Genesis 24:10-28

< Back to Genesis Index


TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Abraham Sends His Servant to Find a Wife for Isaac

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God guides the believer through specific prayers.

  2. God guides the believer through specific circumstances.

  3. God guides the believer through scriptural conditions.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let’s remember to thank the Lord for His guidance.

QUESTIONS

  1. Abraham’s servant prayed for God’s guidance, both generally and specifically, while he was on his commissioned journey. Which Scriptures illustrate each type, general and specific?

  2. Was Abraham’s servant setting out a fleece? What is a fleece? What about Gideon?

  3. Was it by chance that Rebekah was the first woman on the scene? Was it by chance that her family let her go? Was it by chance that Rebekah agreed to marry a man she had never seen?

  4. How did God guide Abraham’s servant through scriptural conditions?

  5. Who can be led by the will of God?

ANSWERS

  1. Generally - “O Lord God...please give me success...and show kindness to my master...” (Genesis 24:12) Specifically - “Let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac” (Genesis 24:14)

  2. Abraham’s servant made a specific prayer, not a fleece. A fleece is a sign asking God to confirm your decision in a miraculous way. Gideon’s fleece was not a sign of a strong faith, but of a weak faith.

  3. No, none of these events were by chance. God was working behind the scenes to bring about special circumstances.

  4. The servant was “in the way.” He was being obedient and seeking God’s will, meeting scriptural conditions. Look up Proverbs 3:5-6.

  5. Believers who are doing the will of God; believers “in the way.”

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Have you had the experience of having prayer answered even before you finished praying? See Genesis 24:15 and Isaiah 65:24.

  2. Have you experienced God’s leading through special circumstances? Did the Lord open or close doors to indicate His leading in your life?

  3. After having done this lesson, what do you think about setting out a fleece?

CHALLENGE

  1. Recall the response of the servant, “He bowed his head and worshiped the Lord.” Have you thanked the Lord for your mate, your church, your job? Not only that, but have you ever thanked Him for His guidance to those things? Or, do you take what God gives for granted, thinking they’ve just happened by chance? Time out! Thank Him for what He gives and how He leads.

KEY VERSES

  • “All his master’s goods were in his hand.” Genesis 24:10

  • “O Lord God, please give me success this day...” Genesis 24:12

  • “...it happened, before he had finished speaking.” Genesis 24:15

  • “...the servant remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.” Genesis 24:21

  • “He bowed his head and worshiped the Lord...” Genesis 24:26

  • “I, being in the way, the Lord led me.” Genesis 24:27

Genesis, Old Testament, TalksRon ReidGENESIS 24:10-28