COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 65 - I WILL GO

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

As Abraham waited with Isaac back in the land of Canaan, his faithful servant Eliezer continued his work in a far country, seeking a perfect bride for Isaac.  He had met the beautiful Rebekah at the well and would have dinner with her family that night.  He would reveal his identity and his purpose to everyone there first, then try to woo and win Rebekah in order to bring her back to Abraham’s house where Isaac would be waiting to claim his bride.

The time had come and supper was prepared.  Eliezer went into a room where a feast had been laid out before him.  He was offered the best chair at the table and offered the best wine.  It was all very pleasant and tempting, but Eliezer knew he could not participate in this meal any further until he explained exactly who he was and why he was there.  He must tell his story in order for them to understand his mission.  It is very similar to the Passover meal when we reach the portion of the meal and come to the telling of the story.  There is much to be understood before the meal can continue.  The details must be laid out for everyone to hear.  The story must be told.

The position of Eliezer here reminds us of Jesus in the Passover observance with his disciples at The Last Supper.  In this service we get to the third cup and remember that Jesus said to His disciples that he would not partake of the third cup, the cup of redemption and the cup of a new covenant, until He could do so with them in the coming Kingdom of God.  It was customary in the wooing of a bride for a cup of wine to be set before her by the advocate of the groom.  If she drank the wine, her answer was "yes."  If she did not there would be no marriage.  If her answer was yes on this occasion, she would drink another cup with the groom to toast their marriage on their wedding day.  The groom did not drink until that time.  

There will be a marriage supper in heaven one day.  Until then, the bride of Christ will drink the cup of communion that signifies redemption and her covenant with her groom.  

Eliezer could not allow Rebekah to come to the table and drink the wine unless she knew his true mission!  He told them he was the servant of Abraham.  That little bit of information alone would have been enough to keep the dinner conversation going all night long, but Eliezer had more.  He explained that Abraham had been very, very prosperous in the far away land and he explained that Abraham was very old now and would not be with them much longer.  Knowing this, Abraham had deeded all he owned to his son, Isaac, who had been born to Abraham from his wife Sarah when she was too old to have a child.  Isaac had grown into a fine young man and Abraham had turned everything he had over to Isaac. 

Eliezer went on to tell them that Abraham had expressed his desire for Isaac to have a bride from the land of his own people.  Abraham had asked Eliezer to go and find this bride.  Eliezer explained his prayer to God when he arrived at the well for a young girl to come and offer him water and also offer to water his camels.  When Rebekah came along and did exactly that, Eliezer knew she was the one that God had intended for Isaac.  When Rebekah had explained that she was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, Eliezer knew for sure. 

There is deep hidden symbolism in this story that represents The Marriage Supper of The Lamb and The Bride of Christ.  The dinner where Eliezer asks the family for Rebekah to be Isaac's bride is symbolic of The Marriage Supper of the Lamb that will happen in heaven one day.  The meeting of Rebekah at the well is symbolic of how The Holy Spirit of God finds the Bride of Christ by the well of water from which you will never thirst again, the spring of  the water of everlasting life supplied by God's Holy Spirit.    We know Jesus used the same words in greeting the Samaritan woman at the well at a later time in history when he asked her "Please give me a drink of water from your jar. " Jesus was offering her a whole new life, just as Eliezer was offering Rebekah.  That woman was one of the first to be claimed for The Kingdom of God from all of the lost and wondering sheep of Israel, much like Rebekah, a long lost relative, is being claimed as a bride for Isaac in this story.  

It would have been fun to have been in the room to watch the changes of the expressions on all of their faces as Eliezer revealed his story, gave his true identity, and explained the whole truth of his mission.  They all must have been astounded at his words; especially Rebekah.  Do you think it is possible that she had been praying for such a thing to happen?  Like all young girls she might have been seeking the will of God for her life and asking Him to provide a very special husband intended just for her.  We do not know any of these specifics, all we know is that Eliezer revealed his identity and laid out the story just as it transpired and they all were probably very silent for awhile as they pondered these facts with sincere amazement.

With all of the truth out now; Eliezer got right down to business!  His very words were: “Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.  In modern day terms this might sound like:  “So give me your answer right away so that I can either take her back with me for Isaac, or go on searching for the right bride in another place.”  

Again, we see a shadow and type in Eliezer of The Good Shepherd.  He is going out as far as necessary, hunting, searching, trying to find that long lost lamb.  When he finds the little lamb that belongs to his master, he wants to quickly bring her home in order to return her to the fold where she belongs.

Eliezer had done his job, he had located the bride.  Just as God woos us with The Holy Spirit and gives us the invitation to be a part of the Kingdom; He also gives us free will.  We, like Rebekah, have a choice.  We can accept or reject the offer.  That one piece of the puzzle is always up to the individual with the invitation.  The rest of this story was up to Rebekah and her family, but Eliezer was not a man to waste time and he was ready to move on!

It isn't discussed, but by now you have to realize that night at dinner that Rebekah drank the cup.  She said "yes" through her actions and deeds without even having to say the words out loud.  When dinner was over Eliezer knew the answer from Rebekah's heart.  

After the lengthy explanation of all that had happened, it did not take Laban and Bethuel and Rebekah's Mother long to answer either.  They had the authority to speak for Rebekah.  They said “This thing comes from the LORD, we cannot speak to you bad or good.  Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Can’t you just hear Rebekah’s heart pounding? One minute she is a simple village girl going about her daily tasks, and the next moment she is going to live in a foreign land and be the wife to a man that she had never even met.

At that point Eliezer and his men enjoyed the luscious feast spread before them.  They had a good nights sleep in a comfortable bed and rose the next morning refreshed and ready to go on their way.  Eliezer thanked Rebekah’s family for their hospitality and asked them to send him on his way back to his master.  The family was a bit reluctant to let Rebekah go so soon.  They tried to reason with Eliezer.  “Let the maiden remain with us a while, at least ten days, after that she may go.”  Eliezer did not give in to this but said he needed to be on his way and about his master’s business.  He felt it was the LORD’s will for him to return right away.  So they called Rebekah and asked her if she was willing to go right away.  

Rebekah’s answer was “I will go.”

Any time God calls us to something, there must be a complete surrender of our will to His.  Rebekah gave the perfect answer for this situation in her life.  It was not an easy choice that she was asked to make.  Her life was instantly changing, never to be the same again.  All her life she had been sheltered and cared for by a loving family, now she was being asked to go immediately to an unknown place to live as the wife of an unknown man.  All she knew of this man was what had been told to her by his father's servant.  It was as if Rebekah was being asked to grow up and leave her childhood behind in one day, in one hour, in one moment of time.  She had decided and she would go.

Here it becomes obvious that Rebekah’s heart was in the same place as Abraham’s when God told him to go to an unknown land and trust Him with the details.  She and Abraham were kindred spirits in these decisions.  Both of their reactions were the same.

  

Rebekah had already committed her heart to this purpose.  She was ready to go.  She said goodbye to the only family that she had ever known and took her seat in the caravan of the servant of her future husband's father.  They left with many camels that carried all the gifts specifically designated to be hers (although some other gifts were also given to her family); gifts from a groom she had not yet met.  

Can you imagine the thoughts in her head as they trod through the desert and headed toward her new home?  I'm sure the biggest question that Rebekah pondered over and over on the journey was the same as any young girl about to be married.

She must have wondered all the way; 

What will HE be like?