Humility

Linda Rock
Jul 24, 2023
3 min read

We note humility in both the young woman and the servant of Abraham, but we are staring at the young female, whose outside beauty is striking. This is the flattering and complimentary picture Scripture paints of her. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. Genesis 24: 16a. The description excels beauty, for she is not just painted as beautiful, but she is described as very beautiful, giving our minds freedom to roam with beauty. Everyone with eyes to see, can see her exceptional beauty, yet she is in no way puffed up and arrogant about this God-given attribute. Instead, she displays grace and humility, which far surpass her outward beauty.

In this lavish description, we are also told this. She was a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. In my limited thinking, I wondered why the second part was necessary. As far as I am concerned, if you are a virgin, you have not lain with any man. But I am shown that there is difference. It is no different from when she is described as beautiful. To give a fuller and more comprehensive image, as it were, we are told that this young woman was not just beautiful, but very beautiful, leaving us no doubt about her beauty; so too with her virginity. She was not just a virgin, but one who had no man lie with her. Perhaps some minds like mine, went straight to Jesus’ mother. Mary was also a virgin. Yes, although she was given to Joseph and they were engaged or betrothed to be married, she never ever laid with him. She was very upfront about her super virginity, when the angel spoke to her about becoming pregnant and having a child. She asked God’s angel this question. How shall this be, seeing I know not a man. Luke 1: 34b KJV

This is the young woman, a virgin, who is very beautiful, showing us her inner beauty. This is what I mean. Despite her striking beauty, she is an ordinary, young woman, as all other women in her neighbourhood, who must go out around the evening hours, to draw water. Here, beauty does not exempt her from this manual work of fetching and carrying water. Not only that, but when the servant of Abraham, this stranger, asks her for water, she is not averse to offering him and his animals, tripling her work at the least.

Just as outer beauty is seen, so too is inner beauty, not just in beautiful talk, but in the beautiful ways of humility. Let’s listen to the text again. Drink, my lord, she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. Genesis 24: 18. Where is humility? You ask.

There is the humble heart that is not ruled by the pride of self-conceitedness. She is nobody’s servant, why must she be the one to give him water? She is the servant of humility.
There is the humble mind that does not think of oneself first, above others. Humility allows her to sacrifice time and energy to help to give water to a thirsty traveller and his animals. She is the friend of humility.

As we observe, with Abraham’s servant, who sees the beauty of humility in this young woman, do the servants of Jesus see the beauty of humility in you? Can they attest to the beauty of Jesus in you and not your ugly self-piety, religious goodness and pride?