(Transcribed from the Words of Life Radio Program)
It is good to be together again as we look into the Word of God. The title for the lesson is “He Loved Her.” And our text is taken from the Old Testament book of Genesis chapter 24 verses 62 through 67. Please listen to the Word of God.
“Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So, she took her veil and covered herself.
Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So, she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”
This is the Word of God.
Probably Most of us can remember when we first set our eyes on our spouse-to-be or first met a special boy or girlfriend. Can you recall when, where and the treasured circumstances of your very first meeting together with this special person? Was it love-at-first sight? Or did it take time to really catch the so-called love bug?
I remember when I first met my wife-to-be. I was visiting a church for the first time, and I was 33 years of age. I was curious about some things in the worship service, so I asked for the preacher’s phone number since he was out of town that Sunday. One of the members introduced me to the preacher’s daughter. So, I asked her for his phone number which she of course knew from memory. Then she added: “I’ll give you my phone number too.” So, long story short we were married seven months later. Yes, I married the preacher’s oldest daughter.
Marriage circumstances were quite different in ancient times in the Middle East. Often even without romance. But Abraham’s son’s marriage was made in heaven. And ‘he loved her.’
Let’s investigate our text Genesis chapter 24 verses 62 through 67 a little closer. In verse 62 where it says, “Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.” According to Genesis chapter 25 verse 20 “Isaac was forty years old when he married.” He was not living with his father Abraham in the town of Hebron. Evidently Isaac was preparing to set up his own household. “The Negev” literally in Hebrew, the Hebrew language means “The South.” It was a little-watered, sparce watered region south of later the region of Judea, at the Canaan-Egypt border. Grazing of sheep and goats was the principal industry.
“Beer Lahai Roi” according to Genesis chapter 16 verse 14 had a water well. Beer Lahai Roi means, “well of the living one who sees me.” Hagar named the well which originally was a natural spring. It was here that the angel of the Lord told Hagar, who had fled Sarai, to return to her and submit to her, according to Genesis the 16th chapter. Isaac chose to live near this well as water in this dry region was a precious commodity. Even after Abraham, his father’s death, Isaac remained at this well according to Genius chapter 25 verse 11.
Perhaps, besides the water for livestock and of course human beings, Isaac may have found encouragement from the name of the well as he waited for his chief servant who was sent to bring him back a prospective wife and this from Abraham’s native upbringing and his own relatives as according to Genesis chapter 24 verses 3 and 4.
Marriage arrangements in ancient times were made by fathers, and appropriate mates were chosen from one’s own tribe. Abraham’s main reason was that Isaac not marry a Canaanite pagan leading his descendants away from the one true God.
Today in the church age, by application, God’s will is that Christians marry Christians. Consider in the New Testament the text of First Corinthians chapter 7 verse 39 “A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” If this is true for a second marriage, then its also true for a first marriage. This is God’s will. The center of His will.
In Isaac’s mind the well called “the well of Him who lives and sees me” was since God took care of Hagar and met her need, so surely God would provide an appropriate wife to maintain a godly line and fulfill the Abrahamic covenant.
Genesis chapter 24 verse 63 “He went out to the field one evening to meditate and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.” The word translates “meditate” is uncertain but if accurate obviously Isaac was a thoughtful person. Possibly he was prayerfully thinking about his future and hoping for an attractive and loving wife. Praying for the right mate for ourselves, for our family and friends is of paramount importance if they choose to marry.
Verses 64 through 65 “Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” He is my master, the servant answered. So, she took her veil and covered herself.” When Rebekah learned that the man, she saw was her husband-to-be she followed two eastern customs. She dismounted her camel in respect, and she placed her veil over her face in the presence of her betrothed until the wedding day. We should be thankful that veil covering never has been a standard in the west. Of course, these days during Covid we have a lot more masks than we used to, just saying.
Verse 67 which says in part “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah.”
According to Genesis chapter 23 verses 1 and 2 Sarah had already died. By bringing Rebekah into his mother’s tent, he indicated his acceptance of her as his wife-to-be before he had seen her face. So, what did Rebekah look like? The Answer is in Genesis chapter 24 verse 16 which says in part “the girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her.” And in Genesis chapter 24 verse 15 which says in part “she was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Micah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.” So, Rebekah was actually Isaac’s cousin. Imagine that Abraham’s chief servant traveled about 450 miles from Hebron to Mesopotamia, Abraham’s ancestral grounds, and found the perfect mate for Isaac from Abraham’s own tribe of his ancestors. That’s a marriage made in Heaven; only God can deliver such amazing results! And God is still in the business of helping, especially believers, to find a perfect match! As we prayfully seek his will.
Verse 67 ends with “So she became his wife and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” He loved her and she certainly learned to love him.
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 in the New Testament “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Verse 28 says in part “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.” And, of course, wives should love and respect their husbands in the same way. Notice that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. That is Christ loved sacrificially in a selfless or unselfish way as He, Christ dearly loved the church, those that were to become believers, those that were to become adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters of God.
Yes, I married the preacher’s daughter and I love her after now some 34 years of marital bliss. And yes, I traveled to find her. It was also a marriage made in heaven.
And so dear listener perhaps you are looking for a mate, for a spouse, a godly woman, a godly man. Ask God to guide you and yours perhaps in your extended family, because this is a most important decision that most make.
The most important decision that anyone makes is what am I going to do with Jesus. How am I going to answer that question which involves eternity? The second most important decision if one chooses to marry, is whom am I going to marry? These two decisions need to be prayfully made seeking God’s will.
David Johnson is minister of Sellersburg Church of Christ in Sellersburg, IN.