Lesson 13 - Senior
Memory Verse
"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).
Cross References
I Abraham's Servant Tells His Mission
1. He tells of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and his promised inheritance, [GEN:24:34-36]; [GEN:13:14-15].
2. Eliezer has been given the responsibility of procuring a proper wife for Isaac, [GEN:24:37-41].
3. The test is made at the well, and the response is successful, [GEN:24:42-46]; [ROM:12:1].
4. The bride-to-be is adorned, [GEN:24:47-48].
II The Answered Call
1. The declaration of free will is made by Eliezer, [GEN:24:49]; [REV:22:17].
2. The final choice is given Rebekah, [GEN:24:50-58]; [ISA:1:19].
3. Gifts are bestowed upon the family, [GEN:24:53].
4. Rebekah receives farewell blessings, and journeys to her new home, [GEN:24:59-61].
III The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah
1. Isaac awaits his bride at eventide, having gone into the field to meditate, [GEN:24:62-63]; [ZEC:14:7]; [MAT:25:10].
2. Rebekah prepares to meet the bridegroom, [GEN:24:64-65]; [REV:19:7].
3. The meeting takes place, [GEN:24:66-67]; [1TS:4:16-18]; [MAT:24:26-28].
Notes
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" [ROM:8:17]). 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" [REV:21:9]). 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?" [HEB:2:3]).
"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 [PHL:3:7-8]), 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!"
Questions
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