THE CHURCH A BRIDE
FOR CHRIST
Genesis
24:57-67; Genesis 25:1-6; Genesis 25:7-11
Isaac TYPOLOGY OF
CHRIST IN A COURTSHIP.
Notice the typology in the story of
Isaac and Rebekah:
* Abraham is a type of the heavenly
Father, who is planning a marriage for his beloved Son (Matt 22:2).
* Isaac is a type of
Christ, who was offered up as a sacrifice (22; Matt 27) and seeks his
bride. Like Isaac, Christ loves his bride dearly (24:67; Eph 5:25 ).
* The servant is a type of
the Holy Spirit.
* The servant came to Mesopotamia for one reason
— to take a bride for Isaac. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2) for one
purpose — to gather a bride for the Son.
* Abraham's servant gave honor to the father and son. Today the
Holy Spirit gives honor to the Father and Son (John 15:26 ).
* Rebekah is a type of
the church. Before anyone can be a part of Christ's bride, he or she must
answer the question Rebekah answered: "Are you willing to go with this
man?" (24:58).
(from Willmington's Bible Handbook by Harold
Willmington Copyright © 1997 by Harold L. Willmington. Produced with permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)_
Gen 24:50-52
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."
What God has joined together, let no man put
an end to.
Let no man hinder the plans of the Lord
REBEKAH, AN EXAMPLE OF
THE CHURCH
Again, we see a picture of Christ and
His church. Rebekah was a pure virgin, just as the church will be when the
marriage in heaven takes place (Rev 19:7-8). Note that
Rebekah identified with the flock, just as the church is both the bride of
Christ and the flock (John 10:7-18).
All believers make up the Church
All believers are the bride of Christ
All believers have been washed clean of
their sins
By the blood of Christ.
Gen 24:52-54
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 jewelry 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."
How much
would you pay for true love?
God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten son
It was
customary that a diary was paid the to
the family for
The
release of the bride.
Christ
death on the cross was the diary He paid for us (all
Believers)
to release us from sin.
NIV
A DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST
Gen 24:56-61
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 girl and ask her about it." 58 So they called
Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?"
"I will go," she said.
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 gates of
their enemies."
God will make his plan for our lives known to
us.
Rebekah’s family understood that she would be
the
Mother of many nations as God had promised to
Abraham.
Rebekah had to make an important
decision: would she stay home with her family and continue to be a servant, or
would she by faith believe the words of the servant and go to be with Isaac, a
man she had never seen? Certainly there were obstacles in the way: her brother
wanted her to stay awhile (v. 55); the trip would be long and
difficult; Isaac was a pilgrim without a settled home; and she would have to
leave her loved ones.
The world often advises the sinner to
wait, just as Laban advised his sister. (Note, however, that when it came to
getting material things, Laban could be in a hurry, vv. 28-31. We wonder if
he invited the servant home out of courtesy or covetousness!) Sinners generally
are not in a hurry about the salvation of their souls. Up to this point,
Rebekah had been hastening (vv. 18-20,28), but now they
wanted her to slow down. "Seek the Lord while He may be found." (Isa 55:6, NIV).
The way of the world is a wide street
and seems like more
Fun.
We do not easily give up pleasure till
we realize that it leads
To ruin and damnation.
We have the most freedom and resources
in the Lord Jesus.
Fun in the world is temporary, but joy
in the Lord is eternal.
STEPPING OUT ON FAITH
We cannot help but admire her decision:
"I will go." This act of faith ("Whom having not seen you
love..." 1 Peter 1:8, NJKV) changed her life. She was changed from
being a servant to being a bride, from the loneliness of the world to the joy
of love and companionship, from her poverty into Isaac's wealth. Did she see
all of Isaac's wealth? Of course not! That would be impossible! Did she know
all about him? No. But what she saw and heard convinced her that she must go.
Similarly, with lost sinners today, the Spirit speaks and shows them the things
of Christ, sufficient for them to make a right decision.
The riches of salvation cannot be
measured in human terms
When we accepted the call from the
world, God provides
Blessing in abundance more than we can
conceive.
The decision to follow Christ is the
important decision.
A PICTURE OF CHRIST
We left Isaac (as far as the record is
concerned) on Mt. Moriah 22:19 mentions Abraham alone. Isaac is
a picture of our Lord who went to Calvary to die for us,
then returned to heaven to wait for His bride. In chapter 24, the servant (the
Holy Spirit) went forth to seek the bride. Then, when the bride approached,
Isaac appeared to receive her. What a scene, it may take place today! Just as
it was "eventide" when they met, so it will be dark in this world
when Christ returns for His bride.
FAITH’S REWARD: SALVATION
Rebekah's faith was rewarded. Her name
was recorded in God's Word; she shared Isaac's love and wealth, and she became
an important part of God's plan. Had she refused to go, she would have died an
unknown woman. "He who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17 , NKJV).
(from Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament © 1993 by
Victor Books/SP Publications. All rights reserved.)_
Rebehah’s
decicision was partly based on her desire to be married, but
more
importantly, guided by the Holy Spirit which she did not know.
Like Rebehah,
all believers have been drawn to Christ by the Holy
Spirit which we
will never fully understand.
While we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It is a measure
of the grace of God for those He called out of the world.
Thank
God for including us in his plan of salvation
Rev.
M. Mitchell
Asst
Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
For
more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my
Blogs,
revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
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