Bible Study: Genesis Chapter 24
A Picture of the Church, the Bride of Christ
Prayer:
Jehovah-Jireh, You are an awesome God. You give me golden sunlight and wrap me in a blanket of stars at night. You wake me with songbirds and shower me with blessings all day. I praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Introduction:
When I was a kid, Mother sent me to the corner store just a couple of doors from our house with a verbal list of items and a five-dollar bill. She expected me to remember the name brand of the items she used, and she expected change.
I remember coming home with margarine instead of oleo—due to haste or perhaps an indifferent attitude. Big mistake! I never have figured out the difference, but it was not what Mother used; and she expressed her displeasure with a lengthy lecture on paying attention to instructions (one I’ve repeated word-for-word to my daughters on countless occasions). What was the old saying—haste makes waste? Let me tell you I wasted no time in taking the “inferior” product back to the store and exchanging it for the one she wanted.
I also remember how the storeowner would laugh when I made such trips to return wrong purchases. I think the old fellow knew all along that I grabbed the wrong thing and timed me to see how long it took my mother to deliver her lecture and send me back to his counter.
Abraham’s servant didn’t want to repeat his task of finding a wife for Isaac. The man took the assignment seriously and paid close attention to every detail of Abraham’s instructions. Then he petitioned Abraham’s God for further direction and wisdom to get the job done right the first time.
The Lesson:
Abraham gave specific instructions to his oldest and most trusted servant to find a wife suitable for his beloved son, Isaac. By placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh, the servant took an oath to do exactly as his master commissioned him to do.
When we accept Jesus as LORD and MASTER, we enter into an agreement with Him to perform the commission of Matthew 28:18-20:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. . .”
As Abraham sent his servant out with specific instructions, God has sent the Holy Spirit through Christians to seek those who would complete the church, the bride of the Lamb.
- Isaac’s wife had to come from Abraham’s family no foreigner would suffice. Throughout the Old Testament, the Israeli nation was cautioned not to marry outsiders. The reason was to establish a pure bloodline and to sanctify the nation as God’s chosen people (see chapter 5). This is a picture of the church as the bride of Christ is the true believer. No “foreigner” will enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
- The Scriptures present Rebekah as industrious, sensitive to the needs of others, and willing to serve. We are introduced to her at the well were she ministers to Abraham’s servant through drawing him, his party, and their camels water. This is a wonderful picture of the church, which is instructed to draw from the fountain of Living Water in the New Testament. And when she does, she not only satisfies her own thirst, but is equipped to quench the thirst of those who will receive the Water from her. On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
- Rebekah responded with a servant’s heart to the stranger at the well meeting not only his request for his personal needs and beyond. The church too should think beyond the request of the needy and offer far more than they seek in that we should minister to the spiritual needs as well as the physical.
- Rebekah responded because she was sensitive to the needs of the stranger and gave no thought to reward. She had no idea the treasures that Abraham had sent with the servant to adorn Isaac’s future bride. The Bible tells us that the church as no idea the wonders that awaits in heaven—But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, or ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
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Rebekah was
given a choice to either follow the servant back to Isaac or stay with her
family (Genesis 24:57-58). Although God desires us all to enter His kingdom,
he presents us the opportunity through Jesus Christ and allows us to choose
for ourselves the outcome. He wants us only as we desire Him.
6. With Isaac in clear view, Rebekah slid down from her camel and covered herself with a veil to show honor, humility, modesty, and submission to her to her future husband. This, too, is an image of the church. With Christ ever in view before us, we need to walk in humility, modesty, and submission bringing honor and glory to our LORD and Master.
7. And Isaac received her, took her into his mother’s tent, and loved her. This completes the beautiful picture of Christ and His church. As Isaac loved Rebekah and took her into his mother’s tent, Jesus loves the church and waits for the day the Father has assigned to take her into His Father’s kingdom and love her. It is good to read Ephesians 5:22-32 in light of Christ loving His bride.
Conclusion and Challenge:
Today, there is a worldwide movement called pluralism or ecumenicalism, which stresses that all religions are equal, hold relevant truths, and each provides a path to God. That is to say that all are correct. And that there are no absolutes, which is an impossibility because the statement—there are no absolutes—is an absolute in itself. While some religions, such as Christianity, claim God is knowable, others claim God impersonal. But, how can two totally opposite views both be correct? It is possible for both to be wrong, but if one is correct then the other must be incorrect. For Christians to join this New World Religious Order, we must call Jesus Christ, the Son of God, a liar. Either we believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God and Jesus Christ’s claims to His relationship with God and our need for salvation are true or we don’t. There is no compromise on this issue regardless of who says differently. Just as Abraham would not accept a substitute bride for Isaac, God will not accept a substitute for His Gospel. Paul cautions us regarding this dilemma in his second letter to the Corinthians: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, A I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, An you shall be My sons and daughters. Says the LORD Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). This is a familiar passage to most of us, which makes it clear that God expects us to continue in the Gospel as we were taught. It is not to say that we are to be anti-social. But if we are socializing for any reason other than to bring the lost to Christ, we are playing with the world that God has commanded us to separate from.
In verse eight of Genesis chapter 24, Abraham tell his servant that if the woman is not willing to follow him, he is released from the oath. God doesn’t intend for us to beat someone over the head with the Gospel or win them through threats of damnation. However, it is imperative that we tell them all the conditions of salvation—we all have sinned, there are consequences to our sin, God has provided a substitute who has willingly taken the punishment for us, we must accept Him unconditionally.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
