He Has Led Me: A Steadfast Love Story
Download MP3Good morning. Good morning. Yeah. Happy Groundhog Day, happy Super Bowl, happy baby dedication. It's a special thing when they all 3 converge.
Jeffrey Heine:But it's lovely to be with you all. We're gonna be in Genesis chapter 24 this morning. Genesis 24. It's fitting that after last Sunday's sermon, which focused on living lives dependent on the guidance of the Lord, the spirit leading us, and also following our 24 hours of prayer that we held across the street at 4th and Spring, that we would look at this story in Genesis chapter 24. It's a story.
Jeffrey Heine:It's actually in chapter 24, a story that's told, the same story a couple of times, told and retold again, 67 verses. I'm not about to read all of them. But it's a story about God's steadfast, loving guidance of his people. And to, root ourselves before we get into Genesis chapter 24, to begin our time together in God's word, I'd like for us to start with a reading from Psalm 36. It's in your worship guides.
Jeffrey Heine:Psalm 36, a Psalm of David. Psalm 36. And let us listen carefully, for this is God's word. How precious is your steadfast love, oh God. The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Jeffrey Heine:They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of light. In your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you and your righteousness to the upright of heart. This is the word of the Lord.
Jeffrey Heine:Thanks be to God. Let's pray. Father, you know each and every one of us better than we know ourselves. And whether we know it or not or believe it or not, in Christ, you have set your love upon us. And I pray that in this time, you would open up our ears and our eyes and our hearts and our minds to receive you, that we might know you, and in knowing you, love you, and in loving you, obey you.
Jeffrey Heine:That you would transform us and take us from death to life, that you would transfer us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of your son. So, Lord, we ask that you would speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. Pray these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. I want to tell you a story about a man telling a story.
Jeffrey Heine:But first, I need to tell you about this man who will tell this story. His name is Eliezer. He's traveled to a foreign land nearly 600 miles away from where he lives. He is a servant in a place called Canaan. Eleazar has traveled for nearly a month on camelback to reach a land of his master's family, a city called Haran.
Jeffrey Heine:Eliezer does not know this land nor does he know the people, but he was sent by his master on a mission. Eleazar was the oldest servant in his master's household. And his master was old, very old, and was also very blessed by God. Eliezer was in charge of everything that belonged to the master. 3 years ago, the master's wife died, and the master knew that his time of passing on would come soon.
Jeffrey Heine:Eliezer, his master had one son, one heir. He was almost 30 years old, and the son was absolutely shattered by the death of his mother. So much so that for the past 3 years, he has been inconsolable. The old man knew that he must ensure that the inheritance of all that he had and all that he had been promised would be passed down to his son, and that his son too would one day pass on that inheritance to his own children. It was critical that this would happen because the old man had made a promise.
Jeffrey Heine:He'd enter into a covenant. The matriarch of the family was now gone. The master of the household was nearing death. So the most trusted servant, Eleazar, was called upon to take an oath and set off for the land of Haran. Now to the story the man is going to tell.
Jeffrey Heine:Eleazar is standing before his master's family in Haran, gathered in their home. They have prepared a feast. A celebration is about to take place. But the man, Eleazar, stops them. He will not eat the feast.
Jeffrey Heine:He will not drink the wine. He will not rest his feet until he tells them this story. Eleazar says, I will not eat until I have said what I have to say. So they say to him, speak on. And so Eleazar begins his story saying, I am Abraham's servant.
Jeffrey Heine:The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great just as God had promised him. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, camels and donkeys. And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him, he has given all that he has. My master made me take an oath. He said, you shall not take a wife for my son, Isaac, from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, but you shall go to my father's house, to my clan, and take a wife for my son.
Jeffrey Heine:But I was worried and anxious. So I said to my master, perhaps this woman will not follow me. But Abraham said to me, the Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. When you come to my clan, then you will be free from my oath.
