"How to Find a Spouse, pt.2 (Genesis 24)” | 4/25/2021
Genesis 24 | 4/25/21 | Will DuVal
We are in the middle of a sermon series in the book of GENESIS. And this morning, we’re in the middle of the longest CHAPTER in the book, ch.24. The story of “Isaac and Rebekah”. A story that is filled with TONS of practical wisdom - I found TWENTY principles here - for finding a godly spouse. And we covered the first 10 last week, and we’re going to finish the remaining 10 this morning. But before we do, I want to remind you again of the disclaimer I began with last week: that when it comes to marriage: we are ALL either UN-married, Married, or POST-married.
If you are UN-married this morning, you are not-YET-married, this sermon is ESPECIALLY for you. So listen up!
If you are MARRIED, though, this message is for you too. In particular, it ought to inspire BOTH celebration and confrontation. As we examine the characteristics of a godly spouse, you ought to both celebrate the Lord’s provision of a GODLY, albeit imperfect spouse, for you. EVEN as you are confronted, personally, with your OWN shortcomings as a spouse. Too often we get that reversed. We focus on our SPOUSE’S shortcomings, and pat ourselves on the back. But you can’t CHANGE them. And you’ve still got enough sin remaining in your OWN heart to keep you busy for the next 20, 40, 60 years. So you need to CELEBRATE your spouse, and trust GOD to work on them, and you just worry about confronting your OWN sin.
Lastly, you may be in that THIRD category: Post-married. Perhaps you’re widowed, divorced, called to life-long singleness. I just want to remind you again this morning: this sermon is for YOU too. Because even as the story functions on a practical level - Abraham is seeking a literal spouse for his son, Isaac, to ensure the propagation of his line, “descendants as numerous as the stars”, God had promised him, through Isaac - but more than anything this story points us ahead to JESUS. Jesus claimed that ALL the Law and Prophets, the entire OT, points us to Him. So Isaac, Rebekah, Abraham, his servant “Eliezer”, which means “COMFORTER”, they all foreshadow and anticipate a BETTER Father, who desires a bride for a BETTER Son, and doesn’t just send his servant to FIND her, but who actually PURCHASES her with the precious BLOOD of His Son, and then PURIFIES her; God purifies a people for his own possession. That’s what OUR Eliezer, our “Comforter”, the Holy Spirit does, for us. This story is an allegory, a symbolic, 3-dimensional representation of the GOSPEL, Christ’s marriage to His Church. So if you’ve been united with Him, by grace through faith, then this story is for you.
So let’s start with a quick summary RECAP of vv1-22, for those who missed last week, our first 10 principles for finding a godly spouse:
#1 - Involve godly parents.
Abraham arranges this marriage for his son, Isaac. And as ODD as that may seem to us today, God’s WORD says, “Wisdom is with the aged” (Job 12:12), and “There is wisdom in an abundance of counselors” (Prov 15:22). So Christians will want to involve godly parents in major life decisions.
#2 - Christians Marry in the family.
We are a spiritually incestuous people! Abraham commands Eliezer to swear that he will NOT take a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites, but will return to Abraham’s kindred in Nahor. And that is STILL the expectation for God’s people today: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Cor 6:14)
#3 - Don’t compromise God’s calling.
Abraham further specifies: “You can’t take Isaac back to Nahor either!” God has called HIM to stay here in the Promised Land, so He WILL provide a wife who is willing to move. Likewise, if God has called YOU to something - I had lunch with a newcomer here just this past week, who serves as an alderman in local gov’t, and had to break off a relationship with a girl because he would have had to move and give up his seat, and he told me, “I really felt like God has CALLED me to this work; He’s USING me in it.” Stay the course, brother; God will provide another spouse, if that is His will.
#4 - Trust God, but leave Him space. Have faith, but allow God room to work in ways you never could have imagined.
Abraham boldly declares: “God will provide Isaac a wife”
BUT… even if He doesn’t, I’ll still trust Him. “God: I TRUST you; give me the faith to keep trusting you even if you don’t answer this prayer in the way I want you to.”
#5 - Pray.
Eliezer PRAYS: “O Lord, please grant me success.” We have GOT to pray.
#6 - Seek a servant-hearted spouse.
