Saved by Grace - Class Notes

Genesis 24:10-12 (ESV)

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.
11 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.
12 And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.

1.) What can we tell about Abraham’s servant in these verses?

He had faith in God and understood there was a difference between the God Abraham worshipped and the other gods worshipped in the land.

2.) What was the servant’s prayer? What can we learn from this prayer?

He prayed for success in his task and asked for this success to be based on God’s faithfulness. Our daily prayer should include asking for God’s faithfulness to be revealed to us each day.

Genesis 24:13-14 (ESV)
13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."

3.) Why did the servant ask God to show him Isaac’s wife using this scenario?

It was common in this time to ask the gods for a yes-no answer using this “oracle” approach. The condition on the requests that the woman would also offer to water the camels added proof that God had delivered an answer if the condition was met.


4.) Is this prayer from the servant one we should model? Why or Why not?

This is probably not the ideal way to seek out God’s will. It borders on putting God to the test and we are not to do that. What if neither condition we lay down is God’s will? It can be walking by sight instead of walking by faith. Instead, we need to draw closer to God so we can hear and understand His Holy Spirit within us, whom the servant did not have.

Genesis 24:15-16 (ESV)
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.
16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

5.) How did God respond to the servant’s prayer?

God honored the servant’s prayer. In fact he answered it before the servant could even finish. The servant was searching to do God’s will. If we sincerely search for God’s will he will reveal it to us.

Genesis 24:17-21 (ESV)
17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar."
18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking."
20 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.
21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

6.) What do we know about Rebekah from these verses?

She was beautiful. She was kind (allowing him to drink and offering to water the camels), she was a hard worker (fetching the water for the family) and most importantly she was God’s chosen bride for Isaac.

7.) What would have happened if Rebekah had not offered to water the camels? Are there any life application lessons here?

The servant would have missed that Rebekah was the chosen bride for Isaac. Even if later God revealed this to the servant, the servant’s prayer and testimony would have not been the same. The servant’s faith may have been damaged.

Offering to water the camels was above and beyond what would have been expected. Each camel could potentially drink 25 gallons of water while the jar used to carry the water would probably hold 3 gallons at the most.

We often server others by doing what is expected but not doing more that what is expected. What opportunities of faith building are we missing by not going above and beyond to serve others?

8.) How did the servant act while he waited to find out if Rebekah was the one?

He was silent and watched. How often do we try to influence events based on our prejudices rather than waiting on God to reveal His will?

Read Genesis 24:22-67

9.) What was Rebekah’s reaction when she heard the servant’s story? How do we react when we hear a story of how God has worked in someone’s life?

Rebekah ran to tell her family. Do we run to tell others about what God has done?


10.) Why did the servant insist on explaining his purpose before eating?

He had a mission and a calling which God had just confirmed as being a divine mission by answering his prayer so directly.

11.) How easily are we distracted for God’s work in our lives?

Class discussion.

12.) Why do you suppose Rebekah agreed to leave right away with a stranger to marry a man she never met?

Class discussion.

13.) What is telling about Isaac at the end of this chapter?

He had taken Abraham’s faith and was a man of prayer.