Jeffrey Heine:And if she will not go with you, you will be free from my oath. So I traveled day and night, 550 miles to the city of my master's family. Today, I came to the spring, and I prayed in my heart, oh, Lord, the God of my master Abraham, If now you are prospering the way that I go, behold, I'm standing by the spring of water. Let the young woman who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, 'Please, give me a little water from your jar to drink.' and who will say to me, drink, and I will draw for your camels also. Oh, God, let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.
Jeffrey Heine:And before I had even finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebecca came out with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and she drew the water. I said to her, please let me drink. She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, drink, and I will give your camels drink also. So I drink, and she gave the camels drink also.
Jeffrey Heine:And then I asked her, whose daughter are you? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. So I gave her golden rings and bracelets for her arm. The young woman ran and told her mother's household about all of these things. And then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
Jeffrey Heine:Now then, if you're going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master Abraham, tell me. And if you're not going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me that I might know if I should turn to my right or to my left. And with that question, Eliezer ends his story, and he waits. Why do you think it was so important for Eliezer to tell this story right away? I suppose it's because Eliezer wasn't a great or powerful man himself.
Jeffrey Heine:He didn't come with force to demand Rebekah. He came 550 miles with just two promises. The first promise was a promise that he made to Abraham. He had promised an oath to Abraham that he would go to Haran and try try to find a wife for Isaac. And with that promise, Eleazar himself was quite skeptical that the plan would actually work.
Jeffrey Heine:His initial response to Abraham was, what if I find Isaac a wife, but she won't come with me? What if she refuses? What if I come back alone? Eliezer did not want to go swearing an oath on a fool's errand. But Eleazar had a second promise too.
Jeffrey Heine:That one was the covenant promise from the Lord. It was the promise from God that he himself would establish and bless the offspring of Abraham and Isaac. And in that covenant promise, God had committed his steadfast, loyal love to Isaac. So with those two promises in hand, his promise to Abraham and God's promise to Isaac, Eleazar finishes telling his story to the family, and he asks, if you are going to show steadfast, loyal love and faithfulness to my master, tell me, and tell me if you're not going to, so I can know what to do next. The father of Rebekah answered Eliezer and said, this has come from the Lord.
Jeffrey Heine:We cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebecca is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son as the Lord has spoken. Rebekah's father was so overwhelmed and so convinced that this was the work of the Lord, that he was leading and guiding Eleazar to them. That he says, truly, this is from God, and I have no place judging what comes from God.
Jeffrey Heine:When Eleazar heard these words, he laid down on the ground and he bowed to the earth before the Lord, and he worshiped. Picture this old man so overwhelmed by the guidance and provision from the lord. Imagine him so taken aback by God's blessing that he just lays down on the ground and worships. He gives no mind to what these people might think of him. These people who had previously given him so much anxiety and doubt about the whole adventure.
Jeffrey Heine:He ignores them and lays down on the ground and worships the Lord. Eliezer gets up and he brings more jewelry and silver and gold and fine garments out, and he gives them all to Rebekah. He also gives her brother and her mother costly gifts. And then, only then, Eliezer and all the men with the family sit down. They eat, and they drink, and they spend the night in Haran.
Jeffrey Heine:The next morning, Eliezer went to Rebekah's brother and her mother and asked if they could begin the journey back to Abraham and Isaac that day, saying, send me away that I may go back to my master in Canaan. But Rebecca's brother and her mother said, let Rebecca remain with us a little while, at least 10 days. After that, she may go. But Eleazar was so anxious to complete his mission, he said to them, do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.
Jeffrey Heine:And so they said, let us call Rebekah over and ask her what she desires to do. Seems about time. I feel like that's a good good idea to ask. Just saying. They called Rebecca over.
