A Bride for Isaac

We now move on to ( Genesis 24 ). I realize as a man with grey hair and old bones that there is a lot more that can be found in the earlier chapters of Genesis as well as all through each book of God’s word. The hidden things and mysteries we speak of. The things that both, enhance and increase our faith in Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father. Even as I write this, my spiritual mind wanders through scripture with a true desire to teach all that I know and can prove to anyone that trust this book, being the word of God. That is one of the mysteries and hidden things. I must ask, are you settled that you can believe and stand on this book alone for all the answers you need without even my help or the help of any man? As we have stated before, all the help we can have is, if fed by the Spirit of God, ordained of God, beneficial to each of us to use for his glory. With that being said, even with what I teach as a man with grey hair and old bones it must be weighed by you and through the spectrum of the Holy Spirit of God in you.

Without a doubt, every man is a sinner and very capable of misleading other people. Every man is also capable of being led by the wrong spirit as he teaches or preaches. Any man can easily follow the flesh, for example, if you are hungry, you eat. Jesus Christ went forty day and nights without food and was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread. He could easily have done that miracle. That, at a time when he needed it the worst, but he didn’t. He basically told Satan that it was more to this life than food or drink. ( Matthew 4:4 ) It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Have we learned that lesson? What aspect of our lives are we feeding to most, our flesh or our spirit? As men and women of God, as preachers and teachers what are we feeding the most to our students?

As I hold my Bible in my hand, I see it as a pearl. As I share that fact, I see each word as pearls of great price in a spiritual sense. To have the pleasure of gleaning those pearls is priceless to my spiritual being. Those hidden things and mysteries are food for my soul and hopefully to all that learn from them. To me, not to teach or try to see those things and share those mysteries and hidden things to other people is the greatest sin any man can commit. In not doing so, that is , not sharing those things, we leave the people we say we love in spiritual ignorance and darkness.If I don’t search scripture, then I stay in spiritual darkness myself.

In all that we can say or do. I’m speaking from the aspect of a man with grey hair and old bones. One that’s seen a lot in his spiritual walk. Most of the experience has come from one that sits and observes other people or listened to what others say. Some of it is from being involved myself, sometimes in my own ignorance.

If you know my life, that is, at least since I’ve been born again. Do you think anything that has happened to me ever caught God the Father by surprise? I think not, he has the ability to teach me even in my own stupidity if I’m open to learn. It’s the same way with each of us but we must be opened to hearing and seeing spiritual things from scripture.

As a man with grey hair and old bones I’ve stated this and will continue to stand on it. It’s not what is easily seen in scripture that teaches us spiritual things but the things that are not easily seen. As members of our local Churches, we are not important. The only thing that is and ever will be important is the uplifting of the name of Jesus Christ and allowing the spirit of God change and direct our lives.

Satan will never walk right into your Church and say anything. He slides in, he’s sneaky and knows exactly how to get his will done, through our flesh without even being noticed. He causes us to be more concerned about our flesh and the flesh of others than we are about the spiritual aspects of this life and beyond. For example, if a man that is lost without God goes to a local Church, this man has cancer and his desire is to be healed. This is a very well-known man and well respected. He asks the Church to remember him in prayer, and we do; we pray for God to heal his body, lo and behold he is healed, no cancer can be found in his body. This man is happy camper and now desires to join our Church, says all the right things but, actually never truly excepts Jesus as his Savior. Is this man any better off?

AS we go through this segment of ( grey hair and old bones )( Continuing three ) we’ll see a picture of the true desire of the Church.

( Genesis 24:1-4 )

And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ( 2 ) And Abraham said unto his eldest servant in his house, that ruled over all that he had, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: ( 3 ) And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, the God of the earth, that their shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the canaanites, among whom I dwell: ( 4 ) But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and to take a wife unto my son Isaac.

It’s a challenge to know where to start here. We see so much in these verses, as it concerns the Church that all I can do is hit the high points as I travel through.

Let’s look at this point. Do you realize that when Isaac was offered on ( Mount Moriah ) as a sacrifice, he never came down? The Bible says that Abraham returned unto ( his two young men )( Genesis 22:19 ) but the Bible never mentions Isaac again until Abraham tells his elder son in ( Genesis 24:4 ) to pick Isaac a bride from among his people.

