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LESSON 1 ...
I began
studying this critical Bible Passage yesterday.
Genesis 24 is
a "pivotal" portion of Scripture.
In it we see
the choice of a Bride for Isaac!
I am beginning
to believe it also contains many "secrets" about having the
RIGHT KIND of marriage!
Let me show you an example of what I mean.
"And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed
Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant
of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee,
thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the
LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou
shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my
country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac."
Genesis 24:1-4
The first observation is rather "startling"
in light of present day American culture! Isaac's wife is being
considered, yet Isaac is not mentioned as having any part to do
with the process! (At least not yet!)
Might I say this today. The real choice of a
mate should be left in the hands of another! (I am not saying
that one should let his parents choose his Bride now in our
modern day ... although I do believe they just might do a better
job at it than many young people have done!) I AM saying that
Another (the Lord God Almighty) is far more capable at
"wife-choosing" or "husband-choosing" that any human you know!
After all, He created that potential mate, didn't He? He knows
exactly where he or she lives too! And He CAN bring them your
way! (Pray about it!) God's "will" applies to you too, dear
friend!
Secondly notice how very critically IMPORTANT
this decision must have been to Abraham! He made the servant
swear to seriousness and obedience in the task at hand.
"Put I pray
thee, thy hand under my thigh." This was an old custom
that indicates a matter of life-changing importance. (The
"thigh" being the area of the male physique that is responsible
for producing offspring.) Abraham knew the decision about to be
made (Isaac's marriage) would impact generations to come!
Children would be born as a result of this decision! (Even to
the Virgin Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who came through the
line of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob ....)
Again, let me say it is still a vitally
important decision when one chooses a husband or a wife! I
would not necessarily recommend swearing about it ... but it IS
worth some serious intercession time and Bible study!
Then note that Abraham had some instructions
for the servant too. He demanded that the wife be sought not in
the present wicked surroundings ... but back "home" in the land
of his forefathers.
Why not a wife from among the near-by
Canaanites? Because they were wicked people! The man who
marries a woman (or the woman who marries a man) of sinful
character is making a BIG mistake!
The likelihood of getting a mate nearer his
son's temperament and preferences (and spiritual needs) was far
greater back home in Nahor. The local people were infamously
known as idolaters and vile worshippers of heathen deities!
One's religious background is so important that Paul even says:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
(2 Corinthians 6:14) I can think of no "yoke" more
intimate than that of a life-long marriage relationship! The
Lord had a fear of one's mate turning him or her away from the
things of God!
Wow! Look at this!
We have had 4 verses of Old Testament
Scripture and the Lord has shown us 3 principles of building a
godly marriage and home!
Let me tell you what I think we should all do
today.
Just stop a minute and thank God for the mate
He has given each of us!
He no doubt brought your dear wife (or
husband ... if you're a lady reading these words) to you! Thank
Him for so doing!
And IF you have a "saved" companion ...
praise the Lord even more! (Then ask God to bring him or her
even closer to Jesus in daily living!)
And express your appreciation that he or she
has a love for spiritual things! A compatibility for going to
church with you and reading the Word with you and sharing
spiritual truth and values with you! What a blessing! (And if
that is lacking in your home ... ask the Lord to restore it!)
Believe me ... few things are more important
to a happy life than the right kind of home!
And (at least for your children or
grandchildren) it just might all begin right here with these
opening verses of Genesis 24!
Would anyone like to study "more" of this
great chapter? (I mean in light of the Christian marriage
relationship and home!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2:
In Genesis 24 a Bride is being chosen for
Isaac. That chapter is filled with helpful information for us
yet today.
As one studies it, he is impressed with a
number of truths, none of which is more outstanding that this:
prayer!
All the way through its 67 verses prayer is
observed again and again!
Maybe the truth is: when choosing a mate,
prayer IS one of the chief tools God has given us!
Here's the first prayer:
"And he said, O LORD God of my master
Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew
kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by
the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come
out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to
whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may
drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels
drink also: let the same be she that thou hast
appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that
thou hast shewed kindness unto my master." Genesis
24:12-14
Notice that the servant prayed for the sake
of another! That's called intercessory prayer.
Notice that he has carefully chosen a wise
place for prayer too!