Jeffrey Heine:They said to her, will you now go with Eleazar to travel to Canaan to marry Isaac? And Rebecca responded, Yes. I will go. So they sent off Rebecca, their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, Eliezer, and his men. But before she left, Rebekah's family gathered around her and prayed a blessing, saying to her, our sister, may you become 1,000 of 10 1,000, and may your he We read of it in Genesis chapter 22 verse 17, where God promises, I will surely bless you and will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
Jeffrey Heine:Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the men for 3 weeks until they reached the Negeb where Isaac was living. It was nearing evening, and Isaac went out into the field to meditate. Sitting in the field, he lifted up his eyes, and he saw in the distance that there were camels coming. Likewise, Rebekah lifted up her eyes. And when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel, I'm sure graciously, and asked, how else do you get off of a camel?
Jeffrey Heine:And she asked Eleazar, who is that man that is walking up to meet us? Eleazar said, 'that is my master.' So Rebecca took her veil and covered herself as was the custom of the betrothed. Eleazar, full of joy and worship, rushes to tell Isaac the story. He tells him the story of all the things that had happened over the past 2 months and journeying and following the Lord's guidance. And when Eleazar was done telling the story, Isaac walked over to Rebekah.
Jeffrey Heine:He took her by the hand, and he brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, And Rebekah became his wife. The Scripture says that Isaac fell in love with Rebekah and that she comforted and consoled him. And that's how the story ends. Now there are some pivotal things that happened in pretty quick succession there in that last scene. I I don't want us to miss them.
Jeffrey Heine:The reason that Isaac took Rebecca into the tent of his late mother, Sarah, was because Rebekah was taking over the position as matriarch of the family. And did you catch the change that happened with the servant speaking of Isaac? When Rebekah spots Isaac in the field and asks who it is, every other time, Eliezer uses the term master to refer to Abraham. But now he calls Isaac his master. Because now that Rebekah is here, and Isaac and Rebekah, they will take their place as the patriarch and the matriarch of the clan, the covenant people of God.
Jeffrey Heine:We've already seen her character displayed and demonstrated in the story. When Eliezer first meets Rebekah at the well. While it might appear that the servant's prayer was just superstition, asking for some special sign to figure out how to spot the would be bride of Isaac. That's not exactly what's happening. The servant wasn't simply looking for signs.
Jeffrey Heine:He was praying for a demonstration of character. The servant's prayer is, Lord, help me to know who you have chosen. Help me to understand rightly. May the one who shows hospitality and self sacrifice be the one you have chosen, Lord. And Rebecca did have that character.
Jeffrey Heine:She was hospitable, kindhearted, and she consoled the inconsolable Isaac. Rebekah would later live out the prayers of her family. She would one day become the mother of 1,000 and 10,000. One day, her offspring would possess the gate of those who hate him. In fact, the gates of her offspring's enemies would not be strong enough to refuse him.
Jeffrey Heine:The gates of hell would not prevail against his strength. He would crush his enemies' gates, and he would ransom the children of God from the tyranny of that enemy. You see, throughout this story, Eleazar wasn't simply finding a spouse for Isaac. Yes. That was his task, but ultimately, he was presuming upon the faithfulness of God to be true to his covenant promises.
Jeffrey Heine:He was counting on God to guide him and provide for him. Since the fall, which we read about in Genesis chapter 3, when humanity distrusted God and sin and death came crashing into humanity, the story of Genesis, since that point, has been centered on humanity learning to trust what God says. We have seen these lessons chapter after chapter. Noah building the ark, Abraham and Sarah leaving their homeland for the promised land, the binding of Isaac in the mounts of Moriah. All these stories are little Garden of Eden moments of choosing to either trust or distrust what God has said.
Jeffrey Heine:And throughout the story of Eliezer, God was proving time and again that his covenant promises were established in his steadfast love. I'm sure some of you know the Hebrew word for that steadfast love, hesed, h e s e d for our transliteration. Hesed. It's used 248 times in the Hebrew bible, 11 times in Genesis, and 4 times here in Genesis 24. This steadfast, loyal love comes up repeatedly.
