The Camels Are Coming | Pastor Kyle Walker

Devotional

Day 1: The Baton in Your Hand

A widowed Abraham wakes to realize his legacy hinges on passing God’s promises to the next generation. He charges his servant with finding Isaac a wife, refusing compromise with local Canaanites. This isn’t about Abraham’s comfort but ensuring Isaac inherits the call to steward God’s covenant. Like a relay runner gripping the baton, Abraham’s urgency reminds us: our choices today shape tomorrow’s faithfulness. What intentional steps are we taking to equip others to carry God’s purposes forward? [38:55]

“Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years… Abraham said to his servant… ‘Put your hand under my thigh… swear by the Lord… that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…’” (Genesis 24:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What “baton” has God placed in your hand—a relationship, responsibility, or truth—that you’re called to intentionally pass to someone younger in faith?

Day 2: Praying for Camels at the Well

The servant doesn’t strategize alone. At the well, he prays for a woman who’ll offer water not just to him but to ten thirsty camels—a sign of radical generosity. Rebekah’s immediate response to draw 83 jars of water reveals God’s precise provision. Prayer isn’t wishful thinking; it’s aligning our requests with God’s character. When we seek His markers—kindness, diligence, selflessness—He answers in ways that humble us. [45:31]

“Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink’… say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one…” (Genesis 24:14, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to settle for human solutions rather than asking God for a “camel-sized” sign of His specific guidance?

Day 3: When Family Clings But God Calls

Rebekah’s family tries to delay her departure, but she chooses the unknown journey with Isaac over familiar comforts. Saying “yes” to God often means disappointing others to obey Him. Her “I will go” echoes Christ’s surrender in Gethsemane—a lonely but sacred yes. Not everyone will celebrate your obedience, but those who cling to God’s call find themselves in the center of His story. [01:03:50]

“And they called Rebekah and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ She said, ‘I will go.’” (Genesis 24:58, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a decision you’ve postponed because you fear others’ disapproval, even though you know it aligns with God’s direction?

Day 4: Providence in the Rearview Mirror

The servant recounts God’s faithfulness to Laban: “Before I finished praying, Rebekah appeared.” Hindsight reveals how God orchestrated every detail—the timing, the camels, the genealogy. Providence means God works ahead of us, storing up success (Proverbs 2:7). Like the servant, we worship mid-journey, not just at the destination, because His fingerprints are already on the road. [58:50]

“Then Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go…’” (Genesis 24:50-51, ESV)

Reflection: When has looking back at a past struggle shown you God’s unseen preparation—and how does that strengthen your trust for current uncertainties?

Day 5: The Field Where Camels Appear

Isaac doesn’t pace the road searching for camels. He meditates in the field, habitually meeting God. His daily solitude positions him to recognize divine appointments. Like Pascal observed, our chaos often stems from avoiding quietness with God. Stillness isn’t passive; it’s the soil where vision grows. That evening, Isaac looked up—and there they were. [01:09:24]

“And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming.” (Genesis 24:63, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step could you take this week to create daily “field time” with God, even if it means sacrificing productivity or noise?

Sermon Summary

Genesis 24 puts Abraham near the end of his race, old, blessed, widowed, and holding a baton from God. Abraham sees that life is no longer mainly about him, because God’s promises of land, name, nation, offspring, and blessing must be passed to Isaac. The call of God always comes with a baton, and Abraham takes responsibility to put the next generation in position to say yes to God’s call.

Abraham gives his trusted servant a tall task. The servant must travel hundreds of miles, find a wife from Abraham’s kindred, propose on behalf of a man she has never met, and bring her back to the land of promise. Abraham will not allow Isaac to go back, because going back would drop the baton. Abraham’s confidence rests in the Lord, the God of heaven, who called him out, made promises to him, and would send his angel ahead.

The servant shows what it looks like to seek success from God instead of trying to make life work by raw effort, luck, or intelligence. The servant knows God already has the wife picked out, so the servant is not really going to find her but to discover whom God has already chosen. His prayer asks for a woman who is kind, generous, and willing to work hard. Before the prayer is finished, Rebekah arrives, and she waters not only the servant but ten thirsty camels. God answers with the kind of provision that makes a man bow his head and worship.

Rebekah’s family recognizes that “the thing has come from the Lord,” yet their hearts grow hesitant when obedience becomes costly. The call of God sometimes comes down to one person standing before God alone. Rebekah’s three words, “I will go,” place her in the middle of God’s plan for Isaac, Israel, the nations, and ultimately the coming of Christ.