Eliezer’s looking for a woman who will water all TEN of his thirsty camels; 250 gallons. 100 trips down into the well, hoisting 25 pound buckets back up, for 2 sweaty hours. THAT’s the kind of selfless, sacrificial bride he wants for Isaac. THAT’s the kind of bride, the kind of husband that YOU want. And the kind you want to BE, for your spouse. You want to be like JESUS, who came not to BE served, but to SERVE, and give his life as a ransom for many. Marriage ONLY works when both spouses are willing to die to self daily in order to put the Lord first, and put their spouse’s wants and needs second, above their own.
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# 7 - Bonus points for attractiveness and for purity.
“Rebekah... was very attractive in appearance, a maiden[c] whom no man had known.” And when you FIND one, attractive and pure, who the parents approve of, who’s a fellow believer, prayerful, servant-hearted… what do you DO?
# 8 - you Act!!
“Eliezer ran to meet her...”
He’s not passive; He WANTS Rebekah to be God’s chosen bride!
And God calls men specifically to be active, to be leaders in our relationships, in our marriages, in our homes. To “act like MEN”, 1 Cor 16:13.
#9 - Use prayerful discernment.
While Rebekah is serving, Eliezer is “gazing at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.” Discernment.
And finally last week, #10: Find someone you value.
A good spouse like Rebekah may be worth a gold nose ring and “two arm bracelets weighing ten shekels”, but we ended last Sunday by bringing it full circle, back to the allegory, that JESUS is the only one of ULTIMATE value; worth our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. The pearl of GREATEST price. Worth selling EVERYTHING for.
So to those 10 principles, let’s add 10 more this morning, for finding a godly spouse, after we read the rest of the chapter together. Would you stand with me… Genesis 24, vv22-67 now:
“22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel,[d] and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.
29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham's servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way[e] to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 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.”
52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you become
thousands of ten thousands,
and may your offspring possess
the gate of those who hate him!”[f]
61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.” This is the word of the Lord… Let’s pray...
#11 - Consider extended family. (vv23-24)
Remember, Eliezer swore to Abraham back in v4 that he would take a wife for Isaac from “his kindred”, from Abraham’s extended family, so he asks Rebekah here in v23, moment of truth: ““Please tell me whose daughter you are.” And she replies, v24: ““I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”” Nahor, we know from earlier in Genesis 11:26, was Abraham’s brother. So Rebekah grandfather is actually the brother of Isaac’s father (you remember, Abraham was 100 years old when he had Isaac, so he just skipped a generation).
But the PRINCIPLE I want to pull out here is that your IN-laws matter. Maybe you’ve heard, “You’re not just marrying your SPOUSE, you’re marrying their FAMILY, too.” You are joining, you’re bringing together two families. And if family means ANYTHING to you, then that’s a really significant thing. Now, even as I acknowledge that, we need to note that LABAN, Rebekah’s brother that we’re about to meet here in v29, was not a good dude. We’re gonna hear more about him in the weeks to come, in chs28-31. But suffice it to say, he’s a greedy, materialistic, conniving guy. We get a GLIMPSE of that here in v30; it’s only after Laban sees all the BLING on his sister Rebekah, and notices Eliezer’s 10 camels - the camel in that day was the Ferrari of personal transportation; top of the line; this guy is LOADED - that Laban shows hospitality and invites Eliezer in. So your in-laws may not be the DECISIVE factor in choosing a spouse - after all, we are called to “leave and cleave” and create your OWN, new family, 2-become-1 flesh; there’s not room in your marriage proper for your extended family; some of y’all need to kick your mother out of your marriage; she does NOT get a seat at the table in your personal decision-making as a family, now, with your husband… - but at the same time your in-laws ARE still a factor. You’re gonna be stuck with THEM for life as well. So choose wisely.
And I can’t NOT take this opportunity to publicly appreciate MY in-laws. What a BLESSING, they (YOU) are to me. And I know Polly would say the same of hers, of my extended family.
#12 - Find someone generous. (v25)
V25, Rebekah has already watered his 10 Ferraris, but now she adds: ““We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.”” She is over-the-top generous, and hospitable.
You want a spouse like that. Like JESUS, who said, “‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Proverbs 11 declares, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (vv24-25) Eliezer recognizes that Rebekah “gives freely”; that she’s going to “bring blessing”, to “ENRICH” his master, Isaac.
