Genesis Chapter Twenty Four
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Genesis chapter twenty four (Clicking on these links will move you down this web page) | |
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Chapter 24- Finding a godly wife for Isaac
Genesis 24:1 - 11 Abraham sent his servant The godly marry the godly only Genesis 24:12 - 14 Asking God for a sign |
Genesis 24:15 - 21 God gave him a sign
Genesis 24:22 - 50 The wedding dowry was paid Genesis 24:51 - 60 The long journey home began Gen. 24:61 - 67 Isaac's bride is a type of the church |
Abraham sent his servant:
Why is this story in the Word of God? Well, God wants us to learn a few things (discover a few nuggets of truth) in this chapter. The most obvious application is the fact that God may have a godly mate for you. Just like He had a godly mate for Isaac, He may have one for you also. Go and seek your mate. Ask God for a sign if you need to. Make sure that that person loves God more than you. Pray for a godly mate. Seek and you shall find.
Three years after the death of Sarah, it was time to find a wife for Isaac. Why did not Isaac launch out and do some dating to find his own wife? Maybe he did a lot of dating and just could not seem to find the right one. Or, more likely, since marriages were arranged in those days and an expensive dowry had to be paid, Isaac's father was the one who had the means to procure a wife for his son.
Evidently, Abraham was too old and feeble at this time in his life to make this trip himself as it was about a 450 mile trip by camel caravan, one way. There were ten camels laden with riches so I am sure there was an armed security detachment and other camel drivers in the group.
There were three great events in the life of Isaac, the beloved son-
Also, physically speaking, this corresponds to three events in nearly every man's life- his birth, his marriage, and his death.
In other words, it is God's will for a true believer to marry another true believer. Be careful who you marry because you will become one flesh with that individual. The people of the land were to yoke an oxen to another oxen so the two oxen together would plow a straight path. This is symbolic of two people who each love the Lord. In marriage they pull together spiritually and plow a straight course towards the Lord. However, an oxen was not allowed to be yoked to a mule because the pulling would be uneven and they would plow an uneven field. This is symbolic of two people- (only one of who loves the Lord) who are married. In marriage they will not pull together spiritually to plow a straight course towards the Lord. The furrows they plow will be crooked or not true and it will not be a pretty thing to see.
Abraham had probably won his relatives to Christ (to God) many years before. So he knew that it would probably be a good place to find a godly woman for his son to marry. Today, some folks use computer dating to find a marriage partner. Each of my children found their marriage mate that way.
Here are a few additional tips on marriage. Only marry for love. Make sure there is charisma (tingles) between the two individuals. If God works on one partner and not on the other one, then He does not approve of this match. Be prepared to wait as long as necessary for God to give you a marriage partner that He approves of.
Asking God for a sign:
The servant of Abraham put a fleece before God to determine God's will. This is the same as asking God for a sign. This does not show a lack of faith as some claim, but, in my opinion, placing a fleece before God is good. I believe God likes His children to seek His will and go in the direction that He indicates.
There are some other examples in the holy bible where folks asked God for a sign:
Eliezer is a faithful and proven servant- a spiritual man who prays. There may be many Eliezers in our churches today. Many are pillars of the church, church members who are faithful in their church attendance and tithes paying. And each one is appreciated.
What is the pattern of a true servant? I think that it is one who has been summoned by our Father (God), and anointed to prepare the Bride of Christ for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
God gave him a sign:
Rebekah was God's choice for Isaac. She was from the godly lineage from Shem
The wedding dowry was paid:
It is possible that God paid a dowry in order to purchase His bride, the church. He gave the life of Christ to impress and teach her about Himself. He paid her dowry with the shed blood of Christ. He resurrected from the grave to show her the way to Heaven. If you love Him today, then you are part of His bride, the church. He did all of this for you because He loves you.
Rebekah was Isaac's second cousin, a godly woman. Abraham's servant used wisdom in this instance. Another notable example of wisdom in the bible was when Gamaliel gave wise counsel in determining if a certain matter was from God or not
The long journey home began:
Isaac's bride is a type for the church:
The word Lahairoi means "who lives and sees me." Isaac knew that God lived and saw him. God loved him and was concerned about him. And you and I should know the same thing today. Isaac was praying for a wife and God answered his prayers. This story gives creation to the old saying: "marriages are made in Heaven." God had a perfect timing in all this.
Isaac was forty years old at his wedding (Genesis 25:20).
Are there any types in these verses? Yes.
Another way of looking at this is:
In other words, Abraham is likened to God the Father, Isaac is likened to God the Son (remaining in Heaven until His bride, the Church, is brought to Him). The servant is likened to God the Holy Spirit who carefully selects and wins the bride, guides her through this world (a spiritual desert), and brings her safely home. While far from home, God the Holy Spirit exalts the Father, Who sent Him, and the Son, on whose behalf He has come. Rebekah is likened to a believer who loves without seeing her beloved, is given (spiritual) gifts, and who goes willingly. This is a beautiful picture painted by God. There is a message here for us.
I see something else here. In Genesis chapter three I mentioned the fact that these redeemed folks were the Genesis wife of God. Rebekah was a wife that was the perfect type for the wife of God. So, we see a literal wife that is symbolic of a spiritual wife. Sounds like an early version of apocalyptic literature, does it not? However, this book of the bible was written in the eastern culture and not the western culture. And the eastern culture allows for things like that. God has wonderful ways of teaching us spiritual truth. What is He teaching us? He is teaching us about His Genesis wife (the redeemed of the Lord) who He loves very much. We can understand that with the love that Isaac had for Rebekah. And how is the wife to respond to His love? She is to love Him, serve Him, and be faithful to Him. As members of the Bride of Christ today, that is how we are to respond to Christ with a lifetime commitment.
