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Well, this is a special day as has been prayed; this is not just the Lord's Day, it is also Father's Day. So I would like to wish all fathers here, including myself, a blessed Father's Day. I pray that we will all be better fathers, that we will love our wives, and that we will love our children, and we will raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Now, of course, this Father's Day will look a little bit different from the usual Father's Days. The reason is because we might not be able to eat out, we cannot eat out, because of the COVID-19 restrictions here in Singapore. So Father's Day may look a little like this - you have this agony. “Aah, today is the last day; tomorrow we can eat out, but we can't get out today.”

Nevertheless, blessed Father's Day!

And for this morning, we are going to look at the story of a father. And in particular, we're going to look at Abraham, and his relationship with his son, Isaac. And this story in Genesis, chapter 24, is really about father, Abraham, seeking a wife for Isaac, his son.

So I've entitled this sermon, very simply, "The Wife Finder". And we all know how important it is to find a good wife. And Socrates, he had this quote, which I thought felt was really funny. He said, "My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife, you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher."

You have many problems to think about life with. And so I'm sure you understand the importance of finding a good wife.

There are principles about finding a good wife, I think in this passage. Even though this is written some 4000 years ago, or the events here are 4000 years ago, they are still very relevant principles for us to consider. But beyond principles to looking for a good wife, I’d like us to see spiritual principles about the Gospel, and about God. And you will get to know what I mean, as we go along.

Now, I pity Jonathan, he had to read for us 67 verses. This is the longest chapter in Genesis. So it will not be possible for us to go through each and every verse, and to pause at each and every point. My approach today is very simple, I'm just going to bring you through the story, with some necessary highlights, and then we're going to think about some applicatory thoughts for ourselves, alright?

So let's go, number one, to the story itself. The story opens with Abraham tasking his servant to look for a bride for Isaac. And the first thing Abraham said to the servant is that he must not take a wife from the Canaanites among whom he dwells. [Genesis 24:3-4]

So, he lives now in Canaan, I'm sure you would remember. And he says to this servant, "You can look for a wife for my son, but not from anyone in this region we stay."

You say, "Why? Is it because the Canaanite girls are very ugly?" No, that's not what we read of. But we have a hint of why, when we look at a broader perspective of how God looks at the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the people of this Promised Land. For example, in Deuteronomy, chapter 9, we read of how these nations Abraham was dwelling in, were a very wicked people. [Deuteronomy 9:5]

And their wickedness is not only just where it is, because it is very dynamic, in that it grows. We see in Genesis, chapter 15, God had already said to Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. [Genesis 15:16] In other words, it will only get worse and worse.

So when Abraham said to the servant, "Don't take a wife from amongst the Canaanites," it is for a spiritual reason. He does not want his seed, his descendant to be spiritually corrupt, to be defiled, to be influenced in a spiritual way. So Abraham gave this very simple, but clear instruction.

Now, you say, "Why wouldn't Abraham go himself?" Well, we read in verse 1 that Abraham is already old and advanced in age. You say, "How old is he?" We are told that Abraham or – “Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah”. [Genesis 25:20] So this event is probably around 40 years old, 39, 40 years old, for Isaac. And that would mean Abraham is about 140 years old; he had Isaac when he was 100.

So advanced in age, old, probably weak, he would not be able to endure this journey back to his homeland. His homeland is about 500 miles away, in a straight line. But if you travel, and you have to meander somewhat to get to the place, it will be about 900 miles. It would be at least one month's journey, so that would be too much for Abraham. So Abraham said to his servant, "You go, and take a wife for my son."

Now, this servant then receiving this task, immediately has a question. He asks, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land.“ [Genesis 25:5] What if she doesn't want to come? Shall I then come back, bring Isaac to her to, for her to see whether she would agree? Do I have to make a second trip?

