“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people!” says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)
This past week has been a roller coaster of sad or upsetting news, of prayer requests and weeping with those who weep.
While none of my own family suffered directly, people close to me or people close to people close to me seemed to be under an onslaught of tragic events.
There was a mother badly beaten, a daughter falsely accused of a serious crime, a father suffering a serious heart attack while out jogging, a brother killed in a car accident, a mother-in-law with a baffling medical condition scheduled for serious open heart surgery, an uncle dying of cancer, a young women in hospital with difficult pregnancy – the list goes on.
The beautiful thing that happened in the midst of all this is that an army of prayer warriors fell to their knees to call out to the One who alone can help in the time of need. Hearts swelled with love and concern for those in pain. Prayer requests flung out into the bogging/e-mail world were caught by outstretch hands and lifted up to heaven’s Throne.
And God heard and answered.
In several situations tears of sorrow are turning into tears of joy!
Sorrow shared is sorrow divided and joy shared is joy multiplied!!
How wonderful it is to celebrate ‘good news’ with those we also wept with.
Priorities slip easily into their rightful places; the things of this world seem mundane in the light of our shared trials, grief and joy.
I read these beautiful words today….
“For the Lord will comfort Zion,
he will comfort all her waste places;
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert likes the garden of the Lord,
Joy and gladness will be found in it; Thanksgiving and the voice of melody!”
(Is. 51:3)
When yielding to the God of comfort in a terrifying situation and finding that refuge of peace close to His heart, there is nothing sweeter than the presence of God that covers His child.
I have experienced it and I have heard countless others who attest to the same.
We are not promised roses without thorns in this life…. In fact we are promised tribulation and trials. But we also have the promise that God will take us through!
Annie Sherwood Hawks was born in New York in 1835.
From an early age her gift of writing poetry was evident and though she wrote hundreds of poems, there is only one hymn for which she is still well known.
As a young wife and mother, one day as she was busy with household tasks, she was filled with a sense of the nearness of God and she wondered how anyone could ever live without Him… either in joy or in pain. Poetic expression filled her mind and she wrote the words to the old hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” which was set to music by Pastor Robert Lowry.
Annie was surprised by how deeply this hymn seemed to comfort so many people.
But sixteen years after she wrote the words, she found herself in the valley of sorrow following the death of her husband.
In her grief, she personally experienced the comforting power of the words she had been given that had comforted so many others and were now comforting her.
I need Thee ev’ry hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee ev’ry hour, stay Thou near by; temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee ev’ry hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide or life is vain.
I need Thee ev’ry hour, most Holy One; O make me thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.”
“I even I, am He who comforts you!” (Isaiah 51:12)
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Divine City Planner
There is a verse in II Peter 1:3 that says, “His Divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him…”
What I understand that to say is that if we know Him, through His word, there is nothing that He does not instruct us on regarding how to live a life pleasing to God - both spiritually and also practically.
So often we relegate God to certain areas of our life.
He is the One we worship and He is the One we pray to when we need help or comfort or direction.
But there are certain things that we don’t think to ask God about.
If you were a city planner, would you think God had anything to say about what features are important to implement in the building of a city?
If God had planned the city you live in, would it be different than it is?
I am becoming increasingly upset by the subdivisions that are going up in my city. The lots are becoming smaller and smaller leaving only a few feet - the width of two sidewalks - between the houses and almost no back yard.
Did you know God’s displeasure is directed toward those who try to squeeze as many houses as possible on one street?
Listen to what He says…. “Woe to those who join house to house who add field to field till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land.” (Is. 5:8)
My daughter was telling me about a study that she read about. Several monkeys were left on a deserted island where they had no predators. As a result they were allowed to multiply until the island became crowded. Those observing the monkeys noted a surprising change in behaviour. Where before the monkeys had enjoyed a strong social structure and cared for each other, now they were becoming singularly concerned with self-preservation. Mothers refused to care for their offspring. The ‘teen age’ monkeys were rebellious and destructive.
God knows that everyone needs space. He says we should all have enough land so that we can be alone.
Did you know that owning property is a God-given right? He made the world big enough that everyone could have their own space!