I’m just going to give you something to think about here, something to build on. Here, Abraham is a type of God the father. When he came off the mount he reunited with his two ( young men ). Isaac is still on the mount. This is a spiritual thing. Can we say here that these two young men are types of the son and the spirit?

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, please understand, all this is type. But is not Jesus still above us today? Now Jesus is still at the right hand of the father, actually he hasn’t come down for his bride yet has he? In typology, God the father, God the son and God the spirit came off of that mountain.

When Abraham came off that mountain, remember where he went? He actually went to the families of descents of Ismael.God promised the mother of Ismael that he also would be the father of a great nation. I say, as a man with grey hair and old bones that this nation is nothing less than the Church, the body of Christ, I’ve made that statement before.

I want to make another point here. We, a born again believers stand on the concept that God is in three persons. God the father, God the son and God the spirit. All three of the persons are seen here in one form or another. We, in our Churches are instructed today to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. ( Matthew 28:19 ) Think about this; when Jesus makes this statement about baptism here in Matthew, it’s after he has been raised from the dead. So, at this time is it not more evident that it’s God the father speaking than ever? Today, the only evidence we have of the existence of God is through and by the Spirit of God. We believe that they all three are the same. We can’t see either of them today can we? Yet we believe. We talk and preach of Jesus Christ, we believe that he was and is God in flesh, we believe that his Spirit also lives within us. The power of God is within every born again believer through and by his Spirit.

As a man with grey hair and old bones, my mind rolls through all these things. How do I teach it all and show how it ties together?

I’m going to make this point and we’ll get back to Abraham. The baptism of Jesus by John is mentioned in all four gospels. Wonder what John the Baptist said when he baptized Jesus? What did he say when he baptized anyone?( I believe ) that the baptism at that point and time spoke for itself. The basic people of the nation Of Israel did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. When anyone was baptized by John that act of just being baptized by John spread like wildfire.

It might be, beside the point what he might have said. However, when John was baptizing this is what he was preaching; ( repent and be baptized for the ( kingdom of heaven ) is at hand. All the people that were being baptized at that time were doing so, saying that they believed that Jesus was the coming messiah. Jesus, when he was baptized simply was making himself one of those that believed that fact in his flesh, before the people that he came for at that time.

I’ll just throw this in as a study point. I don’t believe that the word ( baptize ) or any form of that word is found in the books of the Old Testament. However, Abraham did ask his eldest servant to swear an oath.

The elder servant here took that oath very seriously. Do you think that we should take baptism the same way? Does it mean the same thing to us as it did the elder servant or even the people of Jesus’ day?

Just by way of comparison, let me ask you something, what is the difference in your vows to your spouse and being publicly baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? Do you mind if I tell you what I think? There is actually no difference, the only thing we could mention is the fact that we actually don’t see the Father, the Son or the Holy Ghost, we do our spouse.

As I write this, I think, we might not take it very seriously, but God the Father does.

Now, back to ( Genesis 24 )

WE see Abraham sending his eldest servant to fetch a bride for his son Isaac. We mentioned the fact that it was two young men. Could we say here that Abraham is the oldest, being a type of God the Father, the eldest servant would be second being a type of God the Spirit and the youngest would be a type of Jesus Christ. It’s just a picture but we can see a resemblance of the three parts of the God-head.

Actually as we go forward we know that Isaac is the type here of Jesus Christ. This is just something to consider as you study.

Isaac is not seen here. Typically, where is Jesus while the Holy Spirit is on earth seeking his bride? Is he not on high with the father?

I know that this might seem scattered, at the same time it’s important that we see this as it unfolds in scripture. All this is not something our flesh craves, but rather the Spirit of God that hungers within our being. He desires to be fed.

Jesus Christ in the gospel of John said this: ( John 16:7 ) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

In this gospel Jesus is revealing himself as ( God the Son ). God, through the fleshly body of his son Jesus Christ is revealing that the flesh has to leave. His true desire is that ( God the Spirit ) came and be with us. It has nothing to do with the fleshly body they are looking at.

We never see this in any other gospel. I just like sharing this:

In the gospel of ( Matthew ) Jesus Christ is revealed to us as the King of the Jews.

In the gospel of ( Mark ) Jesus Christ is revealed as the servant of man.

In the gospel of ( Luke ) Jesus Christ is revealed as the son of man.

