Sermon Tone Analysis

Sunday April 23, 2006

Genesis: Genesis 24:50-61-Response of Rebekah and Her Family to the Marriage Proposal

Lesson # 132

Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 24:49.

This morning we will continue with our study of Genesis 24 and thus far, we have studied Genesis 24:1-49 and to summarize, we have seen the following:

Genesis 24:1 presents an introductory statement regarding Abraham’s age to begin the chapter and demonstrates the urgent need to secure a bride for his son.

Genesis 24:2-9 records Abraham commissioning his trusted servant Eliezer to go back to Paddan Aram and secure a bride for Isaac among Abraham’s relatives.

Genesis 24:10-27 records the Lord guiding and directing Abraham’s servant Eliezer on a seven hundred mile journey to the city of Nahor where he meets Rebekah at a well.

In Genesis 24:12-14, Eliezer prays to the Lord for help in identifying the bride for Isaac.

In Genesis 24:15-22, his prayer request is fulfilled beyond what he asked for in that Rebekah provides water for his ten camels until they are finished drinking, which was unusual hospitality since a camel can drink up to twenty-five gallons of water.

In Genesis 24:22-25, Eliezer inquires about Rebekah’s family background since Abraham stipulated to him that Isaac’s bride must be from his relatives and Rebekah turned out to be the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor.

In Genesis 24:26-27, we see that Eliezer’s response to this information from Rebekah was to fall on the ground and worship the Lord by praising and thanking the Lord for making successful his mission.

In Genesis 24:28-48, Eliezer recounts for Rebekah and her family his mission and God’s providence in directing him to Rebekah in order to impress upon Rebekah and her family that it is God’s will that she marry Isaac.

In Genesis 24:49, Eliezer asks Rebekah’s family if they will consent to the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac after making it clear that it is the Lord’s will.

This morning we will study Genesis 24:50-61, which records Rebekah and her family’s response to the marriage proposal presented to them by Abraham’s servant, Eliezer.

We left off on Thursday evening in Genesis 24:49 with Eliezer proposing marriage to the family of Rebekah and therefore, we pick up the story in Genesis 24:49.

Genesis 24:49, “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.”

Genesis 24:50, “Then Laban and Bethuel replied, ‘The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good.’”

Genesis 24:51, “Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Rebekah’s family cannot reject the marriage proposal since Eliezer made it clear to them that it is the Lord’s will is that Rebekah marry Isaac.

Genesis 24:52, “When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD.”

Eliezer responds to their acceptance of the marriage proposal by prostrating himself on the ground in a wordless prayer, which expresses his thanksgiving and appreciation to the Lord for making successful this trip to secure a bride for Isaac.

Genesis 24:53, “The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.”

Not only does Eliezer give gifts to Rebekah but also her family, which was the custom of the day.

“Precious things” is the noun mighdanoth (tw{nR*g+m!) (mig-daw-naw), which refers to the “bride-price,” that was compensation for the loss of the bride’s presence and services and her potential offspring and would demonstrate proof to Rebekah’s family that she would be well cared for by Isaac.

Genesis 24:54, “Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night.

When they arose in the morning, he said, ‘Send me away to my master.’”

Finally, after securing Rebekah for Isaac in negotiations with Rebekah’s brother Laban and father Bethuel, Eliezer relaxes and eats and drinks and spent the night in Rebekah’s home but the next morning Eliezer states his desire to leave immediately with Rebekah.

He conducted himself as a charming and polite diplomat in the negotiations to secure Rebekah as Isaac’s bride but now he does not even say “please,” which from the perspective of Rebekah’s family, is insensitive and impolite.

It was customary during the days of the patriarchs for the bride of the family to have some time to say their goodbyes to the bride and here Eliezer wants to forgo this.

From Eliezer’s perspective, he believed that there should be no delay in leaving when it is clearly the Lord’s will that Rebekah is to marry Isaac.

The fact that Eliezer wanted to leave immediately with Rebekah and bring her back to Isaac teaches us that we are not to delay or procrastinate in doing God’s will.

Eliezer made an oath with Abraham before God regarding securing a bride for Isaac among Abraham’s relatives and he did not want to delay returning to Isaac with Rebekah and fulfilling the mission for which he was sent.

When the Lord called His disciples, they did not delay in following Him but rather left what they were doing immediately and followed Him.

Mark 1:16, “As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.”

Mark 1:17, “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’”

Mark 1:18, “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”

Our Lord taught His disciples that to be a disciple of the Lord, we cannot procrastinate in following Him.

Luke 9:57, “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’”

Luke 9:58, “And Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”

Luke 9:59, “And He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’

But he said, ‘Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.’”

The statement “Permit me first to go and bury my father” is a colloquial saying in common use and really meant, “Let me attend to my family interests.”

Luke 9:60, “But He said to him, ‘Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.’”

The Lord’s reply to this man was that God’s interests come before family interests and this is what Eliezer is teaching Rebekah’s family!