And observe that his prayer is based upon
God's superintending power! (The one "Thou hast appointed" for
Isaac!)
And also see that his prayer is of a specific
nature!
And the servant wisely uses answer to prayer
as a step to assurance! ("Thereby shall I know ...!")
Here's more praying:
"And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. And
he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham,
who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his
truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house
of my master's brethren." Genesis 24:26-27
Here we have worship and praise combined with
prayer!
This prayer (as did the first one) emphasizes
the constant and eternal nature of God ("The God of my Master").
This prayer celebrates two of God's
attributes: Mercy and Truth! (Emphasize the Essence of God as
you pray! Magnify His dear Name!)
And yet again the prayer mentions location
("I, being in the way, the Lord led me to the house ....")
Next watch this servant even as he recounts
his first prayer (as a testimony) to Rebekah and her family!
"And I came this day unto the well, and
said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my
way which I go: Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it
shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw
water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little
water of thy pitcher to drink; And she say to me, Both drink
thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same
be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my
master's son. And before I had done speaking in mine heart,
behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder...."
Genesis 24:42-45
Answers to prayer should become part of our
testimonies too!
Notice that before he was through praying ...
the answer came! (In Isaiah 65:24 the Lord says:
"And it shall come to pass, that before
they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I
will hear.")
Fourthly, he even re-tells his prayer of
thanksgiving! But still here we learn new things about the
prayer life of this man of God! "And I
bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the
LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way
to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son."
Genesis 24:48
The verb "worshipped" means to prostrate
oneself, to bend down in adoration!
The verb "blessed" here is in the Piel stem,
telling us the prayers were intensive in nature! He prayed with
all his heart! These are "fervent" prayers! James 5:16 teaches
us: "The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much."
And do see that the servant gives all the
credit to God for the success of the endeavor! ("The Lord God
... had led me in the right way!")
I've lost count by now (Oh, yes! It is the
fifth mention of prayer in the chapter so far!), but here's more
prayer: "And it came to pass, that, when
Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD,
bowing himself to the earth." Genesis 24:52
Here is praise for even more answered prayer!
Note that he prayed right in "public" with
everyone around too.
This is immediate thanksgiving!
See how this Passage intermingles worship and
prayer so much that one can hardly tell the difference? Jesus
did that too.
Next to lastly, we have an "implied" prayer.
Rebekah's relatives bless her in such a way that only God could
have answered! "And they blessed Rebekah,
and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the
mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess
the gate of those which hate them." Genesis 24:60
By the way, God has answered that prayer
too! (In fact, He is not yet through answering it!)
This represents prayer for those we love!
It is in the form of a patriarchal (from
Father) or matriarchal (from Mother) blessing. The Bible is full
of them. Maybe Christian parents today should bless their
children in the Name of the Lord! That sure beats criticizing
them all day long!
The we have a final prayer "hint" in the
chapter. Just as Rebekah and Isaac meet, we are told something:
"And Isaac went out to meditate in the
field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and,
behold, the camels were coming." Genesis 24:63
What was Isaac doing when he met his Bride?
To "meditate" means to pray and ponder the
things of God! (The textbook definition: to muse or to
commune!)
Isaac was praying!
Everyone in this chapter is praying!
And that IS the right spirit to bring when
one needs a wife (or a husband)!
The attitude (and action) of prayer will
prove the deciding factor in choosing a mate! (Or in making any
other choice in the Christian life too!)
Proverbs 15:29 is still true:
"The LORD
is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the
righteous."
Also let me add this. Not only is prayer a
powerful asset in choosing a mate ... but prayer is
indispensable in living in a marriage as well! The "spiritual"
aspect of a home (the most important part of it) just cannot be
maintained without prayer ... and a lot of it too!
No wonder Paul admonished us to:
"Pray without ceasing." 1
Thessalonians 5:17
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
Genesis 24:10 reminds us: "And the
servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and
departed; for all the goods of his master were in his
hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
Nahor."
Now unless I am missing the truth of this verse, the servant had
at his command ALL the wealth and riches and blessing of the
Father's household with which to woo the prospective bride!
He could (and he did) open some of these for inspection!
In fact, he gave samples as "foretastes" of coming glory!
