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Speaker 1: Let us pray, and the man bowed down his head

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Speaker 1: and worshiped the Lord. Genesis twenty four, twenty six. Dear God,

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Speaker 1: as I am on my journey to fulfilling the purpose

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Speaker 1: you have for my life, thank you Lord for partnering

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Speaker 1: me with the right people. I decree and declare that

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Speaker 1: to day is the day that you begin to partner

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Speaker 1: me with kingdom connections. I decree and declare that as

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Speaker 1: I'm moving in obedience and working in alignment with your assignment,

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Speaker 1: that your giving me uncommon favor with uncommon men and women.

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Speaker 1: I want to also thank you in advance for my spouse.

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Speaker 1: Thank you that they are being preserved and protected. I know,

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Speaker 1: like Isaac and Rebecca, my spouse will be your best

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Speaker 1: for my life. I declare that my marriage will be

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Speaker 1: one of purpose and understanding. I declare that we will

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Speaker 1: be in sync as two hearts become one. Lord, I

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Speaker 1: praise you for helping me to become the person I

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Speaker 1: need to be to love them completely. Thank you for partnerships.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for relationships. Then, thank you Lord for placing

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Speaker 1: the right people at the right place at the right

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Speaker 1: time in my life. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you

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Speaker 1: for praying with us today. Continue your time with God

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Speaker 1: by listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by

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Speaker 1: Bible in a Year dot.

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Speaker 2: Com Isaac and Rebecca. Before this story, we learned how

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Speaker 2: God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God had We've finally

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Speaker 2: given Abraham his promise, but now required an act of faith. Abraham,

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Speaker 2: with anguish and sorrow, obeyed, but the Lord provided a

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Speaker 2: ram instead and blessed Abraham for his obedience. Now we

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Speaker 2: will learn about Sarah passing away and Isaac meeting and

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Speaker 2: marrying Rebecca has inspired by the Book of Genesis.

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Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Now that God has tested

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Speaker 3: Abraham's faithfulness, which he passed with flying colors, our narrative

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Speaker 3: turns to a time of grieving loss, followed by a

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Speaker 3: preparation for the future. The first thing we'll hear of

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Speaker 3: is the death of Sarah. She had lived long, finally

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Speaker 3: born a son to Abraham, and now the Lord was

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Speaker 3: calling her to her eternal rest in him. This was

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Speaker 3: to be a time of sorrow and grief for Abraham

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Speaker 3: and a final opportunity for him to demonstrate care for

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Speaker 3: her and honor her memory, but understanding that his work

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Speaker 3: on earth was not yet done. We see that Abraham

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Speaker 3: would turn to future planning, to securing a wife for

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Speaker 3: his son Isaac, so that God's plan to bless and

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Speaker 3: grow his family would continue progressing. Today's passage demonstrates great

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Speaker 3: wisdom on the part of Abraham, both in where he

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Speaker 3: sends his servant to look for a mate for Isaac

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Speaker 3: and in what he insists Isaac do as the search

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Speaker 3: is happening. Listen to what he commands his servant to

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Speaker 3: do and why he requires that Isaac remain in the

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Speaker 3: land where they were. Notice also how Abraham's servant goes

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Speaker 3: about finding a suitable partner and how he brings the

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Speaker 3: Lord into the process. Watch also as God works through

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Speaker 3: the process to ensure that Isaac is provided with the

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Speaker 3: right mate. In Rebecca, You'll once again see how God's

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Speaker 3: plans for his people come together, often in unexpected ways

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Speaker 3: and unexpected places. There's God's surprise. Listen now to today's story.

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Speaker 2: Abraham and Sarah lived a long life together together. They

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Speaker 2: braved famines, journeyed to new lands, made mistakes, and experienced

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Speaker 2: the faithfulness of God over their marriage and family. Together,

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Speaker 2: they endured heartache and shared in triumph. Yet time is

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Speaker 2: the cruel thief of life, and Sarah, in her old age,

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Speaker 2: had gone to be with her Lord. Abraham ventured to

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Speaker 2: the land of the Hittites and purchased a field and

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Speaker 2: cave there to bury his wife. Filled with sorrow, he

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Speaker 2: said goodbye to Sarah, his truest partner and friend. God

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Speaker 2: had blessed Abraham in all things. He had accumulated wealth, influence, land,

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Speaker 2: and adoration. Yet the death of Sarah reminded him that

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Speaker 2: his life was but a vapor, and soon he would

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Speaker 2: turned to the dust from which he came. It was

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Speaker 2: time to consider his son, Isaac and securing his future.

