REBEKAH A TYPE OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
[Genesis:24:34-67 [34] And he said, I am Abraham's servant. [35] And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. [36] And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. [37] And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: [38] But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. [39] And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. [40] And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: [41] Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. [42] And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: [43] Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; [44] And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. [45] And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. [46] And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. [47] And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. [48] And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. [49] And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. [50] Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. [51] Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken. [52] And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. [53] And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. [54] And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. [55] And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. [56] And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. [57] And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. [58] And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. [59] And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. [60] And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. [61] And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. [62] And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. [63] And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. [64] And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. [65] For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. [66] And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. [67] And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. ].
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready“ (Revelation 19:7).
I Abraham‘s Servant Tells His Mission
1. He tells of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and his promised inheritance, [Genesis:24:34-36 [34] And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
[35] And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
[36] And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
]; [Genesis:13:14-15 [14] And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
[15] For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
].
2. Eliezer has been given the responsibility of procuring a proper wife for Isaac, [Genesis:24:37-41 [37] And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
[38] But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
[39] And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
[40] And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
[41] Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
].
3. The test is made at the well, and the response is successful, [Genesis:24:42-46 [42] And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
[43] Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
[44] And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.
[45] And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
[46] And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
]; [Romans:12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
].
4. The bride-to-be is adorned, [Genesis:24:47-48 [47] And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.
[48] And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
].
II The Answered Call
1. The declaration of free will is made by Eliezer, [Genesis:24:49And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
]; [Revelation:22:17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
].
2. The final choice is given Rebekah, [Genesis:24:50-58 [50] Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
[51] Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.
[52] And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
[53] And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
[54] And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
[55] And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
[56] And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
[57] And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
[58] And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
]; [Isaiah:1:19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
].
3. Gifts are bestowed upon the family, [Genesis:24:53And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
].
4. Rebekah receives farewell blessings, and journeys to her new home, [Genesis:24:59-61 [59] And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
[60] And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
[61] And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
].
III The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah
1. Isaac awaits his bride at eventide, having gone into the field to meditate, [Genesis:24:62-63 [62] And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.
[63] And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
]; [Zechariah:14:7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
]; [Matthew:25:10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
].
2. Rebekah prepares to meet the bridegroom, [Genesis:24:64-65 [64] And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
[65] For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
]; [Revelation:19:7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
].
3. The meeting takes place, [Genesis:24:66-67 [66] And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
[67] And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
]; [1 Thessalonians:4:16-18 [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
]; [Matthew:24:26-28 [26] Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
[27] For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[28] For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
].
Our Inheritance in Christ
“The LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.“ Abraham was a great man and ruled over a household of hundreds of servants, but he had but one heir, Isaac. What an honour would be bestowed upon the one who would take his hand and become joint heir of all that he possessed!
Though Abraham was the possessor of an eternal promise, yet his silver and gold, flocks and herds, were temporal and would soon have to be left behind. The riches and honour bestowed upon his daughter-in-law can in no wise be compared with the honour that is to be freely given to all who will meet the conditions to become the Bride of Christ. Think of the glory to be revealed when the sons of God are manifest and declared to be “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ“ [Romans:8:17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. ]). All creation travaileth in pain and anxiety, awaiting that moment when the Bride of Christ shall be revealed.
“The Perfection of Beauty“
John the beloved caught a glimpse of beauty beyond description when there was revealed to him the “bride, the Lamb‘s wife“ [Revelation:21:9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
]). And this opportunity to be the Bride and heir is opened to all the ransomed Church of God! Can you lightly turn aside the call of the Spirit -- calling you to become the Bride of Christ?
Meeting the Conditions
“And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also.“ A simple act, but it reveals a condition of heart that is often lacking -- willingness to do the things that one is asked to do; and more than that, to serve beyond the call of duty, a voluntary service.
“I will draw water for thy camels also.“ The four times that this or a similar phrase appears in this chapter show the emphasis that God puts on going the “second mile.“ Those men who shine out on the sacred pages of God‘s Word are those who made sacrifices and performed exploits above that which they were asked.
Gifts from Above
When the Spirit of God finds a heart like that, how willing He is to adorn it with heavenly graces, typified by the jewels, bracelets, and earrings which Eliezer gave to Rebekah. The graces of the Spirit which distil as the dew of Heaven are the adorning of the Bride of Christ. They are the priceless jewels that God gives; and nothing so beautifies a soul as the Spirit of God. The very countenance radiates the glory that comes into the soul who is saved and sanctified and goes on until God pours out the Latter Rain upon his soul.
The brother of Rebekah could see that his sister had come into contact with something that had changed her. He saw the adorning, and he became interested in this man of God. The world cannot help but notice, and will inquire what it is that makes the child of God so radiant with His glory.
Let Us Make Haste
“They rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.“ Laban admitted that this thing was from God and that he could not say bad or good concerning it, so he just tried to slow it up. Often it is the case that people will admit that the Gospel is of God, or that certain things are what they should do, but they want to procrastinate a little. This is one of the tactics of the devil when he knows he cannot get people to deny the works of God: just get them to neglect and keep on neglecting. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?“ [Hebrews:2:3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
]).
“Hinder me not‘‘ is the call of the Spirit to all who would hesitate.
Who Will Go?
Seeing earnestness of the servant, and that they could not delay him, Laban and his mother said, “We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth“. “And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.“
“Wilt thou go?“ is the question that the Holy Spirit is putting to each member of the family of Christ. These are days of preparation, days of heart-searching, as the Spirit calls the Bride to follow His leading and abandon all earthly loves [Philippians:3:7-8 [7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ]), that she may enter into the secret chamber of the Most High.
“Wilt thou go with this man?“ -- though it mean the severance of the tenderest of family ties? Will you go the road of self-denial and sacrifice, though it mean the crucifying of the flesh, with the desires thereof, that Christ may be all in all? Are you willing not only to die for Him but to be a living, daily sacrifice, that His Gospel might be proclaimed to the ends of the earth? Are you laying up treasures in Heaven, that your heart might be set on things above?
When the Spirit reveals to you the treasures of Christ and His riches in glory, you, with Rebekah, will say “I will go.“ Though the long, dusty journey by camel may be rough and wearisome, yet as you reach that last mile of the road and your eyes look out across the field at eventide and you get one glimpse of your Bridegroom, you will shout, “Hallelujah!“
1. What did the servant of Abraham tell Rebekah and her family about Isaac‘s wealth?
2. How did Eliezer, Abraham‘s servant, know when he had found the young woman whom God had chosen for Isaac’s wife?
3. What did he do when he saw that he had found the desired person?
4. Was Rebekah given any choice in the matter? or was it decided for her by her elders?
5. The family wanted the servant to tarry a while with them. What attitude did he take about it?
6. What was the reason for coming so far to secure a wife for Isaac?
7. Of whom is Rebekah a type?
8. Of whom is Isaac a type?
9. What is the significance of their arrival at eventide?
10. What Significant blessing was given Rebekah as she left
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