In Genesis 24 we see a wealthy father sending out his trusted servant to find a bride for His Son. In the story, the servant represents the Holy Spirit, who is calling out a bride for Jesus Christ, and then leading that bride on a spiritual journey to heaven.
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Christ – The Wealthy Waiting Husband
Genesis 24
Isaac is a type of Christ. We know that because Hebrews 11:19 says that Abraham considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received Isaac back as a type. The three most significant events in a person’s life are his birth, death, and wedding. Well, in the book of Genesis we find Isaac foreshadowing Christ in His birth, death, and wedding. What do I mean?
Consider, first Isaac pictures Jesus in His birth.
- Isaac’s birth was promised by God long before he was born. Likewise, Jesus’ birth was promised by God thousands of years before He actually came into the world (Gen.3:15).
- Isaac’s birth was supernatural. His parents were physically unable to have children. He was a miracle baby. Likewise, Jesus’ birth was supernatural, being born of a virgin (Luke 1:34-35).
- Isaac was named before he was born (Gen.17:19). Likewise, Jesus was named before He was born (Mt.1:21).
Then, consider how Isaac pictures Jesus when He was offered by His Father.
- Isaac bore the wood for the sacrifice, even as Jesus bore the crossbeam on His way to Mt. Calvary.
- Isaac permitted Himself to be bound, even as Jesus voluntarily submitted Himself to death.
- Isaac was offered by his father, even as Jesus Christ was offered up on the cross by the will of His Father.
- Isaac was received back from death, even as Jesus was raised from the dead.
- Isaac returned to his Father’s house (Gen.22:19), even as Jesus ascended back to His Father’s house in heaven.
Well, this morning we want to look at the third event in Isaac’s life in which he portrayed Jesus Christ – his marriage. Notice, that in chapter 22 we see a picture of Jesus, the only begotten Son, being offered up in sacrifice on the cross. In chapter 23 we have the record of Sarah’s death. Abraham typifies God the Father. So, gang, who is the wife of Jehovah in Scripture? That’s right, Israel. After Christ dies for sin, ratifying the New Covenant in His blood, Israel is set aside as the covenant people of God. Then in chapter 24 we see a picture of the Holy Spirit call out a bride for Christ. Chapter 22 – the death of Christ. Chapter 23 – the setting aside of Israel. Chapter 24 – the bride of Christ. Throughout this chapter, Abraham pictures God the Father. Isaac pictures Jesus Christ. The unnamed servant pictures the Holy Spirit. And Rebekah pictures the Church, the bride of Christ. As we work our way through this chapter, we will look at it under three headings: The Mission, The Meeting, and The Move.
1. The Mission (24:1-9)
The Humility of the Servant (24:1-2)
In verse 2 were are introduced to Abraham’s oldest servant. Who was this servant? Well, if we look back to Gen. 15:2, we will find out that his name was “Eliezer.” Interestingly, Eliezer, means “God is my Help.” He is a wonderful picture of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called “The Helper.” Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (Jn.14:26). Also, notice that he is unnamed in this passage. This more accurately portrays the Holy Spirit, who is humble. Jesus said that He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” (Jn.16:13-14).
The Honor Due to the Servant (24:2)
Genesis 24:2 says that the servant had charge of all that Abraham owned. This servant was no menial slave. Rather, he was an exalted steward. Abraham was extremely wealthy, and this steward was in charge of all his wealth! The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, or some cosmic aura. He is the third person of the Trinity, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, co-equal with the Father and the Son.
The Task of the Servant (24:3-4)
Eliezer was commissioned by Abraham to return to Abraham’s homeland, to find a wife for his son. God had already told Abraham in chapter 15 that He would drive out and destroy the Canaanites when the iniquity of the Amorite was complete. Therefore, Abraham gave specific instructions to Eliezer to choose a bride from his own country and relatives. After Abraham offered up Isaac, and then received him back “from the dead”, Isaac went back to his father’s house. Now, the Father commissions the oldest servant in his house to go into a far country to seek out a bride for his son. Do you see the parallels? After God had offered Christ up in sacrifice, and then received Him back from the dead, Christ ascended to heaven to His Father’s house, from which He has sent the Holy Spirit to seek out a bride for Christ out of the world.
