Havasu Christian Church
October 4, 2026
Character Studies in Genesis
“The man with no name…”
Genesis 24:1 and following
INTRO: I had so many options for a title today. My first thought was “I thought we were done with Abraham!” I also thought of “I went through the desert on a camel with no name.” I also considered “The rancher gets a wife.” Finally, my favorite of the titles I didn’t use was “Put your hand under my thigh.” (If you don’t get it yet, you will!) I finally settled on “The man with no name…”
Today, we are going to focus on a man who isn’t named in Scripture. The obvious question is “Why isn’t this guy’s name recorded? Because he isn’t the focus of the story. He is doing what his master and his God, require. His name really doesn’t matter so much.
What can we learn about and from this “nameless servant?”
- He has Abraham’s trust!
Genesis 24:1–2 (NASB95) Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh,
- We’ll get to the “hand under the thigh” thing soon, I promise!
- Abraham is about to entrust him with a task of utmost importance!
Genesis 24:3-7 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,
4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
- You need to find a wife for my son!
- This is a pretty important task to give someone!
- There must be a high level of trust!
- Abraham is sending this man on a journey of 500 miles or more.
- This isn’t a “weekend jaunt.”
- This unnamed man is smart enough to ask questions before he gives a definitive answer.
- Question #1: What if the woman isn’t willing to come?
- In that day & age, there are a lot of possible answers to that question!
- “Do whatever you have to do to convince her!”
- “Grab her and run!”
- “Buy her from her dad. She really doesn’t have a choice!”
- Question #2: Should I take Isaac with me?
- It’s very revealing that Abraham answers question #2 first…
6 Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there!
- Answer to Question #2: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
- Abraham tells his servant, “Beware!”
- You are treading on dangerous ground!
- This is more important than getting a wife for my son.
- Why? Maybe he doesn’t want his son’s safety compromised on a long trip.
- Maybe he doesn’t want his son exposed to the evil of the land he left behind.
- Answer to Question #1:
7 “The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.
- God’s going to take care of things for you, for me!
- God’s got this!
- Abraham also gives the man a “way out” if things don’t go as planned.
Genesis 24:8 “But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.”
- Once he fully understands the job, he accepts.
(Here’s where we get to the weird “hand under the thigh part!)
9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
From: gotquestions.com In our culture, taking an oath usually involves raising the right hand or placing a hand over the heart or on a Bible. In ancient Hebrew culture, we find something a little different. Genesis 24:9 describes an odd practice that involved Abraham’s servant swearing to obey his master’s command to find a wife for Isaac: “So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.” In Genesis 47:29, Jacob makes his son Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, not Egypt. The same ritual is observed: Joseph is required to put his hand under Jacob’s thigh as he makes the promise. It seems strange to us, but placing one’s hand under someone else’s thigh had a symbolic purpose. According to Rabbi Ibn Ezra, the phrase “under the thigh” means literally that. For someone to allow his hand to be sat on was a sign of submission to authority. If this is the symbolism, then Joseph was showing his obedience to his father by placing his hand under Jacob’s thigh.
- The servant carries out his promise!
Genesis 24:10 -11 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
- The servant puts together a caravan.
- 10 camels
- A variety of good things
- Apparently, the servant doesn’t even need Abraham’s approval about any of this.
- Young men (to protect and serve)
Genesis 14:54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”
- He carries out the rest of the plan.
- They get to Nahor as planned… but now, what do I do?
- Do I just go knocking on doors, asking “hey, do you have a young lady I can take home to my Master’s son?”
- Instead, the servant prays!
Genesis 24:12-14 He said, “O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham.
13 “Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;
14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.”
- The servant asks God for something Very specific!
- First, he asks God to show lovingkindness to his master’s plan.
- He is asking God to help him do what Abraham asked him to do.
- Then he tells God what he is wanting God to do to show him the right young woman.
- How is this different from Gideon “putting out the fleece?”
- Gideon was second guessing God.
- If you’re really wanting me to lead this army, do this to prove it!
- The servant is asking God to show him the way to achieve the objective… he isn’t asking God to “Prove Himself.”
- God comes through!
Genesis 24:15-20 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.
16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink.
19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.”
20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
- Things happen in the exact way that the servant asked for them to be done!
- The servant barely has the prayer out of his mouth.
- Up walks this beautiful young woman (There’s a bonus he didn’t ask for)
- He asks for a drink and she immediately agrees.
- She then offers to water the camels.
- She proceeds to do exactly what she offered.
- The servant is so blown away that he just stands there silently watching.
Genesis 24:21 Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not.
- He is amazed at how fast God has answered his prayer, and done exactly what he asked.
- The servant begins the process of seeing if this girl will be willing and allowed to come with him.
Genesis 24:22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,
- At the very least, this girl will get some impressive “thank you gifts.”
- The servant begins to see if this is truly the right woman… like what Abraham asked for.
Genesis 24:23-25 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.”
- The young woman is from the right family.
- They young woman offers them lodging.
- She does this without prompting.
- The servant didn’t ask for this, God saw to it that she offered.
- After all of this, the servant just stops what he is doing and worships God!
26 Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.
27 He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”
- He acknowledges that God has blessed Abraham, yet again.
- He acknowledges that God has guided him to exactly where he needed to be.
We’re going to cut the story short. Verse 28-48 is a retelling to Rebekah’s brother about everything that’s happened.
It’s in the online notes if you want to read it.