To which Abraham said, no; “see to it that you do not take my son back there." [Genesis 25:6] So Isaac is to remain here, and he's not going to go back there. And Abraham gave this assurance to his servant: "The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’” – that’s why Isaac shouldn’t go back, he will remain here. But this God who promised me the offspring and the land, well, He, I'm confident – “he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there." [Genesis 24:7]

So God will guide you, God will lead you, God will give you success. And – “if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine". [Genesis 24:8] So all you need to do is to go, God will guide you. And if she is not willing to come, for whatever reason, you will not be blameworthy.

So - "Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master". [Genesis 24:10] I mean, he's got to prove by his material abundance, that his servant or he's the servant of a wealthy, influential, successful master, to show the worth of Isaac, the groom.

So, he took all that, he traveled back to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor [Genesis 24:10] - a month’s journey away. And finally, we read that he arrives at just outside the city. So with his 10 camels – it’s like the 10 Mercedes Benz - he got his 10 camels, they arrived there, he sat down by the well, and the Bible tells us: "And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water." [Genesis 24:11]

So he was very wise. He went to a place where he knew many women will go to. And when he got there, the first thing he did was to pray. "And he said, ‘O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.’" [Genesis 24:12] He says, "Lord, please bless, give success", and he also asks for a sign.

He doesn't know better, how God is going to lead him. But the best he knows how, he asks for a sign. He says, "Let the young woman ... who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac."' [Genesis 24:14] God, I'm not sure who You are going to lead me to, but let this be the one; the person who will say, the girl who will say, "Drink and I will water your camels" - let her be the one.

Now, you say, why such a random request? Someone who will give me water, and someone who will give water to my camels. Well, it's not quite random. I think there is some logic, some wisdom behind it. You see, a camel can drink a lot of water, maybe for you and I, 1 liter at any one time, that will be a lot. But it is said that a camel can drink up to 80 liters of water. That's a lot of water!

Imagine you have this 1.25-liter bottles of drinks, that's maybe what? 60, 70 bottles? And in those days, you don't just turn on the tap. You've got to draw out the water using your pail or your bucket, whatever that may be. And that's a lot of work! And he does not have one camel, he has 10 camels - 800 liters!

So maybe the servant here is saying, "Let this kind, and helpful, and considerate, and diligent girl be the wife that you have selected for Isaac, my master's son." So there may be some logic there, but this is what he asks for.

And it's almost like a movie film. Just as he was saying these things, the camera switches the attention to this lady, this young girl. And we are told: "Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah…" [Genesis 24:15] - wow, this is the name many Christians will be familiar with! She's the one, isn't it?

Yes, that, that's right! She is the one, and Moses, the author, even suggests to you like kind of a, it's a spoiler, even before you read to the end of the story, it's a spoiler to tell you that she fits the bill. She was “born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother". [Genesis 24:15] She is from Abraham's family! She fits the bill! And she comes out with a water jar on her shoulder.

So the camera pans out to her, and Moses continues to say: "The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known." [Genesis 24:16] It's almost like - if you're looking for a spouse today, you wish this would happen, isn't it? You wish you would pray at home and say, "Let the girl who I see today, for the, or the first girl I see today, let her be my wife." And wow, she's a knock out beauty and she's a beaut- virgin, and so on.

How you wish things happen all the time like this. But well, we know it doesn't; there are principles which we are going to talk about later on. But Moses here says she's a maiden whom no man had known. She's a virgin. Now, that is of great importance, especially in the narrative of Genesis so far, because God had promised Abraham that in his seed, will all nations be blessed. And that seed would come through Isaac.

And if Rebekah had already been with someone sexually, the child that she bears later on, would be questionable, whether that child belongs to Isaac or not. Then you wouldn't really have Jacob, and if you do not have Jacob, you wouldn't have the 12 tribes of Israel, and you will not have ultimately, confidence that Jesus is the seed of Isaac, and Jesus is the seed of Abraham, and that Jesus fulfills the promise God has promised Abraham. So it is important; just a side note, that she is a virgin.

Then, we see that the servant now approaches this Rebekah. "Then the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.’” [Genesis 24:17] This is the test whether God would fulfill this sign, that he had prayed for.