I have always said that I would have been very content to live all my life on one piece of property… I love the idea of family estates being passed down from generation to generation. Seems that was God’s idea all along.
He says, “Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their property he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property so that none of my people may be scattered from his property.” (Ez. 46:18)
God also has something to say about real estate sales, although I don’t think too many people would be receptive to His idea today. God’s rule is that anyone who sells their property, perhaps because of financial difficulties, has the option of changing their mind anytime within a year from the date of sale and can simply reclaim their property.
“And if a man sells a house in a walled city then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold, within a full year he may redeem it…” (Lev. 25:29)
If God was building your city He would also ensure that everyone was paid fairly for their labour.
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice who uses his neighbour’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work.” (Jer. 22:13)
Have you ever noticed how children love to play in the street? I have often seen children who had a lovely yard to play in but where were they? On the street!!
It doesn’t make sense to me, but God seems to understand.
In His perfect city He says, “The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.” (Zech. 8:5) It goes without saying, of course, that the streets were safe for children to play in.
God also places great value on being able to live in peace and quiet.
We lived for many years on acreage at the end of a dead end street and a hundred wild acres behind our property. We could not even see another house from our yard. City people would come to visit and invariably after a time they would look puzzled, listen and then seeing my questioning gaze would ask, “What’s that noise?” They would listen again and then sheepishly realize, “Oh, it’s the quiet!”
How relaxing it is in a peaceful and quiet environment… God knows!
He says, “My people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.” (Is. 32:18)
God’s city would be a safe place, where people would not have to lock their doors or fear to go outside at night.
“No evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Ps. 91:10)
If the children wanted to camp outside in summertime…it would be safe.
“..they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.” (Ex. 34:25b)
In a perfect city according to God’s design, every man would be able to grow his own food, have his own fruit trees and grapevine and be able to enjoy sitting under them in the cool of the evening in perfect safety.
“But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4)
“They shall build houses and inhabit them they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (Is. 65:21)
The inhabitants of a city God planned would find pleasure in the work of their hands and would live to enjoy the fruit of their labours.
“My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble.” (Is. 65:22b,23)
And the inhabitants of the city would grow old there, enjoying their twilight years in familiar places full of happy memories.
“Old men and old women shall sit in the streets of Jerusalem each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.” (Zech. 8:4)
Don’t you wish your city planners had consulted God for advice before they built your city?
But we have hope…One day soon we will go to live in a city God planned and it will be according to His perfect design, an Eternal City where our joy will be continual and we will never grow old.
What I understand that to say is that if we know Him, through His word, there is nothing that He does not instruct us on regarding how to live a life pleasing to God - both spiritually and also practically.
So often we relegate God to certain areas of our life.
He is the One we worship and He is the One we pray to when we need help or comfort or direction.
But there are certain things that we don’t think to ask God about.
If you were a city planner, would you think God had anything to say about what features are important to implement in the building of a city?
If God had planned the city you live in, would it be different than it is?
I am becoming increasingly upset by the subdivisions that are going up in my city. The lots are becoming smaller and smaller leaving only a few feet - the width of two sidewalks - between the houses and almost no back yard.
Did you know God’s displeasure is directed toward those who try to squeeze as many houses as possible on one street?
Listen to what He says…. “Woe to those who join house to house who add field to field till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land.” (Is. 5:8)
My daughter was telling me about a study that she read about. Several monkeys were left on a deserted island where they had no predators. As a result they were allowed to multiply until the island became crowded. Those observing the monkeys noted a surprising change in behaviour. Where before the monkeys had enjoyed a strong social structure and cared for each other, now they were becoming singularly concerned with self-preservation. Mothers refused to care for their offspring. The ‘teen age’ monkeys were rebellious and destructive.
God knows that everyone needs space. He says we should all have enough land so that we can be alone.
Did you know that owning property is a God-given right? He made the world big enough that everyone could have their own space!
I have always said that I would have been very content to live all my life on one piece of property… I love the idea of family estates being passed down from generation to generation. Seems that was God’s idea all along.
