Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”—Prov.

31:30.

“When a son has attained the age of twenty years, his father, if able, should marry him, and then take his hand and say, I have disciplined thee, and taught thee, and married thee; I now seek refuge with God from thy mischief in the present world and the next.”

This Mohammedan tradition expresses with tolerable accuracy the idea of the Eastern world, that a father has not discharged his responsibilities towards his son until he finds a wife for him.

Abraham no doubt fully recognised his duty in this respect, but he had allowed Isaac to pass the usual age.

He was thirty-seven at his mother’s death, forty when the events of this chapter occurred.

[See Gen. 25:20] ...the patience of Isaac was quite as remarkable as the faith of Abraham.

He was now forty years old, and if, as he had been told, the great aim of his life, the great service he was to render to the world, was bound up with the rearing of a family, he might with some reason be wondering why circumstances were so adverse to the fulfilment of this vocation.

Must he not have been tempted, as his father had been, to take matters into his own hand?

[Marcus Dods, “The Book of Genesis,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Genesis to Ruth, ed.

W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 1, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 64-65.]

Patience brings God's good gifts (James 1); and sometimes God uses His servants in seeing that good gift delivered.

Main Thought:

God knows the end from the beginning, so you're not responsible for that; but you are accountable for how you converse both WITH Him personally and ABOUT Him publicly along the journey.

Sub-Introduction:

Connecting Context:

In his covenant faithfulness, the Lord provides Rebekah as his “appointed” wife for Isaac in order to continue the line of the seed of the woman.

[Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Genesis: Foundations for Expository Sermons (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007), 233.]

Gen. 21 - Isaac Born; Ishmael Expelled.

Gen. 22 - Isaac Offered; Jehovah-Jireh.

Gen. 23 - Sarah Dies; Abraham & Isaac Mourn.

This chapter is complete in itself, and constitutes a perfect idyll.

Its colouring is Eastern and gorgeous, but it is nevertheless full of teaching concerning principles of action.

Its place in the history we are considering must not be overlooked, for that history forms a background, giving a true interpretation of the doings of the figures seen in the foreground.

[G.

Campbell Morgan, The Analyzed Bible: The Book of Genesis, vol. 9 (New York; Chicago; Toronto; London; Edinburgh: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1911), 153.]

Background/Intro Material:

THE connection of this chapter with the two which precede it is worthy of notice.

In chapter 22, the son is offered up; in chapter 23, Sarah is laid aside; and in chapter 24, the servant is sent forth to procure a bride for him who had been, as it were, received from the dead in a figure.

This connection, in a very striking manner, coincides with the order of events connected with the calling out of the Church.

Whether this coincidence is to be regarded as of divine origin, will, it may be, raise a question in the minds of some; but it must at least be regarded as not a little remarkable.

When we turn to the New Testament, the grand events which meet our view are, first, the rejection and death of Christ; secondly, the setting aside of Israel after the flesh; and, lastly, the calling out of the Church to occupy the high position of the bride of the Lamb.

Now all this exactly corresponds with the contents of this and the two preceding chapters.

The death of Christ needed to be an accomplished fact ere the Church, properly so called, could be called out.

“The middle wall of partition” needed to be broken down ere the “one new man” could be developed.

It is well to understand this in order that we may know the place which the Church occupies in the ways of God.

[C.

H. Mackintosh, Genesis to Deuteronomy: Notes on the Pentateuch.

(Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1972), 102.]

I.

The Servant's Commission (Gen.

24:1-9)

A. The Father's Foresight (Gen.

24:1-4)

Gen. 24:2 (c) (See also Gen. 15:2) If this eldest servant was named Eliezer, then he is a type of the Holy Spirit who was sent after a bride for Isaac.

Abraham represents the Father; Isaac the son representing the Lord Jesus; Eliezer represents the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is on earth gathering out from among the people a church, the bride of the Son.

He is now dealing with us, communing with us, giving us gifts, and leading us along the way until He brings us to the Son at the great marriage feast.

[Wilson, Walter L., A Dictionary of Bible Types (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999), 136-137).]

Genesis 24 contains a great doctrine, the doctrine of the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God.

In this chapter we see the Trinity of God at work together.

Abraham, as you recall, is a picture of the loving Father who withheld not His Own Son, but gave Him to die for us.

Isaac is the son, obedient to death, while Eliezer, the elder servant of Abraham, corresponds to the Holy Spirit, sent by the father after the death and resurrection of the son to bring home the bride.

In the opening verses of Genesis 24 we see a number of things foreshadowing the work of the Holy Spirit in this dispensation which positively identifies Eliezer as a picture of this Holy Spirit.

[M.

R. De Haan, Adventures in Faith: Studies in the Life of Abraham (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 175.]

Eliezer; or, The Spirit's Mission (Gen 24:2).

This old steward of the house of Abraham is a perfect type of the Holy Spirit.

1.

He had Authority in the House.

He looked after the domestic affairs of Abraham.

The Spirit is One with the Father and the Son.

He attended to the home affairs of this world (Gen 1:2).

2.

He was Sent by the Father.

"The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send" (Joh 14:26).

3.

He was Sent in the Name of the Son (Joh 14:26).

4.

He did not Speak of Himself (Gen 24:33).

5.

He Revealed the Things of Isaac (Gen 24:53; Joh 16:14).

6.

He Witnesses for his Master (Gen 24:35).

7.

He Guides all the Way Home (Gen 24:61).

"The Comforter may abide with you for ever" (Joh 14:16).

[Dr.

James Smith and Robert Lee, Handfuls on Purpose: For Christian Workers and Bible Students, n.d., Ge 24.]

B. The Father's Faith (Gen.

24:5-8)

C. The Servant's Vow (Gen.

24:9)

Application:

Believers have the responsibility of ensuring that God’s program continues to the next generation (1–9).

[Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 418.]

We too have been commissioned by the Lord as New Testament believers.

That Great Commission originated with our Heavenly Father, and was given through Jesus Christ the Son to His Bride, the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth.

As members of the Lord's Body, His Temple, the Temple of the Holy Ghost, each of us has a task to teach others about Jesus, and help them know what the Bible says about Baptism, and get them in the Word of God to be discipled.

Transition:

We've seen the Servant's Commission; now consider:

II.

The Servant's Commitment (Gen.

24:10-27)

A. The Prayer of the Servant (Gen.

24:10-14)

1.

His Arrival at the Place of Provision (Gen.

24:10-11)

2. His Prayer for Prosperity (Gen.

24:12-14)

It is our privilege to talk with God about everything in life.

[F.

B. Meyer, Abraham: Or, The Obedience of Faith, Old Testament Heroes (New York; Chicago: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.), 192.]

B. The Providence of the LORD (Gen.

24:15-25)

1. Arrival of Rebekah (Gen.

24:15-21)

2. Answer to Prayer (Gen.

24:22-25)

It is our wisdom to follow providence, but folly to force it.

By earnest human effort Eliezer makes his appointments, and these are not only recognised by God, but become also discoveries of the Divine mind.

[Oswald Chambers, Not Knowing Where (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1996).]

C. The Praise of the Servant (Gen.

24:26-27)

Application:

Believers may be confident that the Lord will lead them in their faithful activities (10–27).

[Ross, 419.]

God is sovereign.

His will shall be accomplished.