Bible Study for Texas lesson for Jan. 6
To get the job done, everyone must go to work
___Genesis 24:34-51, 57-67
___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, menservants and maidservants, 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, 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 Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you--you will be released from my oath.'
___42 "When I came to the spring today, I said, 'O 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 maiden 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 Milcah bore to him.'
___"Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshipped 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."
___50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed." ...
___57 Then they said, "Let's call the girl and ask her about it." 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" "I will go," she said.
___59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." ...
___61 So the servant took Rebekah and left.
___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.
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___By Kyle Reese
___I was recently given the Book of Reports to the 1939 Baptist World Alliance meeting held in Atlanta. It occurred to me as I looked through the book that many of the issues important to Baptists in 1939 are issues still important to Baptists today.
___In a report titled "Youth and Church Loyalty," Pastor Elbert Paul spoke on the need to convince youth of the day to commit themselves to Christ through the local church. The report is filled with worries as to how the next generation of church leaders will emerge.
___If you do the math, some of the youth of 1939 are the strongest members of the church today. Reverend Paul would be proud.
___It seems every generation wonders if the next will be worthy of the heritage being handed down to it.
___Surely this thought passed through Abraham's mind as he began the process of finding a wife for his son Isaac. The heritage to be realized through Isaac was no small thing. As a matter of fact, God's blessing of the world was promised to Abraham's heir.
___Doing his part, Abraham employs his most loyal servant to travel to his home country and find a wife for Isaac from among his own family. It is interesting that while the servant plays a major role in the narrative, we are not given his name. The servant's anonymity does not diminish the critical role he plays in finding Rebekah for Isaac. The servant goes to work for Abraham and, in doing so, works for God.
___Cal Ripken recently retired from professional baseball. Ripken will be remembered for many contributions to the game, but most notably for breaking Lou Gehrig's streak of consecutive games played. When the record was broken, a local newspaper commented that Ripken simply "went to work."
___At the time, baseball faced crucial issues regarding its future. A short time before, games were cancelled due to disagreement between the players and owners. As Ripken inched closer to Gehrig's record, a new sense of excitement about America's pastime emerged. Ripken almost single-handedly saved baseball simply because he went to work and did his job.
___The servant in our narrative serves as a bridge between the first and second generations of God's covenant promise, based on the fact that he, too, went to work. Countless Christians around the globe find inspiration in this servant. Though we may not know their names, heaven knows how much the kingdom expands because of their loyalty.
___As the servant approaches the well, he prays that God will show him the right choice for Isaac. He prays, trusting in God's "steadfast love" or "mercy." The Hebrew term is "hesed" and is based upon a type of loyalty and love shared among family members or between close friends.
___The servant shows a deep, abiding trust that God is working with him because of God's love for Abraham and God's commitment to the covenant promise. The servant realizes that while he is operating with the assurance of God's faithfulness, at the same time he has full responsibility and freedom to act as he sees fit.
___The narrative provides an interesting picture of the tension between God's involvement and human freedom. In the beginning, the servant realizes that even though he might find a possible wife for Isaac, the woman might refuse. As in our lives, human freedom and divine will interact together to form the mystery of the Christian life. Finally, we, too, must rely on the steadfast love of God as we journey forward.
___As it turns out, Rebekah is first to the well on that particular day and proves to be the answer to the servant's prayers. After finding out she is a member of Abraham's family, the servant is taken to meet Rebekah's brother, Laban, who listens as the servant recounts the events of the day. The servant's testimony serves as the text for the lesson.
___As the servant shares testimony about the day's events, it becomes easier for him to recognize the work of God through them. Most often that is how the works and faithfulness of God are seen and discerned.
___The writer of the often-repeated poem "Footprints" had it right--it is by looking back at the most difficult moments of our lives that we see most clearly the faithfulness of God. The servant is no different. As he reflects, he realizes God led him to Rebekah, and he fully believes she is the answer to his prayers and, therefore, the one intended for Isaac.