For example: "And it came to pass,
as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden
earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her
hands of ten shekels weight of gold." Genesis
24:22 (Here are rewards and blessings for faithful
service. For doing more than was required!)
Moreover: "And the servant brought
forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and
gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to
her mother precious things." Genesis 24:53
(Here are gifts simply due to her saying YES! And these
blessings overflowed to her loved ones too!)
Here's my point today. God has designed some great
"built-in" blessings in his plan of Marriage! The
Christian family (a husband and a wife) is a unit of society
created by God ... not man! It is the BEST of all
relationships.
It has to be! God made it.
It's a picture of the Christ/Church union too!
(I am not saying that God would never lead a man or lady to be
single. But overall God's plan is clear!
Marriage, with all its heaven-sent blessings, is the way to go!)
Now I do realize that there are some mean and hypocritical men
on earth who profess to know Christ and don't. They make
terrible husbands. (Perhaps this is true of certain wives
also.)
BUT that does not spoil God's design!
One's best hope of earthy joy and happiness will be found in
God's will. And maritally that's in a one-man and
one-woman bond ... for life!
It takes real work ... but the rewards are fantastic!
(No wonder the family is under such attack in America today!)
Christian friend, do all you can to make your marriage a witness
of the love Christ has for the church and the reverence the
church has for Christ!
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is
the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that
it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to
love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife
loveth himself." Ephesians 5:22-28
It will work ... with blessings abundant!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
As Abraham's servant was seeking a Bride for
Isaac, he made an unusual request of the Lord. (Likely
that servant's name is Eliezer. I base that on Genesis
15:2. That name Eliezer means "God is help!")
Here's his request ... to a "God Who helps!"
"And he said, O LORD
God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this
day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. And let it
come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say,
Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be
she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac;
and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my
master." Genesis 24:12 and 14
Notice that!
He is looking for a young lady who will give
him water to drink ... then who will give drink to all his
camels! (According to Genesis 24:10 he had ten camels with
him!)
Wow!
One camel can drink up to 32 gallons of water
when he is thirsty! (That's a total of 320 gallons for all
those camels!)
Watch this.
He is looking for a young lady who is not
lazy! One who is a real worker. And has initiative.
One with a servant spirit. (Sounds like the virtuous lady
of Proverbs 31, doesn't it?)
Here's a real
KEY
to success and happiness in marriage.
Marry a mate (husband or wife ... both criteria should apply to
each mate) who has a willing heart!
Seriously notice that lady in Proverbs 31. Study her
incentive! Her strong work ethic. Her utter lack of
laziness!
And men, remember Jesus' parable of "the
unprofitable servant" in Luke 17. That text concludes with these
words: "So likewise ye, when ye
shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say,
We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our
duty to do." (Luke 17:10)
We have only done what we were required!
So we are still unprofitable servants! Only when we do
MORE that expected do we cross that line and become "profitable"
workers!
Now THAT attitude in a marriage will go a
long way in making it work well!
Honey, he asks, what can I do to help you
today?
Thank God for ladies like Rebekah! She
DID water all those camels and the thirsty travelers as well!
And for men like Paul (who had the same spirit)!
So ... don't sit around today and say "I wish
my mate was like that!"
Go forth right now and make yourself
more like that willing worker ... and your mate WILL surely
respond accordingly!
Go find some camels to water around your
house! (They are there somewhere!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
I noticed this while reading the Word of God
earlier today.
It is said of the servant of Abraham who had
gone to get a bride for Isaac.
"And the man
wondering
at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his
journey prosperous or not." Genesis 24:21
This is recorded as soon as Rebekah had
watered all 10 of the man’s camels!
He "wondered" at her!
What a word we have here!
It is derived from a Hebrew verb (spelled "shaah")
that means to be astonished! The English history of this word
astonished: It is from ex-tonare (Latin) which means "to thunder
out!" It is used of the effect thunder has on a person when the
lightning struck somewhere nearby! Shaken deeply!
"Wondered" also means "to be stunned!"
It is from a Hebrew stem that pictures one
who is "whirling with giddiness!"
The servant was quite captivated by the young
lady Rebekah.
No doubt he is overcome by her beauty, by her
sweet spirit, by her work attitudes and by undoubtedly many
other things too!
