In Genesis 24:3(NIV), Abraham told his servant, “I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,” Abraham was very old, and asked his oldest servant to find a wife for Isaac, one of his son’s, but he instructed his servant to do so under very strict guidelines.
As loving parents, we all want our children to be happy and have a life that’s better than ours. We don’t want them to go through some of the tough times that we have experienced ourselves. So, it’s not difficult to understand Abraham’s desire for his son, because there was much at stake. Isaac was Abraham’s promised seed. His birth came to pass because of Abraham’s faith in the promise he received from God. Heavenly Father made a covenant between Him and Abraham, and Abraham understood the severe consequences that generations would face if Isaac had stepped outside the covenant.
Abraham knew that he could trust his humble servant to handle such a task, and it would be done as thoroughly as would have been had he done it himself. Just as there are today, during Biblical times, people had customs and routines. Women didn’t have the same rights and privileges as men. They had certain tasks they were expected to carry out, and one of them was the practice of drawing water from the wells during evening hours. Abraham’s servant counted on this. He knew there would be women coming to draw water at that time of day.
Genesis 24:12-14 was the servant’s prayer, “12 O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
He prayed to God and made a request that if any of the women offered to serve him and his camels too, that she would be the right woman. Rebekah was that woman. She did exactly the thing that the servant had prayed and asked God to reveal as a sign of confirmation. She was the one.
Abraham’s allegiance to God was what caused many of his prayers to be answered. Canaanites worshipped idol gods, and our Heavenly Father forbid such an act. Abraham knew the commandment of God, and that His people could not bow to other gods. Abraham did not want such an awful act against the Kingdom of God in his family. As the head of his family he refused to bow down to disobedience and he kept God’s standards.
The question we have to ask ourselves is if we will uphold God’s standards in the same way Abraham did. Will we let our standards fall below God’s Word simply because of how handsome or fine a man is? Will we compromise our temples just to have a warm body next to us? Abraham is the father of our believing because God’s Word tells us that he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, God would be faithful to fulfill. Abraham was determined to put God first, this is why he would not allow idolatry in his bloodline. How many single women are this committed to God, that they would dedicate their future children to Him and be diligent to teach them God’s Word.
Hebrews 11:6(NLT) says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Without faith, it is impossible to please God. The Lord is looking for our faith not just for our own lives, but for the lives of our future children and the lives of others our marital unions will impact. We should be believing to move God’s agenda forward by marrying the person He has ordained to be our destiny partners. This is the caliber of faith that Heavenly Father is looking to see in us, and we must expand our thoughts and prayers accordingly. When we line up our faith with what God requires of us, He will make sure we are in the right place at the right time, and that we marry the right person for our lives. ♦
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Right Person for You”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.