WHO IS ELIEZER OF DAMASCUS?

“But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” –  Genesis 15:2-3.

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at little-known characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. They were ordinary people who had cast long shadows of godly influence. One was Eliezer of Damascus.

Eliezer of Damascus is a Bible figure known for his unwavering fidelity and service to Abraham. As Abraham’s chief steward, Eliezer’s primary responsibility was to oversee Abraham’s household and affairs. Despite Eliezer’s minor role and his appearances in scripture being few, his faithfulness and duty offer a valuable and powerful example for each of us. Abraham, the man of faith we read about in Genesis, is nearing death. Before he passes, he wants to see his son Isaac marry a woman from his own country. He appoints his most trusted servant to embark on a journey to bring back a wife for Isaac. Eliezer’s faithfulness and resourcefulness were tested.

Eliezer sets out to fulfill the task being asked of him.  This is not to be a short trip.  Once he arrives, what’s the first thing Eliezer does?  He prays. “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water” ( Genesis 24: 12-13).  Before he even finishes praying, God answers. Rebekah is an answer to prayer.  Exactly what Abraham had asked for. Once he finds Rebekah, he praises the Lord.  When Laban and Bethuel say she can go, Eliezer praises the Lord.

What does this mean for us, then? The servant’s obedience and faith are lessons in discerning God’s will. He did not wait passively but committed all things to God in prayer before taking action in faith. For us today, doing our part faithfully and being faithful in the small things is part of God’s will for our lives. God can and will use these things for His purposes and glory.

This story points us to Jesus Christ. The servant’s love for his master was evident, reminding us of the greater servant in Jesus. The servant took a long journey of several weeks, but Jesus came down from heaven to earth to die for our sins. He came as a servant to redeem a people and was completely faithful to his task, even to death on the cross. He did all these because He loved the Father and the people that He came to save.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can we do this week to become a more faithful servant of Jesus Christ?