"She said, ‘Drink my lord.’ And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and give him a drink." [Genesis 24:18] And not only that - "When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels also.’' [Genesis 24:19]

Remarkable! On her own initiative. For 10 camels, after a long journey, she would probably will have to do a lot of work here!

"So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels." [Genesis 24:20] So you may see that pool - well, she would have to go to a well, draw that water, bring it to the trough, so that all the camels may drink of it. And she drew for all his 10 camels.

"The man gazed at her in silence" [Genesis 24:21] - he was, he was watching this the whole time through, wondering whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. And when the camels had finished drinking, he went to her with a gold ring, and two bracelets for her arms. [Genesis 24:22]

And then he said, "Please tell me" - we know, but he doesn't, you see. So he asks, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" [Genesis 24:22-23] “Would you be hospitable to have us?”

And “she said to him, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." [Genesis 24:24]

And well, to cut the long story short, the servant was excited. He proceeded to the house of Rebekah, spoke to the father, spoke to the brother, asked for the hand of Rebekah for Isaac, his son, paid the dowry, and they all agreed, and now they're on the way back to the Promised Land.

And then we see how Rebekah would meet with Isaac for the very first time. Their eyes locked onto each other, and they marched off into the sunset of their wedding night.

So that's the story, in a nutshell, of "The Wife Finder".

So maybe today, let's think about some applications. Maybe today, you are the wife finder. Let's look at this from the perspective of the single guy. You are like a wife finder. You want to look for a wife, and you want to be married. And that's a good thing.

Now, I want to say this - we are not, and I don't think the Bible is, in any way saying that marriage is superior to singlehood. As we have often taught in this church, marriage is great, marriage is good, it's a gift of God. But it is not that it is better than singleness, because God has His different purposes, and callings for different people.

Marriage is good, singleness is also good. To each his own, literally. And there is no superiority nor inferiority with regards to marital status.

But if you today know that God has not called you to celibacy, and that you desire to be married, well, it's a good thing to be married. But there are principles for us to understand in marriage, if you should look for a spouse.

I think the very first thing I’d like to impart to you, or to share with you is - you've got to recognize, marriage is the work of God. Marriage is ultimately the providential dealing, or gift from God.

This is what Abraham was confident about. Abraham was not confident in his servant and his abilities. He was confident in God, and His leadership and guidance. He said to the servant, "[God] will send his angel before you,” [Genesis 24:7] - He will guide you.

And actually, I think that is the principle I gather also back in the Garden of Eden. Who was the one responsible for marriage? Well, it was God! It was God who brought or actually first made Eve, and it was God who brought Eve to Adam. [Genesis 2:22]

And in this story, it is God who brought Rebekah to Isaac. And if you think about it, it is God who leads the church, the bride, to Jesus Christ, our groom. God is the Master of marriage.

And so I think the principle we must gather is that God is the One who guides us into marriage, and we need to look to Him, depend on Him, have confidence in Him.

That's why marriage is sacred. Marriage is sacred, because it is not just between you and me. It's not just between a man and a woman. It's also - and deeply, profoundly so - the work of God.

So if you today are going through a difficult marriage, I want to remind you - it's very easy to think that “I chose wrongly”. But there is another perspective biblically - that marriage is given by God, and He's the One who led the two of you together. And there is a necessity for us to trust Him, to obey Him, and to do His will, even through the difficult times in marriage.

But if you're a single guy today, I hope you realize it's not just what you choose with your eyes. There's a need to pray, there's a need to look to God, to depend on God for your spouse.

But then again, I also like to remind you, that whilst we understand from one perspective, marriage is what God gives, it does not remove the necessary responsibility of human - of you and me. We all have to be responsible!

There are things we still should wisely do. You say, what should you do? Well, learn from the servant, get to the place where you can meet a potential wife. You're not going to have a wife, if you're just going to lock yourself up in a room, and not have any interactions with anyone.