Here’s a "secret" to a happy marriage!
Don’t even consider marrying anyone (hence
probably not even dating anyone) who does not thrill you to your
very innermost being!
One over whom you become thrilled and excited
and motivated and encouraged!
Listen to what Solomon says once in Proverbs.
He is talking to the husband about his own wife.
"And be thou ravished
always with her love." Proverbs 5:19
Be ravished with her!
That verb (in Hebrew = "shagah") means
literally to be intoxicated with someone!
The man’s wife is driving him out of his mind
in delight!
By the way, spiritual qualities can do this
too!
Every wife does not have to be a beauty queen
in order to delight her husband!
Is someone saying ... well, preacher, I
married Mr. Average! He thrills me in absolutely no areas of
life! None at all! None whatsoever!
Then ... immediately you must begin doing
this.
PRAY!
Ask the Lord to show you ways in which that
dear husband can enthrall you! (Wow! I just looked up
"enthrall." It means to make one into a slave! en + thrall! To
actually be captivated by someone! To fall under their control!)
Then begin looking for them. They are there!
God will answer your prayer!
Does anyone think that the dear Lord Jesus
(the Bridegroom) is ravished and "taken" with His Bride? I
should say so!
If you are single and reading this ... take
some preventive medicine here!
If you are married ... use this advice as a
vitamin pill for your home.
If you are a preacher who counsels young
couples prior to marriage ... use this as a text!
After all, we are drawing our information
from Scripture!
May God give all you married folks a
"wonderful" day! (And a "wonderful" lifetime together as well!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
One of the
best books I've ever read about the husband-wife relationship
certainly agrees with the truth taught in Genesis 24. That's
the great Old Testament chapter concerning the choice of a Bride
for Isaac.
(I had no idea
that Genesis 24 was so full of Bible principles for a successful
married life!)
Anyway, back
to the book for a minute.
The title I cannot remember!
Nor the author!
(But I do recall where I was as I read its
instructive pages!)
Here's the basic thrust of that little book.
All of married life is divided into three compartments! There
of course is the physical part of it all. We live in physical
bodies on a material earth and must deal with the visible,
tangible things of life. Men should provide for their wives
materially!
Then the writer continued by saying that the
second area of any marriage concerns the "soulish" aspects of
life. (The "pseuche" the Greeks would have said. The "psyche"
we call it, the psychological! That area involves our minds,
our wills and our emotions. It is here that most marriage
counselors concentrate their efforts. After all, a wife and her
husband MUST agree on many decisions (the will) and share some
similar views and ideas (the mind) and feel somewhat alike on a
number of issues (the emotions). All this is called something
like "compatibility."
Then ... the book said ... comes the
"spiritual" department of any relationship! This is the part of
married life that is largely ignored today. In fact, to read
most manuals it is virtually non-existent any more! The
spiritual side of life has been relegated to obscurity by
today's secular colleges and universities for sure!
So ... from lost man's point of view ...
here's how it goes with one's wife (or husband if you are a
lady). First comes the PHYSICAL! Is he or she "good looking?"
The bodily (and sensual) things of life dominate in our world!
Secondly comes the PSYCHOLOGICAL! In fact,
psychology is king in today's world! Let's talk (mental) and
plan our actions (volitional), making sure we fell all right
about what we do (emotional).
And dead last is the SPIRITUAL! Truthfully
today the spiritual aspect of marriage is mostly belittled. Or
gone altogether! Buried forever! (Or even if emphasized it
contains New Age philosophies and gods and goddesses galore!)
This worldly non-sense can't be found in
Genesis 24!
Not at all!
In that pivotal chapter the priorities are
changed dramatically!
There the SPIRITUAL is first ... then the
SOULISH (again, the mind, will and emotions) comes next ...
followed faintly by the PHYSICAL, which is really hardly
mentioned.
Every time the servant of Abraham confronts
Rebekah or her family he ends up worshipping God! The future
WIFE of Isaac is a constant springboard for this servant ... a
springboard to the things of God!
Watch even this common event and what the
godly servant does with it.
"She (Rebekah) said
moreover unto him (the servant), We have both straw and
provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down
his head, and worshipped the LORD." Genesis 24:25-26
They are discussing animal food!
