Abrahams Unnamed Servant (Part C)

You better understand you have entered into a covenant with God and if you dare to dare him and his answer doesn't come up the way you wanted to be and you have to live with suspect's not doing I think were too carnal to do there may be some that are spiritual enough to pull it off. I don't know of except the characters in Scripture so be very careful in how you approach the Lord and speak to him, especially when you want something very much this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis.

Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching here is Pastor Rick with this study called Abraham's unnamed servant in Genesis chapter 24 God is made his will clear when you spoken to us. I want you to do this and we hesitate some hesitation in this oldest servant of Abraham. I said now he got that from Abraham and I'm going to show you from the Scripture how Abraham treated moments of urgency in this great urgency about all of this before I read that from Abraham. Just look with me in verse 17 of Genesis 24.

The sermon ran to meet her and then verse 28, so the young woman ran and told her mother's household and then we read it again.

Verse 29 that Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban and Laban ran out to meet the man by the well servant ran to meet Rebecca. Rebecca ran home to tell every body. Laban heard it ran out to meet the mass of business. All of this activity going on. God knows precisely what he's doing so does servant, and now he won't be held back from his run home with the price. The price we are to Jesus. We are apprised to him. Not in a cheap sense with something that is wonderful, something to be desired.

Something to be spent upon to get Genesis 17. This is Abraham acting when God said it is smell out the house. Watch how quickly Abraham responded tells us in verse 23 of Genesis 72. Abraham took Ishmael the son, all who were born in his house, and all will bought with his money every male among the men of Abraham's house circle and partly I said this was when he was putting his dogs when he was circumcised and circumcise the flesh of their foreskins. That very same day as God had said to him, and so God says I want you to circumcise the man of your house, the ones you've bought the ones were born your house every male and he doesn't that day. No delay, and then in 19 Genesis 19 verse 27. This is when Sodom and Gomorrah was being judged. And Abraham arose the next day and it says and Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

He had prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah get interceded on its behalf. Incidentally, with the exception of that prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah. The prayers of this servant. The second time in the book of Genesis that prayers are recorded and think that alone is significant to this unmanned servant that if you unnamed servant that if you are going to be such a child of God. Prayer is got to be part of your faith. What makes us not want to pray doubt.

Why bother going to do it could do is going to do anyway yeah but no matter what he does, you will be part of it should pray. It's not when columns you know I got 20 wins and infant three losses might my earned run average is pretty is not statistical its faith is an act of obedience is inactive. I care about what you care about. And Samuel said I should not sin against the Lord by not praying can escape. No Christian has to depend on another person to pray for them, but we want them to, because we can pray directly. Chapter 21 of Genesis verse 14 we read again about Abraham complying this time it is about putting you smell so Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread in the skin of water and putting it on her shoulder that is Hagar. He gave it in the boy to Hagar and sent her away as tough. That's what God told him to do. Abraham created that mess as we do whenever you want to bring about a victory for God and us in your own strength you creating a Hagar and it will come back and enslave you. It will put you in a situation that you will regret there is reality there are realities in this life that are inescapable and we must sober up and approach life in the presence of God. Realizing that we are more dependent than we imagine. Genesis 22 verse three.

Another illustration so Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split the wood. The burnt offering, and arose, and went to the place of which God told him God said I want you to sacrifice your song son. Abraham got up early in the morning and attack that we we read about this in the life of Joshua to and I'm of the mind that Joshua knew the stories I'm of the mind that Abraham was a hero to any Jewish man. Any Jewish woman who wanted to please Jehovah.

We learn from him. Prayer is no substitute for action that is part of the lesson that is part of the urgency that belongs to the life of Abraham. Once he was sure of God's will and God's commandment in his life. He moved on and if it is in the midst he should find out that it was his own will and he was to abandon his plan and seek the Lord yet again. This servant in chapter 24 never owns anything more than the title servant. As I mentioned 14 times in 15 statements or it is applied to him no name, no possessions, just the oldest servant the servant of Abraham is the only way is referred to throughout this whole chapter, the oldest servant the servant the servant of Abraham, his identity was absorbed in his masters identity sounds like Christianity was supposed to be. We Christians are supposed to be being absorbed into the identity of Christ.

Matthew's gospel chapter 20 verses 27 and 28 Jesus speaking, whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life, ransom for many.

Jesus is telling us is why I came. It is what I want from you say, but I you know III never seem to hear these things I never seem to get get there, how far behind. Would you be if you gave up okay. You never hit the bull's-eye how close to the target.

