62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

This is the result of both Abraham’s obedience to and hope in the promises of God.

God’s promise was not only to Abraham but to his descendants. At this time Abraham only had one descendant – Isaac. After Sarah died, there would be no other heirs to the promise.

If Rebekah had not agreed to leave her family, then Abraham’s servant was released from his task.

The result was not only did God maintain his promise but Isaac was comforted by Rebekah.

Whatever God has promised will bring comfort when there might seem to be none. Our part is to not give up on what God has spoken over us. Even when it looks like it won’t happen or that there is no comfort from our troubles or sorrows, hope in God.

Trust him, his plans are not only for you, but also for the people that he “causes to work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” – Rom 8:28.

Father, I thank you for always keeping your promises to me. Thank you for the comfort those promises can bring. I will again trust you in all things.

Written by Andrew Martin

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us,” Laban said. 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ 39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ 40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. 41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ 45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ “She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

In this passage, Abraham’s servant is giving an account of what took place between him and Rebekah. What stands out to me most is verse 48, where the servant says, “I praised the Lord… who had led me on the right road”. He recognised that it was by God’s leading that he met the woman for Isaac. His response to ‘walking the right road’ was praise and worship.

This causes me to reflect on the ways in which God leads my life. I am reminded that God goes before me and makes my path straight when I follow and trust Him. My response to His leading should be daily praise, because He is always with me.

Thank You God, for always going before me and leading me on the right road. Please help me to look to You afresh and follow the path You have for me. May I take the time to stop and praise You today as You answer my prayers, because You are always faithful.

Written by Ps. Laura Samperi

24 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?” 6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. 7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[a] I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

This passage paints such a strong image of a good father’s desire to provide for his child. We see this as Abraham desires to provide for his son Isaac, but also in the way Abraham was provided for as a child of God.

Abraham is coming to the end of his days, and he is aware of the need to help secure a wife for his Isaac.

However not just any wife will do – Abraham instructs his servant to make an oath with him that he will find Isaac a wife from Abraham’s own people. When his servant has questions, Abraham is so confident that the Lord will provide guidance by way of an angel so that the servant will know which woman is right.

Abraham wants Isaac to have a wife from his own people that will be a blessing to him in marriage, because he is a good father who wants to provide well for his son.

He knows that the Lord will provide guidance here because He himself has been the recipient of the blessings of God – the best father. In fact, this passage tells us that God had blessed Abraham in every possible way!

I love Abraham’s confidence in God’s ability to provide. He has seen God at work so many times in his life, that he can speak with such faith that God will continue to provide for his son Isaac. May we also live with the same faith, trusting God to provide for all our needs.

God, thank you that you are a good father. Thank you that you love to provide for us, your children. Help us today to live in faith, remembering all the ways you have provided for and blessed us. We thank you for all that you do in our lives. Amen.

Written by Ps. Madelaine Tarasenko

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. 20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

God’s promise to Abraham was to bless him and give him a secure future yet in this passage we find Abraham being tested with the very thing God had promised: his son.

When I am tested with the promises God gives me – when circumstances seem opposite to how I think it will be fulfilled or when an opportunity presents itself for me to make sure I get what I’m after – how do I respond? By not withholding Isaac, we see Abraham fully trust the Father to provide and fulfil His promise. Abraham did not worry about missing out or losing.

Can I do the same? Which do I hold more tightly to – the promised result or my relationship with my Heavenly Father? Am I more interested in receiving things that secure my future or am I more interested in the one who holds my future?

Only the testing will reveal my heart.

Father, again I am reminded that You are for me and want to bless me. Help me not to be so focused on outcomes and promised results but more on You.

Written by Gab Martin

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

As I read this story about Abraham and Isaac I cringe. I think how could a father do this? It’s not right. How could he obey in this situation? How could God ask it of him? What sort of God is this? Why is this story told?

Then I am hit with this phrase..

“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.”

Jesus was a man. A real man. As real as Isaac. He was a son. A real son. A one and only Son. Just like Isaac. He was obedient. He carried his own wood for the offering. Like Isaac. But for Jesus (and for his Father, God) there was no other lamb. He, Jesus, was the lamb that God provided.

God did not and will not ask of any other father to do this. No father is to sacrifice his son. For no other son is perfect. No other son is unblemished. No other son could take upon himself the sin of the world. Only Jesus. Gods one and only son. The perfect man. The perfect son.

This is a prophecy. A prophetic story. A story told before Jesus came. A story to tell of Him, the Son of God who will come as a man and carry his own wood and hang on it himself as an offering for all. Taking away the sins of all, so that they might be set right with God and know Him. This is a prophetic promise story.

Thank you God for providing the lamb. Thank you for sending your one and only Son Jesus to die for me. Thank you for taking my sin. Thank you for making me clean. I believe in you. Thank you, that I now have eternal life because of all you have done for me.

Written by Ps. Zoe Stewart