Commission By Abraham

Genesis 24. Abraham, now very old, commissioned his oldest servant to go and find Isaac a wife. This chapter is rich in typology. What is a Biblical typology? Simply put, a Biblical type is a "foreshadowing" of what was to come at a later time. Through a person, place or thing, a Biblical type points toward a NT fulfillment. These types or models are sometimes called pictures or Biblical pictures. And here we have a beautiful picture of Jesus the Bridegroom and the church-the Bride of Christ. Note the following "types".
1. Abraham, a type of a certain king [and father] who arranged a marriage for his son (Matt.22:2).
2. The unnamed servant, who may be Eliezer (Gen.15:2), is a type of the Holy Spirit. Eliezer's name means "helper". The Holy Spirit is called our Helper in John 14:16. And, like Eliezer in this "typology", the Holy Spirit does not "speak on His own authority" but takes of the things of the Bridegroom with which to win the bride (John 16:13-14).
3. This servant, a type of the Holy Spirit, is seen enriching the bride with the Bridegroom's gifts (1 Cor.12:7-11; Gal.5:22-23).
4. This servant is seen as a type of the Spirit as bringing the bride to the meeting with the Bridegroom (Acts 13:4; Acts 16:6-7; Rom.8:11; 1 Thess.4:14-17).
5. Rebekah is a type of the Church, the 'called out' virgin bride (Gen.24:16; 2 Cor.11:2; Eph.5:25-32).
6. Issac, a type of the Bridegroom "not seen" as yet, whom the bride nevertheless loves through the testimony of the unnamed Servant (1 Peter 1:8).
7. Isaac, a type of the Bridegroom who goes out to meet and receive His bride (Gen.24:63; 1 Thess.4:14-17). [notes from The Scofield Study Bible]

Now armed with this information, I want you to go back and look at chapter 22. There we saw Abraham, the father, taking Isaac, his only son, up Mount Moriah to sacrifice. (Again rich typology of Father God and Jesus His Son). But pay close attention to Gen.22:19. The verse says that Abraham returned unto his young men. There's something strange about that verse. Where is Isaac? The answer, of course, is that it's implied that Isaac went along with them--that he did come back down the mountain (Gen.22:5). But that's not what verse 19 says. It just says that Abraham returned [alone] back to his young men. Isaac is last seen on the mountain. Where is he? He isn't seen again until the end of chapter 24 when he is united with his bride. What a beautiful picture of the Son, Jesus Christ the Bridegroom, going up Mount Calvary, last seen on the cross and at His ascension, and will be seen again when He returns to rapture His Bride, the church, home. And there we'll sit at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! (Rev.19:7-10).

Yes, Genesis 24 is a great love story. But it can be your love story if you trust Jesus Christ and say like Rebekah, "I will go." And if you already belong to Jesus, then be like the faithful servant and tell others the good news about the marriage and the glorious wedding feast that they can become part of, if they'll just trust in Jesus as their Savior. Invite them to say, "I will go!" Amen!