And I would just quickly add that this goes far beyond generosity in merely meeting material needs. You want a spouse who is EMOTIONALLY generous; who gives ENCOURAGEMENT freely. A spouse who is physically generous; who gives CUDDLES freely. I think of the 5 love languages: physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gift-giving, acts of service; what is YOUR spouse’s love language? And are you GENEROUS in loving them in that way?
#13 - Follow the Lord’s lead, and give HIM the praise. (vv26-27)
vv26&27: Then “The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.””
Proverbs 3:5-6 promises that if we will “Trust in the Lord with all our heart,
and lean NOT on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will WHAT? [make your paths straight].”
He will LEAD you, in paths of righteousness, for HIS name’s sake.
Are you being LED by Him, brother, sister? Or do you INSIST on being the one out in front? Be REMINDED this morning, Lamentations 3:25, that “The Lord is good to those who wait for him.”
That Isaiah 30:18, “blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you”
Who is in the driver seat of YOUR life: you or God? Don’t get out in front of the Lord. Follow him. And He will make your paths straight.
And when He does, you WORSHIP him for it. Give credit where credit it due. God knows I’m not the reason that I’m the lead pastor of such an amazing church. The husband of such an amazing wife. The father of such amazing kids. God did all that IN SPITE OF me! All glory and honor and praise be to Him! Amen?
#14 - Find someone excited.
Look at v28: “the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.” Remember, Eliezer enthusiastically RAN to meet Rebekah, and now SHE eagerly “runs” home, excited to tell her family.
Now, the text is a little ambiguous about which PART of all this excited her so much. Whether it was hearing Eliezer refer to his master “Abraham”; perhaps Rebekah had grown up hearing her grandfather share stories of his beloved brother Abraham who left home to follow the Lord in faith. Perhaps it was hearing Eliezer pray to “the LORD”, Yahweh (whenever you see the word “LORD” in all caps in your Bible like that, it’s a placeholder for God’s personal name, Yahweh, considered by many to be too holy to even write or speak, hence, the title “LORD” there instead). Maybe Rebekah was astounded that this guy knew the God of the universe on a FIRST-NAME BASIS. I want to marry into THAT family!
Or maybe she was just excited about all the bling. The 10 Ferraris. Ladies, I know how impossible it is for y’all to resist a half shekel gold nose ring! That’s how I proposed to Polly. I wish. Opportunity missed.
But whatever the case, whatever the REASON, Rebekah was EXCITED to marry Isaac. She confirms that in vv57-59, where her family actually gives her a CHOICE in the matter, and without hesitation, she agrees to go with Eliezer back to Canaan.
You wanna find a spouse who’s EXCITED to marry you. I mentioned Polly’s servant- heartedness last week, how she was willing to scrub showers and toilets just to spend time with me. But it wasn’t just that; she was EXCITED to do it! I used to give her a hard time, when we’d walk down the sidewalk together at Furman - she’d walk me clear off the path, into the grass, because she wanted to be so close to me; she was so excited to be near me, that she’d inadvertently push me off the sidewalk. THAT’S the kind of spouse you want!
Now, admittedly, that’s probably a mark of a younger, newlywed stage love. Although some of you will remember just a few months ago in a sermon when I asked how many couples who’ve been married more than 2 or 3 years still get the butterflies around their spouse, and Bob & Jan Dierberg both raised their hands (going on 60 years of marriage!) Well, God bless the Dierbergs; I don’t think MY wife has walked me off any sidewalks lately, unless I was ANNOYING her so much she was trying to get RID of me. :) But man, if you’re dating, or engaged… I’ve done premarital counseling with couples where the guy just seemed apathetic. Like he only proposed because she gave him an ultimatum after 8 years of dating: “Poop or get off the pot,” is, I believe, the church version of the expression. So he reluctantly agreed. Or an engagement where I could tell she was really nervous, leading up to the marriage. Not just the usual butterflies; I’m talking FEAR. Anxiety. Deep concern about issues that had been raised in our counseling. And my advice was: tap the brakes. Better to spend an extra couple hundred bucks postponing the wedding and sending out updated “Save the Dates” rather than to rush into something you’re not really EXCITED about; your wedding oughta be the second most JOYFUL day of your LIFE, after the day you got saved. So find someone you wanna RUN down the aisle to, you wanna RUN and tell your family about, like Rebekah.