28 Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.
30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31 And he said, “Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?”
32 So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.
36 “Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has.
37 “My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live;
38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’
39 “I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’
40 “He said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house;
41 then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful;
43 behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”;
44 and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47 “Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.
- The agreement is made that Rebekah will go with the servant, and marry Isaac.
Genesis 24:49-52 “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. “Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.” When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD.
- The “nameless servant” asks if he is wasting his time, or if things can go forward.
- He’s not being rude, he is being honest.
- He has spent his time explaining his mission, and he wants to know if he’s made his case.
- The brother and the mother reply that “The matter comes from the Lord.
- They believe the servant.
- If God’s hand is in it, how can we say anything?
- Since they believe what the servant has told them, they agree.
- This seems pretty alien to us that Rebekah isn’t even a part of the conversation…
- This was pretty typical for the time…
- Arranged marriage is still practiced in some places in the world.
- From the families’ standpoint, it makes sense.
- From the state of marriage in America, it just might make sense.
- The servant gives gifts to the brother and the mother.
Genesis 24:53 The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
- This is a bit strange to us as well.
- This is NOT “She’s not worth 20 sheep! How about I give you 11 sheep?” (bartering)
- These are expected gifts, but they are gifts, chosen by the representative of the groom.
(Who is trying to make a really good impression.)
- The Servant is VERY anxious to get back home!
54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”
55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.”
56 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.”
57 And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.”
58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
59 Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men.
- The servant wants to leave the next morning.
- Her mom objects. “How about waiting 10 days, then go home?”
- The servant wants to leave NOW!
- Rebekah is consulted about SOMETHING… Finally!
- She is willing to leave immediately!
- The family sends her off with their blessing… literally!
Genesis 24:60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“May you, our sister,
Become thousands of ten thousands,
And may your descendants possess
The gate of those who hate them.”
- They FINALLY hit the road.
61 Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
- The expedition grows!
- Not just Rebekah
- Not just her nurse
- Also her maids, plural!
- There is quite a crowd, heading for Canaan!
- The servant’s homecoming.
Genesis 24:62-67 Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev.
63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.
64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel.
65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
- The Servant completes his mission.
- Isaac is watching for them!
- When he sees them he comes to meet them.
- I’m sure he’s anxious to meet the woman that the servant has brought home.
- Rebekah sees Isaac coming, and gets ready to meet him.
- She puts on her veil.
- This was a custom of the time.
- There is no fanfare for the servant. He does his job, gives his report, and then is not mentioned again.
- That’s Not Fair!!!
- Actually, I’m sure that Abraham was appreciative.
- But the unknown Servant… he has served. He has done his job.
- He has honored the trust that was given to him to fulfill!
Conclusion: As followers of Jesus, what can we learn from this “unnamed Servant?”
- First and foremost, he is a Servant!
- He isn’t even named.
- He will serve as well as possible.
- We are Servants of God!
- We are called to follow Jesus!
- Must we always “get the credit” for what we do?
- No, actually, when you’ve done something so long that people don’t even think about it is a compliment.
- Do people always give us the thanks that we feel that we deserve?
- Who is the Master we truly Serve? Jesus!
- “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your master”
- His master trusts him!
- This kind of trust is BUILT!
- We need to build that kind of trust.
- Do the small things the way God wants you to, and He will give you more to do.
- This works with people too!
- Don’t expect immediate trust, build it!
- Make sure you know what you are getting into before you say “yes.”
- Make sure you know what the expectations are.
- This way, you have a better chance of meeting those expectations.
- With God; He will never give you more than you can do… with His help!
- With God’s people; they WILL ask you to do things you have no business doing!
- Pay attention!
- He has authority, but it is authority to serve his master.
- He never lost sight of the fact that his authority to do things, hinged on his master’s authority.
- He picks out presents from his master’s goods.
- He puts together a caravan of camels and people to get the job done.
- But he doesn’t get “the big head.”
- He keeps in mind that he may have authority, but he is still his master’s servant!
- We need to keep this in mind too.
- We may wind up being in charge of things, but we have to remember that it’s not all about me!” (Or you either!)
- Others are counting on him to do his job well.
- Abraham is counting on him.
- Isaac is counting on him.
- Rebekah is counting on him too!
- From this, I guess we need to remember not to be a slacker. People are counting on us!
- The Servant doesn’t dawdle.
- He doesn’t even eat before he gets down to the business at hand.
- He wants to know if he’s at the right place or is he wasting his time.
- He’s not rude, but he is direct!
- He doesn’t want the 10-day vacation offered by Rebekah’s mother either.
- He stays on task, when it would have been easy to say “Why not take the ten days off?”
- We need to stay on task too!
- We shouldn’t spend our time “spinning our wheels.”
- If things aren’t moving, we may need to move on to something else.
- The servant looks to God to guide him.
- He prays.
- He pays attention.
- God makes sure the servant is guided to Rebekah.
- We should SEEK God’s guidance in our lives.
- We have the Holy Spirit living in us.
- He will guide us, IF we pay attention.
- Ignore the Holy Spirit long enough and you will build up a tolerance to Him.
- God may have to use stronger measures to guide you!
- Hopefully, He won’t just give up!
- When the servant receives God’s guidance, He is expresses his thanks!
- We should always be in a prayerful, thankful mindset.
- A life of thankfulness honors God.
- A life of thankfulness is also just a lot happier way to live.