In the gospel of ( John ) Jesus Christ is revealed as the son of God.

In ( Matthew ) we see the genealogy of Jesu in the king line of David.

In ( Mark ) we don’t see a genealogy at all, as a servant, it’s not relative.

In ( Luke ) we see the genealogy of Jesus as a man in the flesh all the way back to Adam.

In ( John ) again we see no genealogy because God has no generations before him.

We compare scripture with scripture. We need to take the time to do just that. I tell you that in the hidden things in scripture is where we increase our faith and establish our walk with Christ. ( I believe ) without this teaching and, we might could say, feeding of the meat of the word, we starve to death spiritually. We never gain the confidence of the security of our salvation. Remember the ( hidden things )  (the mysteries ) we spoke of in ( 1 Corinthians 2:7 )? The Apostle Paul said he could not speak to them as spiritual but as unto babes in Christ.

I realize as a man know with grey hair and old bones that it takes time. Just how much is you stand before God worth to you as far as your time is concerned?

Again, as a man with grey hair and old bones, I watch people, people that say they are born again and wonder when they are going to begin to mature in Christ. I’m not, nor will I ever be a judge but what It see concerns me as a person that knows just how short our existence is on this earth, how little time we have to be prepared to stand before the God that gave his all for us.

I personally don’t think people realize that ( we are not our own )( we have been bought with a price). If any person dies without Christ, that person spends an eternity in a place called hell. Well, what happens to any person that dies in Christ, being born again but fails to prepare as a believer to stand before the very same God?

I do not think we, as believers are taught that aspect of our salvation, that drives me to write, the burden for those people is very overwhelming.

 ( Let’s get back to Abraham )

Why did Abraham desire for Isaac to have a bride from his people and not one from where he was living, what is the significance of that?

A better question to ask at this point might be; what has Abraham learned from all that has transpired in his life to this point? And, since you, if you have been born again, what has happened spiritually in your life? Abraham was made a promise by God the father that involved he and his wife. He doubted what he, being God the Father, had promised and leaned on his own understanding but, God is faithful and still kept his promise.

Abraham is getting a spiritual education as his life unfolds. He’s learning, not what he thinks or desires but what God the father is looking for in him. That’s the same lesson that we all need to learn, it not about what we desire but what he desires in us.

Actually the nation of Israel is not in existence yet, its existence is, at this point only in the mind of God. Can we agree on the point that the Nation of Israel is ( one )? Adam, as a man was also ( one ) . God does not now, nor has he ever desired to be alone. He said of Adam, it is not good for man to be alone.

 ( Genesis 2:18 )

And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

The very fact that God created woman from man is a picture of what we are seeing here in Abraham seeking a bride for his son Isaac and, within that picture God is creating a ( help meet ) as he calls it for himself. That is the nation of Israel. God took a rib from Adam’s side didn’t he?  Adam said of Eve ( she is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh )( Genesis 2:23 ).

God did not take of the earth again to create woman, but he made woman from what he had already made from the earth, man.

Abraham is living, as we might say  ( of the earth ) He is living among the people that exist simply because of his disobedience of the voice of God. His desire is to, spiritually speaking to make sure that Isaac’s wife is not of the earth, so to speak but of his own people.

If we go back to Adam, was it not Eve that created the situation where Adam bit the fruit? Looking at Abraham, was it not Sarah that brought about Abraham going into her handmaid? Looking ahead to the nation of Israel, did not Israel bring about the situation that caused Jesus Christ to be born, be crucified and raise again for the creation of the Church? Are we not supposed to be ( bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh )?

Now, let’s take this a little farther along. Did Adam stop loving Eve because of what happened? Did Abraham stop loving Sarah because of what happened. Did God stop loving Israel because of what happened? What we are seeing is a picture, all these things are relative to what we see in our world today. Once again Isaac will have a bride that is ( bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh ).

Do you remember a while back we talked about the ( spiritual seed )? That seed started with Abel, the second born, we talked about that picture. Well, that seed is continuing now through Isaac, still in that same line. Jesus Christ is in that same line.

When we come to the Church. Jesus Christ is the bridegroom; the Church is born of the spirit. Is not that therefore in the same line?

