Gen. 24:11-1611And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 12And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. 13Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14And 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 showed kindness unto my master. 15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. (Genesis 24:11‑16)
“AND HE made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abram, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 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 it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel... with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon.” vv. 11-16.
The servant had made a long tiring journey, yet we do not read of his praying for himself, nor expressing discouragement, nor devising some means of his own in selecting the right companion for Isaac. On the contrary, after reaching his destination and bringing the camels to rest, his first act was to present to God a prayer of trust and faith, the substance of which was that He would show kindness unto his master Abram, and be his Guide in every detail.
There is a lesson in this for all who would serve the Lord. He desired the accomplishment of his beloved master’s purposes above all else, counting himself merely an instrument to be used toward that end. The child of God does well to also remember the One in whose service he is employed, be that service ever so humble or obscure, and seek in dependence and prayer his Master’s glory before all else. How often, alas, the believer’s prayers are confined to his circumstances and desires, while overlooking the responsibilities of doing all things so that Christ might be magnified in him. (See Phil. 1:2020According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)).
Prayer is not the primary subject of this portion, but it is well for the believer to be reminded of its value and essential power in every phase of life. There are times when we are to “let [our] requests be made known unto God"; there are times to “praise the name of God with a song, and magnify Him with thanksgiving,” just as there are suited prayers for every need and Christian experience. Yet, in all our communion with God we should desire that all glory and honor might be to His name and to the name of His Son.
Later in the chapter the servant is again found in prayer, not now petitioning the Lord but thanking and worshipping Him, when he saw His marvelous answer to his requests. The answer to his prayer began to unfold “before he had done speaking.” However, God, in His wisdom, does not answer every prayer immediately. The trial of faith is always a good exercise, and He will give His answer at just the right time for the ultimate good of all who call upon Him in truth.
ML-02/27/1966