Abraham’s chief servant
In the course of time, after Sarah had died and Abraham was now advanced in age, Abraham decided to provide a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham entrusted this job to his most valued servant and made him swear to the conditions. Abraham told him to get Isaac a wife from his relatives and not from the Canaanites. If the woman the servant finds is not compliant to the arrangement the servant was released from that part of the oath. The servant is not to allow Isaac under any circumstance to return to the land of Abraham’s family. Abraham steps out in faith and declares to his servant, GEN 24:7 "The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. We have no evidence that God directed Abraham to declare that this angel will go before the servant but Abraham by faith makes the declaration on his own. Some may say Abraham presumed on God by making that declaration. I believe Abraham’s relationship with God was such that he just believed God would fulfill his desire. We have the same right to believe God to perform for us. JOH 14:14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. So the servant sets out to return to Abraham’s family under oath to get Isaac a wife.
The servant as Abraham’s representative goes to Nahor which is in Mesopotamia and stops at the well around the time when the women come out to gather water. This representative of Abraham defines the conditions for God to work within. GEN 24:12 And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. v13 "Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; v14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say,' Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers,' Drink, and I will water your camels also';‑‑ may she be the one whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and by this I shall know that Thou hast shown lovingkindness to my master. " The servant decided that if the girl gave him a drink and offered to get water for his camels that this would be evidence of God’s selection. He could have just as easily dictated different conditions which pointed to God’s choice but these were his expectations. Right after he prayed, Rebekah came out to the well and fulfilled the very prayer he prayed.
Rebekah not only gave this servant of Abraham a drink but also watered his camels (all ten of them) until they were filled. We can see how Abraham’s authority covered this servant in bringing about the fulfillment of Abraham’s request. As Rebekah watered the camels the scriptures states, GEN 24:21 Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. God had provided for this servant exactly what he asked for and he is wondering if this is the girl. I’m sure the servant was hoping that this girl was one of Abraham’s relatives. He failed to ask God to fulfill this aspect of Abraham’s request and yet God knew what was required. We know this was a requirement because when the servant retells the story to Rebekah’s family the servant states Abraham said, GEN 24:40 "...'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father's house.” So Abraham’s faith and authority not only covered his servant but the decisions that the servant made. Not only did this situation bless Abraham and Isaac but set the stage for the time Jacob would run from Esau back to Laban, Rebekah’s brother.