The Courtesy of the Servant (24:5-9)
Abraham absolutely forbids Eliezer to take Isaac back to Ur. God had given him the land of Canaan, and God’s promises are bound up in Isaac. If Isaac went back to Ur, he might be tempted to remain and raise a family there. God forbid that should happen, after He had given Abraham the promise of the land of Canaan!
In this passage Abraham releases Eliezer of the oath if the woman is not willing to return with him. In other words, Abraham is not requiring Eliezer to gag and tie and drag back this woman to Isaac. Neither does the Holy Spirit force us to be saved against our will. A lot of people accuse us who love the doctrines of sovereign grace of preaching that God forces people to be saved against their will. We preach nothing of the kind. We preach that God makes us willing in the day of His power. No man will ever enter heaven kicking and screaming, and saying, “I don’t want to be saved, and you can’t make me!” to which God responds, “Oh yeah, we’ll just see about that” as He kicks him inside the pearly gates. As we will see, Rebekah was not dragged back to Isaac against her will. Rather, she was simply made willing. All the Servant had to do, was tell her about the wealth, and the goodness, and the glory of Isaac, and she felt her heart inclined to follow the Servant. I heard Tim Keller say recently, that it’s as if all humanity is blind and running toward a raging fire, and God opens the eyes of some of those blind men. Immediately they stop running toward the fire, and start running away from it. Friends, that’s what happens when God calls a man. He simply opens his eyes, so that he willingly runs from sin to Jesus Christ. Psalm 110:3 says, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” When God bares His powerful arm, His people will be willing to humble themselves, confess their sins, forsake their wickedness, turn to Christ, and walk in holiness!
2. The Meeting (24:10-60)
In verses 10-60 we find the meeting of the Servant with Rebekah and her family.
The Pre-Appointment of the Bride (10-14)
We find in our story that the servant sent out on his journey with ten camels, and finally arrived at the city of Nahor. He made his camels kneel down outside the city by the well at evening time, the time when he knew the women of the city would be coming out to draw water. Then he prayed a simple prayer. He prayed, “Lord may it be that when I ask a girl if she will give me a drink of water, she not only gives me a drink but offers to water all my camels, may she be the one You have appointed as a bride for my master.” Well, before the servant’s prayer was even concluded, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. The servant asked for a drink of water. She not only gave him a drink, but quickly offered to water all the camels as well. Now, folks, that was no small gesture. A camel can easily drink 25 gallons of water at one time. He’s got 10 camels! That’s 250 gallons of water! She had to walk down the steps to the well, fill the pitcher, and then walk back up the steps and pour out the water into the trough. She would have to repeat that perhaps 50-100 times! I imagine it would have taken her 2 or 3 hours of hard work!
The point we must not miss though is that the servant was looking for the woman whom God had already appointed as a bride for Isaac (24:14). You see, she did not draw water for the camels in order to be appointed as a bride for Isaac. Rather, she drew the water for the camels because she was already appointed as a bride for Isaac. In this story we have a hint at the wonderful truth of God’s sovereign election. Luke brings this out in his history of the early church in Acts 13:48 where he writes, “as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” Notice the order. They were first appointed to eternal life, then they believed. Further, they believed because they were appointed. They did not believe in order to be appointed. Friends, faith is a result of God’s sovereign choice of a person to eternal life. If you believe in Christ today, it’s because God appointed you to eternal life before the creation of the world! That’s what the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5, “just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.” That’s why all the glory and credit for our salvation including even our faith goes to God alone.
The Beauty of the Bride (16)
We are told here that Rebekah was very beautiful. The chosen bride was very beautiful. Saints, Rebekah represents us, the church of Jesus Christ. It is amazing to me, but it’s absolutely true, that God looks on us as being very beautiful. Why? Oh, not because we are beautiful in ourselves. In ourselves, we are filthy, corrupt, and defiled. But we are not in ourselves if we are Christians. We are in Christ. And Christ is altogether lovely. There is no flaw in Him. He is glorious beyond all comparison. Positionally, we are beautiful to our Father in heaven. And practically, He is making us more and more beautiful. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in 5:27, “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” Because we are in Christ we are beautiful to our Father positionally, and we are being made more and more beautifully practically.
