ELIEZER | PROFILE OF A TRUE SERVANT

0. Introduction

a) Have you ever approached a responsibility with this kind of single-mindedness and careful planning, while ultimately depending on God?

1. Abraham's servant, Eliezer's profile

a) Accepted the challenge

i) ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. (Genesis 24:3 NKJV)

ii) ⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. (Genesis 24:9 NKJV)

b) Examined alternatives

i) ⁵ And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?” (Genesis 24:5 NKJV)

c) Promised to follow instructions

i) ⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. (Genesis 24:9 NKJV)

d) Made a plan, submitted the plan to God, prayed for guidance, and devised a strategy with room for God to operate

i) ¹² Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” (Genesis 24:12-14 NKJV)

e) Waited and watched closely

i) ²¹ And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. (Genesis 24:21 NKJV)

f) Accepted the answer thankfully

i) ²⁶ Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. (Genesis 24:26 NKJV)

g) Explained the situation to concerned parties

i) ³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. ³⁷ Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; ³⁸ but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ ³⁹ And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ ⁴⁰ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. ⁴¹ You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

⁴² “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, ⁴³ behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” ⁴⁴ and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

⁴⁵ “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ ⁴⁶ And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. ⁴⁸ And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” (Genesis 24:34-49 NKJV)

h) Refused unnecessary delay and followed through with entire plan

i) ⁵⁶ And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.” (Genesis 24:56 NKJV)

ii) ⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. (Genesis 24:66 NKJV)