We have followed the pathway of Abraham’s servant to the side of the well, and as we remarked before, he was then in the right place to choose a bride for Isaac. Water in the Scriptures often speaks to us of God’s Word (see Ephesians 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)) and so we can see in this a picture of one who is walking in obedience. While patiently waiting on the Lord, Eliezer prayed and asked His guidance that the decisions which he was about to make might be the right ones. How many serious mistakes would be avoided if we always made our decisions in this way.
Led of the Lord
The Lord surely guided Eliezer most remarkably, and the story abounds with little details which are full of instruction for us as young people. Rebekah was thoughtful and kind. It could be said of her as of the one described in Proverbs 31, “In her tongue is the law of kindness.” Children of God who want to please the Lord are not thoughtless of the needs of others, nor are they selfish and always thinking of themselves first, nor are they lazy. Eliezer knew all this, and so he asked the Lord that He would lead him to the one who, when asked for a drink, would say, “Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also.” He knew, too, that only the Lord could guide him aright, and he was content to wait on Him.
Eliezer wasn’t long in getting an answer to his prayer. But perhaps some of our readers are saying that they do not get such a ready answer to their prayers. Let us draw your attention to something very beautiful in Eliezer’s attitude before he ever came to the well at all. He had said to Abraham, “Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son unto the land from whence thou camest?” and Abraham had replied “Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.” If he could not get a bride for Isaac in the path of obedience, he was to come back through the wilderness alone, and this he was content to do. What lovely faith! God has been pleased to record it for our encouragement. He knows the difficulties of the way and takes notice of all we do for Him — even when we suffer rather than disobey. Abraham’s word was definite, “Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.” How can a Christian expect the blessing of the Lord, if he or she goes back into the world, out of which God has saved us, to get a life companion. It is a dangerous course to pursue.
The Lord Looketh on the Heart
Rebekah then came to the well, and she was “very fair to look upon,” but this was not the deciding factor in Eliezer’s choice. There were much deeper considerations than these, and we do well to bear in mind the Scripture which says, “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:3030Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)). Eliezer knew that “the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7), and he awaited His guidance.
Before closing our little chapter we would like to remark that the primary meaning of this story is that the Spirit of God, like Eliezer, has come down into this world to get a bride for Christ. All who are truly saved form part of that bride, and if the one who reads these lines is unsaved, our desire is that you might listen to the pleadings of the Spirit of God with your soul and accept Christ as your Saviour NOW.
Further Meditation
1. What was Eliezer to do if he could not get a bride for Isaac in the path of obedience?
2. Selfishness is a huge problem for many. Why was it so impressive that Rebekah would draw water not only for the man but for his camels as well? If you were diligent, you might be able to calculate a reasonable guess of how many buckets of water one would have to pull up out of the well to give water to those camels. Compare that to the amount of work it would require to set the table or open the door for someone.
3. The book Another Hive of Busy Bees by B. Soderholm contains an excellent and simple story that teaches the lesson to be unselfish. You might find it helpful in developing your thoughts on the subject of selfless service to others.