Genesis:24 Isaac’s Marriage CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

This history of Abraham’s servant going to get a bride for Isaac is more than just a factual history concerning the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.  It also pictures the Holy Spirit’s work in getting a bride for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Abraham’s servant pictures the Holy Spirit, Isaac pictures Jesus Christ, and Rebekah pictures the Church.

There are a couple of things that we should notice before we examine this typology.  First of all, Abraham did not want Isaac to take a wife from “the daughters of the Canaanites,” (24: 3).  There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. He knew the iniquity of the people in that land and he knew that they were only going to get worse (Genesis 15: 16).  For Isaac to marry a Canaanite would be like a Christian marrying a lost person (2 Cor. 6:14).
2. He already had personal experience with marrying the descendants of Ham (Genesis 10: 6) and found these marriages to be disastrous:
   1. His marriage to Hagar, and
   2. Lot’s marriage to a woman from Sodom (Genesis 10: 19).  See Neh. 13:23-27.

Secondly, Abraham expected his future daughter-in-law to exercise her own free will in choosing whether or not she would accept the invitation to marry his son (verse 5).  The marriage was no more predestinated by God than salvation is predestinated for a Christian (Revelation 22:17, 1 Tim. 2:4-6).

Now look at the strong typology concerning Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Church.

THE SERVANT – a type of the Holy Spirit

1. He was sent by his master (verse 4) [here Abraham is a type of God the Father].

1.1.   The Holy Spirit was sent by God (John 14: 26).

1. He exalted his master and his master’s son (verse 27, 34-36, 65).

2.1.   The Holy Spirit exalts the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16 13-14; 15: 26).

1. He did immediately what he was told to do (verse 33).

3.1.   The Holy Spirit does the will of God (John 16: 8, 13; 14: 26).

1. He did his master’s will first rather than eat (verse 33).

4.1.   The Holy Spirit is like Jesus in that regard (John 4: 31-34).

1. He told the truth exactly as it occurred (verse 40-47).

5.1.   The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of truth,” (John 14:17) and guides men into the truth (John 16: 13).

1. He took Rebekah and went his way (verse 61).

6.1.   The Holy Spirit leads Christians (Rom. 8: 14) His way.

REBEKAH – a type of the Church

1. She was fair (verse 16).

1.1.   The Church is fair (Song of Solomon 6:10).

1. She was a virgin (verse 16): THE virgin (verse 43).

2.1.   The Church is the virgin (2 Cor. 11:2).

1. She hasted and ran (verse 20, 28).

3.1.   The Church is zealous of good works and redeems the time (Titus 2: 14, Ephesians 5: 16).

1. She was given jewels (verse 22, 53).

4.1.   The Church is given the earnest of her inheritance (Eph. 1: 14) before the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage (1 Cor. 3:11-15; Revelation 19:7-9).

1. She was Isaac’s “one,” (verse 41) and only bride.

5.1.   The Church is Christ’s one and only bride (Song of Solomon 6: 9).

1. She was a Gentile (verse 10).  Notice the # 10 in verses 10 and 55 (10 camels, 10 days).

6.1.   The Church is made up of Gentile believers (Eph. 2: 12-19).

1. She left her country (verse 61).

7.1.   The Church leaves the world she grew up in to go to heaven (John 14: 2-3).

1. She agreed to marry Isaac without first seeing him (verse 65).

8.1.   The Church loves Jesus Christ, having never seen him (1 Peter 1: 8).

ISAAC – a type of Jesus Christ

1. Isaac was the servant’s master’s son (verse 51).

1.1.   Jesus Christ is the Father’s son (John 3: 16).

1. Isaac was in the field to meet his bride (verse 65).

2.1.   Jesus Christ comes back to meet his bride in the air (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17).

1. Isaac had been given all that Abraham had (verse 36).

3.1.   Jesus Christ was given all that God the Father had (John 16:15).

1. Isaac received a report from the servant on all things that he’d done (verse 66).

4.1.   The Holy Spirit will evidently recount to Jesus all the things that he has done during the Church age.

1. Isaac loved Rebekah (verse 67).

5.1.   Jesus Christ loves the Church (Eph. 5: 25).

1. Isaac took Rebekah and she became his wife (verse 67).

6.1.   Jesus Christ takes the Church to be his wife (Eph. 5: 27; Revelation 19: 7-9).

By studying the typology of this passage, we get a great picture of the marriage of the Lamb and of the work of the Holy Spirit.  It brings to light some of the things that may have gone unnoticed to you.  If you have found, after studying this, that you have not chosen to “go with the Lord Jesus Christ,” then you need to say to him today, in response to the question “Wilt thou go with this man?”, “I will go,” (Genesis 24:58).