Someone said, it is very hard to steer a parked car. It's true, isn't it? The car's got to be moving, then you can steer it easily.

So I think it is wise for, if you are praying for a spouse, not only to remain, or just to limit yourself to praying. You also got to get out there, get to know people, get to speak with others, get to fellowship, get to serve and so on. It's just, I think, such a simple and obvious principle.

Not only should you get out there, as I've mentioned, you should pray, as the servant here has also demonstrated.

So God is the Master of marriage, but man has to also do his part, to be out there to meet people, to pray, I think that’s some simple wisdom points.

And then maybe finally, I’d like to say - what about the selection criteria? How do you choose a wife? Well, it's very interesting. I recently read about this article in the media and it says, in our day today - "To paktor or not to paktor". “Paktor”, for those who are foreigners, people are not Singaporeans, you will know that this word means to date, to go to - to go out together.

So - to go out together, to date or not to date? “Survey shows that 69% of singles in Singapore feel safer going out with a vaccinated date". So maybe today, one of your selection criteria is you must have COVID-19 vaccination.

I'm not sure, but according to the Bible, there are some principles that may be very important for you to consider. I think, number one, spiritual considerations are of utmost priority.

As I’ve explained earlier, the reason why he should not take a wife from the Canaanites is because of their spiritual corruption, their sinful lifestyle. [Genesis 24:34] And I think that's very important for you to consider. Don't just select someone because she is smart or that she's beautiful, but how's her heart? And most of all, how's her faith? How's her orientation towards God?

Maybe you would also say that you should look for wonderful character qualities – diligence, and kindness, and so on. Well, there are many, maybe you can pick out of this passage. And I think many people will look at Genesis 24, about the wife finder, from the perspective of a single guy. But that's all I'm gonna say.

The reason that's all I'm going to say about the single guy perspective, is because whilst they are obvious principles, they are not, I think, the intent of God and Moses in this passage. So you say, "Wah, you spoke so much." Yes, I spoke quite a bit, but I don't think that's the intent of Moses or of God in this story.

You see, this is not a dating manual, to dole out dating advice for you. I think this passage has to be understood in the grand scheme of the narrative of Genesis, so far. We have to honor the story, we have to honor the theme that God is propagating, indeed throughout the whole Bible.

So I think the perspective we should adopt is not really the single guy, although you can learn principles there, but it is the perspective of looking at the Sovereign God. That God is the real wife finder here; because the narrative of the book of Genesis is really about God fulfilling His promise to bring forth the Messiah.

Now, I would maybe do this again for those who are new with us. You will recall Genesis begins with creation, and then the fall of man. Man fell into sin, but God never gave up on man. God never kind of a cast man aside, but He promises a salvation for man, and a conquest over the devil.

He said in Genesis, chapter 3, verse 15 that from man, from Eve, will come a Offspring who will crush the devil. So He is saying there will be a Savior, who will be man; a man-Savior, who will defeat Satan, and bring about salvation for all.

That's the first promise of the Good News in the Bible!

Later on, we travel some 2000 years later, and God assured Abraham that this Offspring will be from him. "So shall your offspring be." [Genesis 15:5] Abraham, you will be the one through whom this Messiah, this Savior will come.

And this offspring will be via your son, Isaac. [Genesis 21:12] So Isaac will be the channel, will be the human ancestor to this Messiah. And therefore, you think about it, Isaac must have a wife. And this is so absolute that God swore, God promised, God took an oath. He wanted it to be so, so assured in Abraham's mind, that He swore that this Offspring will be victorious over His enemies. [Genesis 22:16-17]

Again, a flashback, an echo of Genesis, chapter 3 verse 15. So, that's why Abraham was very confident. The God who swore to me, “Your offspring will possess this land”, will be the same God who will give you success in the wife finding expedition. [Genesis 24:7]

So, when you look at this passage, I hope you would see that this is really a story about a sovereign God. A God who is always faithful to His promise. A God who will do what He says. A God who will bring about the Messiah, the Savior to save us from our sins.