And a room in which the servant can rest for
the night!
BUT immediately he sees something in the
situation that drives him to worship his God! (The God of
Abraham too!)
Folks, we had better make the SPIRITUAL
aspects of marriage the most dominant! That is, if we want a
long lasting life-long marriage!
That's what Paul taught too!
When Paul saw a wife ... he thought of the
church!
When he was around a bridegroom ... he was
thinking of Jesus THE Bridegroom!
Look! "Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be
to their own husbands in every thing." Ephesians 5:22-24
Then he talks to the men!
"Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it."
Ephesians 25
Now that's centering on the spiritual!
If a marriage focuses only on the physical
(good looks, sensual sex, plenty of money, great health, a
beautiful home), eventually disappointment will come! (That's a
promise!)
If a marriage concentrates only on the
mental, volitional or emotional (the soulish aspects), eventual
disagreement will always ensue! No two people will agree on
everything or feel the same about every issue! Again,
"incompatibility" is the term often heard describing this
dilemma.
BUT if a marriage highlights the SPIRITUAL,
the godly, the Biblical, the truly Christian side of life ...
those things will not fade! They are eternal! You and your
husband or wife can together build your relationship
around the things of God ... an everlasting God!
Then, even later in life, when the skin badly
wrinkles and physical strengths weaken and even minds cease to
be as sharp ... the spiritual continues to thrive. And if the
things of the spirit (The Spirit too) are drawing you and your
mate closer and closer together, rest assured that your marriage
will last and last and continue to be strong, very strong!
(Till death do you part!)
A strong marriage ... all the way to heaven!
You didn't know Brother Bagwell was a
counselor, did you?
He is not!
But any real Preacher of the Word of God will
reach these same conclusions as he studies Genesis 24! (Or
anywhere in the Bible that concerns the family!)
We have enjoyed you visiting here today ...
with a Bible in your hand!
You are welcome anytime!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7:
In Genesis 24:58 we read these
words: "And they called Rebekah, and
said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will
go."
Notice her willing spirit!
"I will go!"
She was in love with Isaac
before she ever saw him!
And this love is exhibited by
her willingness to immediately go be with him ... "until death
did them part."
A willing wife!
(That's the opposite of
stubbornness!)
I can truly say today that for
40 years Sister Norma has been to this Preacher a willing wife!
She's been with me ... to
every church I've pastored!
To every Revival I've
preached!
To every home I've visited!
She's supported every idea
(that was worth anything) I've ever had!
She has lived by her wedding
vows ... "I will go!"
It's like Ruth said to her
Mother-in-Law Naomi. "For whither
thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy
people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Ruth
1:16
And just like willing wives
thrill their husbands ... so do willing (not stubborn) husbands
make wives happy!
If something is said twice in
the same Bible Book, we had better take notice!
Proverbs 21:9 ---
"It is
better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a
brawling woman in a wide house."
Proverbs 25:24 ---
"It is
better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a
brawling woman and in a wide house."
A willing wife ... or a
brawling wife?
Each must decide for herself.
But a willing one is a KEY to
a happy lifelong successful marriage!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
The verse is just casually
inserted into the narrative! Yet it reveals a critical fact
about Rebekah, the Bride for Isaac.
"And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither
had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled
her pitcher, and came up." Genesis 24:16
The word "fair" means good or
pleasant ... not necessarily a ravishing beauty!
But it's the word "virgin"
that has caught my eye today.
In Hebrew it is spelled "bethulah"
and means just what the text says. It is a lady who has never
sexually known a man.
Rebekah brought her purity to
the wedding altar!
That is God's way!
Sex can be a terrible thing
... if it is not wrapped up in the context of holiness and
purity.
It can literally get out of
hand and produce all kinds of things.
Medical scientists are right
now said to be working on a "pill" that will alter the human
brain (chemically) ... removing any feelings of remorse after a
long night of debauchery!
It has been nicknamed the "no
mourning after" pill!
I hope it never reaches the
market!
Some things are just too
sacred to modify.
I promise you this. Your
physical love for your mate (only to be consummated after
marriage) is one of the most precious experiences of life. And
it is greatly diminished if one has already given himself or
herself to another (or to others ... in the plural) prior to
marriage.
