Before Abraham finished his life, we read inGenesis 24 of his concern for his son. He sent his servant to go and find a bride for his son. There are many marriages mentioned in Scripture, but only two marriages that we see clearly as being God-ordained. One was Adam's. Eve was definitely God's choice. The other was Isaac's marriage. Rebekah was God's choice too. People ask me, "Do you believe in arranged marriages?" "Yes," I tell them, "I believe in marriages arranged by God!" God may arrange it through one's parents (as in Isaac's case) or apart from parents (as in Adam's case). The thing that matters is that it must be arranged by God.
If you are a godly father, you will have a concern for your children's marriages. If you as a young man are fortunate enough to have a godly father, I would say that you should take his advice very seriously. If such a godly father says "No," to the one you want to marry, wait. God may be testing you there. Your father's "No" may only be for a time. After God sees that you are willing to respect your godly father's advice, He will give you the partner He has chosen.
Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac is a picture of God the Father sending His Holy Spirit to earth to pick a bride for His Son Jesus Christ. That is what is happening in the world today as the gospel is preached. Read that chapter, and you will find some beautiful analogies.
One of the tests that the servant applied was to find out whether the girl would be willing to offer water to his camels. You know that camels drink a lot of water. What Abraham's servant wanted to find out was whether the girl was a gracious, hard-working girl. And Rebekah was such a girl. She was also a modest girl, for it is clear from Genesis 24:16,that she had no interest in gazing at strangers, like Abraham's servant who was at that well. She had filled her jar with water and was about to go home, when Abraham's servant made his request. That is the type of wife you need.
And that is the type of bride for Christ that the Father looks for on earth too. God led Abraham's servant sovereignly to the right person - Rebekah. The servant then took Rebekah on that long and dangerous journey of 700 kilometres (that probably took a month) all the way back from Mesopotamia to Canaan - a picture of our journey in this world as the bride of Christ.
What do you think the servant talked to Rebekah about, during that long journey? I am sure it was about Isaac. What do you think the Holy Spirit wants to talk to us about on our long journey? About Jesus. Not about doctrine, not about heaven, but about the Lord Jesus. And I am sure Rebekah herself was keen to hear about Isaac too.
I want to know more and more about my wonderful Saviour, from the Holy Spirit on this long journey, until the day I see Him face to face (like Rebekah saw Isaac). And then one day, like Rebekah, I too shall enter the tent of my Lord and be His wife. Do you have that longing?