So this is a God-centered theology; this is a God-centered story. Now, He's going to use man, He's going to use the servant, He's going to use the providence of Rebekah coming at the right time, and so on and so forth. And the allowance of the father and the brother and - God is going to use all that. But God will do it, you see; that's the point!

And I think this is tremendously encouraging for us. As we look back 2000 years ago, when Jesus died on the cross, we can say, "God has again fulfilled His Word”, isn't it? Jesus has come to go to the cross, to die and to rise, and He will crush Satan's head. And this gives you that assurance and confidence, even through these COVID days, to look forward to the brighter days.

There will come a day of beautiful morn, where we will all be ushered into a sinless, corruption free, sorrow free, eternity with God forevermore. And you can count on it! Why? Because this story tells us that the sovereign God will always fulfill His Word. His Savior has come, He will do what He has promised, and we, who belong to Him, will have eternal joy and communion with God forevermore.

So, this really I think is the main thrust of the passage. God is still being faithful, and will see through His covenant, His promise with Eve, with Abraham, and so on and so forth.

But I have still some more minutes, and I'd like to conclude with a third perspective - that the wife finder is not just about the single guy, or the servant of Abraham. It's not - I think it's largely about the sovereign God, God Himself. But it's not maybe just limited to that, because there's a third possibility that we can read in this passage and that is: the Wife Finder is the servant of God.

What do you mean by that? Well, when I became a Christian some 20 over years ago, my girlfriend then, who is my wife now, Winnie, she then left to study in London. She studied there, and of course worshipped there. And she was worshipping at this church called "The Metropolitan Tabernacle". That's the church that Charles Spurgeon pastored in, in the 1800s.

So when she was there, she would send me the cassette tapes. In those days you don't have - okay, it's cassette tapes, it's the old school kind of thing. She would send me the cassette tapes of the Bible studies, and the sermons there.

She would also mail back to me, "Sword and Trowel"; it's a Christian magazine. Maybe a sample of it looks like this. This was a magazine started by Spurgeon in 1865. I'm not sure if there were interruptions from then to now, but anyway, "The Sword and Trowel” magazine is a magazine that honors, at least the inception, by Spurgeon in 1865; it's a Christian magazine.

So I will listen to the tapes, I would read the magazines, and a lot of times the magazines would feature sermons by Spurgeon. And I remember reading one sermon about Genesis 24, and I was totally blown away by it, because I never saw it that way.

But Spurgeon quoted. Let me, let me quote him, "The true minister of Christ is like this Eliezer of Damascus;" - you say, "Who is this Eliezer of Damascus?" Well, he is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 15. He is the chief steward of Abraham's household. And Spurgeon is assuming, and many actually commentators assume, that this same Eliezer of Damascus, is the one that we read of in Genesis 24. He's the lead servant who is entrusted with this important task.

So Spurgeon is saying that the true Christian servant, the true minister of Christ, is like this servant, this Eliezer of Damascus – “he is sent to find a wife for his Master's son. His great desire…” - this servant, this Christian's great desire – “is, that many shall be presented unto Christ in the day of his appearing, as the bride, the Lamb's wife."

You see what Spurgeon is alluding to? He's saying that Isaac is a picture of Christ, Rebekah is a picture of the church, and Eliezer is a picture of the servant of Christ. The servant of Christ is entrusted with looking for the bride for Christ.

Now, I want to say, I don't find an explicit verse that gives you exactly this typology or picture in the Bible. There's no verse that says this is what Isaac represents, or what Rebekah represents. There's no verse like that. So, I cannot be dogmatic about this.

But it is possible, isn't it, that this story is also a picture of how we are to serve God, in leading people to Jesus Christ?

See, there are many similarities between Isaac and Christ.

Isaac is a picture, is a picture of Christ, in that they were both promised, even before they were born. Isaac was promised before he was born. So was Jesus Christ before He was born.

