Finding a Wife for Isaac – Its Application
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis. We began yesterday looking at why Moses (guided by the Holy Spirit) would write so lengthy on this topic. We suggested two primary reasons that would apply to Moses’ contemporary audience: 1.) They should not marry Canaanites; 2.) God’s angel (presence) would go before them as He did Abraham and his servant.
So, what about us today? Again, we do not want to moralize the story, drawing lessons from it that God did not intend to teach by it. But, what should we learn from the passage? We should learn the same lessons from the passage that Moses’ audience was to learn from the passage! In a sense, we stand in the same position relative to the text as they did. They would read the passage and ask, “So what?” We, today, do the same. So what?
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PASSAGE FOR THE MODERN AUDIENCE:
What is the significance of this passage for us today? So far as I can tell, there is no reference to Genesis 24 in the New Testament. There might be an allusion to verse 7 in Acts 7:5 but that passage could just as easily be a reference to other passages/promises in Genesis (12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8).
Also, there is only one reference to Rebekah in the New Testament, Romans 9:10, but that is a parting reference to her as the mother of Jacob and Esau and not to this particular passage, Genesis 24. Thus, Genesis 24 does not play a major role in New Testament theology.
Therefore, we again ask the question, what is its significance to us today? I have made this statement before relative to the New Testament letters and I’ll make the same statement relative to Old Testament passages. Once we have found out what the passage meant to the original audience then we’ll have an idea of what the passage means to us today.
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Relative to Christians today…
First, do not associate with the “Canaanites.” As we all know, the church of Christ is the bride of Christ (John 3:29; Mark 2:19; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-33; Rev. 19:7-8; 21:2, 9). As such, we cannot mingle ourselves spiritually with the spiritual Canaanites of our day and age. Thus, Paul tells the bride of Christ in Corinth: “go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Also, he tells the bride of Christ in Ephesians 5:11: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Christians are to mingle with the people of the land in a physical sense to try to bring them to Jesus Christ. But on a spiritual level, we do not have fellowship with the world. We are married to Christ and He deserves our only allegiance.
Secondly, because we are the bride of Christ, we have the presence of Christ, God’s messenger, His Word, with us everywhere we go, all the time – Matthew 28:20. A wife might tell her husband before he leaves on a business trip, “I’ll be with you in spirit.” Jesus, is, in fact, with us by His Spirit. We always have the presence of Christ with us, even more so than Abraham’s servant had the angel of God with him.
Because you are members of the bride of Christ: Do not entangle yourself with unbelievers & remember that Christ is with you always and everywhere.
–Paul Holland