Jeffrey Heine:Has said, when it's used in the context of God, is not simply a general grace, kindness, or favor. It's describing a relationship, a covenantal relationship. Hesed is a relational, loyal, kindness that can be expected, even presumed. Since the fall, the people of God, those men and women to whom God has made promises, they have been learning to trust in the promises of the Lord. They have been learning to presume that God will always be loyal in his steadfast love.
Jeffrey Heine:Presuming upon the hesed of God is not the same as presuming with the intent to sin. I wanna separate those two things out. Presuming upon his love and presuming upon his love with the intent to sin are very different things. There's a carelessness that says, because God loves me, I can do whatever I want. That Jesus still loves me free pass to sin does not exist.
Jeffrey Heine:That's not in the scriptures. That is presuming upon God's grace with the purpose, the aim to sin. And in Romans chapter 2 verse 4, we read, do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? The kindness of God is not the freedom to disobey and disregard him. It's the freedom to return to him time and again knowing that he will always receive you.
Jeffrey Heine:I know this might sound complicated, but I want to be clear. We must not presume forgiveness with the aim to choose sin. That cheapens the grace of God. At the same time, we must presume that all of God's promises are certain and sure in his steadfast love, and that makes much of the grace of God. Saying, I know that he still loves me, I can do what I want, cheapens and perverts and abuses the grace of God.
Jeffrey Heine:Yes. He still loves you. Yes. He forgives you. Yes.
Jeffrey Heine:He restores you. But that is so you don't have to be a slave to whatever you want anymore. Because God made covenant promises to his children, we can presume our covenant relationship with him. We can know for certain that he will never fail in his mission of rescuing and redeeming his people. Because of his covenant promises, we can presume upon the hesed, the the steadfast, never ending love of God, which means because of Jesus, you can expect his promised love every day.
Jeffrey Heine:Earlier, we read from Psalm 36, the Psalm of king David. King David is overwhelmed, delighting in the hesed, the steadfast love of the Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, oh God. The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
Jeffrey Heine:For with you is the fountain of life. In your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you and your righteousness to the upright of heart. King David knows through struggle and pain, through failure and success, that there's nothing greater in all of life than the steadfast love of God. In fact, in Psalm 63, he says, your hesed, your steadfast love is better than life itself.
Jeffrey Heine:The story of Eleazar is a story of the steadfast love of God. Because Eleazar has seen the greatness of this love, and he has a story to tell over and over and over. He cannot help but repeat what he has seen with his own eyes. He has beheld the steadfast love of God, and it is sweeter and more amazing than life itself. We use this kind of language in Christian marriage ceremonies.
Jeffrey Heine:We speak of covenant love, the love that says, I'm committed to you no matter what happens tomorrow, sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, till death do us part. Do you know that kind of love from God? Have you seen this love? Not just a general kindness of God, but the covenant love of God. Have you seen him show this kind of love to you?
Jeffrey Heine:Love that says, I'm not going anywhere. Love that digs in its heels and refuses to let you go. We see God's steadfast love displayed for us in making us his children. We know his love because Christ laid down his life for us. And the love of God is made visible, was made manifest among us when he sent his only son into the world that we might live through him.
Jeffrey Heine:The evidence of the steadfast love of God comes not from our love of God, but his love for us. The evidence of his hesed love is that he sent his only son to be the payment for our sins. Eleazar delighted in seeing the steadfast, loyal love of God made manifest in his guidance and provision of Rebekah. He couldn't stop telling the story of God's faithfulness. Each one of us here today, we all have the opportunity to delight in the steadfast, loyal love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ.
Jeffrey Heine:Each one of you has a story to tell of the relentless love of God. So do you know that story? Do you know this God and his love? Because you can. There's so many things not in the Bible.