We know that every person is born of the flesh. These things are mere pictures of what is real or the true desire of God the Father. These things are a true passion of God the Father, he took them at that time very seriously, he also takes those same things very seriously at this time and age in which we live. We don’t take it seriously, but he still does. There’s a verse of scriptures we see in ( Ezra ) that

 ( I believe ) will fit very well here. ( Ezra 2: 63 ) And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

Before we get into this, let’s look at one other verse; ( Amos 7:14 ) Then answered Amos, and said to him, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a gather of sycamore fruit. ( 15 ) And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me. Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

I’d like to define what the words in Ezra mean:

Tirshatha:- The feared, man with power like a governor. When this person speaks, there is no arguing with what he says.

Urim:- Light, there’s no darkness at all, nothing hid.

Thummim:- truth, simple truth.

Amos said this; I’m not a prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son but God told me to say this.

I make all these points to simply show you just how important it is to God the Father that the seed of righteousness continues. It’s not a game we play, it’s not a good time, at least, not in the mind and heart of God.

Eve, being a type of the Church played with Satan and lost;

Sarah, being a type of the Church played with Satan and lost;

Abraham learned and did not desire to make the same mistake.  As I say that, now we know Israel played with Satan and lost. Is the Church today playing with Satan? Is your Church playing with Satan?

One day, in front of each of us a man with power is going to stand up just as in the case of Israel. God determined ( 70 weeks ) of desolation upon the nation of Israel. They have been through ( 69 ) of those weeks ) one more to come, and it’s in front of that nation. It’s also in front of us as members of the body of Christ. What? Do you think that God’s going to do us, as the body of Christ any different that he did Eve or Sarah? Even Israel?

Jesus Christ, our bride groom is the Tirshatha, He alone is light and truth. In Ezra, the nation of Israel was in captivity, at this time they were being set free from that captivity, they want to continue things just as they always had before they were captured but, while in captivity they played with the world or Satan and now they want to forget how they lived and those they allowed themselves to associate with.

I’m sorry friends but that’s not how it works. The Church today is playing with the world. Do you realize that each person is accountable for their own actions? Even something as simple as what I write and send to other people, I’m accountable for what I say and that before God my judge.

Abraham took his responsibility to his son, to his God very seriously. He was simply a Godly father. If you have the responsibility of leading people, you are accountable before God. An elected official, they might not realize it, but they are accountable to God himself.

A president, a governor, a sheriff, police chief, all these people are actually appointed by God whether we like it or not. A pastor, teacher, all these people are accountable to God the father. Every person that claims the name of Christ is accountable to him and will stand before that; man to fear, that light and that truth one day, you can count on it.

So, we see Abraham sending his elder servant to seek a bride for his son Isaac. The next time we see Isaac mentioned, unless he is mentioned to the bride the servant is seeking will be when he sees the bride coming.

All the bride knows about the bridegroom is what the servant tells her about him. Basically speaking, the bride is being led and instructed completely by the elder servant, that is all the way until she sees the bridegroom.

Can you see the Church in that picture? Is not the Church completely supposed to be led by the spirit? We’ll get back to some of this in a minute but the fact that Abraham sent his servant back to his own people is related to how the spirit of God lives within each of us and that is where our hearts and minds are to rest. We are to lean completely on that spirit as we journey back to our bridegroom.

That spirit is completely separate from this world. It’s not of this world and, when we try and relate it, in any way to this world it becomes ( spiritual adultery ) against the man that we are to marry at some point in eternity.

Abraham sent his elder servant to get a bride for his son Isaac. God the father sent the Holy Spirit to get a bride for his son, Jesus Christ. God the father doesn’t want any part of this world seen in the bride, his spirit selects for his son, just as Abraham didn’t want a bride for his son to come from the descendants of Ismael.Can you see that picture?

In my flesh I am of this world to which I hate the deeds that I yield to at times, in my spirit I am not of this world and my desire is to that spirit to obey his will as I walk through this world of sin.

It’ my desire to bring this down to the Church and how it does or does not relate to this today. We’ll see whether I can do that effectively or not.

I  feel the necessity of adding a point at this time. In ( Genesis 24: 5 ) we see where the elder servant was concerned about whether a woman would be willing to follow him back. He was thinking on the lines of possibly having to take Isaac, the son back with him at some point to help a woman decide by what see could see rather than simply going by what he would say to her.

