THE ELDEST SERVANT

Isaac and Rebekah came together in an, according to our modern, social conventions, unconventional way. Isaac, the son of Abraham, with whom God made an everlasting covenant: "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7), and Rebekah would become the parents of twins, specifically a son: Jacob. Jacob, whose name would be changed by God to "Israel" would be the patriarch of the twelve tribes that would become the House of Israel, and later the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Even more specifically, they would be (many generations removed) great-grandparents of Mary, through whom Jesus would come and fulfill God's promise to Abraham: "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:18)

The story of their marriage is sweet, though unconventional, for it was divinely planned by God. Wonder surrounds the story of

their family. for they would be crucial to the lineage through which our Messiah would arrive. Yet amidst all of the sweet wonder was a man, often overlooked, who was the instrument through which God arranged it. His name was Eliezer, and we have something important to learn from him. . 

• ELIEZER OF DAMASCAS

Abraham and Sarah are known for their decades-long infertility. Their initial inability to produce children was especially apparent in their historical context, when neighbors made it their personal business to dismay over, and discuss the social dilemma of a childless couple. Abraham and Sarah were a childless-couple, but they were also a wealthy couple.

God had blessed amply blessed them; they possessed land, livestock, provision and even jewelry abundant. It was the pride of a father to pass that down to his children as an inheritance, to keep the wealth in the family, and the family prominent. But Abraham had no children. He did however, have an heir: Eliezer. We learn from Genesis 15 that Eliezer was set to inherit Abraham's house and all it encompassed.

God changed Abraham's chosen heir, Eliezer, to Abraham's second-born son: Isaac. But we cannot neglect to acknowledge that Eliezer was considered worthy of Abraham's house, even if Abraham longed for a child to replace him as heir. Abraham trusted Eliezer from the beginning and continued to trust him at the end. 

• ELDEST SERVANT

When Abraham became elderly, and Sarah had died, it become important to him to ensure that Isaac was properly married. Abraham was too old to undertake the task himself so he chose Eliezer, his eldest and most trusted servant. Eliezer is referred to as Abraham's servant, but that word does not adequately describe his position in Abraham's house. Genesis 24 tells us that Eliezer "ruled over all that [Abraham] had." 

Not only had Abraham trusted Eliezer with the content and management of his entire, substantial household, he began a request concerning his precious Isaac, his long-prayed for child:

"And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Genesis 24:3-4

It was imperative to Abraham that Isaac be married to someone within the covenant, that is: of Abraham's family, because it was imperative to God that it be so. A wife outside-of-the-faith would derail Isaac, and any subsequent children, into the worship of false-gods and behavior below the bar God set generations back with Noah. 

So Eliezer promised Abraham that he would find a suitable wife for Isaac and set out on the journey. Eliezer then did a simple, but extraordinary thing: he prayed to God:

“O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Genesis 24:12

Eliezer prayed for Godspeed in his mission. He communicated God, he endeavored in God's will. And by doing so, we are reminded to do the same. As we undertake any task, we exemplify our love and faith in God when we include Him in it. It is imperative that we align our mission with God's will, so that our journey is undertaken with not only His permission, but also His presence and provision simultaneous with His plan.

Fluidity and success in any of our endeavors requires the inclusion of God. Eliezer understood that, and therefore be begin to understand why Abraham trusted him so much. He was a faithful man... faithful to Abraham but also, more importantly, to God. 

• GOD IS HELP

Eliezer's named means: God is help. And Eliezer understood that. So, instead of praying at the beginning of his journey and then omitting God from the situation, Eliezer continued to consult God. Eliezer prayed that God would assist him in identifying the right woman... and mid-prayer, Rebekah came along.

Rebekah arrived at the well where Eliezer prayed, and quickly, modestly, unwittingly demonstrated herself to be a beautiful, kind and hard-working woman. She was also, not-coincidentally, a suitable bride for Isaac as she was of Abraham's family. Rebekah gave Eliezer a pitcher of water to drink, which would have been much welcomed in a such a warm, dry region after a long travel. She then took it upon herself to give water to the camels Eliezer brought with him. 

Though Rebekah seemed a more-than-adequate choice, Eliezer remained loyal to Abraham and thus to God's plan. He ensured that Rebekah was of Abraham's family. And when he learned that she, officially, was Eliezer did another simple, extraordinary thing: he bowed down and worshiped the Lord. 