The Purity of the Bride (16)
We are also told that Rebekah was a virgin, no man had had relations with her. She was pure and chaste sexually. This is what we are to be spiritually. We must not give our love and devotion and hearts to any other love but Christ. We must not love the world or the things of the world. We must not worship idols. We are to be pure and chaste, having our hearts fixed only on Christ. Paul the apostle said to the Corinthians, “I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (2Cor.11:2). The wonder is that even though this is what we should be, but aren’t, this is how the Father sees us, His children. According to 2 Cor. 5:21, we are the righteousness of God in Christ! Doesn’t that blow your mind? We look at our self and just see our shortcomings, and flaws, and defilements. But when the Father looks at us, He sees the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. God looks at us and sees perfection, because we are hidden in Christ.
The Hospitality of the Bride (21-25)
This servant had ten camels, and Rebekah told him that they had plenty of straw and feed and room to lodge! She was graciously showing hospitality to this stranger. She was telling the servant, “Come on home to my house. Bring your men and your camels. There’s room for everyone. Please, make yourself at home.” Likewise, we as the bride of Christ, are to invite the Spirit of God to come in, and make Himself at home in our hearts. We are to invite Him into every area of our lives. We are to allow Him to rule us, change us, and conform us to the image of Jesus. Paul in Ephesians 3:17 prayed that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” The word “dwell” means to settle down and be at home. Oh, how we should long that Jesus Christ would settle down and be right at home in our hearts. If our heart were a house that Christ lived in, would you have any rooms that are filled with garbage and filth that you have locked and not allowed Christ to enter? Oh, that ought not be. Let’s invite the Spirit of God into every area of our lives.
The Gifts Given to the Bride (22, 35-36, 50-53)
After Rebekah had finished watering the servant’s camels, he gave her a gold ring and two bracelets of gold for her wrists. Later when Laban saw the ring and bracelets, he started scheming about how he could get his hands on more of the stuff in the servant’s bag. I’m sure they were wondering where this man got all of this gold jewelry. Well, he tells them it was because the Lord had blessed his master, so that he had become very rich with flocks, herds, servants, maids, silver and gold, camels and donkeys. On top of that, all of the vast wealth of his master had been given to his son, as his sole heir. Well, now that the servant had their attention, he told them the whole story of how Abraham had commissioned him to go and find a wife for his son, Isaac. At the end of the story he brought out articles of silver and gold and garments, and gave them to Rebekah, and her family.
Now, folks, what does this point to? The work of the Holy Spirit in every member of the church. These gifts were to beautify and enrich the bride, and the work of the Spirit is to beautify and enrich the body of Christ. You see, these gifts were the proof that this servant’s story was true. How else could he be carrying around gold and silver jewelry, and garments, and have ten camels? These gifts of the servant brought assurance to Rebekah that his story was valid, and she could trust him. When he gave these gifts it was as if he was saying, “There’s a lot more where that came from!” We are told in Ephesians 1:14 that the Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our inheritance. The word pledge carries the idea of “guarantee”, or “deposit” or “wedding ring.” A pledge is a down payment guaranteeing that the final payment will certainly be given. Why has God given us the Holy Spirit? As a guarantee that our future eternal inheritance when we will live with our Bridegroom in heaven for all eternity will surely be given to us. We are given the work of the Spirit to validate the message of the gospel and give us assurance that we will inherit God’s everlasting kingdom with Christ.
The Decision of the Bride (57-60)
Notice the urgency of the servant. After he told his story and gave gifts to Rebekah and her family, the next morning he urged them to allow him to take the girl and return to his master. Laban and Rebekah’s father called Rebekah and asked her what she wanted to do. They asked her, “Will you go with this man?” I love her answer. Rebekah replied simply, “I will go.” All of this reminds me of a wedding vow when the minister asks the bride, “Will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?” And, of course, she replies, “I do.” In this statement, Rebekah is committing herself to marry Isaac.
This really was a tremendous commitment. Rebekah was committing herself to believe the word of a man she had never met, to marry a man she had never seen, to leave home never to return! Truly, she was embarking upon a journey of faith. And notice, that for her to say “Yes” to this new life, meant saying “No” to her old life. Saving faith includes repentance. You can’t turn to something, without turning away from something else.
Bridge, this is what every one of us must do if we are to be saved. The Spirit of God asks us, “Will you give your life to Jesus Christ? Will you commit all of who you are to Him? Will you marry Christ?” All of us must reply, “I will.” We must make a decision to follow Jesus Christ. Have you ever come to a point in your life where you made a deliberate, careful decision to surrender your all to Christ, and become His follower? May God help you to do so for Jesus’ sake.