This brings up an interesting point. As we go through this we will see where a woman named Rebekah was, indeed willing to make that journey. Wonder why?

Seeing here that Isaac is a type of Christ and, Rebekah is a type of the Church what do we see in a spiritual sense?

Today, and ever sincethe actual creation of the Church in ( Acts 2 ) all we have had to have the ability to know Christ is the defining of him in scripture. None of us have ever seen him in the flesh. The question is, can you or have you fallen in love with Christ from just the words you read in this love letter we have? Now, as I ask that question, it’s easy to say that you love him, wouldn’t you say? Many people make that statement. Maybe, as we look into Isaac and Rebekah we will see how much see loved him?

The point is just how much do you love him? Do you love him just as he is, or have we tried to change him over the years to make him more like the husband we desire for him to be?

Have you ever considered, as it relates to Church and Christ what you are truly in love with? I always try to bring things down to an individual level. Looking at yourself, how much do you truly know about the Christ that the word of God reveals? ( I believe ) we are more in love with the ( idea of the Church ), ( the fellowship of the people ) than we are with the true knowledge of Jesus Christ. ( I believe ) we are very limited in the knowledge of him, and that being by choice and by possibly the leadership we afford ourselves.

As a man with grey hair and old bones, I remember when I was a boy my dad would tell me I needed a haircut. It didn’t matter whether I liked my hair like it was or not, I got a haircut. We don’t see that mindset today, in homes, in Churches, in schools, not anywhere. Why is that? We have allowed ourselves to believe that, just because Christ tells us he will take us ( just as we are ) that we can stay ( just as we are. )The spirit of God births us into the family of God ( just as we are ) it’s the responsibility of the Church to prepare us to be what he would have us to be; and you can count on it; he’s not happy with you ( just as you are ).

Rebekah was asked to give the elder servant a drink of water, she did that. The fact that she offered to water his camels was something she had to be taught beyond just doing the minimum. Our parents, schools and Churches have a responsibility. Our parents bring us into this world. They are not content with us ( just as we are ) are they? We begin to go to school as we grow, those people in our lives are not content with us ( just as we are ) are they?

In our Churches, we go to Church ( just as we are ) and hopefully, saved ( just as we are ) but our Churches should never be content with us ( just as we are )

As a man with grey hair and old bones, my hair still grows, my dad is gone but, because of the teachings of my father, now I realize the importance of the way I present myself.

Salvation is the minimum requirement for eternal life. Is that where we are supposed to stay?

Rebekah came out of the world see knew. Now, let’s look at her. The only desire of the elder servant is to find a bride that, first of all, is willing to come and , is pleasing to the son.

Let’s look at what happens here. We’ll first see what the servant prayed: ( Genesis 24:12-14 )

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. ( 13 ) Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water; ( 14 ) 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.

The Bible says in the very next verse that before he had finished speaking; Rebekah was there. She done exactly what the elder servant had prayed. As we read we see that this damsel was of Abraham’s family, she was fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her.

Are we not looking at two different aspects of the very same thing here? I’ll try and tie it all together and allow the Holy Spirit to use me as we go through this. First of all, can we see that the elder servant is seeking nothing for himself? Although he is ( just a man ) it’s not him we are seeing is it. It’s the willof the father or, in this case, his master. Can you see how the elder servant can be a type of the pastor of a Church? If a pastor of any Church is truly seeking to do his job is he not also looking for exactly what the father or the son or his master is looking for? This elder servant is not here as something he is seeking is he? He is a man that is sent to do a job, he is completely yielded to the will of his master. He is seeking perfection but not for himself but rather for the one he is yielded to completely.

Let’s now look at something the Apostle Paul says in the New Testament; ( 2 Corinthians 11:2 ) For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

As a man with grey hair and old bones, I feel a necessity to also write the next verse here. ( 3 ) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

How simple would it be for the elder servant to simply go and find woman and bring her back to be Isaac’s wife? It would work fine until she actually got back to the place where she actually met the father. Once the father began to ask a few questions the truth would come out, also in most cases 9 actions speak much louder than words ). Once the elder servant, the bride, the son and the father are back together, the truth would be known.

The elder servant here takes his role very seriously; just as any pastor should. There’s a day coming when he, the bride, the father and the son will come together.

