A Willing Bride
A Willing Bride
A message for Oasis of Grace Assembly of God
April 1, 2006
Genesis 24:49-58 (NLT)
So tell me—will you or won’t you show true kindness to my master? When you tell me, then I’ll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
52 At this reply, Abraham’s servant bowed to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and lovely clothing for Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her mother and brother. 54 Then they had supper, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 “But we want Rebekah to stay at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.”
56 But he said, “Don’t hinder my return. The Lord has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
[1]
Introduction:
The events in chapter 24 of Genesis depict the story of finding a suitable bride for Isaac. The servant was given instructions that he need to meet about the procurement of a bride for the son of Abraham.
1. Not from among the Canaanites.
2. from His own country, his own people.
3. She must be willing to go!
Friends this morning the invitation given by God to those who would be the bride of His Son must be accepted willingly!
For a few minutes this morning let us examine Rebekah the willing Bride of Isaac;
1. She was a willing servant.
Genesis 24:18-20 (NLT)
“Certainly, sir,” she said, and she quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. 19 When he had finished, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough!” 20 So she quickly emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the well again. She kept carrying water to the camels until they had finished drinking.
[2]
Her willingness to serve this stranger demonstrates the type of servant Rebekah was. She went above and beyond what was requested, demonstrating her willingness to please this stranger, who had made a request for a drink of water.
Just as the perfect bride for Isaac was a willing servant the perfect bride of Christ must also be a willing servant, willing to do all that God calls us to do.
· Called to serve each other- Philippians tells us to look out for the welfare of others. We are also admonished to bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
· Called to serve the Lord- Serving His kingdom, following His decrees, obeying His commands.
· Willing serving in the unpopular tasks. Rebekah not only drew water for the camels to drink but later prepares the straw for them to rest upon. Often we are willing to serve the more desirable tasks but are we willing to do the less popular?
2. She was willing to believe the words of the servant:
Genesis 24:30 (NLT)
When he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard her story, he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. Laban said to him,
[3]
Rebekah had never seen Abraham, had never seen the promised land, had never seen the promised Son Isaac. Yet she was willing to believe!
All she had to go on was the word of a servant and a few articles of gold.
Hebrews 11:1-6 (NLT)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. 2 God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel’s offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“suddenly he disappeared because God took him.” But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God. 6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
[4]
The Church must be willing to believe the words of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
· There is a Promised Land. Those who are willing to believe will see it.
· There is a God. Those who are willing to believe will see Him.
· There is an inheritance for the ones who are willing to believe.
3. She was willing to receive gifts from the servant.
Genesis 24:22 (NLT)
Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.
Genesis 24:53 (NLT)
Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and lovely clothing for Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her mother and brother.
/[5]/
Rebekah did not refuse the gifts! She embraced them! The Church has been given gifts by the Bride groom.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:38-39 (NLT)
Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
[6]
Paul writes in 2Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)
He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
[7]
Just as Rebekah accepted all that her future husband was bestowing upon her the Church must embrace all that God has bestowed upon us so that we fulfill all of His plans for our lives.
4. She was willing to go!
Genesis 24:58 (NLT)
So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
[8]
“Are you ready should the Savior call today?”
According to all Biblical prophecy about the second coming of Jesus Christ there is nothing that needs to be fulfilled.
In other words all the events prophesied about the coming of Jesus for His Bride has already come to pass.
The servant found a willing bride for Isaac, his master. She set out on a journey to meet him.
The journey culminates with Isaac and Rebekah seeing each other in the distance and coming together!
Friends the Church needs to be a willing bride willing to travel the roads of life to bring us to the place of encounter!
What about you this morning?
Are you a willing Bride?
Willing to serve?
Willing to believe?
Willing to receive?
Willing to leave?
----
[1]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[2]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[3]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[4]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[5]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[6]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[7]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[8]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.