This often silent, behind the scenes, work of the Holy Spirit, is further illustrated by the work of Abraham’s unnamed servant in Genesis 24. Here the emphasis in what is pictured is not on the blessing of an individual becoming a child of God, but on the honour of God’s people collectively becoming the bride of Christ.
Abraham has had a son in his old age. This son, Isaac, is the son of promise and dearly loved. Culturally, Abraham has a responsibility to secure and provide a suitable wife for his son. He entrusts this responsibility to his most trusted servant, providing him with every means necessary to procure the desired bride. The narrative illustrates to us the interest that God the Father has in providing for His Son a bride (cp. the pre-fall assessment of Adam’s situation in Genesis 2:18). This grand design has been entrusted to the unnamed Servant, the Holy Spirit.The actions of the servant throughout the story teach us about the ministry of the Holy Spirit today. All the resources of the master’s house have been made available to accomplish the task. He must travel to a far country to find her. He goes with his master’s blessing. The woman he finds responds willingly to his overtures. She is showered with gifts – pledges that the prospective groom is worthy of her love. He tells her of his master’s wealth and character. The servant is so pleased by the prospective bride he has found that he wishes to return quickly. She has been adequately wooed. She willingly leaves behind her family and homeland for the prospect of life with the worthy man she has come to know through the witness of the servant.
Surely it humbles us to consider the Holy Spirit’s sentiment towards us. Equipped with all the resources of heaven and sent by the Father to procure a bride for the Son, the Holy Spirit has been delighted to find you and me. Unlikely bridal material though we may seem to be, the Servant is not put off. He sees an attractive bride for His Master! He showers us with the blessings of heaven (Ephesians 1:3). He teaches us about Christ. He beautifies us for Christ – adorning us with the features of godliness and good works (see Ephesians 4 – especially consider v.30). We are wooed from the world and its allure – becoming ever more captivated by the prospect of life forever with this Man who has given Himself for us (Ephesians 5:25).
The goal of the enterprise is the union of the Man Jesus with his Bride. The Servant accomplishes His work so completely that, by the end of the last book in the Bible, the Spirit and the Bride are speaking in unison (Revelation 22:17). The Bride is all ready to meet Him (cp. Revelation 21:2). Together they are saying to Christ, “Come!” The Spirit’s work is complete. God and mankind could not be more intimately connected. His charge has been successfully dispensed.