Let’s take this a step farther, what is the difference in these two terms found in what we are reading in ( Genesis ) and what we read in ( 2 Corinthians ) ? The Bible says of Rebekah; ( she is a virgin, neither had any man known her ), the Apostle Paul speaking of the Church says his desire is to present a ( chaste virgin ). What the difference here in, or why didn’t they both just use the word ( virgin ) instead of adding ( chaste ) and ( neither had man known her )?

As a man with grey hair and old bones, I wonder, how old Rebekah was when she came out to the well? This I can’t say however, I do know she was more than just a virgin according to scripture. No matter what age she was, she had been taught to keep herself for one man, being her husband.She was far beyond just being a virgin, she had been taught to keep herself from every aspect of any man touching her in any way. This is a physical picture of a spiritual aspect of man. Do you realize that the day you are born again you become ( a new creature in Christ Jesus )? Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. From that day forward the Apostle Paul has a desire to keep you a picture of purity as directed by the Holy Spirit of God.

On the day you are born again, you and Rebekah have something in common. When Rebekah agreed to go back with the elder servant, at that moment she became espoused to Abraham’s son, Isaac. The day you were born again, you became espoused to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The only difference here is Rebekah is taught physically from her youth to keep herself pure for one husband, we should be taught that as well. In a born again believers walk, it has nothing to do with your former life but your walk with Christ once you are born again, from that time forward.

What are we actually teaching our children today, from a physical standpoint by our families, schools and in our everyday life? In this case, we are referring to a young woman, but it can apply to young men as well. Technically, there is no boundary in most cases is there? How about in our Churches? Do we press any boundaries in that respect? Do we teach staying unspotted from the world within our marriage to Christ?

Just as a way of making a point, Rebekah in her willingness to give the elder servant a drink of water was the virgin part of her life, the fact she offered to water his camels is the never touched by man part. In comparison, a person being born again is the virgin part and the spiritual growth would be the chaste part of your life.

As a man with grey hair and old bones, I’ll give an analogy I once used to make a point. I was speaking to this young convert that was struggling with spiritual weakness. It happened to be a cow standing in a pasture in front of their house. The fence and the cow wereso far away from the house that it was almost impossible to tell what side of the fence the cow was standing on. I used that as an example of our walk with Christ. Far too often we walk sofar away from Christ, the world can’t see Christ in our lives or tell whether we are born again or not. In other words, if we are born again it can’t be seen in our lives.

When is the last time you heard the word ( sanctification ) in the Church you attend as it related to you walking with Christ? Just something to consider. If we are not taught to be chaste or kept, how can we know?If we are born again but live lives that don’t reflect Jesus Christ, then what good is our salvation to Christ?

If Rebekah could actually call herself a virgin because she had never been with a man but, in reality every man in the community had kissed on her, had their hands all over her then tell me, what difference did it make?

While mentioning these two aspects of our lives; one seen in the physical life of Rebekah and the other seen in our spiritual walk in Christ, let’s look at another verse. ( James 1:27 ) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep thyself unspotted from the world.

Looking at this verse of scripture we can see something. Rebekah, in the religious sense, kept herself from the world. This, in itself is a very good accomplishment and it paints a spiritual picture for us. We just seen in James the word religion defined. Therefore, is that all it is to a Church setting? Do you think, if you simply do what that verse defines, God is pleased with you? Is that all we are taught?

While the things mentioned in this verse is very important because it reveals something about you to the world, that’s not all it is to it. The day you ask Christ into your heart the spirit of God takes abode up in your heart and has a desire to direct your footsteps. Typically speaking, the moment you got saved you became a virgin in Christ, now it’s his desire to teach you by his spirit to be chaste.

This would be the picture that we see in Rebekah from her physical birth to whatsoever age she is now. She has been taught to keep herself for one man.

What this means is, not only is it important for a born again believer to show religion in front of the world but, that same person has to be willing to hear what God directs him to do in his spirit. To the born again believer, one is no good without the other. It might look good before the world, but God is not pleased because you are not obeying his voice and not seeking his will. That is basically what James is trying to get us to see but we tend to focus far too greatly on the physical and not the spiritual.

If I were to use a metaphor here it would be this: Joseph was espoused to marry Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary claimed she had never known a man but, she is with child, what would that say to you, or to Joseph? Physically speaking that is impossible. So if Joseph has simply gone on the physical aspect of what he could see, he could have walked away. However, God spoke to his spirit and instructed him as to what his plan, we might say, was. Therefore, Joseph being willing to hear that spirit did not put her

away.