___The testimony of the servant ends and the choice regarding Rebekah's future falls first to the members of her family. After hearing the testimony of God's work, Rebekah's brother and father, Laban and Bethuel, respond positively. They, too, can see the work of God in the servant's story.
___Most people consider Abraham as the faithful member of his family. It is Abraham who follows God's promise and journeys to a distant land. Yet faith also is found among Abraham's relatives who had stayed in the homeland.
___The choice to marry Isaac now resides with Rebekah. When asked if she would go with the servant, she responded simply, "I will." Rebekah's response is reminiscent of faithful people everywhere who respond to God's prompting with a simple "I will." A positive response sends Rebekah on life's most wonderful journey, the journey of faith in God.
___Walter Brueggemann says it best, "Faith is lived somewhere between the old place that is abandoned and the new place not yet received." As she goes, Rebekah joins Abraham as a pilgrim leaving one place in order to find the faithfulness of God on the journey to another.
___As Rebekah responds to the invitation, she also agrees to begin a journey of partnership with Isaac. Many brides and grooms echo Rebekah's response of "I will" as they commit themselves to one another for life. The promise provides a covenant relationship where love and intimacy may grow between the wife and husband. While today's bride and groom may know more about their future mate than Rebekah did, marriage still requires great faith in promising to journey together and explore the other partner's personality.
___The belief among some ministers is that the best marital counseling is done after the first year of marriage. After a year of being husband and wife, the couple has a better understanding of the challenges of married life. The reality is that no couple has a perfect marriage because no one has a perfect life.
___Sometimes, when difficulty arises, the couple needs simply to look back at the call that brought them together. If there is certainty that God called them to be husband and wife at the altar, then surely God will support and help them when crises arise. Those couples fortunate enough to live in a Christian marriage find that God does indeed journey with them as they grow together.
___Our story ends as Isaac takes an evening stroll. Rebekah sees the figure who strolls in the evening sunset, and she inquires of the servant the man's identity. The servant answers Rebekah's question by introducing his master, Isaac. In identifying Isaac as the master, the narrative provides an important shift from Abraham to Isaac, as Isaac becomes the focus of God's promise.
___As Rebekah goes to meet Isaac, the servant recounts all the events that brought Rebekah to this point of meeting. After hearing the servant's report, Isaac takes Rebekah into Sarah's tent. Again, an important transition is seen as Sarah's tent becomes Rebekah's, and the covenant promise and responsibility are passed on to a future generation.
___As Isaac and Rebekah become husband and wife, a beautiful picture is painted regarding the goodness of God toward his people. As a result of divine sovereignty and human free will mingling together in this story, we see the goodness of the marriage relationship. In addition to religious practice and divine promises, life in God's creation includes the wonderful gift of marriage.
___As the narrative ends, young Isaac and Rebekah take center stage in God's drama of redemption. The covenant promise passes from one generation to the next by the faithfulness of God.
___Today, the promise of God rests upon us as followers of Jesus Christ. The future rests not only on human ingenuity but in the belief that God wants all the world to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
___The promise of God also calls people as individuals to become actively involved in service to God. To those who serve him, God bestows a gift to use that will honor him and give witness to the love of Christ. The church is fortunate to have at its disposal the rich diversity of gifts given to people by the Holy Spirit.
___Blessed is the church (and denomination) that calls all people into service and ministry. Still today, people from all generations are called to share in the ministry of the church.
___Kyle Reese is pastor of First Baptist Church in Valley Mills. He will become pastor of First Baptist Church in San Angelo Jan. 1.
Questions for thought and discussion
___ In what ways have unknown people contributed to your life of faith? Can you think of times when you have worked for the good of others without any notice or recognition?
___ Reflect on major events in your life. Can you trace God's activity on your behalf as you look back on the events? How did you discern God's activity and work at the time?
___ What gifts of faith were passed on to you by previous generations? What gifts do you want to leave for future generations?
___ How do you understand the relationship of God's providence and human freedom?
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