“the LORD made his [your/my] journey successful”

Because of his covenant faithfulness, the LORD continues to fulfill his promise of a great nation by providing Rebekah as his ‘appointed’ wife for Isaac.”

“Because of his covenant faithfulness, the LORD continues to fulfill his promise of a great nation by providing Rebekah as his ‘appointed’ wife for Isaac.” In the light of the overall concern of Genesis with the seed of the woman (starting at Genesis 3:15), we can also formulate the theme something like this: In his covenant faithfulness, the LORD provides Rebekah as his “appointed” wife for Isaac in order to continue the line of the seed of the woman.

The goal the narrator sought to accomplish in addressing this narrative to Israel was at least twofold. The obvious goal was to teach Israel that it owes its existence solely to the LORD’s providential care. But then we can raise the question, Why did the narrator seek to teach Israel this? This question leads to a second and deeper goal: To encourage Israel to entrust itself for its existence to the LORD’s providential care. Whether Israel first heard this message in Moab prior to attacking Canaan, or in Canaan, or later in exile, its relevance for Israel is clear: Entrust your existence to the LORD’s providential care!

Redemptive-Historical Progression

The LORD continues the line of the seed of the woman by providing Rebekah as his “appointed” wife for Isaac. Had God not selected Rebekah as wife for Isaac, there would have been no Jacob, and no Israel. But God clearly is concerned about the continuation of the line of the seed of the woman. Here in his providence God selects Rebekah; later God’s providence will encompass Laban’s scheming as God blesses Jacob’s wives, Leah and Rachel, and their concubines with twelve sons. By the time Jacob and his children move to Egypt, under God’s providence there are seventy Israelites (Gen 46:27; Exod 1:4), a full number of God’s people.

In the fullness of time, the LORD in his providence selects another young woman to advance the cause of the seed of the woman. “The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin.… The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26–27). And as Rebekah said, “I will go,” so Mary replies to the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). The son that was born to Mary was the Seed of the woman. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Because God sent his Son, salvation is now offered not only to Israel but to “everyone who believes,” in fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3).

Analogy

Analogy also offers a way leading to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Taking one’s cue from the narrator’s goal, one can state the analogy as follows: As this story encouraged Israel to entrust itself for its existence to the LORD’s providential care, so Jesus encourages the church to entrust itself for its existence to God’s providential care. This analogy can be supported with a New Testament reference such as Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 16:18, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

Longitudinal Themes

One can trace from the Old Testament to Christ in the New Testament the longitudinal theme of God’s providence keeping alive the seed of the woman, here by providing a wife for Isaac, next by providing the barren Rebekah with the twins Esau and Jacob, then by placing Joseph in power in Egypt to save Israel from starvation, next by leading Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, later enabling a remnant to return from exile in Babylon, to providing the virgin Mary to bear his own son Jesus, saving Jesus from Herod (Matt 2:13, 19–20), raising Jesus from death, pouring out the Holy Spirit, and protecting his church till Jesus returns.

Sermon Theme and Goal

We formulated the textual theme as, “In his covenant faithfulness, the LORD provides Rebekah as his ‘appointed’ wife for Isaac in order to continue the line of the seed of the woman.” We can try to broaden the sermon theme so that it will also encompass the LORD’s continuing the line of the seed of the woman to Jesus. Unfortunately, this effort would lose the specificity of the textual theme. It seems best, therefore, to use the textual theme as the sermon theme: In his covenant faithfulness, the LORD provides Rebekah as his “appointed” wife for Isaac in order to continue the line of the seed of the woman.

We formulated the narrator’s goal for Israel as, “To encourage Israel to entrust itself for its existence to the LORD’s providential care.” We can prepare the sermon with a similar goal in mind: To encourage the church to entrust itself for its existence to the LORD’s providential care. This goal shows that the need addressed in this sermon has to do with concern about the continued existence of the church.