3. The Move (61-67)
At this point verse 61 tells us that they mounted the camels and followed the man. You see, they couldn’t find Isaac otherwise. The servant led the way, while they followed. There is only one way to go in the Christian life – the way of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 tells us to walk by the Spirit, to follow the leading of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is the only guide who can successfully lead us to heaven and Christ.
The Bride Learned of the Son (61)
This would have been a slow journey. The camels would only travel about 3 miles per hour. Since the journey was about 500 miles, it would have taken about 3 weeks to make the journey. Rebekah had a lot of time on her hands to talk to the servant as they traveled. What do you think she would have asked him? “What is he like? What does he look like? How old is he? What does he do for a living? What kind of a personality does he have?” Jesus said in John 15:26, “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.” Later in John 16:14 Jesus said, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine, and will disclose it to you.” During our journey to heaven, the Holy Spirit delights to testify about Christ and glorify Him. That’s why we gather here on Sundays. We want the Spirit to teach us of Christ.
The Bride Longed for the Son (61)
I imagine that there was great excitement and anticipation in Rebekah’s heart as she traveled toward her future husband. As each day passed, the longing in her heart to be at her journey’s end and to be with her bridegroom intensified. So it is with us. Peter says, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). As the Spirit testifies to us of the glory of Christ, we can’t help but long to see Him face to face!
The Bride Looked for the Son (62-65)
Verse 64 tells us that Rebekah lifted up her eyes. I don’t think that little phrase was included in the Bible for no reason at all. Most likely, as Rebekah got closer and closer to the end of her journey, she found herself lifting up her eyes more and more often, hoping to catch a glimpse of Isaac. The servant told her at the end of the journey that he would be coming for her, so she was looking for him. It’s the same with us, isn’t it. We know that Jesus Christ is coming back for us, and that only causes us to look for His appearing! “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Heb. 9:28). Titus 2:13 says, “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Bridge, let’s be looking for the Son, longing for the Son, and learning about the Son!
The Bride was Loved by the Son (66-67)
Verse 67 says, “Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” In chapter 23 Sarah dies. In our story, Abraham is a type of Jehovah God. Thus, Sarah, is a type of Israel, the wife of Jehovah. Interestingly, after Christ’s death is set forth in chapter 22, Sarah dies in chapter 23, and a bride is found for Isaac in chapter 24. Notice that Isaac brought Rebekah into Sarah’s tent. This foreshadows the great truth that the church has been brought into Israel’s tent, so to speak. The church has inherited the position and privileges forfeited by Israel. When Israel rejected Jesus Christ, her Messiah, the kingdom of God was taken away from her and granted to the Church, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles. Rebekah was taken into the very place Sarah once occupied, to enjoy the very privileges and position she once possessed. So too, the Church has now replaced Israel as God’s covenant people. Notice how Peter refers to the Church in his own day, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9-10). Who was once called a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession? Israel! God called Israel by those titles in Exodus 19. Here, Peter is taking the titles that God gave specifically to Israel, and transferring those titles to Jews and Gentiles which make up the Church in his day. Folks, Israel’s day has come and gone. When she rejected Christ, God brought doom upon her in 70 A.D. Since that time the Old Covenant has been obsolete, and the New Covenant with the Church has replaced it. Saints, we are the ones in God’s economy who have been given the privileges and position of God’s covenant people! Amazing!
Oh, how Isaac loved Rebekah. But, oh how Jesus loves His church. He loved it so much that He gave Himself up for her in the sacrifice of atonement. Church, love Him supremely!
Application
As we draw this message to a close, let me ask you some pointed questions.
Have you ever said, “I will go” to the Spirit? Have you said, “I will marry Christ”? Only those who have made that commitment can be saved.
Are you enjoying the assurance of final salvation, and your eternal inheritance because of the pledge, the deposit, the down payment of the Holy Spirit in your life? “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
Are you growing weary of your journey? If so, fix your mind on what’s coming at the end of your journey. Yes, the Christian life can be hard and difficult and tiring. But encourage yourself in where you are going. You are going to be with Christ forever! The end of this journey is more fabulous than you can ever imagine! Take heart and persevere, in Jesus’ name.
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