Chapter 18: Isaac and Rebekah
Q1 - Where else could the servant have gone to search for a bride if Rebekah’s family had refused to allow her to go with him?
A1 - There should have been many other relatives of Abraham still living in Mesopotamia. His brother, Nahor, had eight sons by his wife, Milkah, and four sons by his concubine, Reumah. Bethuel, Rebekah’s father, was likely the youngest of Nahor’s sons by Milkah. For one thing, he is named last in the list of Milkah’s sons, while his brother Uz is named as the oldest and is listed first (see Genesis 22:20–24 for the list of Nahor’s sons). For another, Bethuel is still living in his mother’s household even though he has children of his own. If Nahor had already died, then it makes sense that the youngest son would continue to live with his mother to care for her, but we are not told this is the case. However, with Nahor having so many other sons, it’s likely these sons had plenty of daughters for Abraham’s servant to choose from.
Also consider that Abraham’s family had lived in Mesopotamia for several generations, perhaps since they migrated there after the great flood. There had to have been plenty of other distant relatives living in Mesopotamia with daughters.
Q2 - While exhibiting hospitality toward strangers and travelers may have been customary at the time, Rebekah seems to go the extra mile by watering the servant’s camels. What other examples of hospitality are found in the Scriptures? (See Job 31:32 and Ruth 2:8–9, 14–16.) What instructions did God give concerning how to treat strangers? (See Leviticus 19:33—34, Deuteronomy 10:18–19, and Matthew 25:35.)
A2 - Job had this to say in Job 31:32 (NIV) about his showing hospitality: “… but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler.” Accommodations were not always available for travelers in ancient times, and even when they were many people were not able to afford such a luxury. Without the local people showing hospitality, travelers would have had to spend the night outside and would have had to find food and water for themselves and their animals on their own.
It was important to care for the widows, single women, and orphan children, as it was difficult for them to make their way in life without a husband or father to care for them. In Ruth 2, Boaz showed great kindness to Ruth by telling her to glean or gather grain from his fields and to drink from his water jars. He also made sure she was safe from harm. He invited her to eat meals with his harvesters and even instructed his men to pull out stalks from the bundles in order for her to be able to glean more grain. In this way Ruth was able to feed both herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi, both of whom were widows.
God had instructed His people to show hospitality, particularly to travelers and foreigners. He told the Israelites this in Leviticus 19:33–34 (NIV): “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
Moses told the Israelites this concerning God in Deuteronomy 10:18–19: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
Jesus described how the righteous were to treat others in Matthew 25:35–36 (NIV): “‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
Q3 - Why is the church considered the bride of Christ? What parallels can you draw between Christ as the bridegroom and the church as the bride? (See 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25–27, and Revelation 19:7–9.)
A3 - A husband or bridegroom pledges his complete fidelity to his wife or bride and proclaims his undying love for her. He acts as the protector for his wife and family and works to provide for their needs, both physical and spiritual.
In ways that go far beyond what an earthly human could do, Christ has fulfilled these roles. By offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice, once and for all time, He has made eternal salvation possible for all those who believe and obey His Word. This collective body of believers makes up His church, His people, His followers. Could there be any greater expression of love or any greater way of caring for the needs of His people?
The concept of the Lord being the husband of His people goes back well before Christ came to earth. God spoke these words through the prophet Hosea concerning the time when Israel would one day be restored to Him: “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master’” (Hosea 2:16, NIV). He continues this thought in Hosea 2:19–20 (NIV): “‘I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.’”
The prophet Isaiah repeats this idea: “For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5, NIV).
The Apostle Paul emphasizes this relationship that Christ has with His followers in his writings. For example, in Ephesians 5:25–27 (NIV) he wrote: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Fearful that believers were being deceived by false teachings, Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV): “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.”
Then, in writing the book of Revelation, the Apostle John said this: “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)” (Revelation 19:7–8, NIV).
Long ago, God set the stage for Jesus to come to earth. Then, Jesus came, fulfilled the Law, and gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. And now He waits for us, sitting at His Father’s right hand and making intercession for us. We, as followers of Christ who are still alive on this earth, prepare ourselves for the day when we will finally be united with Him by living lives that glorify Him and by keeping ourselves faithful to His teachings.