Isaac appears in the field, getting alone with God. Isaac is not chasing camels. Isaac is seeking the Lord, and while his eyes are on God, the camels come into view. The call of God counts on getting alone with God, because the answer, direction, next step, and help so often come there. When a person says yes to God’s call, that person gets God’s plan, and God works powerfully for those who want his plan. Surely the camels of God’s goodness and mercy follow those who stop chasing them and put Jesus first.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s call carries a baton [43:01] The call of God is never merely private or self-contained. Abraham’s obedience had to become Isaac’s opportunity, because God’s promises were meant to move through generations. Faithfulness grows up when God’s people stop living for self-preservation and start preparing others to say yes when God calls. [43:01]
2. Success must be sought from God [55:56] The servant did not act passive, but he also did not act like the outcome depended on him. His prayer showed that real success comes from God’s hand, not merely from planning, charm, or effort. Godly success humbles the heart because the upright know where the win came from. [55:56]
3. Providence moves God’s plan forward [59:06] The providence of God is not vague religious language. It is the all-knowing, all-powerful, always-present hand of God making his plan happen when his people say yes. The family could not speak good or bad against Rebekah’s going, because the Lord had spoken. [59:06]
4. Obedience may require walking alone [01:03:50] Rebekah’s “I will go” came when her family hesitated and the cost became personal. The call of God can reach a point where no parent, friend, sibling, or leader can answer in another person’s place. Faith sometimes climbs onto the camel before sight has anything settled. [63:50]
5. Stop chasing camels, seek God [01:11:24] Isaac was not frantic in the field, trying to force God’s provision to appear. Isaac was alone with God, and that posture put him in position to see what God was bringing. The goodness and mercy of God follow the person whose eyes are fixed on the Lord rather than on the gifts.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:24] - Genesis 24 and God’s Call
[35:57] - Yes to God’s Call and Plan
[38:30] - Abraham Holds the Baton
[40:13] - A Wife From the Right People
[45:08] - The Servant Reaches the Well
[48:57] - Seeking God for Success
[51:46] - Rebekah’s Kindness and Character
[55:28] - Success Comes From the Lord
[58:50] - The Thing Has Come From God
[62:32] - Not Everyone Celebrates the Call
[63:50] - Rebekah Says, I Will Go
[67:18] - Isaac Seeks God in the Field
[71:24] - Stop Chasing Camels
[73:22] - Goodness and Mercy Will Follow

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Genesis 24:1-9 (ESV)
Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” [...] Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

Genesis 24:62-67 (ESV)
Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. [...] Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 23:6 (ESV)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Observation Questions

What specific instructions did Abraham give his servant about finding a wife for Isaac, and why was he so insistent on these details?
How did Rebekah’s actions at the well (watering camels, offering hospitality) reveal her character?
What did Isaac do in the field before he saw the camels approaching, and how does this connect to the outcome of the story? [01:08:17]

Interpretation Questions

Why did Abraham refuse to let Isaac return to his homeland, even if the servant failed to find a wife? What does this reveal about Abraham’s understanding of God’s promises?
Rebekah’s family acknowledged God’s hand in the situation but hesitated when obedience became costly. How does this tension between faith and comfort show up in other biblical stories or personal experiences?
Isaac was “meditating in the field” when Rebekah arrived. How does this posture of seeking God first align with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:33? [01:09:24]

Application Questions

Abraham prioritized passing the baton of faith to the next generation. What is one practical way you can intentionally invest in someone younger (or less mature in faith) this week?
The servant prayed for God to reveal the right woman through specific, tangible signs. Are there areas in your life where you need to stop relying on your own effort and instead ask God for clear guidance? What would that look like?
Rebekah’s “I will go” required courage to leave her family. When have you faced a decision where obeying God meant stepping away from others’ expectations or comfort? How did you respond?
Isaac’s daily habit of seeking God positioned him to recognize His provision. What distractions or “camels” are you chasing that might be keeping you from consistent time alone with God? [01:11:24]
The sermon emphasized that “goodness and mercy follow those who fix their eyes on Jesus.” How could shifting your focus from outcomes to faithfulness change your attitude toward a current challenge?

Sermon Clips

43s

“``We so often go chasing camels. God I want this, and God I want that, and God I want this. God I'm gonna be unhappy unless you do this, unless you do that, and God I need to do this. And we run to and fro, crazy and frantic, when what we need to daily do, most of our problems are the result of simply not getting alone and listening to the only one who has the answer, who can give success, who has the plan, if we'll just say yes, and who then will work powerfully on our behalf to see it. Isaac simply put his eyes on God, and guess what? The next thing he sees. The camel's coming.”

51s

“The call of God in our lives depends on a willingness to get alone with God. I'm gonna say it like this. If you're not daily getting alone with God, you are missing out on a lot on a lot of God's plan for your life. You don't even know it. If you're not daily getting along with God. Because you're not asking and you're not sensitive to it. You're not looking and your eyes are not in the right place. And the will of God and the plan of God that is better than your it will will will pass you by if you're not looking in the right places for it. When you say yes to God's call, you get his plan, and God works powerfully for those who want his plan.”

61s

“And that same attitude he carried the night before he was the night he's arrested in the garden, and again, all alone the disciples he'd asked to pray with him and for him, but guess what? They kept falling asleep. This was gonna be between him and God the father alone. He would say yes to the cross. He'd have to say yes alone. He'd have to walk a road alone, sweat drops of blood alone, carry that wood by himself, be hung there for you and for me. Paying the price for our sin. Going to the grave. All saying yes to the father for your sake and for mine so that one day we could too say yes to God's plan for our life. Jesus says, I will go. Rebecca says, I will go. Have you say it said I will? God, I'll go. Have you said yes to God's plan? Yes to God's call. When you do, you get his plan, and then God works powerfully for those who want his plan.”

66s

“You see, was Isaac's decision that day to get alone with God that positioned him to be the first one to witness the will of God unfolding in his life. If you don't hear anything else I say this morning, want you I want you to hear this. This one is so critical, that the call of God in our lives depends on getting along with God. So often, so often, more times than not, the thing that we need most, the answer that we're so desperate for, the answer to the question we need that we've been asking, the direction that we need to go, the where we need to be, the how we need to do something, the the response or the next step that we're looking for, the crucial decision that's on the line, the whatever it is that we're facing next in life, more often than not, the answer can be found and found alone when you get alone with God.”

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The Camels Are Coming | Pastor Kyle Walker

Devotional

Day 1: The Baton in Your Hand

Day 2: Praying for Camels at the Well

Day 3: When Family Clings But God Calls

Day 4: Providence in the Rearview Mirror

Day 5: The Field Where Camels Appear

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Camels Are Coming | Pastor Kyle Walker

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