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Genesis 24: 62-67: The beauty of marriage.

^“62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. ⁶³ He went out to the field one evening to meditate,^[a] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel ⁶⁵ and asked the servant, ‘Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?’ ‘He is my master,’ the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. ⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” NIV UK

There is something beautiful about the closing section of this story. We see Isaac the meditative man (63). This short sentence seems to provide such insight into the kind of person Isaac was. We are also caused to consider afresh God’s detailed care in the statement that ‘’…Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death’’ (67). When marriage functions as God intended, there is mutual comfort for wife and husband.

Tom Hale writes: ‘We are left in wonder at God’s provision not only for Isaac but also for Rebekah. One moment she was an unknown village girl. Then she offered some water to a stranger (Mark 9:41). The next moment she was betrothed to Isaac, heir to wealth, heir to the promises of God. Before long she would become the mother of a nation, Israel, out of which would issue the Messiah, God’s Son. Truly her faith was rewarded more abundantly than she could ever have imagined.’ ‘Applied Old Testament Commentary’, pp.167, 168.

Writers have often commented on the servant in this story as a type of the Holy Spirit, who is self-effacing, and brings the ‘bride’ (the church) to Jesus.

‘This is an illustration of personal salvation. The Spirit speaks to us about Christ and shows us His treasures, and we trust Christ even though we have never seen Him (1 Peter 1:8).’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’,pp.32, 33.

Genesis 24: 59-61: Parting blessing

^“59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,                                         ‘Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.’ ⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.” NIV UK

As Rebekah left, her family bestowed their blessing. It was particularly that she might have ‘’thousands upon thousands’’ of descendants, and that they would ‘’possess the gates of their enemies’’ (60). In other words, take possession of enemy strongholds (see 22:17). Tom Hale makes the excellent point that: ‘Since Rebekah’s spiritual descendants today constitute the church of Christ, one is reminded of Jesus’ statement that the gates of Hades will not be able to overcome His church (Matthew 16:18).’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied Old Testament Commentary’,p.167.

The song, ‘To dream the impossible dream’, has in it a line which speaks about marching into Hell ‘for a heavenly cause.’ It has long seemed to me that this is the role of the church. We are on the offensive in Jesus’ Name, taking ground from the enemy, who will be unable to prevail. Our enemy is real and we must not underestimate him. But let us always believe that in Jesus we are ‘on the victory side.’ As someone said, ‘We are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory.’

Genesis 24: 50-58: What’s your response?

^“50 Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.’ ⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. ⁵³ Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, ‘Send me on my way to my master.’ ⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, ‘Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.’ ⁵⁶ But he said to them, ‘Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.’⁵⁷ Then they said, ‘Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.’ ⁵⁸ So they called Rebekah and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ ‘I will go,’ she said.” NIV UK

Have you heard God’s call to go somewhere else and serve Him there? Has a ‘door’ clearly opened up in front of you? Has God’s will become patently obvious? Then what’s keeping you? Why are you still here? Doesn’t this call for decisive action? What’s your response to be?

‘Rebekah thus proved herself to be a woman of faith, ready to leave her home and family, and journey to an unknown land – just as Abraham had done before her.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p. 167