Sunday Morning, November 5, 2017

Finding a Wife for Isaac

Genesis 24:1–67

I. Finding the Bride for Isaac

A. The Servant Charged to Find Isaac a Wife 24:1–9
1. We Are Not Told the Name of the Servant to Find Isaac’s Wife 24:2

2. We Are Not Told the Reason to Return to Abraham’s Home

B. The Servant Prays to Find Isaac a Wife 24:10–27

1. Boldness of the Prayer 12–14

2. Wisdom of the Prayer

C. The Servant Successful in Finding Isaac a Wife 24:28–67

1. The Servant Meets Laban 24:28–61

2. Rebekah Meets Isaac 24:62–67

II. Learning from Finding the Bride for Isaac

A. This Account Is Not Teaching Us to Ask God for Signs
1. We Don’t Use Circumstances to Discover God’s Will Because One Can’t Be
Sure What Circumstances Mean Eccl. 11:4–6; Matt. 12:38–39; Lk. 1:11–20

2. We Don’t Use Circumstances to Discover God’s Will Because Our Default Is to

Justify Our Sinful Desires and Will Make Circumstances Say What We Want
Them to Say
Prov. 14:12; Judg. 6:36–40

3. We Don’t Use Circumstances to Discover God’s Will Because Following

Circumstances Could Cause One to Fall into Satan’s Traps
Judg. 9:14; Dt 29:29; Prov. 4:18

B. This Account Is Teaching Us to Live by Faith

1. The Faith of Abraham Gen. 24:3; 24:7

2. The Faith of the Servant Gen. 24:12; 24:27; Heb. 11:6

C. This Account Is to Show Us Christ and His Bride

QUOTES

“I feel not only that it is inappropriate for Christians to design crude scientific experiments in which God
is part of the experiment. I’m sure Christians don’t realize what they are doing, but this is indeed what it
boils down to. Please God jump into my box and perform.” —John White

“If impressions or impulses are received as a voice form heaven, directing to such particular actions . . . a
person may be unwarily misled into great evils and gross delusions; and many have been so.”
—John Newton

“How may the Lord’s guidance be expected? . . . In general, he guides and directs his people, by
affording them, in answer to prayer, the light of his Holy Spirit, which enables them to understand and
love the Scriptures. The word of God is not to be used as lottery; nor is it designed to instruct us by
shreds and scraps, which, detached from their proper places, have no determinate import; but it is to
furnish us with just principles, right apprehensions, to regulate our judgments and affections, and thereby
to influence and direct our conduct.” —John Newton