He says, “Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their property he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property so that none of my people may be scattered from his property.” (Ez. 46:18)
God also has something to say about real estate sales, although I don’t think too many people would be receptive to His idea today. God’s rule is that anyone who sells their property, perhaps because of financial difficulties, has the option of changing their mind anytime within a year from the date of sale and can simply reclaim their property.
“And if a man sells a house in a walled city then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold, within a full year he may redeem it…” (Lev. 25:29)
If God was building your city He would also ensure that everyone was paid fairly for their labour.
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice who uses his neighbour’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work.” (Jer. 22:13)
Have you ever noticed how children love to play in the street? I have often seen children who had a lovely yard to play in but where were they? On the street!!
It doesn’t make sense to me, but God seems to understand.
In His perfect city He says, “The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.” (Zech. 8:5) It goes without saying, of course, that the streets were safe for children to play in.
God also places great value on being able to live in peace and quiet.
We lived for many years on acreage at the end of a dead end street and a hundred wild acres behind our property. We could not even see another house from our yard. City people would come to visit and invariably after a time they would look puzzled, listen and then seeing my questioning gaze would ask, “What’s that noise?” They would listen again and then sheepishly realize, “Oh, it’s the quiet!”
How relaxing it is in a peaceful and quiet environment… God knows!
He says, “My people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.” (Is. 32:18)
God’s city would be a safe place, where people would not have to lock their doors or fear to go outside at night.
“No evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Ps. 91:10)
If the children wanted to camp outside in summertime…it would be safe.
“..they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.” (Ex. 34:25b)
In a perfect city according to God’s design, every man would be able to grow his own food, have his own fruit trees and grapevine and be able to enjoy sitting under them in the cool of the evening in perfect safety.
“But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4)
“They shall build houses and inhabit them they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (Is. 65:21)
The inhabitants of a city God planned would find pleasure in the work of their hands and would live to enjoy the fruit of their labours.
“My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble.” (Is. 65:22b,23)
And the inhabitants of the city would grow old there, enjoying their twilight years in familiar places full of happy memories.
“Old men and old women shall sit in the streets of Jerusalem each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.” (Zech. 8:4)
Don’t you wish your city planners had consulted God for advice before they built your city?
But we have hope…One day soon we will go to live in a city God planned and it will be according to His perfect design, an Eternal City where our joy will be continual and we will never grow old.
Learning to Trust
I have always been somewhat vertically challenged. Not just in personal stature but also in a fear of heights – specifically a fear of falling.
My first related memory goes back to when I was two years old.
We lived in the country with a few animals and my mother would have to go outside to do the chores. Not able to take me with her on cold or rainy days she would set me up on her hope chest that sat under the window from where I could see her walk to the barn and watch for her to come back to the house.
When she came back in she would lift me down from the chest.
One day instead of helping me down, she said I should get off by myself. She showed me how to get down on my stomach and then she said “Ok, now just slide.”
I was terrified. My feet were dangling in mid air, my little outstretched hands grasping onto the chest and I hung on for dear life, begging my mother to help me.
She just stood there …. Laughing. I could not understand why she would not rescue me from certain injury or death…. Surely she could see the danger I was in.
The fear I felt was intense.
I tried desperately to hold on but my hands were getting tired, I could feel them beginning to slip. I tried harder to hold on, crying for my Mom to help me… but she did nothing.
Finally, my hands could hold me no longer, I was slipping… falling… falling……
And then … I was standing on the floor. My feet had been about two inches off the floor the whole time.
I remember feeling foolish and embarrassed.
Almost daily we hear of another tragedy, a disaster, a fatal accident or a shocking crime.
All of us have encountered times in our life where everything seems dark, there is no where to turn, and we feel helpless and fearful.
There are times when suddenly we find our world turned upside down, the rug pulled out from under us, our security blanket snatched away.
When bad things happen, our questions seem to have no answers, our cries and tears are met with silence.
We call out to God, wondering where He is – is He not going to help us? Our hearts feel the agony, the fear, the sorrow. We feel that we are dangling over the precipice about to be dashed to the rocks below. No one is there to help.
Finally we can hold on no longer … our hands slip …. We are falling….
But then….
We realize that the solid Rock was under our feet the whole time. God was standing by watching, guarding, waiting for us to let go and find to our relief that He was there to catch us.