Both were conceived and born miraculously. I mean Sarah was beyond the natural abilities to bear a child. She's beyond the way of women, she says; probably postmenopausal and yet she could give birth twice. And so was Mary; never known a man, but she gave birth to Jesus.

Both were offered up in sacrifice by the father. Both were dead, or accounted as dead, and accounted as brought back to life. We, we see that for example, explained in Hebrews 11, in the case of Isaac. And then both had fathers who desire a bride for his son - explicitly spoken off in the Bible.

So there are many scholars who understand Isaac, as a type of picture of Christ.

Likewise, Rebekah, as a picture of the church. Both were brides. The church of Jesus Christ, all the people of God, together, we are seen and explained to be like the bride.

Both believed the message of the son through the servant. They heard about Isaac, they heard about Jesus, through God's servants.

Both left all to follow the son. And both were led of God, to the son, ultimately.

So, if we take it as such: Isaac is a picture of Christ, Rebekah is the picture of the church, then Eliezer is a picture of the servant.

So just as Eliezer brought Rebekah to Isaac, on your left-hand side, the servant of God is to lead sinners to Jesus. That's, that picture, you can see in Genesis 24. And if that be so, I hope this clarifies your mission, your purpose in life.

I have two sons. And home-based learning, or school holidays, where we can't go out a lot, is a time where they have to do, kind of more homework. And one of the things I have to say to my sons, is to - stay on task. Because as boys, I think they are very distractible; easily distracted to other things. And they may do a little bit here, and then move off and forget to continue their work. So, we have to remind them to stay on task! Finish your job!

And you know something about the servant, Eliezer of Damascus? I think he demonstrated what it means to be faithful to the mission and to stay on task. We read for example, in verse 33, there was food laid out for him, but he says, "No, I'm not going to eat until I've said what I have to say." [Genesis 24:33] He is so task-oriented! He's so missional! He's so on point!

And then, we see in verse 54, they urged him to spend the night there, and when he arose in the morning, he says, "Send me away to my master.” [Genesis 24:54] He doesn't want to stay there for too long.

This servant is not interested to start a business somewhere, to tour some other place, eat some nice food, chill, and make a name for himself. He has no other agenda. He just wants to fulfill the mission, Abraham had given to him.

And he said even to the family, "Do not delay me, send me away." [Genesis 24:56] I think he teaches me what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ.

I think the Bible is very clear about our mission. The Great Commission is very clear - Go and make disciples. "Help others follow Me," Jesus says. And so in our church, we had this articulation, in maybe a fuller way, in our mission statement - "Leading Generations into a Life-changing Relationship with Jesus Christ".

And you know what? We've all got to learn to stay on task. Because it's so easy for us to begin to build our business empires, to build up our financial portfolio. We want to be rich. We want to be famous. But you know what? That's not staying on task. Because God's mission for you is to look for the bride of Christ. To, to, to seek and to witness to these people, the message of the Gospel, so that they may come to Christ.

There is no such thing as Sunday Christianity. "Oh, Sunday is the day I come to worship God, worship and attend the service, but Monday to Saturday is for me to build my life, my dreams, my ambitions." That's not staying on task.

This morning, I’d like to remind you, COVID or no COVID, we have to be very clear about the mission God has given to us. It's the Great Commission. It's about, leading generations into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

We have much to learn, perhaps, from Eliezer of Damascus, in the way we spend our time, in the way we spend our money, in the way we have our ambitions. Let that be staying on task.

Now, it is also important for us to learn from this statement that Abraham gave - "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free". [Genesis 24:8] One of the great stresses about evangelism, about sharing the Gospel, about making disciples, is the fear of failure. Isn't it?

"Oh, I don't dare to share the Gospel because people reject me." Well, let me remind you - if you have faithfully told the other party about Jesus and His Gospel, you have done your job. If he or she is not willing to come, you are free. You see, success in evangelism, success in the Great Commission, is not that people will always be converted or be saved. Success is seen in our faithfulness to declare it faithfully.

