Learning to Pray to receive an answer from God
Abraham was of old age and no longer had the strength for the journey, so he asked his most trusted servant. Yes, Abraham had servants but that was the norm over 4,000 years ago so to ensure we understand the true context we should advance the language to 2020. We will substitute the word servant for employee or worker. Abraham as an entrepreneur, who owned his own ranch, had workers that he paid to tend to the flock. For that type of labor there was no other word than servant, there was no employment, or employers, or fair labor laws. The kindness and goodness of Abraham was to provide, support, and share his wealth with employees (servants) to live a good life also as they worked on the ranch.
First Abraham gave the employee specific instructions:
1. Go to his homeland, do not find a wife for Isaac in Canaan
2. He encouraged the employee by assuring him that God would send an angel to prepare the atmosphere for when he arrives. Verse 7
3. Abraham gave the employee a safe landing, if the woman did not want to return with him then he was released of the oath which meant his duties were completed
Our own imagination or schema about what a servant is contradicts how Abraham is treating this man. The employee was his most trusted employee, probably had the longest tenure with him and oversaw all his affairs. Today we would say the employee is the CEO of the company and Abraham is the owner of the company. The CEO, employee, servant was given a task to perform with specific instructions but the responsibility for fulfilling the task was on God. All the serv