Genesis (Part 29)
Bible Study Time 1-18-09
(From James Roberts 3-9-97)
Bible Study Time 1-18-09
(From James Roberts 3-9-97)
In Genesis, Chapter 11, we saw that Abraham moved with his family from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran, and last week in Genesis, Chapter 24, we saw that Abraham instructed his servant to go back to Haran to find a wife for Isaac. This servant was not to take a bride for Isaac from among the Canaanites, and he was not to take Isaac back with him to Haran. Instead, he was to journey by himself back to Haran to find a bride for Isaac from among Abraham's kinsfolk.
In Genesis, Chapter 24, we see the literal, historical account of how this servant went back to get Isaac's bride. We see how the Lord directed him to the very person whom God had chosen for Isaac, and as we read between the lines of scripture, we can imagine the things that this servant must have told Rebecca as he pled on Isaac's behalf.
Undoubtedly, the servant won her over by telling her about all of the glory of Abraham, all of the riches and honor of Abraham. And then He must have told her about all of the riches and glory that Isaac would inherit because of his relationship with his father. It may have been that this servant even told Rebecca of certain events that had happened during Abraham's life and Isaac's life which would have shown the beauty of Isaac and the glory of Abraham. Whatever it was, Rebecca must have become so captivated with her thoughts and feelings for Isaac that she was willing to leave her country and her family to follow this servant back to Canaan to be Isaac's bride.
Oh, what a wonderful picture this is. This is a historical event, but in the book of I Corinthians, Chapter 10, we read that many times God recorded historical events as examples for those of us who would afterward believe. This is in keeping with what we read in Hebrews, Chapter 10, where we are told that even though the Old Testament tabernacle and temple were historical places of worship, they were also types and shadows of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His future redemptive work on the cross.
So, in Genesis, Chapter 24, we find in the mission of Abraham's servant a picture of God the Father sending the Holy Spirit to secure a bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. Someday, God the Father is going to call out a bride for His Son, the Lord Jesus, and in the book of Revelation we read about the marriage of the Lamb. We also find in the book of Matthew, Chapter 25, the parable of the foolish and the wise virgins, who were waiting for that marriage to take place.
As it turns out, many evangelical teachers, who are great Bible teachers, look back in the book of Genesis, Chapter 24, and they see there a picture of what the Holy Spirit is doing today. They say that when Abraham sent his servant back into another country to seek a bride for Isaac, this was a picture of the Holy Spirit going out among the Gentiles to seek a bride for Christ, and this would make the present day Church the Bride of Christ.
However, there is one thing missing from this interpretation. Abraham actually sent his servant back to seek a bride for Isaac from among his own kinsmen, not from among the Gentiles. In Hebrews, Chapter 11, God sheds some light on the pictures and types of Genesis, Chapter 24. Let's read in Hebrews, 11, beginning in verse 13 where the writer is speaking of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and says:
Hebrews 11:13-14 NKJV
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
God had promised all of that land of Palestine, all of the land of the Canaanites, to Abraham, and Abraham had understood and embraced those promises, but he never received the fulfillment of those promises.
Abraham looked into the future and by faith he saw the fulfillment of those promises, but while he was living in the land of Canaan, he confessed that he was a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that those who make such a confession are actually declaring their desire for a homeland.
The writer then shows that Abraham was willing to wait for a future time when his hope for a homeland would be fulfilled. Verse 15 says:
Hebrews 11:15 NKJV
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
The very fact that they did not go back to the land of their kinsmen shows that they were willing to wait for that which God had promised them. They were willing to be a pilgrim and a stranger on the earth.