See, you do not fail if people do not come to Christ, you fail if you do not witness. We are called to be witnesses. Salvation is of the Lord. We cannot control man's heart, but we can share and witness faithfully, and that's your task.

So I would like to encourage you. We don't want to be pushy for sure, we do not want to be disrespectful. We want to ask permission to share the Gospel, we want to make sure that we share an accurate, faithful Gospel. But that's all you are called to do, you realize that?

I find it very, very important for us, to go forward in this wonderful comfort: if she will not come, the blood is not on your hands. But at least go, and tell the Gospel to them.

One more thing. I think we can learn about being a servant of God, and that is to recognize success really comes from Him, and we need to learn to depend on God.

The Great Commission work, evangelism, discipleship - it's not about how smart you are, it's not about how eloquent you are. The great critical factor for success is what Jesus said in the Great Commission: "Go and make disciples", and he ended off by saying, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." [Matthew 28:19-20]

That is the secret to success, not you! You're just a channel, you're just a mouthpiece. The real secret to success is Jesus Christ - "I will be with you."

And I think this dependent spirit is demonstrated again in Eliezer. He heard, he was comforted to know that it will be God who will be guiding him throughout the way. And so, he was a man who trusted God in prayer. And how we need to pray when we share the Gospel with someone else. And he was someone who recognized that, when there is success, it was because “the Lord has prospered my way". [Genesis 24:56] How important this is, for you and for me!

So the wife finder - what an interesting story, isn't it? It might be from the perspective of a single guy today. But importantly, it should be the perspective of the sovereign God. But lastly it could also be the perspective of the servant of God.

One more thing about this Eliezer. Do you realize that whilst his name is probably given in Genesis 15, his name is not mentioned anywhere here in Genesis 24? And perhaps that's a lesson for us, that in the Kingdom of God, in the servants of God, there is no one who should be praised, or someone who should be exalted above another. We are all servants of God. The only Name worthy to be lifted up, is Jesus Christ alone.

May we serve with that attitude, with that posture, that we would decrease; we are just unprofitable servants, in Luke 17, but He will increase. He is the ultimate Savior!

Can I end lastly, this morning, by you allowing me to be the servant of God. I want to be that servant. I want to tell you today, that I serve a great Master. God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and to save men from his sins. Would you today be that willing bride, who will repent of your sin, and come to Jesus Christ by faith?

O, my Master is worthy! He is worthy of your allegiance to Him, and He has provided His Son to be the means to reconcile you to Himself. I pray you will come, I pray you will humble yourself. I pray you will turn, and believe in this Good News of Jesus Christ.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Father, we thank You for this morning, and for Your Word. I pray that you will bless Your people this morning as we hear. Perhaps some today are restless, and fearful, and worried about their spouse or their marital status. I pray they will learn to trust you. I pray they will learn some practical principles from this passage, but most of all, may they look to You and depend on You.

But beyond that, Lord, we are so thankful that in the arc of the Gospel narrative, we are again seeing Your sovereign hand, providentially directing, guiding, so that Isaac will have a wife, and so that ultimately Jesus will come.

We worship You because You are a word-fulfilling, promise-fulfilling God, who is faithful, and who will never fail. So, even as we go through difficult days today, we look forward with joy, with confidence, that one day, everything will be made beautiful and right. And that Your people will be ushered into a glorious eternity forevermore. So strengthen Your people, even as we go through the hardships of life today.

Father, we pray that You will help us, each and every one of us, to be the true minister of Jesus Christ. May we not be sitting on our laurels. May we not be distracted from the mission. May we not be building our own empires. May we not be enjoying our lives to the neglect of the Great Commission.

I pray Gospel Light today, even during COVID times, we will drink in the Gospel, so that we might live out the Gospel in godliness, and then give out the Gospel. Help us all to be missional. Help this church to labor for what really matters.

Again, please save souls this morning as well. May all our listeners consider the Gospel. May they repent and believe in Your Son. For this we will be grateful, we give thanks, and we ask all this now, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

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