Genesis 24:1-111And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 3And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? 6And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 7The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. 8And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 9And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. 10And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11And 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. (Genesis 24:1‑11)
IN figure Isaac had passed through death on the altar on Mount Moriah, and had come forth again in resurrection. (see Hebrews 11:1919Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19).) Then his father Abraham sent Eliezer his servant into a far country to get a bride for him. Eliezer speaks to us of the Holy Spirit of God, who has come down since Christ has gone back as the One who has died and risen again. The Holy Spirit is now gathering out of the world a bride for Christ, bringing them from a “far country” to the Father’s house above.
Perhaps some of our young readers wonder what we mean by the “bride of Christ”, and we want everyone to understand our “Bible talks.” It is just this way! When anyone takes the Lord testes Christ as their Saviour, the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, comes to indwell them. (see Ephes. 1:13,13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13) 1 Cor. 6:1919What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).) They then become part of the true church of God, the body of Christ, and when the Lord Jesus comes for His own as the Bridegroom (Matt. 25:66And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. (Matthew 25:6)), they will be caught up to meet Him. The marriage will then take place in Heaven (Revelation 19:77Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7)), just as Isaac’s marriage took place when Rebekah reached Canaan.
Now to go on with this very interesting story. Abraham made his servant promise to go all the way to Mesopotamia where he was to choose the bride and bring her back. Eliezer started out on his long journey, taking everything that was necessary to persuade the bride-to-be of the wealth and glory of Isaac, so that she would be willing to come. Thus when the Spirit of God begins to work in a sinner’s heart, He brings before the soul all that Christ has done, and the future glory with Christ for the one who believes. He meets him too at the “well”, using the water of the Word for the sinner’s blessing. This was the way the Lord did with the woman at Sychar’s well in John 4, telling her of the gift of God, and giving her far more than He had asked from her. He had requested a drink of water from Jacob’s well, but. He gave her a drink of the “living water.” Dear young reader, the Spirit of God longs to give you a drink of the “living water” too. When you accept the Lord Jesus as your own Savour, you will find the truth of the words, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14).
The Word of God has many interesting lessons for us and just as we learn many things from pictures, so God uses “word pictures” in the Bible to teach us. Let us look at this story before us, in a very practical way. We are writing these “talks” for young people, and we all like to have friends. Our problem is this, who are the right friends to choose, and perhaps harder still, where will we find them? Since Eliezer was trying to find a bride for Isaac (who in our “picture” would speak of Christ), his experiences will surely be helpful to those of us who want to choose a friend or friends to please Him too.
Eliezer knew the right place to find the one for Isaac. It was by the well of water, and in the very place where Abraham had told him to go. Abraham would speak to us of God our Father, whose Word should ever be our guide. We can never expect to find the right one in the path of disobedience, nor by the “broken cisterns” of this poor world.
Messages of the Love of God 1/18/1948