They dwelt in tents, and they had no desire to build a city in the land of Canaan. They dwelt in the land of promise as pilgrims and strangers. Why? Verse 16 says:
Hebrews 11:16 NKJV
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Clearly, a city has been prepared for certain descendants of Abraham, and this city is a heavenly city. When we come to the book of Revelation, Chapter 21, this heavenly city is plainly described. Let's begin reading with verse nine of Revelation, Chapter 21:
Revelation 21:9 NKJV
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
In Genesis, Chapter 24, Rebecca was a picture of the Lamb's wife. Rebecca pictures the bride while Isaac pictures the Lord Jesus Christ as the bridegroom, the Lamb of God. Now notice:
Revelation 21:10 NKJV
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
This verse associates Abraham with the New Jerusalem even though certain of his descendants are associated with the earthly Jerusalem.
As you will recall, the angel who came to Mary explained that her Son was going to sit upon the throne of His father, David, and that He would rule and reign over the earth. The Bible very plainly shows that the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, is going to come back to the earthly Jerusalem to rule and reign on the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
There appear to be certain descendants of Abraham who have this hope that is centered in the earthly Jerusalem. This is the earthly Jerusalem where the twelve Apostles will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel in an earthly kingdom. However, there are clearly certain descendants of Abraham who will inherit the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, and this is the Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven from God.
Many people today speak of the New Jerusalem as if it is heaven itself, but the New Jerusalem is going to come down out of heaven. Therefore, it cannot be heaven. In spite of what the song writers say, the New Jerusalem cannot be heaven per se. The New Jerusalem is going to come from God, and it is going to come down out of heaven.
Now, let's continue in verse 11 where the Apostle John continues his description of the New Jerusalem:
Revelation 21:11-12 NKJV
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
These twelve tribes of Israel are Abraham's kinsmen. They are Abraham's seed, his descendants. They are associated with the New Jerusalem and the Bride of Christ. John said that this New Jerusalem had twelve gates, and:
Revelation 21:14 NKJV
14 . . . the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Abraham was looking for this city and certain of his descendants are going to be connected with this heavenly city which will come down out of heaven from God. This group of believing Jews will be the Bride of Christ, and it will be made up of representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve Apostles of the Lamb are going to be associated with this heavenly city.
It seems very plain to me that this is what is pictured in Genesis, Chapter 24, where Abraham's servant woos Rebecca to win her over as Isaac's bride. There are certain descendants of Abraham who will submit to the Holy Spirit and become the Bride of Christ, and they will inherit the New Jerusalem.
Those who say that Genesis 24 pictures the present day work of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles have to deal first of all with the fact that Abraham's servant did not seek a bride for Isaac from among the Gentiles. But then they also have to reconcile their doctrine with Ephesians, Chapter 3, which declares that the truth concerning the Church of our present time was never revealed or even hinted at in the Old Testament. In Ephesians 3, Paul says:
Ephesians 3:3-5
3 . . . by revelation (God) made known to me the mystery . . .
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
The Apostle Paul had a very distinctive ministry. He was not one of the twelve Apostles who will inherit the New Jerusalem. Rather, Paul is associated with the hope of the present day Church, and his revelation concerning the present day Church was never revealed to the men of other ages.
Paul's message concerning the Church relates to the unsearchable, or untraceable riches of Christ, so that there was never even a trace of evidence in the Old Testament concerning the Church of our present age. This truth was hidden in God until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul.
So I believe that the scriptures speak of three different hopes for three different groups of believers. First, there is that hope which is destined for Abraham's earthly seed, those who look for the earthly Jerusalem. When Rebecca came out to meet Isaac, she left her kinsmen back in their homeland, and I believe that her kinsmen picture those Jews who will rule and reign with Christ on the New Earth throughout eternity.
But there is also that group of believing Jews who look for the New Jerusalem. This group is pictured in Rebecca in that she went out from among her kinsmen to be married to Isaac. These Jewish believers will be taken up out of the earth to become the Bride of Christ, and they will rule with Christ in the New Jerusalem throughout eternity.
But then there is the third hope which belongs to believers of our present age, believers like you and me who know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Today, when people put their faith in Christ, they are added to the Church which is the Body of Christ. This is the church which God is building in heaven today. As members of this church, believers today are citizens of heaven, and our steadfast hope is that one day the Lord will call us to be with Himself in heaven, where we will ever to be with the Lord.