A lot of people readily pray to God when they begin a thing they desperately want to go well... but considerably less people remember to thank God when it actually does. Eliezer did so immediately:

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

Genesis 24:26-27

Our covenant with God is a relationship. Communication is crucial, and so is gratitude. In any relationship, it's important to acknowledge the effort of the other person involved; to love the character of the other person; and to include them in our lives. God is, metaphorically, our well of living water but we do not only draw from it/Him. We sit by it/Him. We spend time and thought with Him. We remember its/His faithful provision with gratitude when we contemplate the quenching of whatever thirst we had that God satisfied. 

• WHICH LED ME IN THE RIGHT WAY

Eliezer was led to and welcomed into Rebekah's family home. Upon arrival, Eliezer was received with great hospitality; his animals were taken care of and a small feast was laid before him. But before Eliezer would rest and eat, he remained focused on his divinely-led mission. He told the details of his mission from beginning to end, in full detail, and described the family Rebekah would potentially join. At the culmination of his presentation, Rebekah's family, and Rebekah herself, agreed.

Arrangements were made subsequent to Rebekah's willingness to marry Isaac, gifts were distributed. Abraham had sent Eliezer with provisional gifts for Isaac's bride and her family. They ate and then Eliezer expressed an intention to return directly to Abraham and Isaac. Again Eliezer exemplifies to us the concentrated faith we need to have (or at least need to strive to have) in all of our endeavors. 

When all was settled, Eliezer prayed and thanked God. Though God's presence is less tangible in this account, understand, as Eliezer understood, that He was present. He led and blessed the whole mission. Eliezer included God in it, and that is the only and precise reason for its success. The more attuned we are to God, the less we are hindered, delayed or even thwarted by distraction.

Eliezer could have easily spoiled his situation in Abraham's house by being untrustworthy or lazy. He could have easily failed his mission by not ensuring he acted in accordance with God's will. He could have lazily indulged in the prominence Abraham gave him, or the in the treatment Rebekah's family showed him. Instead he remained honest, faithful, and focused. He was specific to include God in each step of his way.

Remember that the covenant was established as an everlasting promise to perpetual generations, and to all the earth. That means the covenant was established between God and you. He promised to be your God. Within that title He is a Father, Counselor, Friend, Advocate, Guide, Haven and so much more. Therefore claim that promise, you are its heir! You are an heir to the inheritance of God. Act accordingly, through faith draw God's presence into your life; He will not leave but you must keep Him there. We do so by praying to Him before we begin something, consulting Him as we do it, and by thanking Him after it is accomplished. All throughout life. God is your help.

GOD IS MY LIGHT

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

What does light do? Illuminate, of course. As we walk in faith, God illuminates our path: His light provides love, direction and protection. But He also illuminates our path so that we can see when we have veered off of it.

As Romans 3:23 informs us (if were were not already aware) we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Indeed that statement  may seem obvious, but when we give conscious acknowledgement to that fact as individuals, we are more apt to do something about it. If we are going to occasionally sin and (let's be honest: almost consistently) fall short, we should know how to respond appropriately when we do. 

In scripture, even the most beloved of God and celebrated examples of faithfulness sinned and fell short. In 2 Samuel, that person was King David. It was the mistake of his life, an act of lust and cruelty: the murder of man for the possession of his wife. Premeditated murder might not be on conscience, but the emotions that led to it definitely are sometimes. We all have selfish moments, lustful moments, greedy moments and moments of vanity. We all act hastily at times, stubbornly, ignorantly, arrogantly. 

And so sometimes God's light is a revelation of an uglier part of ourselves, not to shame us, but to let us know, and to help us grow. David arranged for the death of a good man named Uriah, whose name means: "God is a light." When we look at the damage we have done with accountability we see ourselves in a different light; we perceive circumstances as they really are, objectively removed from the initial emotions that incited us to cause that damage.

• (2 Samuel 11:2-6) DAVID SINS AND FALLS SHORT 

And it came to pass in an evening-tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

2 Samuel 11:2

He was King. She was beautiful. He wanted her... but she was not his. 

It is reasonable to assume that the sheer power David was blessed with inadvertently caused in him a sense of entitlement.  God had blessed David mightily; he was made the sole leader of a wealthy, powerful and protected kingdom. As the sun set over his kingdom, David stood on his roof and observed all that was, essentially, his. But the woman bathing across the way was, certainly, not. But he was king, and she was beautiful. He wanted her, and so he arranged to make her his.