“The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms…” (Deut.33:27)
When a parent eagles recognize their young are ready to fly they push them out of the nest.
The terrified eaglet falls tumbling to the ground but the parent eagle is watching… and swoops down to catch the eaglet on its outstretched wings -then shakes it off, and catches it again until the eaglet discovers its own wings and the joy of flying!
God uses this analogy to assure us that He will not let us fall…..”Ye have seen … how I bare you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.” (Ex. 19:4)
Our difficult times are meant to be the vehicles, the chariots, that carry us up to God.
My Mother wanted me to overcome my fear.
So God also sometimes waits just as my Mother did, not to terrify us, but to teach us to trust Him. To know that no matter what happens God is there as the One we can trust implicitly. When we put all our trust in Him, we will know the peace that circumstances cannot disturb.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” (Is. 26:3)
My first related memory goes back to when I was two years old.
We lived in the country with a few animals and my mother would have to go outside to do the chores. Not able to take me with her on cold or rainy days she would set me up on her hope chest that sat under the window from where I could see her walk to the barn and watch for her to come back to the house.
When she came back in she would lift me down from the chest.
One day instead of helping me down, she said I should get off by myself. She showed me how to get down on my stomach and then she said “Ok, now just slide.”
I was terrified. My feet were dangling in mid air, my little outstretched hands grasping onto the chest and I hung on for dear life, begging my mother to help me.
She just stood there …. Laughing. I could not understand why she would not rescue me from certain injury or death…. Surely she could see the danger I was in.
The fear I felt was intense.
I tried desperately to hold on but my hands were getting tired, I could feel them beginning to slip. I tried harder to hold on, crying for my Mom to help me… but she did nothing.
Finally, my hands could hold me no longer, I was slipping… falling… falling……
And then … I was standing on the floor. My feet had been about two inches off the floor the whole time.
I remember feeling foolish and embarrassed.
Almost daily we hear of another tragedy, a disaster, a fatal accident or a shocking crime.
All of us have encountered times in our life where everything seems dark, there is no where to turn, and we feel helpless and fearful.
There are times when suddenly we find our world turned upside down, the rug pulled out from under us, our security blanket snatched away.
When bad things happen, our questions seem to have no answers, our cries and tears are met with silence.
We call out to God, wondering where He is – is He not going to help us? Our hearts feel the agony, the fear, the sorrow. We feel that we are dangling over the precipice about to be dashed to the rocks below. No one is there to help.
Finally we can hold on no longer … our hands slip …. We are falling….
But then….
We realize that the solid Rock was under our feet the whole time. God was standing by watching, guarding, waiting for us to let go and find to our relief that He was there to catch us.
“The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms…” (Deut.33:27)
When a parent eagles recognize their young are ready to fly they push them out of the nest.
The terrified eaglet falls tumbling to the ground but the parent eagle is watching… and swoops down to catch the eaglet on its outstretched wings -then shakes it off, and catches it again until the eaglet discovers its own wings and the joy of flying!
God uses this analogy to assure us that He will not let us fall…..”Ye have seen … how I bare you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.” (Ex. 19:4)
Our difficult times are meant to be the vehicles, the chariots, that carry us up to God.
My Mother wanted me to overcome my fear.
So God also sometimes waits just as my Mother did, not to terrify us, but to teach us to trust Him. To know that no matter what happens God is there as the One we can trust implicitly. When we put all our trust in Him, we will know the peace that circumstances cannot disturb.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” (Is. 26:3)
Saturday, May 5, 2007
A Man Named Eliezer
There is a man mentioned in the Old Testament who is usually relegated to being a ‘detail’ when the stories are told of other more prominant characters.
I want to make the story about him!
His name is Eliezer , Abraham’s servant.
The only time he is mentioned by name in the bible is in Gen. 15:1 when Abraham is talking to God about him, and refers to him as Eliezer from Damascus.
In all other references, he is simply identified as Abraham’s servant.
Abraham needed many servants to manage his vast household and large flocks. We are not told details, but one of his servants had a child born to her in Abraham’s house. That child was Eliezer. He knew no life other than the life of someone who belonged to someone else.
