Reflections on the Chief Servant
Good Help is Hard to Be
Genesis 24.1 - .67
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. 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, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
Genesis chapter 24 contains a very interesting and important story about being a servant. In this story Abraham’s most trusted servant is sent on an important mission. The servant is told his task and is then allowed to go carry it out. Abraham does not micro-manage the servant. Abraham trusts this servant to do what needs to be done to complete the mission.
The servant lives up to the task. First he takes ten camels with all kinds of good things. Then the servant prays for guidance. When the servant finds the Rebekah he does not allow her family to detain him. Finally he arrives at Isaacs with Rebekah and they are married.
Interesting to note that the servant is never named nor is he ever thanked for doing what he was told to do. Why is that? This man was a servant and when the master gives a command the servant fulfills that command.
In many of his letters the apostle Paul describes himself, his companions and us as servants of the LORD Jesus Christ. The word servant that Paul uses and the word in Genesis 24 means slave. By our confession of faith we are slaves of the LORD Jesus Christ. He is our master. Our master has given us two commands; (1) Love the LORD with all your heart, soul and mind, and (2) Love your neighbor as yourself. It is up to us, as good slaves, to fulfill our masters commands. We should do this not expecting any reward or congratulations but because we are good slaves of the best MASTER.
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