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THE CHURCH ON HIGHER GROUND |
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HOMEPAGE |
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THE PLAN...... BIBLE STUDY |
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HOMEPAGE & MENU FOR OTHER LESSONS |
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The Plan3 - PAGE 20 |
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PAGE 19 (
LESSON #1 ...Ge.24:57-61
LESSON #2 Isaac's Field Of Meditation...Ge.24:62-63
LESSON #3 Two Become One...Ge.24:63-67
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LESSON #1 ...Ge.24:57-61
Fri Mar 15, 2002
Rebekah's family asked servant to postpone his departure. Many a great purpose has been lost to postponement. He was ready to leave so they asked Rebekah what she wanted to do (57) and she said she was ready to leave also (58). She could have refused altogether or she could have waited. In "arranged" marriages, parents opened doors of opportunity, but the final choice would often lie with the principles involved. In some cultures the arrangement is simply a choice made by the elders. This does not seem to be the case.
Several components make a successful marriage.
* Both families should have an active and vibrant faith in the true and living God.
* Both the bride-to-be and groom-to-be should be believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
* The relationship should be based on truth, love and faith.
* The bride and groom should love and respect their own parents and their prospective in-laws.
* The in-laws should have a relationship of mutual respect and love for one another.
(It is possible to have a successful marriage even if some of these components are absent. However, it will take special understanding and commitment for the couple to overcome the negative sides of a relationship.)
The entourage returning with servant would be Rebekah and her "nurse" (like her second mother) and other servants (59,61). The emotional farewell was filled with best wishes for Rebekah's future. Her family wished for her to be the mother "of thousands of millions..." and her descendents should "...occupy the gate of those which hate them." Though this was a general blessing (60), it was actually prophetic in Rebekah's case. She would be in the lineage of the nation of Israel, and the line of Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of this blessing/prophecy.
As God had established in the beginning, a woman should leave her mother and father and cleave to her husband and they two should become one flesh*. Rebekah made a monumental decision and then followed through with it. The final choice is still left to us. Though this is a factual record of history, it is also a picture of a spiritual lessons as well. There are a couple of ways to look at this allegorically.
I.
* Abraham is the father who is wanting a bride for his son, as God is a loving Father wanting a bride for His Son.
* Servant goes into a distant land to find the bride as the Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to find a bride for Jesus.
* Rebekah is the bride-to-be and is given gifts and a calling to come to Isaac, as believers are the ones who have been called and gifted by the Holy Spirit to come to Jesus.
* Rebekah was given the opportunity to accept or reject the invitation as we are also given the opportunity to accept or reject the invitation to come to Jesus.
OR
II.
* Abraham sent servant to find a bride for Isaac, as God has sent Christian servants to bring others to Jesus.
* Servant went into a distant land to find the bride, as Christians GO INTO ALL THE WORLD TO MAKE DISCCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS*.
* As Rebekah was given the choice of accepting or rejecting the invitation, so humans are given the final choice in their relationship with the Son.
* As Rebekah made her choice and forsook all others in her commitment to Isaac, so those who will be the bride of Christ leave all and follow Jesus.
* As Rebekah brought others with her into her new life, so we should bring others with us into our new relationship with Jesus.
I am not saying that these are Biblical applications of the story, I am saying they are applications of a Biblical story.
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LESSON #2 Isaac's Field Of Meditation...Ge.24:62-63
Mon Mar 18, 2002
During the period of time in which servant was involved finding and obtaining a bride for Isaac, Isaac was busy at home preparing himself for his coming bride through work and meditation. He had moved to the south country near the place of the well where Hagar had encountered God (62). One evening Isaac was going out for his evening mediations (63). This gives us an insight into the life and character of Isaac. In his daily responsibilities he made time for that which was most important, his private time with God. There were many who did not take time to meditate in those days, as there are many who do not take time to meditate today. Meditation is a two-way street, which includes both speaking to God and listening to God. When we speak to God in our meditations, we give Him praise, worship and thanksgiving as well as ask for His wisdom, power, courage, grace, deliverance and help. When we listen to God, we listen for His direction, correction, encouragment, leading and training. Most people do not take the time for this kind of activity and we end up with a society that is totally out of touch with God.
