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Jesus Christ
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"And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming." (Genesis 24: 63 ESV).
This passage proves that you never know what will happen once you start to meditate.
Genesis 24 tells a complete story. Abraham asks his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. This is a matter of the utmost importance.
The servant departs for Mesopotamia, the city of Nahor, with ten camels. Although unnamed, the servant is clearly a man of God, for he prays for the Lord's assistance (24:13). He asks that a young woman at the well will offer to water his camels, and that he will know by this that she is the right woman for Isaac.
Rebekah enters the story and kindly offers to give water both to the servant and his camels. Discussions with Rebekah's family ensue, and in due course Rebekah agrees to return with the servant to Isaac.
In Genesis 24:63, as indicated above, Isaac sees camels coming, and of course they signify a great deal: love, marriage, children and the continuation of the line of God's chosen people.
Bruce Waltke describes the story as follows:
On the story level, the scene presents the shift to Isaac's patriarchy and the miraculous adventure that leads to Isaac's marriage. On the theological level, the scene wrestles with the interplay of human responsibility (faith in action) and divine initiative (perfectly coordinated circumstances). Genesis: A Commentary by Bruce K. Waltke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan) 2001, page 323.
Many ingredients come together to create this happy episode. One is Abraham's decisiveness and planning. Another is the servant's obedience and prayer. A third is Rebekah's kindness and courage. A fourth would be Isaac's patient and meditative waiting.
The end result is the fulfillment of God's plan. Perhaps it is not so difficult to reconcile free will and divine providence after all.
Blessings,
Patrick McKitrick
Murray Moerman (