The climax of this idyllic narrative in Genesis 24 presents a bride-in-waiting coming to the end of an arduous 550-mile-journey in a camel caravan, accompanied by Abraham’s trusted servant. Rebekah lifts her eyes to see a man walking to meet them. This is the man of whom the servant spoke, but whom she has never seen. Rebekah veils herself in the proper tradition of the East, and in the presence of many witnesses, she becomes his wife and crosses the threshold to a future full of promise.
Before the homeward journey began, this obedient, praying servant testified to Rebekah and her family as to the wealth of his master, all of which would become Isaac’s by virtue of His being “the only begotten.” With this testimony, he sought to attract the heart of Rebekah.
Abraham had offered Isaac upon the altar in Genesis 22, foreshadowing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, Abraham seeking a bride for his son through the instrumentality of his unnamed servant is a lovely picture of the Father, through the working of the Holy Spirit, bringing individuals into union with His Son to comprise part of what is known as the Bride of Christ.
The central theme of the gospel message is concerning the Son of God. When a person is convicted of his sin and guilt before God, the story of Christ’s death on the cross for sinners will win his heart. If you do not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, please grasp several truths that are illustrated in Rebekah’s experience.
God loves you and has purposes of grace for you. (John 3:16-17) God had His eye upon Rebekah as a suitable bride for Isaac long before she was aware of it. The Psalmist expressed the thought in Psalm 139:16-17, “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”
God earnestly desires that you might be saved. The servant ran to meet her, much like the father who ran to meet the prodigal son in Luke 15. Again, the Psalmist wrote, “For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.” (Psa 86:5)
God is looking for an honest heart. Rebekah replied honestly when asked, “Whose daughter art thou?” We, too, must be honest before God about our pedigree. David confessed in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” It is sinners whom Jesus came to save (Luke 5:32).
Conviction is the Spirit’s work. The reality that God was at work was borne home to Rebekah and her family through these circumstances. The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, convicts us as to our spiritual problem (sin), the helplessness of our condition (spiritual bankruptcy), and the value of the work of Christ in bringing us into spiritual riches (salvation).
Procrastination is the Devil’s work. The pull of natural ties and familiar voices sought to delay Rebekah’s decision – “Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go” – to which the servant replied, “Hinder me not.” When it comes to choosing Christ, the enticements of the world, or opinions of friends or family can tempt us to hesitate. But the Bible urges, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2)
Salvation is a personal choice. Her father and brother were convinced that the thing proceeded from the Lord. The final choice, however, lay with Rebekah. “Wilt thou go with this man?” Her answer, “I will go,” was an unconditional step of faith that resulted in a lifetime separation from her family, but she entered into the riches of an eternal inheritance. Choosing Christ as Savior is an individual choice you must make. The eternal consequences of refusing are too costly to imagine!