David ordered his messengers to bring Bathsheba to him, and when she arrived he slept with her. Afterward, she went home and soon discovered that she was pregnant with David's child. She knew that the child could not be her husband Uriah's because he was a soldier and subsequently absent from home and wife. 

When Bathsheba returned to David to tell him of the pregnancy, David ordered his soldiers to bring Uriah to him. Uriah arrived under false-pretenses. David inquired about the current conditions of the war and then, in a deceptive act of charity sent Uriah home to his wife as a temporary reprieve from war. He sent Uriah home with food for a feast and told him to enjoy home, to rest. Undoubtedly, David hoped that Uriah would sleep with his wife and subsequently cover up his own sin: If Bathsheba had been with her husband, her pregnancy could be explained. 

Notice how that initial feeling of lust spiraled into an act of murder. Scripture wants us to understand that emotions are powerful, powerful enough to take control over an undisciplined person. Whether we are merely weak or, like David, feel entitled to certain things, emotions can cause us to make reckless and hasty decisions that result in damage. Since we know that we all sin and all fall short, we know that we will also feel depraved emotions like lust. We will feel greedy and jealous and angry and a whole host of ugly emotions. But our sin can end right there, at the feeling of them, before the acting on them.

Also like David, we are blessed by God. He wants us to have the desires of our hearts, Psalm 37:4. But we must be wise and righteous. If obtaining the desire of our heart directly opposes the word of God in nature, is it truly the desire of our heart or is it the desire of a greed within us? By choosing to take a woman who was not his, David chose to cheat and betray a good and honorable man. He chose to disrupt a marriage and tarnish his position as king. We must consider the ramifications of acting on emotions we have not fully processed and deemed honorable. For there is almost always something we would like to obtain, to be ours. If not a person, a job or a reputation or an opportunity. Therefore we need to be able to discern between when it is reasonable for us to pursue something and when it is not.

• (2 Samuel 12:7-12) AN HONORABLE MAN 

But David's dishonest plan backfired. A servant informed David that Uriah chose not to go home, and slept at the door of the king's house instead. When David asked Uriah why he had not returned home, Uriah explained that he could not, in good-conscience, return home to comfort, rest, feast and wife while knowing that his comrades were still engaged in war. Uriah was an honorable man, he had been summoned out of the war by David, but did not forget that his fellow-soldiers were still there sleeping in uncomfortable tents and vulnerable on all sides to the threat of enemies. 

David attempted once more. He commanded Uriah to stay another night, to feast and drink. He hoped that Uriah would drink too much, forget his principles, and return home to Bathsheba... but Uriah did not. Again, he slept outside the king's door. Thus David scrambled for a backup plan, and decided on one that was even worse than the first. He arranged for Uriah to sent to the front-lines of the fiercest battle. Uriah was killed. 

David convinced himself that because Uriah died by the hand of an enemy, he could not be responsible for Uriah's death. It is that kind of behavior, cunning delusion, that God's light wakes us up from. David was wrong from the very beginning of this account, but he convinced himself otherwise. And when he realized he was in trouble, he tried to cover up rather than confess.

Maybe David's scramble for damage control is familiar. We cause a spill but instead of acknowledgement, we choose to try to paint over the splotch, place a rug over its mark. Sometimes we even do a good job of convincing ourselves that the spot is not there because then we do not have to admit that we caused it. 

But David had committed his life to God, and God ensured that this spot would not be so callously covered up. This is a somewhat less enjoyable (at least during the process) element of God's light. He helps us to see our whole selves, even the bits we would rather remain in the dark, unacknowledged. Uriah did not sleep with his wife because it would let David "off the hook". But being on the hook is an important part of being committed to God: accountability is required of the righteous. And it is only from that uncomfortable place, hanging from the hook of admitted guilt and regret, that we have any hope of getting off it.

• (2 Samuel 11:27;12:1-12) THE PARABLE OF REPENTANCE

When David's denial went on too long, God sent Nathan the prophet to make David aware of the gravity of the situation. He did so with a parable. The most accurate way to judge a situation is to view it objectively, God provided a way for David to do so:

“There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

David was immediately angry... the injustice was clear to him, but the metaphor was not. David was the rich man. Uriah was the poor man. Bathsheba was the lamb. A traveler, a passing emotion of lust, came to David and persuaded him destroy a precious thing. A marriage, an honorable man.