Would you be if you never even aimed at any point, at the direction of the target. That's the idea behind overcoming the temptation to abandon the ideals well that's the standard as to how I'll never make it so quit snow this so thought I'm comfortable with, of all I need do is follow the Lord and stick to him this better than following the world and sticking to my flesh. This man is a shameless servant and he's letting everybody know.

As he tells the story that he is a servant, and he has no inhibitions about never do we hear of him speaking on his own behalf outside of the context of obeying Abraham is the finest type appearing as the old as the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament within a take these New Testament verses if you been attending this church or any time length of time you know you we read these often but we need to go over them yet again. John's gospel chapter 14 verse 26 but the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you know that handling of the five things to bring remembrance it was to bring the contract was to seal the contract, but it was to keep it before them the Holy Spirit is faithful. He does not forget what he is supposed to do. He does not forget his role he understands, and we we are not supposed to forget hours either. John's gospel chapter 15 verse 26 but the helper, that is the Paraclete in the Greek it is the Holy Spirit that's who it is talking, referring to it as Jesus. Jesus is giving each illustration I'm giving you from John. Is Jesus leaving the upper room heading towards Gethsemane is going to be crucified.

That night he is investing in the day of Pentecost which is about 50 days away little bit more from from this time that he's teaching them. He is teaching them about the Holy Spirit, the servant of God within the Trinity that will come for them and and minister to them not come for them like take them home, but the come on their behalf. But when the helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the father, the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father. He will testify of me. That's the servant as the servant here in Genesis 24 and then John's Gospel chapter 16 verses 1713 through 17.

However, when he noticed the personal pronouns all referring to the Holy Spirit, eliminating any notion that he is and it or anything. He is a person. He is 1/3 person of the Trinity member of the Godhead father-son Holy Spirit and no more. However, when he the spirit of truth is, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority.

Ergo, the servant in Genesis 24 not speaking about him spell itself, but about Isaac and Abraham continues, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come, he will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. Servant took what was of Abraham and declared it to Rebecca. Genesis chapter 24 I think verse 10 servant. This is when he is leaving the camp of Abraham's as a servant took 10 of his master's camels and departed for all his masters goods were in his hands and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of née Hoar is in possession of his masters possessions on behalf of his master.

They could've they could've gone off to Damascus some other place to go stolen the goods in other men with him. I believe those 10 camels were the gifts he had other camels for the transportation is not clearly stated but we know that he gave some of these camels of the house of Laban. But he also had to have a camel for Rebecca and her maids to make the trip back to the back to Isaac and so we come back to John's gospel again and there we read, he will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the father has or mind. Therefore I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you but I think that that makes the point sufficiently and I'm not going to stand John any further to develop that thought that in this we are again seeing this servant as also a type of the holy spirit.

This success that he enjoyed was because of his devotion yes to his master, but more importantly, his dependency on God is inescapable in the story.

Look at Genesis 24 verse 12. After he arrives and he has the camels kneel down outside the city by the well verse 12 says, he said, oh Lord God of my master Abraham. Now he is not disowning God he is.

He knows his place. He knows his role Moses has recorded this as it was handed to him, so that no one could interject into the story that this man serves some of the God it will come out personally later on were not there yet, but there it is an nonetheless.

Oh Lord, God of my master Abraham, please, give me success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham, behold, I stand by the well of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water now. Let it be that the young woman to whom I say please let down your picture that I may drink and she says drink and I will also give you your camels a drink. Let her be the one you have appointed for you servant Isaac. That's the 15th through the tell you they were 14 to 15 times the word servant appeared in this in reference to this unnamed servant 14 times, but the one other time it is to Isaac who is a type of Jesus Christ, the perfect servant from Isaiah's prophecies, the servant of the New Testament and he says you have appointed for your sermon Isaac, and by this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master I mentioned that he embraces the angel of the Lord being with him. I mentioned to you that Abraham's God was his God. Verse 48 he says and I bowed my head and worshiped Jehovah and blessed Jehovah God for my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son and so there we see him owning the Lord as his Lord and their we I mentioned to you that he also mentions the angel of the Lord being his. And that is in verse 40 but he said the Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and prosper you on the way he's quoting what Abraham said to him to the house of Laban and he's claiming it as his own. He's telling him the story how God is a part of all of this how he expressed doubts to his master's master refuted the doubt and told him that the angel of the Lord would be with him and prosper his weight and then he worship God for answering his prayer as the story developed, I might be moving a little quickly here but I'm trying to capture as many major points from this as I can and is it is quite a bit and I hope I'm not losing you with this verse 52. This is once he finally knows that Rebecca is going with them and it came to pass, when Abraham servant heard their words that he worshiped Jehovah bowing himself to the earth. He had already said to the Lord, Lord Abraham did not tell them this. This is his insight, Lord, the woman that comes out with the women, the one to whom I say may I have a drink and she brings the jar down to poor me a drink and then she voluntarily offers to water the camels.

