It is evident that Abraham had many servants. He was able to mount an effective war party of 318 trained men to rescue Lot, Gen. 14. In Genesis chapter 15, his senior steward was one, Eliezer of Damascus. But in chapter 24, verse 2, ‘his eldest servant’ remains unnamed. We shall leave him unnamed as the Scripture does, no doubt for a purpose.
In order that a suitable bride be found for the son, there were three necessary components: the will of the father in desiring a bride for his son; the work of the unnamed servant in making the long journey to woo the bride; and the patient waiting of the unseen bridegroom until the wedding day. One would be hard pressed not to see in this drama a dress rehearsal for the One introduced to us in Matthew chapter 1 as ‘the son of Abraham’.
Abraham’s servant, suitably provided with the earnest of the inheritance, v. 53, made the 400-mile journey to find a bride for his master’s son. She would show her suitability by willingness and diligence. He would ask the woman at the well for a drink, taking the initiative; see John 4. 7.
She had to make three responses. She must be willing to stoop and draw from the well. And, to the servant’s delight, she did! In fact, he ran to meet her, v. 17, and she ran to do his bidding, v. 20. The second response must be a willingness to receive the messenger. And so it was: ‘She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in’, Gen. 24. 25. She also must be willing to leave all to follow him. When asked, ‘Wilt thou go with this man’, she responds simply, ‘I will go’, v. 58.
This unnamed servant delighted to speak well of his master and of the son who was heir of all things, vv. 34-36. He was a worshipper, rejoicing in the wonderful ways of God, vv. 26-27, 48, 52. He passed on the riches of which he was a steward, showing others the generosity of his master, vv. 22, 53. And he was in a hurry to finish the work entrusted to him, vv. 17, 56. So even if we cannot see in this servant an apt illustration of the Holy Spirit, surely we can benefit, as servants of God, from the exemplary behaviour of this good steward. Being thus ‘in the way’, the Lord led him.