While he was well treated by Abraham, he was none the less not his own person We, living in a slave-free society, have really lost our sense of empathy with what it means to be a possession rather than a person with freedom and rights to make their own decisions, to build their own life.
Eliezer obviously grew up to be an intelligent and gifted man. His faithfulness and diligence earned him the highest place of trust, that of managing all of Abraham’s affairs.
Abraham, who watched Eliezer grow up, had developed a deep love for this boy, to the extent that he intended that Elieazer would inherit his vast wealth. It seems that in Abraham’s heart, Eliezer took the place left achingly empty by the bareness of Sarah’s womb.
In one of Abraham’s discourses with God he named Eliezer as his heir, but God declared that Eliezer should NOT be Abraham’s heir but rather his son who would be born to Sarah. At the time it seemed so impossible.
In our delight to see a son born to a couple well past child-bearing age and our fascination with the twist in the story provided by Ishmael – the son of Sarah’s maid and Abraham - Eliezer is forgotten.
But consider……
Eliezer was born in Abraham’s house; he grew up knowing Abraham’s affection and attention. We would expect that he would have felt honoured and unbelievably excited to think that he would one day be elevated to be the master and not the slave.
Then things changed... first there was Ishmael and then the promised son, Isaac.
What I love about Eliezer, is that we see absolutely no jealousy toward either Ishmael or Isaac, and nothing but the deepest respect toward Abraham.
If he felt any disappointment in being usurped from his promised inheritance he kept it to himself.
He is an example of integrity and honour.
We may have been able to ignore his presence behind the scenes in the account of Abraham’s story – except for one incident.
For me this is where Eliezer shines as the hero of the story and endears him to my heart.
Abraham was old and time was running out to take care of a pressing matter. There was only one solution that would be acceptable and its success depended on Eliezer.
Abraham called his servant to him.
Abraham’s request is evidence of the absolute trust he had in the faithfulness of Eliezer. Isaac was of marrying age and needed a wife. Abraham is uncompromising in his insistence that Isaac's wife be a girl from his own country and kindred - not from the Cananite people among whom he dwelt. He asked Eliezer to swear that he would personally make sure his wishes were carried out. Abraham had no doubt that if Eliezer swore, Eliezer would be true to his word.
But there was more to what Abraham was asking.
He was sending Eliezer on a journey. A journey that for Eliezer was to a foreign land and people he had never met…. And there he was to personally choose a wife for Isaac.
If there was any hidden resentment, any jealousy toward Isaac, any brewing sense of injustice, here would have been a perfect opportunity to get even! Bring back a wife that would make Isaac’s life miserable!!
But we see nothing but loyalty from Eliezer and a desire to fulfill Abraham’s wishes.
Eliezer’s sense of logic and foresight immediately brought to his mind the things that could go wrong.
“What if the girl does not want to come back with me? What if she doesn’t want to leave her country? Shall I then take your son back to your home country?”
Abraham was adamant, “Under NO condition shall you take Isaac back to my home country. This is the land that God swore to me was where my descendents would live.”
Perhaps Abraham observed the uncertainty on Eliezer’s face, because he gently added, “Eliezer, God will send His angel to go before you and if – perchance- the woman will not come with you then you are released from this oath that you have sworn to me.”
And so Eliezer promised.
He immediately made preparations for the journey, packing 10 of Abraham’s camels, and departed for Mesopotamia, the city of Nahor.
Nearing his destination , Eliezer came to the well outside the city at evening time. He realized that the women of the city would soon be coming to draw water, as was the custom.
He must have been thinking and wondering throughout his journey how he was going to choose the woman that should be Isaac’s wife, how he could know she was the right one.
Here we see the secret of Eliezer’s heart. He had a deep faith in the God of his master Abraham.
Here outside a strange city, facing the unknown, he knows what to do. He kneels down to pray.
He says, “ O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming to draw water.”
Eliezer’s faith in God was strong. Perhaps because all his life he had managed Abraham’s household well, knowing how and when things should be done, he therefore had no doubt that the God Abraham had taught him to believe in was in control of all things.