By delaying the departure, the old Adamic sin natures of Rebekah’s family and in particular Laban would find reasons to rethink their decision and possibly change it, which Satan would want since Isaac and Rebekah would carry on the line of Christ.

Furthermore, Eliezer is being a good servant in that his first responsibility is not to Rebekah’s family but to the Lord and his masters Abraham and Isaac who would be anxiously awaiting word and so he desires to get back home as soon as possible.

Genesis 24:55, “But her brother and her mother said, ‘Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.’”

Genesis 24:56, “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.’”

Eliezer declines their offer stating that the Lord has prospered his way, thus implying that by delaying they would be hindering the will of the Lord from being accomplished with Isaac and Rebekah.

Therefore, Eliezer is giving an implicit warning to Rebekah’s family that if they detain him they are acting against the will of the Lord.

This does not appear to faze Laban and Rebekah’s mother since they decide to settle the matter by asking Rebekah what her desire is.

Genesis 24:57, “And they said, ‘We will call the girl and consult her wishes.’”

Genesis 24:58, “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’

And she said, ‘I will go.’”

To question Rebekah was wrong since the family had already agreed to the marriage through their negotiations with Eliezer.

These delaying tactics and unscrupulous behavior on the part of Laban and his family foreshadow the conduct and greed of Laban that will trouble Jacob who was the son of Rebekah and Isaac (see Genesis 29:23; 31:41).

Rebekah’s reply demonstrates her obedience to the will of the Lord and it also demonstrates her faith in that she was trusting in the Lord to take care of her now that she was leaving her home with a stranger to go marry a stranger!

Rebekah has identified for herself that it is the will of God that she marry Isaac.

How to identify what is the will of God and what is not: (1) God will never tell us to get involved in any activity or relationship that is inconsistent with the Word of God.

(2) God will often ask us to do something, which conflicts with human wisdom.

(3) God will never tell us to do anything that gratifies the old Adamic sin nature.

(4) God will challenge our faith or trust in Him in order to build our relationship and intimacy with Him.

(5) God will often call for us to be courageous.

Genesis 24:59, “Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men.”

The Hebrew term translated “nurse” refers to a “wet nurse,” who was an esteemed member of the family and after suckling the child, had the responsibility to rear the child and serve as guardian.

Genesis 24:60, “They blessed Rebekah and said to her, ‘May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them.’”

Rebekah’s family blessing upon Rebekah echoes the Lord’s promises to Abraham.

The statement by Rebekah’s family “may you, our sister become thousands of ten thousands and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them” is a prophecy, which echoes the Lord’s prophecy to Abraham after obeying the Lord’s command to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22:17.

Genesis 22:17, “indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

In the ancient world, to “possess the gate” of one’s enemies was to have access to a walled city and possessing control of the city.

In relation to the angelic conflict, the term “enemies” refers to Satan and the kingdom of darkness who at the present time temporarily rule this world (Eph.

2:1-3; 6:10-18; 2 Cor.

4:4; 1 Jn.

5:19; Rev. 12:10).

Therefore, the Lord’s promise to Abraham that “your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies” is a prophecy that through Jesus Christ, Satan would be defeated, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 (see Colossians 2:15; Philippians 2:6-11; Ephesians 1:15-22).

Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed (Antichrist) and her Seed (Jesus Christ); He (Jesus Christ) shall bruise you (Satan) on the head (through the Cross), and you (Satan) shall bruise Him (Jesus Christ) on the heel (the Cross).”

Colossians 2:15, “When He (God the Father) had disarmed the rulers and authorities (Satanic order of battle), He (God the Father) made a public display of them (Fallen angels), having triumphed over them through Him (Jesus Christ).”

The Lord Jesus Christ, who is a descendant of Abraham and Isaac, has defeated Satan with His death and resurrection and at His Second Advent, He with His church, and the elect angels will imprison Satan and the fallen angels and assume control over planet earth for a thousand years (see Revelation 19:1-20:6).

In relation to the descendants of Isaac, namely, Israel, the term “enemies” refers to the heathen nations of the world who are under the influence of the devil who fight against Israel throughout her history.

Therefore, this prophecy also refers to the fact that born-again Israel who are descendants of Isaac, will be delivered by Jesus Christ from the armies of the Gentile nations and antichrist during Daniel’s seventieth week and will become head of the nations during the millennial reign of Christ (see Zechariah 14:16-21).

Genesis 24:61, “Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man.

So the servant took Rebekah and departed.”

The fact that the Scripture records that Rebekah took “her maids” with her marks her social status and indicates that she is not exactly poverty stricken.

Rebekah will not take this journey alone but will take a group of women who she was intimate with and who will help ease any homesickness that she might encounter while away from her family.

Abraham’s servant Eliezer has accomplished the task that Abraham had given him to secure a wife for Isaac among his relatives and now is coming home with the bride, Rebekah.