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Speaker 2: Abraham desired to find his son a wife as faithful

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Speaker 2: in God fearing as his mother was. This would be

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Speaker 2: a great challenge, since he dwelt in a land where

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Speaker 2: God was not yet known. Canaanites worshiped the gods of

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Speaker 2: the earth, and in vain they pursued no higher purpose

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Speaker 2: besides self pleasure and preservation. Abraham called his most faithful

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Speaker 2: servant to him, the oldest in his household, and his friend,

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Speaker 2: come and swear an oath to me. Abraham said, swear

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Speaker 2: to the Lord, the God of heaven and Earth, that

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Speaker 2: you will find my son a wife among my home

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Speaker 2: country and family. Shall I take your son with me?

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Speaker 2: The servant asked, for a woman might be reluctant to

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Speaker 2: come with me if her potential husband is not there.

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Speaker 2: You shall go to mine my home country without Isaac.

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Speaker 2: Abraham pressed, God has promised him this land, and he

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Speaker 2: shall not depart from it. If a woman is unwilling

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Speaker 2: to go with you, then I release you from your oath.

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Speaker 2: But I trust God will provide, since he has promised

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Speaker 2: that my son will continue to build a nation with

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Speaker 2: his children. So the servant swore an oath to Abraham

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Speaker 2: by putting his hand on his thigh, which was a

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Speaker 2: form of serious covenant promise. Then the servant departed back

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Speaker 2: to the land of Mesopotamia, to the city of Neor

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Speaker 2: with ten of his masters, camels, and gifts. After a

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Speaker 2: long journey, the servant had arrived on the outskirts of

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Speaker 2: his master's homeland at the time of evening. He brought

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Speaker 2: his camels to drink from a well. This was the

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Speaker 2: time when women from town came to draw water for

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Speaker 2: their families. The servant looked to God, saying, O, Lord,

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Speaker 2: please grant me success today, show love to my mate,

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Speaker 2: and show me who might be the wife of his son.

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Speaker 2: Then the servant, knowing God's faithfulness, prayed a strange prayer, saying,

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Speaker 2: I am standing near this spring, and the young women

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Speaker 2: of the city are coming out to draw water. I

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Speaker 2: will ask them for a drink, and whoever also offers

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Speaker 2: to give my camel's water will be the one you

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Speaker 2: have chosen. It may have seemed like a strange prayer,

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Speaker 2: yet the servant knew that a woman who was willing

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Speaker 2: to go the extra mile to bless a stranger would

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Speaker 2: truly be an excellent wife. As he was speaking to

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Speaker 2: the Lord, Rebecca, the daughter of Abraham's brother, came near

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Speaker 2: the spring to draw water. She had an elegance and

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Speaker 2: beauty that stood out among the rest of the women.

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Speaker 2: The dim light of dusk accentuated her beauty, and the

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Speaker 2: servant prayed again that she might be the one for Isaac.

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Speaker 2: He approached her gently and asked, would you mind drawing

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Speaker 2: me some water. Rebecca, even more young and beautiful, looking

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Speaker 2: up close, smiled with kindness emanating from her eyes. Of course,

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Speaker 2: drink my Lord, she said, while drawing him some cold water.

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Speaker 2: The servant thanked her and took a drink with anticipation.

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Speaker 2: As he was drinking, she put her hands together and said,

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Speaker 2: I will draw some water for your camels. It seems

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Speaker 2: like you have come a long way. So she emptied

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Speaker 2: her own jar into a trough near by, and led

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Speaker 2: each camel to drink from it. Ten times. She drew

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Speaker 2: water and carried it and waited for each camel to

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Speaker 2: have its filled. She did so with diligence and speed.

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Speaker 2: The servant watched her work with excitement welling up inside him.

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Speaker 2: Have you done it, Lord, the servant thought to himself.

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Speaker 2: When Rebecca finished with the camels, the servant ran to

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Speaker 2: her and adorned her with gifts and gratitude. Please tell

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Speaker 2: me who you are and who your family is, he said,

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Speaker 2: Would they have any room for me to spend the night?

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Speaker 2: Rebecca replied, my father is Bethul and my brother is Laban,

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Speaker 2: and we have plenty of room for you and your

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Speaker 2: camels to stay the night. The man bowed his head

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Speaker 2: to God and worshiped with a grin of astonment. He

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Speaker 2: spoke to the Lord, saying, blessed are you Lord? God

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Speaker 2: of my master Abraham. Your steadfast love and faithfulness has

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Speaker 2: orchestrated everything perfectly, and I am simply blessed to watch

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Speaker 2: it unfold. Then the young woman told her household about

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Speaker 2: these things. Laban hurried to the well to assist the

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Speaker 2: servant and gave his warmest welcome by saying, come on in.