Well, I see our time is gone. We'll take up on our Journey Through the Scripture next week. Until that time, we bid you goodbye.
Church links:
In Genesis, Chapter 24, we see the literal, historical account of how this servant went back to get Isaac's bride. We see how the Lord directed him to the very person whom God had chosen for Isaac, and as we read between the lines of scripture, we can imagine the things that this servant must have told Rebecca as he pled on Isaac's behalf.
Undoubtedly, the servant won her over by telling her about all of the glory of Abraham, all of the riches and honor of Abraham. And then He must have told her about all of the riches and glory that Isaac would inherit because of his relationship with his father. It may have been that this servant even told Rebecca of certain events that had happened during Abraham's life and Isaac's life which would have shown the beauty of Isaac and the glory of Abraham. Whatever it was, Rebecca must have become so captivated with her thoughts and feelings for Isaac that she was willing to leave her country and her family to follow this servant back to Canaan to be Isaac's bride.
Oh, what a wonderful picture this is. This is a historical event, but in the book of I Corinthians, Chapter 10, we read that many times God recorded historical events as examples for those of us who would afterward believe. This is in keeping with what we read in Hebrews, Chapter 10, where we are told that even though the Old Testament tabernacle and temple were historical places of worship, they were also types and shadows of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His future redemptive work on the cross.
So, in Genesis, Chapter 24, we find in the mission of Abraham's servant a picture of God the Father sending the Holy Spirit to secure a bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. Someday, God the Father is going to call out a bride for His Son, the Lord Jesus, and in the book of Revelation we read about the marriage of the Lamb. We also find in the book of Matthew, Chapter 25, the parable of the foolish and the wise virgins, who were waiting for that marriage to take place.
As it turns out, many evangelical teachers, who are great Bible teachers, look back in the book of Genesis, Chapter 24, and they see there a picture of what the Holy Spirit is doing today. They say that when Abraham sent his servant back into another country to seek a bride for Isaac, this was a picture of the Holy Spirit going out among the Gentiles to seek a bride for Christ, and this would make the present day Church the Bride of Christ.
However, there is one thing missing from this interpretation. Abraham actually sent his servant back to seek a bride for Isaac from among his own kinsmen, not from among the Gentiles. In Hebrews, Chapter 11, God sheds some light on the pictures and types of Genesis, Chapter 24. Let's read in Hebrews, 11, beginning in verse 13 where the writer is speaking of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and says:
Hebrews 11:13-14 NKJV
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
God had promised all of that land of Palestine, all of the land of the Canaanites, to Abraham, and Abraham had understood and embraced those promises, but he never received the fulfillment of those promises.
Abraham looked into the future and by faith he saw the fulfillment of those promises, but while he was living in the land of Canaan, he confessed that he was a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that those who make such a confession are actually declaring their desire for a homeland.
The writer then shows that Abraham was willing to wait for a future time when his hope for a homeland would be fulfilled. Verse 15 says:
Hebrews 11:15 NKJV
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
The very fact that they did not go back to the land of their kinsmen shows that they were willing to wait for that which God had promised them. They were willing to be a pilgrim and a stranger on the earth.
They dwelt in tents, and they had no desire to build a city in the land of Canaan. They dwelt in the land of promise as pilgrims and strangers. Why? Verse 16 says:
Hebrews 11:16 NKJV
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Clearly, a city has been prepared for certain descendants of Abraham, and this city is a heavenly city. When we come to the book of Revelation, Chapter 21, this heavenly city is plainly described. Let's begin reading with verse nine of Revelation, Chapter 21:
Revelation 21:9 NKJV
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
In Genesis, Chapter 24, Rebecca was a picture of the Lamb's wife. Rebecca pictures the bride while Isaac pictures the Lord Jesus Christ as the bridegroom, the Lamb of God. Now notice:
Revelation 21:10 NKJV
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
This verse associates Abraham with the New Jerusalem even though certain of his descendants are associated with the earthly Jerusalem.