Without prompting, David declared that the rich man deserved death as punishment. He declared that the man needed to repay fourfold for his lack of mercy. He did not yet realize that he was condemning himself, but Nathan made it known. He told David that he was the guilty man and continued with a message from God. God had given David an entire kingdom, right out of the hand of his enemy. He had given David power and prosperity, family and security and would have given even more if only David had asked.

God was angry. He put an end to David's game and put a spotlight on his actions. He called him out for every wrong doing, because even though David ignored them, they were glaringly apparent to God. Indeed under God's light, we cannot escape accountability. But there is mercy in such a situation because our God is merciful when we acknowledge our wrongdoing and repent. Repentance is an admission of guilt, and the admission of guilt causes us to feel shame, acknowledgement of poor behavior. Repentance then is a commitment to change and growth. To have God's mercy, we must repent. Until that point, David had not, and the outlook was bad.

• (2 Samuel 12:13-25; Psalm 32) ACCOUNTABILITY

Finally David admitted it: I have sinned against the Lord. Immediately God promised to allow David to retain his life, but the child would die. The child would not die as punishment to David, but as a lesson for us. A deceptive lifestyle will not sustain or produce life. Sinful behavior is caustic and causes good and innocent people to suffer. Injustice restricts the righteous from opportunities they should have.

The child came to death and David lost himself. Finally reality shook him, and confronted him and finally David recommitted himself to prayer and worship. It is in that space that we are all able to take instruction from God and perceive ourselves as objectively as will ever be possible (through the eyes and law of God). We probably will not retain what we gained through malicious or selfish means, but we will regain ourselves. We will restore ourselves to righteousness in the light of God as our lamp.

David and Bathsheba conceived again and the baby lived; baby Solomon became another prominent figure in the faith and was living proof of God's mercy and faithfulness to David and to all who commit their lives to Him. What we seek and obtain righteously, we will retain. Justice and righteousness proliferates life, while injustice and unrighteousness cause death.

David was remorseful, though it is mostly absent from this chapter. In Psalm 32, David described the excruciating emotional pain of iniquity. He also describes the absolute joy of God's forgiveness. The Psalm also reminds us to be receptive to God's instruction in order to avoid creating a minefield of sin. 

• (2 Samuel 12:8) "IF THAT HAD BEEN TOO LITTLE..."

"... and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things"

2 Samuel 12:8

Continually remember that as a child of God, you have access to your Father's storehouses of provision. If there is something you desire to have, let God arrange for that thing to come into your life. Deceptive-dealing is not necessary when you have a generous, faithful, capable, willing God. If there is something you want and it is something you should have, God will ensure that you do have it. Do not let base emotions convince you that you need to procure that thing by any means necessary.

If David had felt unfulfilled in any way, a simple conversation with God would have immediately begun to rectify it. The same is true for us. If we catch ourselves feeling ungenerous toward others or tempted to act on sinful emotions like lust, anger, greed or what ever else, we need to immediately bring that feeling to God. His light will help us to dissect it. He will help us to heal the harm we find when we do.

We will inevitably disappoint God at times in our life, accountability and repentance will make the difference in what happens next.

A NEW COMMANDMENT

For all of humanity's accomplishments, the area we are collectively least productive in is, ironically, humanitarianism. Jesus noticed this character flaw long ago, when He came and observed our behavior toward one another. It isn't that we lack the skill, certainly we how to promote the well-being of a fellow human, because we know how our own human-self's well-being is best promoted. No, what we lack is the consciousness, and not merely that but also the determination to do it.

Although that is true, Jesus perceived that it was not out of innate cruelty that we neglected each other. And since it was not cruelty or disinclination which prevented us, we could overcome those obstacles of ignorance... if given the right logic and incentive to do so. Therefore He provided it, and various places of the Bible encouraged us so.

• A NEW COMMANDMENT

Most of the world is at least familiar with the ten commandments written in the Old Testament book of Exodus. Much less of the world is conscious of the eleventh commandment which Jesus provided in New Testament. We have been actually, officially commanded to love each other... with fervor.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

Jesus has commanded us to love each other as He has loved us, which means that we need to love each other with compassion, impartial mercy, and loyalty. Perhaps a mighty task, but reasonable. That means we have to start to consistently make more selfless-in-nature choices. We have to be more aware of our subjectivity but less beholden to it. Objectivity requires that we are intentionally more perceptive of the scope outside of our selves. To love one another also means that we have to broaden our 'lovable' criteria and subsequently need to love people who are not just different from our normal, but even the people who are in direct opposition of it.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? 

Matthew 5:43-46

And... it also means that have to love the people who are not easy to love. Which means that we have to abandon hate and desist from retaliative behavior. A more difficult task... and initially, somewhat less reasonable (if we're being honest). What Jesus did not say, (and in not saying it, left us to discover for ourselves) is that love is a much more productive emotion than its opposite. Love is more influential, a more convincing and effective 'argument' than well... an actual argument. If we are more persistent in prayer than in maintaining hostility, we eventuate toward a tangible, constructive result rather than an endless cycle of futility.

• THE LEAST OF THESE

There is another category of people we are commanded to actively love. In the aforementioned verses, Jesus encouraged us to love with our hearts and minds; to interact with others with kindness and patience. There are also people we need to love with action. 

‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

Matthew 25:37-39

In Matthew 25 Jesus explains to the righteous that they have fed Him every time they filled an empty belly, (or metaphorically, sustained a starving soul). They had quenched His thirst every time they refreshed a dry mouth (or metaphorically, revived a despondent spirit). They clothed Him, every time they clothed a naked person, (or metaphorically, sheltered a vulnerable heart).

And conversely, Jesus explained to the unrighteous that they ignored and neglected Him every time they ignored or neglected a person in need (in literal or metaphorical terms). That is a sobering thought; for in saying that, Jesus essentially told us that by deeming another person unworthy of our time and resources, we deem Him unworthy of them as well. A person might not meet our personal requirements for charitable eligibility but they meet His... and guess whose requirements actually matter?

• A SOLEMN REQUEST 

It has probably become apparent that the new commandment requires selflessness. And honestly, selflessness is something we all have to strive for because we are, at least by physical design, self-centered. We have to consciously project ourselves out of, beyond, our own sphere of existence in order to be cognizant of the plight, position and perspective of others. To do that, we can follow Solomon's lead.

...Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
1 Kings 3:8-9

Solomon was a monarch, and responsible for a kingdom's entire judicial system... and subsequently an entire kingdom's well-being. What he meant by 'judge' the people was care for the people: He wanted to know how to judge/discern between the sometimes difficult choices a leader is forced with in order to lead God's people well. Every person is familiar with such quandaries, when the right and wrong choice is not as obvious as it should be, when good and evil are not as distinct as black and white.

And so we can follow Solomon's lead when we commit ourselves to the new commandment: we ask God for help. We pray for God to supply the wisdom and tools we need to 'enter the field' properly equipped and sufficiently prepared to begin the task of loving all people well. 

God is really proud of such selflessly-productive requests.

The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.

1 Kings 3:1-13

Solomon's prayer was answered... and added to. God has cleverly designed a system by which a person earns what they're too genuinely-humble to ask for. When we endeavor do to God's will well and as a priority, He over-equips us. We could achieve much, change the whole world with literally nothing except God's loving-approval, but because He is so graciously generous, we do not have to. What do have to do, what we miraculously get to do, is pray to God as Solomon did for His assistance in our assistance of others.

• WITH THE SAME MEASURE

This next statement of Jesus' might instill either panic or relief. But will definitely provide the pragmatic-logic of helping others you need to continue or begin doing so with the fervor Jesus commanded. 

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

This is the incentive Jesus left us with: that we fill our own basket every time we drop something in someone else's; we neglect our own basket every time we ignore someone else's. Indeed, rather than determining, with His omniscience, who is worthy of what, as He could fairly do...God lets us decide what we receive or do not receive. Therefore we now know that when we do stand before the judgement seat of Christ, it will really be our own selves who have chosen the judgement we receive. 

• CHEERFUL GIVER 

The new commandment is meant to be enjoyed in it's undertaking. We were told to love others as God loves us... and God loves to love us. It pleases Him to provide for us, Luke 12:32.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

Don't love reluctantly, because when you do, you put up barriers and withhold love from expanding and abounding... and that is what makes love so special, the fact that it can leap and grow and include more than could be expected or calculated. Love is the element which renders the impossible... possible. If you want to participate in, or cause that level of influence among humanity, you will need to exude unrestrained love. 

And don't give just because you've been commanded to, or because you can gain something from it... that is not an expression of the selfless love Jesus has loved you with. Give because you understand the act of giving to be a privilege, participation. For when you love and help others, you assuredly participate in the work of the Kingdom of God. You are a fellow-worker with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9. Give because there is no better feeling than witnessing relief, hope, happiness, encouragement, strength, or revival on the face of a previously destitute, person, in the spirit of a previously-desolate soul.