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Speaker 2: I've got the house ready for you, and there's also

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Speaker 2: a place for your camels. They all happily settled in

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Speaker 2: the house and prepared to eat a meal together. Before

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Speaker 2: I eat anything, I need to tell you why I

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Speaker 2: am here, the servant said, I am the servant of Abraham.

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Speaker 2: And the Lord has truly blessed Abraham since last time

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Speaker 2: you saw him. He has become great with flocks and

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Speaker 2: herds of thousands. He owns land, silver, gold, servants, and

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Speaker 2: all sorts of treasures. Yet his greatest treasure is Isaac,

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Speaker 2: a son he had with his wife Sarah. He was

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Speaker 2: a son given to them in their old age, and

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Speaker 2: God's favor is on him as well. The family sat

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Speaker 2: at the table, astonished by what he was saying, for

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Speaker 2: they knew Abraham from years ago before he had departed.

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Speaker 2: The servants spoke again, saying I have come here to

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Speaker 2: find my master's son a wife, and I believe Rebeccah

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Speaker 2: is the woman God has chosen for him. He then

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Speaker 2: told them all the things he had prayed to God,

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Speaker 2: and Rebeccah's actions confirming all that he had prayed for.

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Speaker 2: Laban and his father answered, this is undoubtedly from God.

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Speaker 2: Take her and go. Let her be the wife of

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Speaker 2: your master's son, as God has made it plain. The

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Speaker 2: servant praised God and blessed the entire household with expensive gifts.

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Speaker 2: The thought of Rebecca leaving saddened her family, and they

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Speaker 2: wanted her to stay a little while longer, but Rebeccah

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Speaker 2: felt the call of God to go, similarly as God

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Speaker 2: had beckoned Abraham and Sarah to depart from their homeland

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Speaker 2: into something greater, so Rebecca departed as well. Back home,

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Speaker 2: Isaac went out into the field to meditate. The sun

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Speaker 2: was setting and the warm breeze whistled across the plains.

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Speaker 2: Colors of orange and purple filled the skies, and the

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Speaker 2: clouds moved with the wind. Isaac closed his eyes to pray.

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Speaker 2: He missed his mother. He whispered to God and breathed

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Speaker 2: in the sweet air of the promised land. He then

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Speaker 2: opened his eyes, and in the distance he saw the

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Speaker 2: camels approaching on the horizon. Rebecca, sitting upon the camels,

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Speaker 2: also lifted her eyes to see a distant figure standing

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Speaker 2: among the fields. She saw him drawing nearer and got

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Speaker 2: off her camel. Who is that man walking in the

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Speaker 2: field to meet us, she asked, It is my master,

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Speaker 2: the servant replied, so Rebecca put on her veil to

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Speaker 2: hide her face for the wedding. Isaac came to greet

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Speaker 2: them and was informed about all the things that had

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Speaker 2: taken place. So Isaac brought Rebecca to his home and

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Speaker 2: the two entered a prepared wedding ceremony. He removed her

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Speaker 2: veil and fell madly in love with Rebecca. The two

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Speaker 2: became one as Abraham and Sarah once were. Isaac enjoyed

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Speaker 2: the warm embrace and comfort of his wife, and the

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Speaker 2: two began to build a life with one another.

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Speaker 3: Abraham and Sarah have been through so much together, countless

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Speaker 3: miles of travel, ups and downs in their marriage, and

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Speaker 3: at long last, the joy of a beloved son. Sarah

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Speaker 3: has lived a long life and has fulfilled her purposes.

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Speaker 3: Her time on earth has come to an end. And

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Speaker 3: Abraham grieves her death with great sorrow. Wanting to honor

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Speaker 3: her in her passing, he lavishly provides a resting place

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Speaker 3: for her body, purchasing a field and a cave. But

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Speaker 3: Abraham will not remain stuck in his grief. He understands

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Speaker 3: that there is a time to mourn and a time

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Speaker 3: to grieve, and also a time to look to the future.

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Speaker 3: God has promised to bring him many descendants through Isaac,

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Speaker 3: and for that to happen, he must find a mate

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Speaker 3: for his son. Here we find Abraham acting as a

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Speaker 3: wise father and leader of his family. He could easily

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Speaker 3: have sent his servant to search the region for a

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Speaker 3: young woman for his son, but that could mean a

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Speaker 3: marriage to a pagan woman who knew nothing of his God.

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Speaker 3: That would mean disaster, So he sends his servant out

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Speaker 3: to his homeland far far away. His servant makes a suggestion,

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Speaker 3: why don't I bring Isaac along for the journey so

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Speaker 3: the prospective wife can know I am telling the truth.