We can also see a picture of Christ in Joseph, but can you see the picture I’m speaking of. To the religious world Joseph had every right to leave Mary and still would have been in great standings with the people of the religion. The truth is that it’s more to his life than what the world can see, just as it is supposed to be ours.The spirit of God spoke to and directed the path of Joseph. That goes far beyond any religious aspect of any organized religion, now, just as it did in his day. Our Churches are filled with people that religiously look good to the world of religion. The question is, are you hearing what the spirit of God is asking you to do?

It’s an easy thing to satisfy religion, any religion. It’s not that complicated to yield to the spirit of God but, in more cases than not, the world or the religious people will not be happy with what you do and say.

From this point, the point where the elder servant meets Rebekah until they actually leave to return to Abraham there are multiple things we can see as types as it concerns the Church today. One of the most significate is how her family is willing to listen to the elder servant. Although Rebekah is a type of the Church, so is her family in this picture. Can you see how they all readily except the voice of the spirit or elder servant?

( I believe ) that the picture here is more about ( the Church ) and its relationship to the spirit of God than just the real picture we see of a bride for Isaac in which is, in itself a picture of Christ and the Church.

Twice here in ( Genesis 24 ) we see the urgency of the servant’s journey presented. That urgency, that is the job that the servant has been sent to do is far more important than any other mindset or will of the family of Rebekah. We see in ( Genesis 24:23 ) that there was set before the servant meat to eat. However, he answered, that he would not eat until his errand  was shared. We see again in

( Genesis 24: 55 ) where the family of Rebekah had decided to allow the servant to take Rebekah that they wanted her to stay a few days. The servant refused and desired to start his journey. We also see that the ultimate decision was left up to Rebekah. She yielded to the desire of the elder servant.

In both of these cases the family listened and yielded to the voice of the servant.This servant is a type of the very spirit of God the father. In this picture we see a family, a Church member all yielded to the very voice of God, through his servant, his spirit.

As a man with grey hair and old bones, I wonder, are we missing that aspect of God almighty in our Churches today? There is absolutely nothing more important in any Church setting that hearing the very voice of God, starting with the voice behind the pulpit and extending out to every person that is seated in the complete Church.

In essence, who would you say has control of the average Church today? Are we, as individuals, am I as an individual, or the whole Church as a group, willing to yield control of our lives the to the spirit of God?

Again, as a man with grey hair and old bones, this one thing I have learned. I’ll state this and bring an end to this segment of our journey.

Whether you are sitting at home typing on a laptop, standing behind a pulpit, teaching Sunday School or just simply sitting in a large or small congregation of people, doesn’t matter. There are only two things in this whole world that has the power to lead you. You are being led by the very spirit of God or you are being led by the spirit of Antichrist, which is Satan himself. There is no middle ground.

In this case, the picture we see here. The elder servant knew one thing for sure. He knew, in time he would have to stand before Abraham and give an account for his actions. This one thing brought about anurgency to everything he did.

The majority of our lives are filled with sinful deeds that we must be forgiven for. The very day I, as a man with grey hair and old bones got saved there was an urgency placed within me. That urgency was led by the very spirit of God. In my lifetime, far too often I have allowed the wrong spirit to lead me. I know the challenges that each younger person faces as they start the journey toward home. I also know the importance of spiritual leadership from the very day salvation is given by the spirit of God. I know that the spirit that moves into each heart has to be fed by that self-same spirit.

In some of these writings I used the example that spiritually we are being developed like a babe in a mother’s womb. That baby is fed by the very flesh of its mother. The new birth is the very same way. If a new formed baby is not fed by the flesh of its mother, it dies. If a new born again believer is not fed by the same spirit that birthed it, it dies.

Lord, help me to never be part of spiritual death but rather a vessel of the bread of life. Help me to feed only through and by that self-same spirit that lives and thrives within me. God fill me with urgency as your servant, a servant willing to give anything, pay any price that your will might be done. Help me overcome the very weakness of the flesh you live in that I might do your will.

No matter what age we are, young or old, there’s a journey ahead of each of us; help us to prepare for that journey, In Jesus Name.