THE BLESSING OF HOSPITALITY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things.

Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.

"Come, you who are blessed by the Lord," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."

So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. Then food was set before him.

Genesis 24:28-33a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue to study the work of Abraham’s chief servant as he carries out his assignment of finding Isaac a wife, we pick up where we left off yesterday.

You’ll remember that the servant had prayed to God so to receive help in finding the right bride for Isaac. He asked God to provide two signs so that he might know he had chosen the right woman and we saw where the Lord provided what the servant asked for as Rebekah’s giving of water, first to the servant and then to his camels, showed that she was indeed the one. All this led to the servant to bow down and worship God, praising Him for His goodness to Abraham and himself. He then gave Rebekah a nose ring and bracelets for her wrist, leading her to run and tell her about what had happened, an even we look at in today’s passage:

The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things.

Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.

"Come, you who are blessed by the Lord," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."

So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. Then food was set before him.  Genesis 24:28-33a

It’s here that we are introduced to Rebekah’s brother, Laban, who hears the entire account of what transpired between his sister and Abraham’s chief servant. Seeing the gifts that Rebekah had been given and hearing her testimony, we find Laban go directly to Abraham’s chief servant, a man who is a total stranger to him just as he had been to Rebekah moments before.

The scriptures tell us of Laban’s actions when he meets the chief servant for the first time and his words aren’t what one might expect today when encountering a total stranger. For we don’t see Laban going up to the chief servant, shaking hands, introducing himself by name, and then asking the servant for his name in return. Rather, we read where there’s no preliminary conversation at all. No attempt to establish some kind of relationship before getting into anything else.

Instead, Laban immediately addresses the chief servant in a spirit of respect and praise saying:

"Come, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."

These were amazing words delivered to a total stranger and while this offering was expected in biblical times, it leaves me wondering how many people in this day and time would show the same blessing of hospitality. I’m afraid it wouldn’t come as quickly or easily as it did for Abraham’s chief servant, that’s for sure.

This is why we need this story from God’s Word for it should lead us into some things to ponder about how we should be more open to help those who we may not know.

Consider how our relationship with our Lord and His hospitable nature. For He is willing to entertain those who may have never known Him before and receive them, regardless how sin-stained they might be and no matter what they have done. Like the father waiting for his prodigal son to come home, the best accommodations and gifts are given to anyone who chooses to repent and come to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. For when this happens, He is always ready and willing to take us someone in, shelter them in His love, grace, and mercy, and nourish them with His Spirit, His Word and His Way.

Today and every day, let us give thanks for the incredible hospitality of our God and let us extend the same level of hospitality to those we encounter, even if they are strangers to us.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.