20). I don’t think she was doing these actions out of panic. As I meditate on this, I can almost hear Rebekah’s girlish laugh while she was emptying and running with the jar of water. I’m quite sure she playfully giggled and innocently spilled water in her quickness.
Reading on.
Verses 26-27
26The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”(bold added)
Again, we take notice of not only the servant’s praise of God but also to Rebekah’s response.
In our current age, if a person suddenly bowed in worship before God and prayed the way the servant prayed, many would consider him or her to be looney. Come to think of it, maybe more believers should be bold enough to loudly praise God when He answers our prayers in such profound ways.
Little did the servant know that God’s yes answer would eventually lead us, genealogically speaking – if that is such a word – that genealogically speaking it would lead to Jesus Christ…42 generations and 18 centuries later. That prayer from Abraham’s servant was indeed pertinent.
After reading, praying, and contemplating these passages, it came to me that it all really hinges on one line found in verse 8:
‘To your offspring I will give this land,’
This is the promise God made to Abraham.
Because of this profound and Holy promise, the servant needed to find a wife for Isaac. This begot Rebekah coming to the servant which made the servant’s intercessory prayer quite important and vital.
So, in our topsy-turvy, make-a-decision-now, impatient-on-red-light-lives, allow me to challenge all of us with three questions.
1- Are we sensitive to the sound of the Holy Spirit’s voice or are our minds cluttered with worldly thoughts?
2- Will we be able to see (or hear, feel, sense) what God places all around us or are we too busy gazing at our electronic gadgets anxiously waiting for the light to turn green?
3- Can we see the Creator’s heavenly aesthetic beauty or are we blinded by unattractive empty possessions?
As Mr. Carlson told Dr. Johnny Fever at the end of the episode,
“God talks to people every day, all of us. Look…all we have to do is see them.”
Let us all open our eyes again and seek His knowledge.
Heavenly Father, I’ve written what you wanted me to write. Your beautiful works will always be a wondrously bright recognizable beacon that guides us and protects us. Make us sensitive in distinguishing Your Sovereignty when You show yourself to us be it through unheard sound or a known sight. Help us deepen our faith and strengthen our trust. In Jesus’ name…Amen, Amen.