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Speaker 3: Once again demonstrating great wisdom, Abraham insists Isaac not leave.

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Speaker 3: God had promised that land to him, and Isaac must

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Speaker 3: stay there to protect his claim and be obedient to God.

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Speaker 3: But there was something more at play here. If Isaac

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Speaker 3: had journeyed far away and found a beautiful young woman

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Speaker 3: to marry, the temptation would be to stay right there,

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Speaker 3: abandoning the land God had given him. By now, Abraham

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Speaker 3: has lived long enough to understand the importance of trusting

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Speaker 3: and obeying God, and of staying the course that God

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Speaker 3: has set. So his servant heads out on his quest.

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Speaker 3: It is notable here that when he arrives in Nahor,

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Speaker 3: the servant praised to God and proposes a way to

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Speaker 3: identify the ideal wife. Look what he says in Genesis

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Speaker 3: twenty four, verses twelve through fourteen. He said, O, Lord,

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Speaker 3: the God of my master Abraham, please at me success

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Speaker 3: today and show loving kindness to my master Abraham. Behold,

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Speaker 3: I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of

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Speaker 3: the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

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Speaker 3: Now may it be that the girl to whom I say,

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Speaker 3: please let down your jar so that I may drink,

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Speaker 3: and who answers drink and I will water your campmel's also,

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Speaker 3: May she be the one whom you have appointed for

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Speaker 3: your servant, Isaac. And by this I will know that

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Speaker 3: you have shown loving kindness to my master? Why is

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Speaker 3: this so notable? We already see that it is not

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Speaker 3: only Abraham's direct line that is honoring and following the

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Speaker 3: One True God. This servant, living in the midst of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac,

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Speaker 3: and their family have seen their master's worship and trust

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Speaker 3: in God, his obedience and dependence upon God, and this

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Speaker 3: influenced him greatly. So he seeks God, also asking him

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Speaker 3: to find the right wife for his master. He doesn't

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Speaker 3: ask for the most beautiful woman, as one might imagine

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Speaker 3: he would, wanting to impress his master with a striking beauty.

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Speaker 3: For Isaac, his test is looking for a kind heart,

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Speaker 3: a compassionate person, something that will far outlast physical beauty.

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Speaker 3: Waiting by the wall, he meets Rebecca. She is beautiful,

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Speaker 3: standing out from all the others, but what wins him

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Speaker 3: over is how she demonstrates great kindness and generosity to

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Speaker 3: a stranger, a foreigner in the land. This is the one,

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Speaker 3: He's sure of it. God is at work in this situation.

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Speaker 3: When the servant tells Rebecca he needs lodging, she welcomes

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Speaker 3: him to her family's house. There, he reveals the purpose

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Speaker 3: of his visit to the astonishment amazement of his host.

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Speaker 3: He is granted favor and Laban, Rebecca's brother, testifies, this

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Speaker 3: is from God, so far be it from them to

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Speaker 3: stand in the way. The family grants their blessing and

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Speaker 3: Rebecca agrees to the long journey to meet her future

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Speaker 3: your husband, someone that she has never met or seen.

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Speaker 3: They returned to Canaan and Isaac is amazed. He is

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Speaker 3: overjoyed that God has provided him such a kind and

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Speaker 3: beautiful wife. They are married, and God's plan for his

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Speaker 3: purpose and ultimately the redemption of the world continues to

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Speaker 3: move forward. This is a story of God's divine providence,

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Speaker 3: God orchestrating the meeting at the right time between the

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Speaker 3: right people to provide a right mate for Isaac. It

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Speaker 3: is a reminder that God works and does amazing things

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Speaker 3: in our own lives, sometimes even despite unlikely odds and obstacles.

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Speaker 3: What we need to do is to always trust God,

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Speaker 3: believe his promises, and to obey him whatever he asks

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Speaker 3: us to do. Dear Father, thank you for how this

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Speaker 3: story reminds us that you are always at work moving

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Speaker 3: to bless us and provide for our every need. Thank

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Speaker 3: you also for the lesson in grieving and honoring our

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Speaker 3: loved ones that we see from Abraham with Sarah's passing.

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Speaker 3: Help us to trust that you will work in our situation,

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Speaker 3: that we will always bring glory to yourself and accomplish

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Speaker 3: your purposes in obedience with our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot

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Speaker 3: com app and make prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you

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Speaker 3: love and by sharing this podcast, you can make a

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Speaker 3: difference in their life. And if you want more resources

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Speaker 3: on how to tap into God's power to trust in

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Speaker 3: him and obey Him in all things, be sure to

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Speaker 3: visit Jack Graham dot org.