God has a plan for each of His children. Our job is not to fashion the plan or improve on the plan, our job is to be where God wants us to be and be ready for the changes He brings into our lives when He implements the plan. No one is wiser about what we need than God. No one wants to please us in our lives more than God. No one has the power to impact our lives more than God. Yet most people seek to live their lives in a "God Free Zone." They want to live life with as little "interference" from God as possible. People do not take time to be alone with God in meditation, they also do not allow God to catch them alone if at all possible. They fill their time with activity (work, schooling, recreation, responsibility, family, friends, personal improvement, music, entertainment and even service to others) but they don't schedule God into their lives (they don't even "pencil" Him in-between the "important" events of daily routine). Tragically, the only way God can get some people's attention is through tragedy. This was not Isaac's situation.
It is interestng how many young people want God to "bring" them the "right person", but they are not taking the steps to become the right person for someone else. Isaac was doing the right thing to prepare himself for that "special someone" by spending time with the One Who is truly the "Most Special One." People fill their lives to overflowing with things which leave them empty and then they wonder why they don't have anything of great value to bring to a lasting relationship.
Isaac may have been meditating on his own relationship with God, or his family relationships, or his work, or his place in the community or the anticipated return of servant with his wife-to-be. His meditation time was not just a pleasant little diversion, but a dedicated occupation of his time. This was the norm of his daily life and it played out in the years to come.
We all need to find that "field of meditation" in our own lives. Whether alone on a beach, in the forest, in the desert, in a chapel, in a quiet room, we must all find that "closet" which Jesus spoke about, so that we can "get alone with God." We are building our tomorrows on our actions of today, as the Scripture says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." We can only be like God if we spend private time with Him. No matter how busy we are, we can never be too busy for God. As someone has said, "Only one life, t'will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last."
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LESSON #3 Two Become One...Ge.24:63-67
Wed Mar 20, 2002
While Isaac was meditating in the field, he lifted up his eyes and saw servant returning with Rebekah (63). To every story there are at least two sides and so it was that Rebekah saw Isaac as they were approaching (64). They each came from their peculiar backgrounds with their own idiosyncrasies. They were bringing their hopes, desires, fears and habits into this relationship. They each brought cultural, economic, educational, social and personal differences to this marriage. It is a wonder that any marriage survives when you consider the number and size of issues which must be overcome by young couples.
The standard which God established for marriage at the beginning of the human race is still binding today. God stated this as early as the Garden of Eden, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall become one flesh." God's plan is not for two people to live two separate lives in a marriage but rather for them to become one flesh. Today this is almost unthinkable. Far too many people enter into a marriage determined not to change their own lives or give up their own plans and pleasures. Today, young couples believe they have the option of leaving a marriage if they are not happy or fulfilled. God does not allow for that option. Things change, times change, people change, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He still expects two people to become one flesh when they marry.
The further we move from a Bible based life-style and the further we remove ourselves from God, the less likly we are to have successful marriages. In Rebekah and Isaac we see two young people who were taking advantage of the blessings which God was bestowing on them. They were taking advantage of their upbringing, their relationship with God, the loving and wise input of their parents and the open door of opportunity which now awaited them. They had both prepared themselves to be productive and thoughtful partners in their future marriage. This is where so many relationships break down today; young people do not prepare themselves for a meaningful and lasting relationship. They do not discipline themselves and deny themsleves for the good of another. Life is self-centered, "now oriented." If they don't get what they want, when they want it, they are ready to "scrap" their present relationship and move to another one. A successful marriage is not 50/50 but 100/100.
When Isaac saw Rebekah coming he started toward her (65). He was making the first steps in a lifetime of steps which would build a loving and productive relationship. A man must be willing to move toward his wife and leave his independence behind. He must be ready to give up his self-ness and enter into one-ness with his wife.
As soon as Rebekah saw Isaac and realized he was her "intended", she dismounted the camel and covered her face with a vail (64-65). She was showing respect and honor in Isaac's presence. Though they seem to be only outward formalities, these actions represent an inner attitude. She was not only putting her best-foot-forward, she was starting off in the right direction to build a good marriage.
After servant reported his journey (66), Isaac took his new bride into his mother's tent and she became his wife (67). She was given the place of honor and power as his wife. He loved her. As we shall see, he truly loved her as a man should love his wife. In this marriage, Isaac found comfort. This was a good start to a good marriage.
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