Vs.49- “And now if ye will
deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me:”- The servant, addressing
the whole family, but Bethuel and Laban in particular, says in essence, “Let me
know at once if you will do this kindness and favor for my master Abraham.” He has stated his business and reason for
being there and now wants to know what their decision is on this matter. He asks if they will deal kingly and truly
with Abraham. The servant is not
intimating that if they refuse to give Rebekah in marriage that they are being
false and unkind. By asking if they will
deal kindly with Abraham, he is asking if they will do this kindness and
special favor for his master. The Hebrew
word, אמת ('emeth), which translates ‘truly’ means
‘stability; figuratively certainty,
truth, trustworthiness: - assured (-ly), establishment, faithful,
right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.’ By asking if they will
deal truly with his master, he is asking if he will give Abraham stability,
certainty, and a promise that can be trusted concerning the issue of finding a
wife for Isaac. For example, if a wife
is said to be dealing truly with her husband then she is a wife who has
established trust, certainty, and stability in the marriage.
“and if not, tell me: that I may turn to the right hand, or to the
left.”-
The servant then says, “If you are not going to give Rebekah to Isaac in
marriage then tell me so I can know which direction to go from here.” The servant has now given the message and the
decision rests on the shoulder of the family.
The servant needed an answer so that he could know what step to take
next in his endeavor. This expression ‘turn
to the right hand, or to the left’ can mean one of two things. 1.) If
they said no, then he would seek out another woman of the kindred of
Abraham. There were other options beside
Rebekah. 2.) If they said no, the servant would return to
Abraham and be loosed from his oath.
One-Line Explanation- The servant seeks an answer to his
proposal concerning Rebekah.
Lesson: 1.) Seeking a response. The servant has come to the family and told
them of his master’s desire to call out a bride for his son. The servant now brings them to a point of
decision. He says, “If ye will, tell me:
and if not, tell me.” The Holy Spirit,
likewise, comes to us with the message of salvation from the Father. The Spirit tells us that it is God’s desire
to make us a part of the bride of Christ.
We are brought to a point of decision.
Will we accept the Son’s proposal or will we deny the Son of God? God is in the business of bringing people to
a point of decision. We too, as
co-laborers with Christ, ought to be in the business of bringing people to a
point of decision. It is our job as
soul-winners to give out the Gospel and then shift the burden onto the listener
and tell them of their need to make a decision concerning Christ. 2.) ‘Deal
kindly and truly with my master.’ If
Rebekah and her family accepted the proposal made then they were said to be
dealing kindly and truly with the master.
They would be showing him kindness and establishing a contract of trust
and surety. It is God that shows us
kindness and establishes surety of eternal life at the point of salvation. However, I would venture to say that the
greatest kindness man can do for God is to accept the love gift of
salvation. God receives glory and
rejoices when a sinner comes to Christ for salvation. When we put our trust in Christ, we then
become established and sure that death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Rom.8:38-39). 3.) ‘That I may turn to the right hand or to the
left.’ The decision of the family determined
the direction of the servant. He wanted
to know their answer so that he could determine the next course of action to be
taken. A.) Concerning salvation. The decision you make when the Spirit of God
convicts you about your need of a Saviour will determine the direction of the
Spirit. God’s Spirit will not always
strive with man. You would do well to
accept Christ when the Spirit is dealing with you. The old hymn says, “While on others thou art
calling, do not pass me by.” To reject
the Spirit of God is a dangerous practice.
You are playing Russian roulette with your own soul. Your decision not only determines the
direction of the Spirit, but the direction of your soul. The Bible says in Matt.25:31-46 that the Lord
will separate the sheep from the goats. Matt.25:34- Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matt.25:41- Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels. You
will notice that the sheep on the right hand went to heaven and the goats on
the left hand went to hell. The two
categories are separated by what they did when the Spirit came with a proposal
to take the Son of God as their Saviour.
B.) Concerning service. Once a Christian is saved, it is to be their
daily lifestyle to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Whether or not you are an effective and
useful servant in the kingdom of God will depend on how you respond to the
leading of the Spirit in your life. The
Spirit will lead you to give out the Gospel, to reconcile with those you are at
odds with, to repent when you have sinned, and to give up worldly goods and
comforts for the sake of the kingdom.
Are you willing to follow the leading of the Spirit in your life? Let us determine to be Spirit-filled (Spirit
controlled) Christians.
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