The Father Abraham 父亲 (1–9)
It seems strange that the longest chapter in Genesis tells the story of how a man got his wife. But the chapter goes beyond history into theology. It gives us a picture of the Heavenly Father getting a bride for His Son (Matt. 22:1–14). The church is compared to a bride (2 Cor. 11:2–3; Eph. 5:22–33); and during this present age, the Holy Spirit is calling people to trust Christ and be “married to … Him” (Rom. 7:4). For one thing, the chapter emphasizes separation. Abraham made it clear that his son was not to marry a Canaanite woman (24:3). The Law of Moses did not permit the Jewish men to marry heathen women (Deut. 7:1–11). Nor are believers today to marry unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14–18; 1 Cor. 7:39–40). Genesis 24 is a great encouragement for those who want God’s will in the selection of a mate.
《创世记》中最长的篇幅，竟是讲述一个男人是如何娶得自己的妻子。然而，这故事已超越历史，包含神学概念了。它代表我们的天父是如何为自己的儿子预备新妇（太22:1-14）。教会就好比新娘（林后11:2-3，弗5:22-33）；而在这个世代，圣灵正在呼召相信基督的人“嫁入……耶稣”（罗7:4）。另外，本章节强调分离。亚伯拉罕清楚表示，他的儿子不得娶迦南的女子（24:3）。摩西的律法不容许犹太男子与异教妇女结婚（申7:1-11）。今日的信徒也不得与非信徒结婚（林后6:14-18，林前7:39-40）。对于那些想要按神旨意来选择伴侣的人，《创世纪》24章是一个很大的鼓励。
The Servant 仆人 (10–60)
The servant loved his master’s son and asked for God’s guidance. He knew how to “watch and pray” and discern God’s leading. He was not disappointed, for God rewarded his faith. Little did Rebekah realize that a small act of kindness would open up an exciting new life for her. “Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when someone may be taking your measure for a larger place,” advised Marsden. The servant talked about his master and not about himself, and he would not eat until he had given his message (John 4:31–32).
仆人爱他主人的儿子，并求神的指引。他知道该如何“儆醒祷告”，并识别神的带领。神因仆人的信心，并不叫他失望。利百加万万没想到一个小小善意的举动竟为她开辟了一条令人兴奋的新生活。马斯登建议：“将每一刻变成伟大的时刻，因你永远无法知道就在何时，这一切会带你到一个更宽阔的未来。”仆人所谈论的是自己的主人，不是自己，又不肯吃，直到他传了主人的信息（约4:31-32）。
Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告
- Just as Abraham wanted a bride for his son, God the Father elected to provide a bride for His beloved Son. Yes, The bride is the Father’s love gift to His Son (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24). Let’s pray that we bring joy and glory to the Son Jesus Christ.
正如亚伯拉罕希望为儿子预备妻子，神也为心爱的儿子拣选预备新妇。是的，新娘是天父赐给儿子的一份爱礼（约17:2，6，9，11-12，24）。让我们祈祷，叫我们能为儿子耶稣基督带来喜悦和荣耀。
- The servant acted by faith in God’s promise and providence. (24:27) He took time to pray and he kept his eyes open to see what God might do. In His providence, God brought Rebekah to the well just as the servant was praying. The servant did what Gideon would do years later, “put out a fleece” (Jud. 6:36–40). This is not the best way for God’s people to determine the will of God, because the conditions we lay down for God might not be in His will. We are to walk by faith and trust God to providentially guide us to the place we need to be. God is sovereign and he will accomplish His plan without fail. In any case, God accommodated Himself to servant’s needs (and Gideon) and guided him as requested. Furthermore, the servant was not led by feelings or impulsive acts but careful observations. In fact when he saw Rebekah, he was evaluating Rebekah to see if she would make a good wife for Isaac and he found her to be kind, pleasant, humble, healthy, and a hard worker. Watering ten camels is no easy job! Let’s pray that we are discerning and patient for God’s will.
仆人依靠的是神的应许和预备，所以他凭信心行事（24:27）。他花时间祷告，并睁眼期待。在神的供应下，当仆人还在祷告的时候，神就把利百加带到井边。仆人也做了基甸多年后会做的事，就是“把一团羊毛放在身上”（士6:36-40）。这并不是神子民了解神旨意最好的方法，因为我们所设的条件未必在神的旨意中。我们必须凭信心行事，并相信神的预备，指引我们当走的路。神是有主权的，祂必准确无误地成就祂的计划。无论如何，神迁就了仆人（和基甸）的要求引导他。此外，仆人也没有被感情或冲动行事，而是通过仔细的观察做判断。事实上，当他看见利百加时，他仔细评估了利百加，看她是否会能作以撒的贤妻，后来发觉她平易近人、谦卑、健康，又是个勤奋的人。为十匹骆驼打水不是一件轻松的事！让我们祈祷，叫我们能明辨神的旨意，并耐心等候。
- Before coming to conclusion, he asked one of the most important question: “Whose daughter are you?” (Gen. 24:23). The wider implication for Christian believers today before you settle down is “Is he/she a child of God? Let’s pray that we are always discerning.
在他得到结论之前，仆人问了一个极为重要的问题：“你是谁的女儿？”（创24:23）从广义上来说，今天的信徒在确认伴侣之前应该也想想：他/她是神的儿女吗？让我们祈祷，叫我们能明辨。