Jeffrey Heine:Why do you think there's such an extensive retelling of how Isaac meets Rebekah? Why so much real estate of the Bible given to this little story, where God doesn't speak, no miracles happen, no particular instruction is being explained to God's people? Why 67 verses about a servant finding a wife for his master's son? I think it's because it's it's not primarily a story about finding a wife for Isaac, but it is a love story, perhaps not the kind we might think at first. It's a hesed steadfast love story, a covenant love story about a God who refuses to give up on his people, who lovingly and resolutely guides his people of promise.
Jeffrey Heine:I grew up in a small town in western Kentucky. It has one of those classic old downtown districts. This long one way street, Broadway, runs for a straight shot for about 3 miles until it stops at the Ohio River. Local legend was that if you went at just the right speed and got the timing just right, you could hit all green lights all the way down Broadway. And I remember when I turned 16 driving my blue Volkswagen Bug and trying to get the timing perfect to make it all the way down Broadway.
Jeffrey Heine:No stopping, no breaking, just rolling straight through unhindered. That's what it looks like for Eliezer on his mission. He hits all green lights. Eliezer fulfills his oath to Abraham. God fulfills his covenant promises to Abraham.
Jeffrey Heine:God fulfills Eleazar's prayer. Rebekah fulfills Eleazar's hopes. Isaac fulfills Abraham's role as the master of the clan. Rebecca fulfills Sarah's role as the matriarch. And in the end, Isaac falls in love with Rebecca.
Jeffrey Heine:Eliezer hits green lights all the way down. But keep in mind, it won't always be like this, Not for the rest of Genesis, nor for the people of God today. But this time, this one time, it was. And we get a picture of God's hesed steadfast loyal love. Like all pivotal moments that we've seen in the Bible, in particular, the when the offspring of Adam and Eve proved that they had inherited the brokenness of sin as Cain kills Abel.
Jeffrey Heine:Here, we see that the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, has indeed inherited the covenant promises and the covenant faithfulness of God. This isn't, firstly, the love story of Isaac and Rebekah. This isn't the meet cute story of their love. It is the love story of God and his covenant people. That is also why we can't just transpose what happens in this story into our own lives as some normative story of how God works in dating and marriage.
Jeffrey Heine:It's just not about that. Because this is not simply a story about a character of the Bible finding a spouse. It's a covenant love story. And while we can't transpose this story into our own lives when it comes to expecting everything to always fall perfectly into place according to what we think perfectly into place would be. We can and must see that our lives are connected to these same promises, this same steadfast love, and this same God who is with us and guiding us in his love today.
Jeffrey Heine:Like Eleazar, we need the Lord to teach us how to see the steadfast love of God at work around us and in us. The 20th century monk Thomas Merton once said, a saint is not someone who is good, but someone who has experienced the goodness of God. Genesis 24 is the story of someone experiencing the goodness of God, experiencing God's covenant faithfulness. And it is a shadow, a shade of the ultimate goodness each of us are to experience in Christ Jesus. Because we too have a story to tell, the story of God's steadfast and loyal love.
Jeffrey Heine:And in the the words of Brennan Manning, we cannot be travel agents handing out brochures for lands we have never been to. We only have the story to tell of God's faithfulness and steadfast love if we have experienced His faithfulness and His steadfast love. It isn't enough just to hear the stories of other people, to read them in books. We must live these stories. And as we live these stories, like Eleazar, we are overwhelmed and driven to worship, crying out, blessed be the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love nor his faithfulness.
Jeffrey Heine:Let's pray. Holy Father, we come before you asking that you would meet with us by your Spirit, that you would help us to respond with all that we are to all that you are. Lord, I pray for those men and women perhaps today who do not know you. Spirit, would you awaken their hearts? Would you move, empower to bring life?
Jeffrey Heine:Lord, I pray for the men and women who have walked with you for many years. Lord, would you give them just a glimpse of what it means to cross over from death to life? Would you give them a glimpse of what you have done in Christ Jesus for them? Would you renew in us the joy of our salvation, and would you embolden us to tell the story wherever we may go. We pray these things in the name of Christ our King.
Jeffrey Heine:Amen.
