THE CALL OF REBEKAH
"And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath
blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks
and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels,
and asses. And Sarah, my master's wife, bare a son to my master when she was
old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath" (Gen. xxiv.
34-36).
These are the words of Abraham's chief servant "that
ruled over all that he had." He had been dispatched on a most delicate and
important errand, viz., the selection of a wife for Abraham's only son, Isaac.
The whole incident is very instructive and interesting, and in a most striking
manner illustrates or symbolizes the calling of the New Testament Church by the
Holy Ghost to be the bride of Isaac's great antitype, Jesus Christ, God's only
Son. It is pertinent that we notice here that it is not by accident
that the events of chapters xxii., xxiii. and xxiv. come as they do.
1. Isaac is sacrificed and received back from the
dead.
2. Sarah the mother of Isaac is buried.
3. Abraham's servant is sent away to procure a wife for
Isaac, the Isaac who had been brought back from death.
The counterpart of this type is to be seen in the New
Testament. Most prominent and conspicuous of all events in the New Testament is
the death of God's only Son, the sacrifice of the second Isaac. Then comes the
burial of Judaism, the laying away of the rejected Jews. Third, the Holy Ghost
comes, selects, and calls out from the world the church, "the bride, the
Lamb's wife. "Types are didactic in their aim, for "whatsoever
things" that "were written aforetime were written for our
learning."
The oath between Abraham and his servant had for its object
the obtainment of an help-meet for Isaac, and correspondingly, far back beyond
the bounds of time in the council chamber of the Almighty Trinity, the covenant
of grace was instituted. The oath must be ratified, but there was none greater
by whom God could swear, so He sware by Himself. His oath had for its object
not only the redemption of the world, but the entire sanctification of the
church that she might become "the bride," the Lamb's wife ; so our
entire sanctification rests on God's eternal oath. Thank God, our full
salvation was not an afterthought with Him.
Let us notice next the testimony of Abraham's servant. He
had a very distinct and definite testimony to give. He symbolizes not only the
Holy Spirit, but Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered disciples. These were the
man's words "I am Abraham's servant." When we are filled with the Holy
Ghost we will have a clear and distinct testimony. The man knew that he was
Abraham's servant. He did not guess or hope or suppose, he knew, for he said:
"I am." He could never have succeeded with Rebekah if he had been
uncertain as to who he was or from whence he came; and Christians need not hope
to win others to Christ if they do not know positively that they are Christ's.
When we receive the Holy Ghost He so emphasizes and clears
up justification and Calvary, that if we had any doubts about our conversion we
lose them forever. Many have never been able to locate the time of their
conversion until they experienced their Pentecost, when, under the illumination
of the Spirit, they saw clearly where and when they were converted.
We must have a distinct, positive testimony. And just as the
ancient Jew must be able to declare his pedigree before he could take a place
in the ranks of the army, so those who do not know that they are saved are not
trusted to take a place in the ranks of God's tried and conquering hosts. But
mark; as soon as Eleazer, the servant, has given a straightforward testimony as
to who his master is he says no more about himself, but at once sets about to
represent and reveal the father and the son. "He shall not speak of
himself." He speaks of the resources of the father: "The Lord hath
blessed my master greatly, and he is become great, and he hath given him flocks
and herds, and silver and gold," etc.
Beloved, we may never expect much success until we properly
represent our Master. He is a great God. Possessing measureless, boundless
wealth, he owns the cattle on a thousand fields and a universe of whirling
worlds. How many misrepresent God! The world surely thinks we have a very
diminutive God.
Many professed Christians do not know that their God has
ever done much for them. Their lives suggest that He is not able to give them
perfect victory or save them from all sin. Their spiritual constitution
disgraces the God they profess to worship. Who would ever suppose that these
skin-and-bone individuals who reel and stagger about, making "crooked
paths" and going into "by and forbidden ways" were children of a
King? Can it be that these emaciated forms ever sat at a King's table? What a
burlesque on salvation! What a slander on the skies!
When the servant has made it clear to Rebekah that his
master is wealthy and very great, "he tells her that his master has an
only son, and that he is now on the mission of securing for him a wife. Rebekah
is attracted toward the heir of whom Eleazer speaks in such glowing terms.
"When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even
the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of
me." "He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall
shew it unto you."
By revealing the resources of God in their magnitude, and by
exemplifying the supreme loveliness of the character of Christ, men are won to
grace and salvation. The servant showed Rebekah a fair desirable object in the
distance and set before her the blessedness of being united with that object.
All that belonged to Isaac would belong to Rebekah also when she became his wife.
We have in the deportment of Eleazer an excellent touchstone by which to test
the propriety of our ministry. The most spiritual teaching fully and constantly
presents Christ as able to save to the uttermost. In such teaching there is
small room for human theories and reasonings. A man who wishes to preach
himself does very well to deal in these toys, but the Holy Ghost preacher
points to Jesus.
The result of Eleazer's quest was most pronounced and
decisive. The words of the servant had won her heart to Isaac. She was ready to
go off into a strange land away from kindred and home to find the Isaac of the
servant's report.
In the jewels of silver and gold and in the raiment, Rebekah
saw an earnest of her approaching fortune. Her old habit would not do; she must
don the purple of nobility in order to meet her bridegroom. The yielding sinner
gets rid of his rags, is clothed, and put in his right mind, and gets a sample
of heaven's wealth. Rebekah was now really betrothed to Isaac, and must assume
garments worthy of her honor. She must not only consent to be Isaac's bride,
but she must practically and really consecrate herself and all she had to that
end.
"And Eleazer said, Send me away to my master." But
the "old man," the father, and those to whom Rebekah was bound by
earthly ties, objected. "Let her remain with us a few days at least."
Here is the crucial point. A test is to be made. What will Rebekah do? Is she
so in love with Isaac as to entirely detach her heart's affections from things
around her? Will she turn her back upon the homestead, forsake father and
mother, brother and sister, houses and lands, and go forth to Isaac? If what
she has heard is true, attachment to these things is worse than folly. If she
could really become the joint-heir of Isaac in his life and possessions, what
foolishness to still tend Laban's sheep? It would be to despise all that was
set before her. The prospect is far too bright to be thus lightly given up.
Hence Rebekah unhesitatingly arises and expresses her readiness to depart in those
simple yet wonderful words, "I will go." "Forgetting the things
which were behind and reaching forth toward the things which were before, she
pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling."
Every true convert is speedily brought to the question of
practical consecration and true holiness. Here the natural man and earthly ties
always remonstrate and insist that the separation be delayed at least for a
time. Few there are who walk in the light of justification many weeks or months
without being brought face to face with the question of holiness, a full,
complete separation from the "natural man,'' the ''carnal mind,'' and all
worldly entanglements. With those who say, "I will go," the Holy
Ghost will journey all the way, and ''in the evening" of "this
age," perhaps (who knows?) in the evening of this century, perhaps this
evening, Christ, of whom the Paraclete has talked to us so much, will walk out
as did Isaac, lift up His yes and behold His bride coming in the clouds of
Heaven to meet Him. He will take her on His strong arm, conduct her into His banqueting
hall, and seat her at he royal table. "So shall we be ever with the
Lord." Hallelujah!
