There
were a number of conditions attached to this search. Abraham did not want a
heathen woman from the immediate area as a wife for his son. The Canaanites
worshipped a number of deities, represented by idols, in contrast to Abraham’s
monotheistic faith in Jehovah. Abraham did not want Isaac marrying one of these
women because, given what we know of Isaac’s character, a Canaanite bride
would be likely to lead him into Canaanite worship. Neither did he want Isaac
going back to the place that God had led them out of all those years earlier.
God had led them to a land, which He promised to give Abraham and his
descendants. So he must not take Isaac away from the Promised Land in order to
get him married. He must find a bride for
Isaac amongst the relatives Abraham had left behind in the old country but the
girl must be willing to leave her home and family to settle in the land God had
promised to Abraham.
This
is where we start learning lessons about guidance and divine providence.
First
he had to make the right preparations. Then he had to go to the right place.
Only then could he begin the search for the right woman. It seems that he did
not believe in travelling light. He took ten camels; he loaded them up with all
kinds of treasures from Abraham’s goods and set out for the place to which he
had been told he should go. I imagine he also took a retinue of servants to load
the camels and to look after them on the journey.
When
God tells you to go somewhere to do something for Him the first thing you need
to do is to go there. Don’t worry about how you will do it until you actually
get there. If God does not provide the camels, or the bus fare, or the airfare,
start to ask yourself if that is really where you should be going. When God
provides the transport that leaves you without excuse. When God tells you to go
somewhere your first task is to get there. After that you can start working on
accomplishing the task you have to carry out
Having
arrived at the outskirts of the city around early evening Eliezer took up his
station beside the public well. The evening was the cool part of the day. The
young ladies of that time whatever their station attended personally to domestic
affairs. The experienced steward might therefore naturally expect to see a
procession of young women coming out to draw water at the public well.
The
matter in hand for him is of extraordinary importance. A wife is to be found for
the heir of God’s promises. She will be a woman who will take her place in the
family line of the Son of God. This was a matter of special concern to Jehovah
and so Eliezer makes it a matter of earnest prayer. He prays to God about the
intended bride.
The
main qualifications, in the mind of the servant for a bride for his master's
son, are a kind nature and the approval of God. The qualities he is looking for
he expects God to provide and so he prays.
Gen
24:12-14 "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day,
and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of
water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14
Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher
that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a
drink' — let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by
this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master." NKJV
When
you pray for guidance be specific. There are no loopholes built into this
prayer. It is not a case of any girl will do nor can he shape the girl to fit
the answer he wanted. His request may seem
simple but remember that there are ten camels. Have you any idea how much
water is involved and have you any idea what the weight of all that water would
be. I remember a time in the distant past when I had eight horses that had to
have water carried to them morning and night. They each drank around five
gallons of water every morning and every evening. I did not draw the water from
a deep well. I simply turned on a tap. When one bucket was full I replaced it
with another. While that bucket was filling I carried the full one to the
nearest stall. This went on until every horse had sufficient water. A five
gallon bucket of water weighs 50 pounds. I was young then and that kept me fit.
Before
the servant finished praying a girl came out of the city to draw water and she
was away beyond his expectations. This girl was very beautiful. That may not
have been part of the prayer but I’m sure he saw it as an amazing bonus. The
passage doesn’t tell us but he may have been saying, “This one will do just
fine, Lord”. All that was needed now was that she would offer to draw water
for ten camels. Now I don’t know how long it had been since these camels had
been watered so I do not know how thirsty those camels were but a thirsty camel
can drink twenty gallons of water in ten minutes. Water for ten camels is an
awful lot of water to haul up out of a well. Great beauty and strong arms
probably seemed too much to expect in the same girl.
All
the time she was working Eliezer was watching and praying to learn if the Lord
had really made his journey so successful so quickly. He learned that the girl
was a relative of Abraham. She was a daughter of one of Abraham’s nephews. She
was ideal in every way. When he realised how wonderfully God had answered his
prayer he bowed down and worshipped the Lord. Gen.24:27
God will reveal his will to you when you are ready to obey Him. When God reveals the start of a work or a journey, future guidance depends on you doing all that you can do with the knowledge you have. As this servant said, “I being in the way the LORD led me.” Stationary vessels cannot be steered. Preparation and Prayer will still result in a successful outcome for the people of God.