So he humbly asked, “ Now, let it be that the girl 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 whom you have chosen for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Isn’t that a wonderfully, revealing prayer of Eliezer’s heart? He knows what it is to be a servant, he knows what it is to desire and work for the good of someone else. He shows a totally self-less attitude, Abraham's wishes became his own desires.
What a beautiful example he is of how we should serve others, striving for their good!
But we see that Eliezer also recognizes his need of divine guidance and asks that God would make clear to him what he should do. We have in Eliezer a picture of a truly humble man. He has such a servant’s heart and attitude that he does not even take possession of his own right to approach God. He comes, unassumingly acknowledging Him as the God of his master, Abraham. Yet he displays a childlike faith that God will hear and answer.
In fact, God answers before he has finished praying.
We know the story.
A girl approaches the well and responds according to the sign Eliezer had requested of God.
Eliezer was a man with a cool head and did not make decisions based on emotions. While the girl was happily drawing water for his camels, he stood in silence- wondering and watching to make sure she was truly the one worthy to be Isaac’s bride.
What he saw and felt must have convinced him because when she had finished watering his camels he gave her the gifts he had brought …. A golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold. (a shekel is about .4 of an ounce)
He then asks who her father is and asks for lodging in her house. Her reply confirms to Eliezer that this is indeed the girl that God has chosen.
The girl is Rebecca, the daughter of Nehur , Abraham’s brother.
We have Eliezer’s grateful response in his own words, “ 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.”
Regretfully, Eliezer is never mentioned again - he ends his life in obscurity as it began. But his memory lives on in the pages of scripture – a portrait of a man who was self-less, kind, and trustworthy with a child-like faith in Abraham’s God.
I’m sure Eliezer would have been astounded if someone had told him that he would be spoken of thousands of years after his death. He would have been even more amazed if he had been told that the prayer he prayed in secret at the well, would be recorded word for word and printed in a book.
We just never know the lasting impact a life can have, do we.
What will you be remembered for?
I want to make the story about him!
His name is Eliezer , Abraham’s servant.
The only time he is mentioned by name in the bible is in Gen. 15:1 when Abraham is talking to God about him, and refers to him as Eliezer from Damascus.
In all other references, he is simply identified as Abraham’s servant.
Abraham needed many servants to manage his vast household and large flocks. We are not told details, but one of his servants had a child born to her in Abraham’s house. That child was Eliezer. He knew no life other than the life of someone who belonged to someone else.
While he was well treated by Abraham, he was none the less not his own person We, living in a slave-free society, have really lost our sense of empathy with what it means to be a possession rather than a person with freedom and rights to make their own decisions, to build their own life.
Eliezer obviously grew up to be an intelligent and gifted man. His faithfulness and diligence earned him the highest place of trust, that of managing all of Abraham’s affairs.
Abraham, who watched Eliezer grow up, had developed a deep love for this boy, to the extent that he intended that Elieazer would inherit his vast wealth. It seems that in Abraham’s heart, Eliezer took the place left achingly empty by the bareness of Sarah’s womb.
In one of Abraham’s discourses with God he named Eliezer as his heir, but God declared that Eliezer should NOT be Abraham’s heir but rather his son who would be born to Sarah. At the time it seemed so impossible.
In our delight to see a son born to a couple well past child-bearing age and our fascination with the twist in the story provided by Ishmael – the son of Sarah’s maid and Abraham - Eliezer is forgotten.
But consider……
Eliezer was born in Abraham’s house; he grew up knowing Abraham’s affection and attention. We would expect that he would have felt honoured and unbelievably excited to think that he would one day be elevated to be the master and not the slave.
Then things changed... first there was Ishmael and then the promised son, Isaac.
What I love about Eliezer, is that we see absolutely no jealousy toward either Ishmael or Isaac, and nothing but the deepest respect toward Abraham.
If he felt any disappointment in being usurped from his promised inheritance he kept it to himself.
He is an example of integrity and honour.
We may have been able to ignore his presence behind the scenes in the account of Abraham’s story – except for one incident.
For me this is where Eliezer shines as the hero of the story and endears him to my heart.
Abraham was old and time was running out to take care of a pressing matter. There was only one solution that would be acceptable and its success depended on Eliezer.
Abraham called his servant to him.
