24 ISAAC AND REBEKAH MARRY

Rebekah is about to leave her father’s house and Abraham’s servant asks permission to return to Canaan. Though he and his company were very welcome and cheerful there, yet he said, “Send me on my way to my master” (54) and “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” (56). He knew his master would eagerly anticipate and expect him home; he had business to do at home which needed him, and, preferred work before pleasure, wanted to hurry home with the treasure the Lord had allowed him to find. Lingering and delaying does not look good for a wise and good man; when we have completed our business abroad we must not postpone our return to other responsibilities at home. We should not be absent from usual responsibilities any longer than necessary. Proverbs 27:8 addresses this issue: “Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home.”

It was completely natural for Rebekah’s brother and mother to affectionately desire Rebekah to stay with them for some time, so they say, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” After all, she was about to move very far away and probably permanently; in all probability they would not see each other again. It was a reasonable request. They had consented to the marriage, and yet were hesitant to let her leave. It is a misrepresentation of reality in this life in this world to think our complete unmingled joy is possible here. Every pleasure or triumph has something to mare it somewhat. There is no unmingled pleasure. This is earth, not heaven. We may enjoy greater peace if we lower our expectations of what joy we might have on earth. Heaven is our eternal home.

They were pleased that they had matched a daughter of their family so well, and yet, when it came to the last, it was with great reluctance that they sent her away. Rebekah herself determined the matter. As it was fit they should, they asked her. Verse 57 says, “Then they said, ‘Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.’” The cultures of the world address this issue differently, but if this example in Scripture were to be the norm, we could conclude that as children ought not to marry without their parents’ consent, so parents ought not to marry them without their own. Rebekah is the principle party in this issue. Let’s ask her. Rebekah consented, not only to go, but to go right away, “I will go.” We may likely be able to assume that the observation she had made of the servant’s godliness gave her such an idea of the predominance of godliness in the family she was to go to that it made her eager to go there, quite willing to leave her own people and her father’s house, where godliness was not such a predominant feature. As when Ruth chose not only to accompany Naomi going to Israel from Moab, she not only chose Naomi’s company but also Naomi’s God, and as Rehab in Jericho chose not only Israel over the Canaanites for her new nation, but also Israel’s God for her God, so Rebekah chose a companion and his God in the same decision. It is quite possible that the choice of a God was the more important factor in the decision. She knew something about God, but little about Isaac’s character. Such a decision can be made quickly, firmly and will have no negative results.

We do not know if it took a day or two or even more to prepare for the trip, but we may assume that it took several days to put together the possessions and personnel she wanted with her. Her friends could readily see that she put her heart into it and so they dismiss her, her nurse and other attendants. Speaking of attendants, evidently, when she went to the well for water it was not because she had no servants, but because she took pleasure in humble yet practical household work. Now that she was going among strangers, they thought it was proper fit she should take those with her with whom she was acquainted. The nurse and attendants also give us evidence that her own family was well-to-do.

Nothing is said of her character so we must look for indications of it. Later in her story we will see she partnered with her favorite son, Jacob, in deceiving her husband, Isaac, and Jacob’s twin brother, Esau. How could anyone have guessed that would happen? We don’t know our futures when we marry. Our spouses may turn out to be wonderful and pleasant surprises or sad disappointments from which we cannot escape. Surely the decision of whom to marry is one of the most important we make in life. This should be a serious matter of prayer for every parent of single children and the single children themselves too.

With hearty good wishes they blessed Rebekah. Verse 60 says, “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.” When our friends or relations are entering into a new condition, we ought by prayer to recommend them to the blessing and grace of God. Now that she was going to be a wife, they prayed that she might be a mother both of a numerous and of a victorious family. Perhaps Abraham’s servant had told them of the promise God had recently made to his master about which possibly Abraham had told his household. “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,”

After the long trip south to Canaan land, Isaac and Rebekah are, at length, happily brought together. Isaac went out for an evening walk in the fields near his tent and he looked up and saw the camels coming. Possibly he expected the return of his servants about this time, and went out on purpose to meet them. But, the story line seems to indicate his motive was more spiritual, that he went out on another errand, to take the advantage of a silent evening and a solitary field for meditation and prayer. If this is any indication of the heart and spirit of Isaac, these are good recommendations. It would mean he loved God and loved to converse with Him. Holy souls love to spend time with God. It will do us good to be often left alone, walking alone and sitting alone; and, if we have the ability to enjoy the advantages of solitude, we will find we are never less alone than when alone. Meditation and prayer ought to be both our business and our delight when we are alone while we have a God, a Christ, and a heaven, with which to be acquainted and to anticipate to enjoy forever. The soul that enjoys time alone with God will find plenty of things about and for which to pray.

Our walks in the field are then truly pleasant when in them we apply ourselves to meditation and prayer. There we have a free and open prospect of the heavens above us and the earth around us, and, most importantly, the throne of grace before us and the loving eyes of our Father on His throne attentively listening to our praise and requests. The exercises of praise and prayer should be the refreshment and entertainment of both mornings and evenings. In the morning we have a new fresh opportunity to focus on God. In the evening we can relieve, lay down the fatigue created by the care and business of the day and commit to God all we did in the day. Assuming Isaac was a normal man, we can assume he was praying for good success in his father’s servant’s trip and anxiously awaiting news of the outcome. I believe we can assume Isaac was a normal man. He knew what the servant was up to and could easily calculate the amount of time that would pass between his departure from Hebron until his return. So he places himself figuratively in his own outdoor watch-tower, to see how God would answer him. Not always, but sometimes God sends us the mercy prayed for immediately. No doubt his heart was filled with joy when he looked up and saw the camels coming.

For her part, when she saw Isaac walking in the field, Rebekah behaved herself very modestly. Verses 64 & 65 say, “Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 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.” Elements of humility, modesty, and subjection may be seen in this action or maybe she was just keeping the norms of her culture. On the positive side, she was not critical of Isaac for not coming himself to get her, or, at least, to meet her a day’s journey or two. Neither did she complain of the difficulty or tiredness she felt from her journey, or the difficulty of leaving her relations, to come into a strange place, but, having seen the hand of God going before her in the whole matter, she accommodates herself with cheerfulness to her new relation and situation.

Those that by faith are married to Christ, and want to be presented as chaste virgins to him, must, in conformity to His example, humble themselves, as Rebekah, who alighted when she saw Isaac on foot, and are happy to put themselves into submission to Him who is their Head. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” The church and wives submitting to and cooperating with Jesus and husbands are both pairs of symbols. It is easy to see the rich symbolism played out in this romantic story. The Holy Spirit brings the bride of Christ to Him and He is delighted to receive and love her.

We do not know how quickly the events recorded in verse 67 transpired. But we do know what happened and with what results. “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” (67).They were brought together to their mutual comfort and joy.

What an affectionate son he was to his mother: it was about three years since her death, and yet he was not, until now, comforted over it; the wound which that affliction gave his tender spirit bled so long, and was never healed until God brought him into this new relationship. Crosses and comforts are balances to each other and help to keep the scale even. Eccleasties 7:14 says, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Would Isaac be as affectionate as a husband to his wife as he had been as a son to his mother? Those that have proven themselves to be good in one relation, it may be hoped, will do so in another: “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” (67). Many are the responsibilities and blessing of a mutual friendship in marriage. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” May the Lord grant that His servants, shepherds of His people find and enjoy a healthy partnership with their spouses so that the people of God have good models to follow. This too is the responsibility of Christian leadership.

In this chapter we have found lessons for earthly brides and grooms and also for those of us who will be the bride of Christ.