#15 - Be direct with your intentions.
Vv29-49; LOT of verses here, but MOST of this section is just Eliezer retelling the story to Rebekah’s family; tracing how clearly God’s hand was at work in all this, providentially leading Rebekah to him; this was TRULY a match made in heaven! But let me just point out TWO verses; v33 - once Laban notices that Eliezer must serve an extremely wealthy master, he rolls out the red carpet. In that society, the husband paid the bride’s family a DOWRY in exchange for her hand in marriage. It essentially served as both a prenup AND a life insurance policy. If the husband was to ever divorce her, or if he DIED at a young age, the dowry would ensure that she would be taken care of financially. And in this case, Laban notices that his sister would be VERY well taken care of, and oh by the way, according to custom, the wife’s brother was the one put in charge of her dowry. So Laban takes one look at Eliezer’s 10 camels and he’s ready to wine and dine this guy: ““Come in, O blessed of the Lord”, let me wash your FEET, prepare you the finest MEAL. But v33: Eliezer said ““I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.”” He’s DIRECT. Let me cut to the chase. Get down to brass tax. I’ve got no time for schmoozing...
So Eliezer recounts the story of how God sovereignly orchestrated this marriage, and then he concludes in v49: God led me to Rebekah, to take her as a bride for Isaac; “Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”” That’s pretty DIRECT. Within 10 minutes of meeting Rebekah’s family, he asks for her hand in marriage; he says, “Listen, I don’t want to waste either of our time here. Is she coming with me or not?”
Now, I don’t think the Bible is necessarily saying you oughta be ready to propose within the first 10 minutes of meeting a girl. But I DO think the principle here is that we ought to be clear and direct with our intentions, romantically. Christians don’t date for sport, recreationally. We date with a purpose. Specifically, for marriage. If that’s not the path your relationship is on, then it’s on the wrong path. If s/he isn’t marriage material, then what are you doing? Just killing time? Having fun? There are LOTS of ways to have fun; go find a hobby. And find a new BOO while you’re at it. And when you find one worth dating, worth potentially MARRYING one day, then be direct: let them know you’re not looking to waste time. That you’re looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, not Mr. Right Now. And when you FIND Mr. or Mrs. Right...
#16 - Don’t drag your feet. #16 - Don’t drag your feet.
Initially, in vv50&51, Laban and Bethuel are convinced; this was INDEED a match made in heaven, by God himself; so they concur: “take Rebekah and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken.””. And they all celebrate, with more WORSHIP, v52, with more GIFT-giving, v53, and with a big PARTY, v54. But by the time Eliezer awakens the next morning ready to depart with Rebekah, NOW her family suggests a change of plans. ““Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.”” How does Eliezer reply? “Well, I guess it’s only another ten days; the return trip home is gonna take 3 or 4 weeks anyway; what’s another 10 days?” NO. v56, he says plainly, “Don’t delay me. It’s time to leave.” So THEY say, “Well, let’s let Rebekah decide then.” Very uncustomary. Perhaps Laban thinks Rebekah will feel a sense of attachment to her home, and she’ll want to stay, and then he’ll be able to use that to milk Eliezer out of a little extra dowry. Negotiate for more...
But Rebekah doesn’t drag HER feet either! V58: she said (simply), “I will go.””
So speaking of you-know-whating or getting off the pot, Christians don’t generally date for 8 years. If you’re direct and intentional and dating with a purpose, then you don’t delay something as wonderful as marriage. Why would you WANT to?! The world says, “Sow your wild oats. Stay single and keep your options open as LONG as you possibly can.” The Bible says, “Two are better than one” (Ecc 4:9); “He who finds a wife finds a good thing” (Prov 18:22); if God is offering YOU a “suitable helpmate”, a perfect complement, a ying to your yang… don’t let that person slip away. You better reel that fish in!
I talked with a young couple just last week on the phone, moving toward marriage. And her father wants them to be engaged for a good long while. Keep their options open, get their finances in order… but they’re telling me, “We know each other is the one, and we’re ready to be married.” My advice is, I think the Bible’s advice is: “Don’t drag your feet.” But, at the same time...