Abraham’s request is evidence of the absolute trust he had in the faithfulness of Eliezer. Isaac was of marrying age and needed a wife. Abraham is uncompromising in his insistence that Isaac's wife be a girl from his own country and kindred - not from the Cananite people among whom he dwelt. He asked Eliezer to swear that he would personally make sure his wishes were carried out. Abraham had no doubt that if Eliezer swore, Eliezer would be true to his word.
But there was more to what Abraham was asking.
He was sending Eliezer on a journey. A journey that for Eliezer was to a foreign land and people he had never met…. And there he was to personally choose a wife for Isaac.
If there was any hidden resentment, any jealousy toward Isaac, any brewing sense of injustice, here would have been a perfect opportunity to get even! Bring back a wife that would make Isaac’s life miserable!!
But we see nothing but loyalty from Eliezer and a desire to fulfill Abraham’s wishes.
Eliezer’s sense of logic and foresight immediately brought to his mind the things that could go wrong.
“What if the girl does not want to come back with me? What if she doesn’t want to leave her country? Shall I then take your son back to your home country?”
Abraham was adamant, “Under NO condition shall you take Isaac back to my home country. This is the land that God swore to me was where my descendents would live.”
Perhaps Abraham observed the uncertainty on Eliezer’s face, because he gently added, “Eliezer, God will send His angel to go before you and if – perchance- the woman will not come with you then you are released from this oath that you have sworn to me.”
And so Eliezer promised.
He immediately made preparations for the journey, packing 10 of Abraham’s camels, and departed for Mesopotamia, the city of Nahor.
Nearing his destination , Eliezer came to the well outside the city at evening time. He realized that the women of the city would soon be coming to draw water, as was the custom.
He must have been thinking and wondering throughout his journey how he was going to choose the woman that should be Isaac’s wife, how he could know she was the right one.
Here we see the secret of Eliezer’s heart. He had a deep faith in the God of his master Abraham.
Here outside a strange city, facing the unknown, he knows what to do. He kneels down to pray.
He says, “ O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming to draw water.”
Eliezer’s faith in God was strong. Perhaps because all his life he had managed Abraham’s household well, knowing how and when things should be done, he therefore had no doubt that the God Abraham had taught him to believe in was in control of all things.
So he humbly asked, “ Now, let it be that the girl 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 whom you have chosen for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Isn’t that a wonderfully, revealing prayer of Eliezer’s heart? He knows what it is to be a servant, he knows what it is to desire and work for the good of someone else. He shows a totally self-less attitude, Abraham's wishes became his own desires.
What a beautiful example he is of how we should serve others, striving for their good!
But we see that Eliezer also recognizes his need of divine guidance and asks that God would make clear to him what he should do. We have in Eliezer a picture of a truly humble man. He has such a servant’s heart and attitude that he does not even take possession of his own right to approach God. He comes, unassumingly acknowledging Him as the God of his master, Abraham. Yet he displays a childlike faith that God will hear and answer.
In fact, God answers before he has finished praying.
We know the story.
A girl approaches the well and responds according to the sign Eliezer had requested of God.
Eliezer was a man with a cool head and did not make decisions based on emotions. While the girl was happily drawing water for his camels, he stood in silence- wondering and watching to make sure she was truly the one worthy to be Isaac’s bride.
What he saw and felt must have convinced him because when she had finished watering his camels he gave her the gifts he had brought …. A golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold. (a shekel is about .4 of an ounce)
He then asks who her father is and asks for lodging in her house. Her reply confirms to Eliezer that this is indeed the girl that God has chosen.
The girl is Rebecca, the daughter of Nehur , Abraham’s brother.
We have Eliezer’s grateful response in his own words, “ 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.”
Regretfully, Eliezer is never mentioned again - he ends his life in obscurity as it began. But his memory lives on in the pages of scripture – a portrait of a man who was self-less, kind, and trustworthy with a child-like faith in Abraham’s God.
I’m sure Eliezer would have been astounded if someone had told him that he would be spoken of thousands of years after his death. He would have been even more amazed if he had been told that the prayer he prayed in secret at the well, would be recorded word for word and printed in a book.
We just never know the lasting impact a life can have, do we.
What will you be remembered for?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)