Young ladies, a KEY to a happy
life-long marriage relationship is found in this truth ... stay
pure!
Young men ... the same truth
equally applies to you!
Some things are just too
valuable to sell (or give away)!
I am not saying that Isaac and
Rebekah were a perfect couple! I am saying they were a pure
couple! And they DID stay together for life! And the DID raise
the Father to the Twelve Tribes of Israel! That alone is a
great accomplishment!
Out of this pure marriage
relationship came world-changing children! In fact, ultimately
out of it came the human side of our dear Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank God, Rebekah was a pure
young lady!
Young folks, do not throw this
KEY away! It is critical for your future happiness!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9:
Now Rebekah has left home and
is on her way to meet Isaac!
She is being safely escorted
by the trusted Servant of Abraham.
After days of travel she
finally sees him!
Watch her modesty now.
"For she
had said unto the servant, What man is this that
walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had
said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and
covered herself." (Genesis 24:65)
Now watch her excitement as
she approaches him!
"And
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted
off the camel." (Genesis 24:64)
The verb "lighted off" literally
means to jump off the animal! (Nearly falling in the
process!)
She was thrilled with the
prospect of seeing him, her Bridegroom!
Here's another KEY to a happy
marriage.
Keep the excitement there!
Be thrilled with your mate!
(If you have lost that thrill ...
ask God to restore it! He surely can!)
I'm not sure Rebekah ever lost
here enthusiasm for her dear husband!
She and Isaac apparently loved
to "flirt" with each other too ... and did so often! ("And
it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that
Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and
saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his
wife." Genesis 26:8 That word "sporting" means just
what you think it does too. Playing, laughing, even
touching would have been involved!)
Folks, keep it exciting.
God meant it to be that way!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10:
We are at the last verse of
our study of the KEYS to a successful godly marriage.
Isaac and Rebekah have met ...
and have begun developing their love one for another! (Love can
be built and made to grow through the years!)
Here’s how our chapter
summaries it all:
"And
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah,
and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was
comforted after his mother's death." Genesis 24:67
Notice that they began to
build a home together! This alone is a life-long task.
Men, observe that Isaac
brought his wife into his Mother’s tent ... but she did NOT
become his Mother! Mom is gone ... a wife has come. Don’t try to
form your wife into your Mother! It will not work. Let your new
love be herself! That will be far more exciting.
Now ... and I waited until now
to do so ... I’ll tell you what "Rebekah" means as a name. It
means "one who ensnares!" That is exactly what your wife should
be to you! She should snare, capture, commandeer and infatuate
you, dear sir! Let yourself become "ravished" with her and her
very being! ("Not Biblical!" ... I can hear someone say that
right now! Then you had better not read Song of Solomon
4:9 where the Groom says to his Bride ---
"Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister,
my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes,
with one chain of thy neck." Or Song of Solomon 5:19
which says --- "Let her be as the loving
hind and pleasant roe ... and be thou ravished always with her
love." Wow! It IS Biblical too!)
Notice that we are told that
Isaac LOVED her!
Men, that’s our main
requirement.
Ephesians 5:25 ---"Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it." Or Colossians 3:19 ---
"Husbands, love your wives, and be not
bitter against them."
In fact Paul even taught
the older women to instruct the young women to love their
husbands! Titus 2:4 ---
"That they may teach the young women to be
sober, to love their husbands, to love their children."
Love ... that’s the "engine"
that runs this marriage machine! That is ... the 1st Corinthians
13 kind of love!
And look at what they brought
to each other ... the last part of the last verse of this
chapter tells us ... "comfort!"
"Nacham," the Hebrew word for
comfort means "to show compassion." It comes from the root verb
that means "to breathe deeply" ... suggesting the showing of
one’s real feelings (of tenderness and concern) one toward
another!
How very dear this is!
Be a friend to your mate!
Share with him or her your
feelings and fears and aspirations and worries and everything
else! (I am not in favor of this business of keeping secrets
from your mate! That’s not wise. Open up to each other. Be
honest and transparent. No hypocrisy allowed!)
There you have it.
Some KEYS to a successful
Christian marriage.
A whole chapter of them!
Put them on a "key" ring and
keep then with you ... using them daily until "death do you
part!"
For all of eternity you will
be glad you did!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
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