Genesis 24:11

Vs.11- “And he made his camels to kneel down without the city”- Camels were taught to kneel down for two reasons.  1.)  To unload their burden.  2.)  To rest from a long journey.  It has been stated that camels do not kneel down naturally.  John Gill in his commentary on this verse says, “It seems that this is what is not natural to them, but what they are learned to do: it is said (r),"as soon as a camel is born they tie his four feet under his belly, put a carpet over his back, and stones upon the borders of it, that he may not be able to rise for twenty days together; thus they teach him the habit of bending his knees to rest himself, or when he is to be loaded or unloaded.''  The camels were made to kneel so that they could rest.  They took their rest ‘without the city’ meaning right at the entrance of the city of Nahor.   

“by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.”-This was not just a random spot chosen by the head servant of Abraham.  There was a strategy involved here.  There was a certain time of day that the women would all come to the well to draw out water.  If your task is to find a wife for your Master’s son then it would seem like common sense to go to where the women are.  The women, after working all day, would travel to the well, some of them great distances, to draw water out of the well for the needs of their families.  Abraham’s servant had two practical goals in mind.  1.)  He had been on a long journey and he, the men with him, and the camels were all probably thirsty and needed something to drink.  2.)  He knew the custom of the land and knew that if he was going to meet a woman from Abraham’s family then this was the best way to do it. 

 

One-Line Explanation:  Abraham’s servant rests outside the city by a well to wait for the women of the city. 

 

Lesson:  1.)  Camels, apparently, do not kneel naturally.  They have to be broken before they will kneel.  Mankind is depraved and does not love or seek after God.  The natural man wants nothing to do with the things of God and does not wish to kneel before the King of Kings.  A man will not kneel naturally, he must be broken.  God brings a lost person to the place of brokenness and conviction over his sin to cause him to kneel and call upon the Saviour for mercy.  God also breaks the Christian over and over again to rid him of pride and cause him/her to kneel in humility before their King.  When Jesus fed the 5,000 with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish, He first broke the bread before he multiplied it.  God has to break us like we break animals before he can really use us.  2.)  God will do His part, but you must do your part.  Many individuals have this idea that God will just bring things to pass for them without any effort on their part.  For example, I went to college with guys that were praying for God to give them a godly wife, but they never spoke to any of the young ladies at the Bible College.  There are pastors that sit in their office all day and pray for God to let them see somebody saved, but they never go out give out the Gospel.  You can’t catch any fish if your hook isn’t in the water!  Even when Jesus did a miracle and caused Peter’s net to brake; Peter still had to throw the net in the water!  Joshua trusted God to deliver Jericho, but they still had to do their part and march around the walls.  God is the one who fights our battles, but we must be faithful to do what He told us to do.  Paul said, “Some plant, some water, but God gives the increase.”  It is still our responsibility to plant and water.  God is the one who causes plants to grow, but I can put a seed in the ground, fertilize it, and water it.  I can do my part.  If I don’t put a seed in the ground then a plant will not grow.  As a pastor, I have learned that I cannot build a true New Testament Church, but I can be faithful.  Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  He also said that we were to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  We are commissioned to go, win, baptize, and teach.  If we will do our part, then God will do His part and build the church.  I do what I can and trust God to do what I cannot.  The servant of Abraham was trusting in God to work on the heart of a young lady so that she would follow him back to Canaan and marry Isaac.  However, he did everything that he could possibly do on his end.  He made sure that he was in a good spot to meet the young women of the city.  When we go out, commissioned as servants of God, we must knock on doors, give out tracts, and confront people in our everyday lives with the Gospel.  We cannot save anybody and we cannot change anyone’s heart; we simply do all that we can do and trust God to do the rest.