That's a big deal.

Camel holes Z 20 to 25 gallons of water. He had at least 10 of them.

Her job probably hold held a gallon gallon and 1/2. She pours the water into the trough several times until all the camels had a chance to drink and were thirsty. So this was remarkable. He sort of set out a fleece you better understand you have entered into a covenant with God and if you dare to bear him in his answer doesn't come up the way you wanted to. Then you have to live with it. So it's best not to do. I think were too carnal to do it. There may be some that a spiritual enough to pull it off. I don't know of them except the characters in Scripture, so be very careful on how you approach the Lord and speak to him, especially when you want something very much.

I think the Scripture answers these things Paul three times in three paramount writings of the New Testament same. Just shall live by faith.

Remember, the apostles, they abandoned the casting of lots in the book of acts. The Holy Spirit came in so the Proverbs that we all like to quote the proverb that we like to quote Proverbs 36 in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. That is precisely the story of this servant, and he was good with it.

He was prepared to fail. He knew that was a possibility. Wisdom had given him that he was not going to simply abandon it.

But Abraham introduced another concept. The concept of trust. The concept of believing what God has said to him personally and working in the strength of the promises of God, and he was now living the life of a man of faith, far away from his master. He could not dial up Abraham and say now what I do. He was on his own and so the tides would briefly cover them and then were close but just to remind you this servant heard no voices dream, no dream saw no lights yet the Lord led him as we read in verse 48 undertake that section again and I bowed my head and worshiped Jehovah and blessed Jehovah God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth.

That's that is the ideal. Now as to this type.

He brings these gifts that he first introduces to her.

In verse 22. After she wars the camels and he knows that this is her and incidentally the Bible happens to assert that the servant felt she was beautiful. I think that you know this is a heavy responsibility goes to find another man's wife, and he is applying his standard of beauty on behalf of another one. I think I have to say that because I don't want you to think when the Scripture says that she was beautiful. That that therefore means that this satisfies some public imagination or standard of beauty. It is still in the confines of faith.

All of it that Isaac would be attracted to her but I'm kinda getting off course here.

Verse 22.

After she water the camels so it was when the camels had finished drinking that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half shekel and two bracelets for her wrist swing 10 shekels of gold I think of the nose ring was 10 shekels instead of half a shekels she would tipped over what that's why we don't advise you where nose rings but anyway he gives her gifts and so what were seeing is he's he saying listen I come from a place of resource I'm showing you a little something about your husband to be. This is what God does with the church's shows the church things about himself, so that were not just taking it sight unseen. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 27 that he might present her to himself a glorious church, having not spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish or she is arrived at such a place because she has trusted the Lord and the riches of his glory. Ephesians 17 in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, and this is a theme that is made clear to us throughout the Ephesian letter and it is part of what is taking place in this relationship when he takes out the gifts and he is beginning to make give her proves that her future is secure as does God, whether he gives us the riches of Bible exposition, or he does something in a life certainly is a combination of these things as we go through our Christian life. God is saying I have all the riches of glory.

I am real there are proofs to my existence. I give you gifts so of insight gifts in life that you may know that I indeed am God. Also in this chapter we read 23 times the pronoun Forshee the pronoun she appears in reference to Rebecca who is a type of the church. She is the object she is the prize of the father and the son. She is the prize of the father and the son and the unnamed servant. Also, all three of them are focused on Rebecca. The father the son and the Holy Spirit.

All three of them are focused on us. We are the prize, the church. This is part of the type that comes up Revelation 217 he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it unnamed among men, not with God is white stone. That means you've not been blackballed. That means that when you leave this life, you've not been blackballed out of heaven. You get the white stone your voted in. Based on your decision to receive Jesus Christ and his finished work. Revelation 312.

He overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God.

I will write on him my new name. And so God is particular about names in a close with this verse, verse 61 incidentally, verse 67 says that Isaac loved her the first time we read of the word love in the Bible is in the context of the father's love for his son.

The second time we read of love in the Bible is in the context of a husband's love for his bride. And this is this is of course a type of the love of Jesus for us. All of us and of course legalism he thinks is you. Verse 61. Look at the last part of that verse servant Rebecca and departed. That's what will happen. Servant will take us will say I will move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast is teaching is available free of charge at our website.

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