#17 - Seek familial blessing. (vv60&61)
Eliezer could have raised a fuss when they tried to detain him. He could have said, “Now wait a minute; we had a DEAL! I already gave you her DOWRY. We shook on it, we DRANK on it!” But he doesn’t do that. He’s patient, and he let’s Rebekah weight in, not ONLY to make sure that she’s truly on board, but going back to point #11, because extended family really IS important. So if at ALL possible, Eliezer wants to get their blessing. And sure enough, when Rebekah agrees, so do they, once again, v60: “they blessed Rebekah”.
So I told that young man who called me: “Don’t drag your feet, but don’t burn the bridge with your future father-in-law, either. “So far as it depends on you, Romans 12:18, live peaceably with all.” ESPECIALLY your in-laws! Sit down with them, listen to them, hear their concerns, take them to heart, pray about it, pray WITH them. And if you’re still at an impasse, then let them know how much you respect them, how much you value their perspective, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to obey what you feel like the LORD is putting on your hearts.
But man, if at ALL possible, you want your family’s BLESSING of your marital union.
#18 - We’re gonna FLY through these last 3: Find someone prayerful. What’s Isaac doing when Rebekah rides into town? V63: “Isaac was out to meditate in the field toward evening.” He’s praying. Ladies, if you show up for a blind date and the guy is at the table PRAYING for you, before you even arrive, and not like, “God, please let her be HOT!”; I mean, if he’s REALLY praying for you, praying over the date, praying for wisdom and discernment, ladies: you marry him on the spot. That’s what Rebekah does. They get married within 4 verses of laying eyes on one another. Ladies: he’s a keeper. Reel ‘em in!
#19 - Find someone modest. (vv64-65)
Vv64&65: “When Rebekah saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel and… took her veil and covered herself.” Both are signs of MODESTY.
1 Timothy 2:9 enjoins women to “adorn themselves… with modesty”.
Or put negatively, and speaking of nose rings, Proverbs 11:22 “Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.”
Do you really want a significant other who sends every possible signal that s/he is WIDE open for customers? Don’t you want to be with someone whose modesty, both in their dress and in their demeanor, sends a message to the world, that “There are parts of me, my body AND soul, that are too precious to share with anyone but God and my spouse”. I don’t cast MY pearls before swine. Lot of PIG metaphors here. Ladies: there are lots of PIGS out there. Don’t fall for one. Don’t be surprised when you get the kind of attention it SEEMS like you’re asking for. Be modest.
Finally, #20 - Find someone you love who comforts you. (vv66-67)
v67: “Isaac… took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.”
Listen: life is gonna get tough. It’s gonna be filled with all SORTS of ups and downs. I know I’m preaching to the choir here; most of you have lived longer than I have, and experienced more pain and heartache than I maybe EVER will. You’re gonna need a comforter in marriage; someone to pick you up when you’re down. The Ecclesiastes 4 passage I quoted earlier goes on to say: “Two are better than one… For if one falls, the other will lift him up.” Being married doesn’t mean you’ll never go through hardship in life. But it DOES mean you’ll never go through it ALONE. Because there’s someone who LOVES you, and who YOU can love in return. And love is a beautiful thing; the greatest of ALL things, 1 Corinthians 13. But true love, biblical love, is not a FEELING; it’s a choice. It’s a commitment. “For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till DEATH do us part.” Regardless of my feelings. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for a friend.”
So let’s bring it full circle once again in closing: While you and I were NOT his friends, the Bible says, “While we were yet SINNERS,” enemies of God, God showed His LOVE for us in this: that He sent His Son JESUS to die for us on a cross for YOU. To make YOU, His bride. And even though you and I are the ANTI-Rebekah; we were NOT in the family of God, we were rebels, DIS-obedient, DIS-trusting, prayer-LESS, selfish, ugly and IM-pure, foolish and worthless, you can go all the way down the entire list - all 20 traits here: we failed every single test of a worthy spouse. And YET, not because of anything good in YOU, but because of EVERYTHING Good in JESUS, God still LOVED you. Enough to sacrifice His only SON to have intimate relationship with you.
Friends, God is the better Father. Jesus is the better Son. The Holy Spirit is the better matchmaker. May WE, the Church, become the better Rebekah, and “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called” (Eph 4:1). Amen?