Finding a godly wife for Isaac
"And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him: peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him: beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife
unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water"
(Genesis 24:1-11).
1) his miraculous birth
2. his being offered as a sacrifice by his father
3. his obtaining a bride
In typology, Isaac is a type of Christ. Christ had a miraculous birth, He was offered as a sacrifice by His Father, and He obtained a spiritual bride (the church).
The godly seed were not to intermarry with the ungodly seed. This rule still holds true for today:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
(2 Corinthians 6:14).
The children of God and the children of the devil should never marry. This is one of the things that led to the moral corruption of mankind before the great flood
(Genesis chapter Six). To explain further- Abraham did not want his son to marry a woman who belonged to Satan. Many of those women in those days were idol worshippers. The old saying is that if you marry a child of the devil then the devil will be your father-in-law. Also, Abraham and his family must remain in the Promised Land until God saw fit to move them elsewhere. That meant that Isaac's wife had to come to live with him and not vice versa. Both of these decisions involved their religious convictions. Abraham knew all of this and tried hard to make the right choices.
If you are seeking a godly mate today, go to where the godly people congregate, such as a church or other Christian places. Because of the ownership principle, find a mate who loves the Lord. The rule of thumb in marriage is this- find a mate who loves Jesus more than he or she loves you, then he or she will be true to you because their ultimate loyalty is to God first. Do not go to bars or other drinking establishments where the ungodly go to find a mate lest you wind up with someone who may deceive you or someone who is eventually undesirable. One might say that Abraham's servant went fishing where the fish were and God gave him a wife for Isaac. Rebekah was the right person and it was the right time for them to be together. In other words, it was God's will and God's timing. Abraham got it right- the godly marry the godly, not the godly marry the ungodly.
"And he said, Oh Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say: let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink- and she shall say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also- let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac- and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master"
(Genesis 24:12-14).
1) Gideon asked God to show him a sign when he laid out his fleece of wool upon the grass
(Judges 6:17 & 37). This is where we get the expression "putting a fleece before God."
2) Jonathan, King Saul's son, asked God for a sign (1 Samuel 14:8-10).
3) Christ, as the Angel of the Lord, gave a sign to the parents of Samson when He ascended in the flame of the altar
(Judges 13:20).
4) Gabriel, an angel of God, made Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, speechless. This was God's sign to Zacharias.
(Luke 1:18-20).
And there are other signs and fleeces in God's word not mentioned here.
"And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not"
(Genesis 24:15-21).
God answered his prayer. God is good and His timing was perfect. God's perfect timing is seen at other places in the holy bible, as well:
1) God directed Paul to go to Greece rather than Asia at the perfect time
(Acts 16:6-10).
2) God had John the Baptist begin his ministry at the perfect time in order to present Jesus Christ to the world as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
(Mark 1:4-9).
3) Simeon blessed Jesus and His parents in the temple of God at the perfect time
(Luke 25-35).
4) God gave life giving water to Hagar and Ishmael at the perfect time in the desert
(Genesis 21:19).
And there are other examples in His word about His perfect timing.
(Genesis chapter 11). She was saved and a true worshipper of God. She was not an idol worshipping pagan who belonged to Satan.
"And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him: we have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. And he said: blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the
words of Rebekah his sister, saying, thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. And he said: come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, speak on. And he said, I am Abraham's servant. 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. 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. 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: but thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master, peradventure the woman will not follow me. 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: 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. 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: 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; 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.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, the thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good"
(Genesis 24:22-50).
(Acts 5:34-40). It is good for you and I to use wisdom, as well, in all of our activities. God will give wisdom liberally to you and I if we ask Him for it.
"Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
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. 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. 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. 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. And they 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. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 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"
(Genesis 24:51-60).
He prayed for quick success as it was possibly a long journey with storms, no water, no food, no inns, the desert, and robbers along the way. Today in our walk with Christ, we may have to face a storm or trial of our faith from time to time. We may get into a spiritual dry spell from time to time, like walking through a desert region. We may face hostility from others along life's pathway but we must continue on towards our goal. God met him and granted him the petitions of his prayer requests. And God will reward you and I at the end of our life's journey, as well, as long as we stay faithful to Him.
"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. And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. 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. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 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 veil, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 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"
(Genesis 24:61-67).
1) The Father wants a bride for His Son (Revelation 21:2).
2) God the Holy Spirit invites the bride (Acts 2:4).
3) God gives wonderful gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
4) Rebekah, as a type for God's church, is the virgin bride of Christ
(2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32).
5) Isaac, as a type of Christ, comes forth to take His bride for Himself
(Revelation 22:17).
Isaac, getting a bride, is a type for God the Son getting the church. The father Abraham (God the Father) sends a very special person (the One Who actively works- God the Holy Spirit) to win a bride (the church) for the son (Jesus Christ). The very special person is diligent in doing his job. The bride is ready to go in a moment's notice (the premillennial rapture). The bride goes to meet the bridegroom (in the air). The Son shows His love and tenderness as He claims His bride. They are together forever.
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As of April 14, 2013