As you will recall, the angel who came to Mary explained that her Son was going to sit upon the throne of His father, David, and that He would rule and reign over the earth. The Bible very plainly shows that the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, is going to come back to the earthly Jerusalem to rule and reign on the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
There appear to be certain descendants of Abraham who have this hope that is centered in the earthly Jerusalem. This is the earthly Jerusalem where the twelve Apostles will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel in an earthly kingdom. However, there are clearly certain descendants of Abraham who will inherit the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, and this is the Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven from God.
Many people today speak of the New Jerusalem as if it is heaven itself, but the New Jerusalem is going to come down out of heaven. Therefore, it cannot be heaven. In spite of what the song writers say, the New Jerusalem cannot be heaven per se. The New Jerusalem is going to come from God, and it is going to come down out of heaven.
Now, let's continue in verse 11 where the Apostle John continues his description of the New Jerusalem:
Revelation 21:11-12 NKJV
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
These twelve tribes of Israel are Abraham's kinsmen. They are Abraham's seed, his descendants. They are associated with the New Jerusalem and the Bride of Christ. John said that this New Jerusalem had twelve gates, and:
Revelation 21:14 NKJV
14 . . . the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Abraham was looking for this city and certain of his descendants are going to be connected with this heavenly city which will come down out of heaven from God. This group of believing Jews will be the Bride of Christ, and it will be made up of representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve Apostles of the Lamb are going to be associated with this heavenly city.
It seems very plain to me that this is what is pictured in Genesis, Chapter 24, where Abraham's servant woos Rebecca to win her over as Isaac's bride. There are certain descendants of Abraham who will submit to the Holy Spirit and become the Bride of Christ, and they will inherit the New Jerusalem.
Those who say that Genesis 24 pictures the present day work of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles have to deal first of all with the fact that Abraham's servant did not seek a bride for Isaac from among the Gentiles. But then they also have to reconcile their doctrine with Ephesians, Chapter 3, which declares that the truth concerning the Church of our present time was never revealed or even hinted at in the Old Testament. In Ephesians 3, Paul says:
Ephesians 3:3-5
3 . . . by revelation (God) made known to me the mystery . . .
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
The Apostle Paul had a very distinctive ministry. He was not one of the twelve Apostles who will inherit the New Jerusalem. Rather, Paul is associated with the hope of the present day Church, and his revelation concerning the present day Church was never revealed to the men of other ages.
Paul's message concerning the Church relates to the unsearchable, or untraceable riches of Christ, so that there was never even a trace of evidence in the Old Testament concerning the Church of our present age. This truth was hidden in God until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul.
So I believe that the scriptures speak of three different hopes for three different groups of believers. First, there is that hope which is destined for Abraham's earthly seed, those who look for the earthly Jerusalem. When Rebecca came out to meet Isaac, she left her kinsmen back in their homeland, and I believe that her kinsmen picture those Jews who will rule and reign with Christ on the New Earth throughout eternity.
But there is also that group of believing Jews who look for the New Jerusalem. This group is pictured in Rebecca in that she went out from among her kinsmen to be married to Isaac. These Jewish believers will be taken up out of the earth to become the Bride of Christ, and they will rule with Christ in the New Jerusalem throughout eternity.
But then there is the third hope which belongs to believers of our present age, believers like you and me who know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Today, when people put their faith in Christ, they are added to the Church which is the Body of Christ. This is the church which God is building in heaven today. As members of this church, believers today are citizens of heaven, and our steadfast hope is that one day the Lord will call us to be with Himself in heaven, where we will ever to be with the Lord.
Well, I see our time is gone. We'll take up on our Journey Through the Scripture next week. Until that time, we bid you goodbye.
Church links:
