If we took the time this morning to ask how each of us met our spouse I bet there would be some interesting stories. Some may have met at school or the work place. Some may have met through friends. Debbie and I met at Hardees where she was the store manager and I was her bread delivery guy. I jokingly tell others that she liked my buns.
Kids have a different approach. On a talk show where some ten year olds were being interviewed the question was asked, “ How do you know who to marry?” Here are some of their answers.
“ You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dips coming.”
“You flip a nickel, and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one.”
Now this last one might have a bit of truth to it.
“No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.”
As we look at our next character in the lineage of Jesus we will see God’s handy work in choosing the perfect wife for Isaac. We will also discover how alike the walk of Abraham and his son were. We will discover if Isaac learned from his father’s mistakes.
The focus of the story has now shifted from Abraham to Isaac. The story is told in Genesis 24 of Abraham’s desire to be sure that his son Isaac married someone from his homeland of Ur and not a Canaanite woman. He called his most trusted servant, Eliezer, to accomplish the task. Abraham was very specific on the criteria for the task. One major point was under no circumstance was Isaac to return to Ur to find his own bride.
Eliezer set out with ten camels. In the town of Nahor he went to the community well. He had the camels knell down by the well. It was evening time when the young women of the town would come to the well to draw water.
So Eleizer prays in Genesis 24:12-14. “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham. Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
Let’s look at Genesis 25:15 “Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.”
Let’s set on “Before he had finished praying---” When we pray God’s will into our lives the action begins before we can finish the prayer. The problem is the most of our prayers are not centered on God’s will but rather our desires.
We have this promise found in 1 John 5:14-15. “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
The problem with my prayers are they usually self-centered. For example, I have a financial burden. My prayer might be for an unexpected check or donation to relieve my burden. When it doesn’t happen I question God’s ability to keep his word. Perhaps my prayer should have been for wisdom to relieve my burden and wisdom to not continually allow myself to be trapped in my burden.
Often we might pray for the healing of others but our motivation might be to relieve us of the stress of their illness. We might pray for direction in a situation but really we are looking for a reason to do nothing while we wait.
I am not saying it’s wrong to pray for yourself. I am saying that languishing in self pity while waiting for answered prayer is not pleasing to God. If you want proof simply read the book of Job.
And notice also Eleizer is not praying for himself. He’s not at the well praying like I might have.
“Oh Lord. I have traveled so far through the dust and the dangers, caring for these ten camels. It’s been such a long journey and I am so tired. Please don’t let me return without a bride for Isaac. Abraham would be so disappointed in me and you. Give me a sign, oh God. Which one should I choose. I won’t say anything or do anything until I hear from you.”
He realizes that his success shows God’s kindness to his master, Abraham. How would it change our prayer lives if all of our prayers were presented to reflect God’s kindness on someone else other than ourselves? Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to give me one prayer request that has you burdened. Write it on a piece of paper and give it to me. I will present your request before God daily. But I will send you a request from someone and ask for you to pray for that request daily instead of your need. When your prayer is answered message me so we can rejoice in the kindness of God.
If it is not answered, then we will seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit together to understand the will of God in the matter.
Now back to the story. Genesis 25:15 “Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.”
Rebekah was the daughter of Abraham’s nephew. She would be Isaac’s second cousin. That qualified her to be from Abraham’s family. She responded to Eleizer’s request just as he had prayed. So he knew immediately that she was the one chosen by God.
Eleizer accompanied her back to her house. There he met her father Bethuel and her brother Laban. Laban will play a role back into the story later.
Eleizer explained everything to her family. Upon hearing the details the family agreed. They received some costly gifts and Eleizer made plans to leave the next morning. However, the next morning Laban attempted to delay their departure for ten more days. It was only after Rebekah made it clear she was prepared to leave that Eleizer was able to depart and return to his master.
In this story so far we can get a glimpse of the redemptive work of God. Abraham sent his servant into a far country to seek a bride for his son. God sent his Holy Spirit into the world to seek the redeemed for Jesus.
Rebekah was found by the spoken word of Abraham and the obedience to respond to that spoken word by Eleizer. Our relationship with God is found by the written word of God and our obedience to follow that word.
Once Rebekah had heard Abraham’s proposal she responded favorably to his word given to her by his servant. She agreed to leave her father’s house and return with the servant to Abraham’s land. There she would become the bride of Isaac.
If we are to respond favorably to God’s proposal than we must agree to leave the influences of this world so that we can enter into the influences of the spiritual world. It is only then that we can begin to become the bride of Christ, which is the church.
Upon their arrival in Negev, Rebekah was presented to Isaac. As was the custom he took her into his mother’s tent and “married” her.
After Abraham’s death Isaac settles near Beer Lahai Roi. This is the area that Hagar encountered the angel of the Lord when she ran away pregnant because of Sarah’s mistreatment. Ishamel and his sons settled in an area near the Egyptian border and was hostile toward Isaac.
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. Soon it became apparent that she was barren. She was having no success at getting pregnant. It’s for certain that Isaac saw the similarities between his father’s journey in life and his own. He knew that he was a miracle baby. But he also knew the story of Hagar and how is mom and dad became involved in the situation. He saw the hurt and hatred in his half-brother’s eyes. But he also knew about the promise passed to him through his father. He was to be the seed through which a mighty nation would grow. So he did what was the right thing to do.
Genesis 25:21 “Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.”
Notice again the focus on prayer for others. Isaac pleaded on Rebekah’s behalf. His father did a lot of things. He constantly asked for confirmation from God concerning his promise of a son. But nowhere do we find Abraham intervening on Sarah’s behalf in prayer. And not only is his prayer answered but it is answered in double.
I began to wonder what the reason was behind the fact that these two women responsible for bearing the children of the promise were barren. It would seem from both accounts that the guys functioned well. Perhaps it’s the plant, water, and increase factor.
1 Corinthians 3:7 “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.”
It was going to be in done by God’s will, by his method, in his timing and by his power. These two would not be the only barren women who would have children based on God’s timing.
Another was Jacob's beloved wife, Rachel. She would birth Joseph who symbolized the Christ in Egypt for his family because his character brought physical salvation to them from a severe famine.
Another was Samson's mother the wife of Manoah of the tribe of Dan. She prayed to God and he permitted her to have one son who was to be one of the strongest physically of all of the judges in that period of Israelite history. Samson was given to the priests of God as a Nazarite vow from his grateful mother and his hair was never cut until a crafty Philistine woman Delilah tricked Samson into telling her what made him so strong and supernaturally powerful. His resolve proved to bring the downfall of the Philistines and their god Dagon.
Another was the second wife of Elkanah the Ephraimite who was called Hannah. She also prayed and was given a son called Samuel. She too was grateful and dedicated her only son to the priests of the Lord God of Israel. After he was weaned he lived in the High Priest's house and took over the judgeship when Eli's and his own sons died for their sins. Samuel was responsible for anointing both Kings Saul and David.
The final woman of the Scripture was Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias who was barren but in her old age conceived a son. This son was the cousin of Jesus of Nazareth. He was the son of the Levitical priestly clans and was called John the Baptist. Jesus called him the greatest man born of woman.
All of these women felt useless in their roles as wives and producers of offspring to carry on the family name. But God gave them the increase by making their wombs fertile.
As we have learned, Rebekah is pregnant with twins. I cannot imagine what it feels like having another human growing inside of me much less two. It has to be strange feeling all that movement going on. But Rebekah is feeling more than just movement.
Genesis 25:22 “But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. ‘Why is this happening to me?’ she asked.”
The word for “struggled” meant break, smash, oppress. There was a battle raging between her two sons. God replied to her question.
Genesis 25:23 “And the Lord told her, ‘The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.’”
As we read this we notice that it seems as if God delights in setting people against each other. He told Hagar that Ishmael would become a great nation set against his brother Isaac. Now he tells Rebekah that her two sons will be great nations set against each other. But reality is God has began to separate his nation of Israel and his chosen people from the rest of the world. God knows that Satan will always desire to destroy the chosen people and will use those not chosen by God to do so. Although He takes care of Ishmael and will take care of the first born of Rebekah, their descendants will reject God and turn to worldly idols.
Genesis 25:24-26 “And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.”
Esau’s name sounded similar to the Hebrew word for “red” and “fur.” Jacob’s name sounded similar to the Hebrew word for “deceiver.” Esau got his name from his appearance. Jacob would live to fulfill the prophetic name of deceiver.
Esau would become a daddy’s boy, rambunctious and skillful with a bow and arrow. Jacob was a mommy’s boy, quiet and staying around the camp learning to cook. He would use those cooking skills to deceive his elder brother of the birthright that belonged to the first born. Esau would trade that honor away for a bowl of stew. Leading to this statement in Genesis 25:34. “Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.”
Esau showed contempt for his birthright. As I read that my toes were stomped on by the Holy Spirit. How many times have I shown contempt toward God by exchanging my right to be called his child for a bowl of stew offered by the world? Satan uses worldly pleasures to lure us in showing contempt toward the sacrifice of Jesus by accepting his offer. Paul wrote in Romans 9:13 “In the words of the Scriptures, ‘I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.’” Esau was rejected by God because he showed contempt to his birthright.
What a horrible day it would be to stand before God and hear him say “I have loved him and I have loved her, but I reject you because you have shown contempt for your birthright. You have shown contempt toward my Son who died for you and gave you that birthright. You have shown contempt by accepting the bowls of pleasure offered to you by the world in exchange for your right to be called my child. I reject you.”
If you have been dabbling in the bowls of pleasure offered by the world, than repent. Claim your birthright back from Satan. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Use that power to get back on track and declare your birthright today.
