We have seen the
Gospel being preached to Abraham all through the narrative about Abraham, but
especially in the last two lessons.
Isaac is a most perfect type of Jesus Christ, only overshadowed by
joseph. We have seen that Isaac, like
Christ, was (1) promised long before his
coming (Luke 1:70), Finally appeared at the appointed time, (Galatians 4:4),
(3) was conceived and born miraculously, (Luke 1:35), (4) Was assigned an appropriate
name by God before his birth, (Matthew 1:21), (5) Was offered up in sacrifice
by his father, (I John 2:2), (6) Was himself obedient unto death (Philippians
2:8); (7) was brought back from the dead, (Ephesians 1:19-23) to be the head of
a great nation and bless all people.
In this lesson we
will see Isaac as a type of Christ, waiting for His union with His bride at the
time she comes to Him, and during this waiting period He is preparing a place
for her (John 14:3). As she approaches, Rebekah represents the Church, the
chaste bride (II Corinthians 11:2), who is preparing to meet her heavenly
Bridegroom (John
There are many ways
in which Rebekah foreshadows the Believer – (1) Her marriage was planned long
before she knew about it (Ephesians 1:3-4); (2) She was necessary for the
completeness of God’s plan (Ephesians 1:23); (3) She was to share the glory of
the son, (John 17:22-23); (4) She learned about him through her emissary or
paraclete; (5) she immediately left all , to go to the son, loving him before
she saw him, guided by the servant, (I Peter 1:3-9); (7) She was loved by, and
finally united forever to the son (Ephesians 5:26, 27; Revelation 19:7; I
Thessalonians 4:17).
Genesis
22:2-4 “And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over
all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make
thee swear by the LORD, the God of
heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of
the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But
thou shalt go unto my country, and to my
kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
I. Isaac is almost a perfect type of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the story of the Gospel.
A. Except Joseph,
there is none that so foreshadows the Lord Jesus Christ as Isaac,
B. The son of
Abraham.
C. Given by supernatural conception
D. Sacrificed on
E. Raised from the dead
II.
Last lesson we left Abraham and Isaac on top of the mount.
A. Following chapter 22 very close, we find Abraham
descending the mountain
B. But we do not read anywhere is Scripture that Isaac
descended.
C. Now, of course, we know that Isaac did descend at the
same time
D. We will not find Isaac’s name until he reappears in
chapter 24 to meet his bride.
1. As far as the Bible record goes, Isaac was left up on
the mountain.
2. In other words, it was written like that so Isaac is
not seen again until after his resurrection until he goes out in the field to
meet Rebekah, his bride.
3. Isaac’s name is not mentioned once in the rest of
chapter 22, or in 23, - he is absent.
Genesis
E. Where is
Isaac? He is not mentioned.
1. Then follows in chapter 23 the death of Sarah.
(represents the Nation of Israel.)
2. Notice in the whole account of the death and burial of
Sarah, Isaac is never mentioned.
F. Surely, we
must see the dispensational lesson in this.
1. After the Greater Son of Abraham was slain on
2. From the record, Isaac didn’t even attend is mother’s
funeral.
1. Rejected,
2. Crucified and
3. Ascended into heaven.
L. During his
absence the Nation of Israel is set aside, as represented by the death of Sarah
and her burial.
III.
Calling Of The Bride - Probably nowhere
in the Bible is there found a picture as complete and beautiful of the calling
out of the bride for the Lord Jesus Christ as we have here in Genesis 24.
A. After Sarah was dead, Abraham sent his servant
Eliezer to bring back a bride for Isaac.
1. Isaac was Abraham’s only son.
2. When his son was forty years old, Abraham called his
servant, Eliezer (God’s helper) to go into a far country and bring back a bride
for his son.
B. Remember how
he set out into a far country and brought back Rebekah after meeting her at the
well in Laban’s sheepfold.
C. When the servant of Abraham, who typifies the Holy
Ghost, met Rebekah,
1. He showed her the riches of Isaac
2. Told her the purpose for which he had come.
D. He gave a hard
proposition to the young bride - He asked her to do three things.
1. Believe a man she had never met before.
2. Go to a land from which she would never return.
3. Marry a man she had never seen.
E. This was a test of faith for Rebekah.
F. Rebekah decided to go with Eliezer, and to wed
Abraham’s son, Isaac.
1. She believed the word of the servant Abraham had sent.
2. With the evidence of the jewels he presented as a token
of the word of his servant,
3. She was willing to set out for this strange land.
G. Rebekah got ready and went with this man to a
strange and unfamiliar country
1. She hardly knew in which direction they were going.
2. She simply trusted her leader sent by the master,
Abraham.
3. She believed that she knew the way.
H. Then after a long journey, one day toward evening,
she lifted up her eyes and saw a man walking in the glooming.
1. She recognized him, not because she had seen him
before, but from the description she had received from the servant no doubt,
along the way.
2. She recognized him, and with a voice filled with emotion,
cried out:
Genesis 24:65 “What man is this that walketh
in the field to meet us?”
I. The Bible tells us the servant said: “It
is my master.”
1. Lighted from the camel
2. Ran to meet him.
3. The scene of greeting is briefly described in these
words:
Genesis 24:67 “And Isaac brought her into
his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he
loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
IV. The meaning of this typical
and prophetic picture from the life of Abraham and Isaac.
A. God the father had only one Son.
B. After He had offered Him up to die on the cross of
Calvary - He too sent His servant,
1. The Holy Ghost, represented by Eliezer, sent into a far
country of this wicked world
2. To call out a bride, the Church, for His Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
3. That servant was sent out on the Day of Pentecost and
has been on His journey now for 2,000 years.
C. He is asking men and women to come and be the bride
of the Master’s Son. The same questions are put to sinners today. You remember
they were:
a. Believe a person you
have never met before, even the Holy Spirit of God.
b. Go with Him, allow Him to lead and guide you by faith
into a far country from which you will never return.
c. Marry a man you have never seen before.
D. This then, is the simple plan of salvation. It is by
faith. We must believe the testimony of the Holy Ghost in this world, or as the
Bible puts it:
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory:”
E. When we believe on Him, and accept the offer of the
Son of God, immediately the Servant, the Holy Ghost,
1. Opens up the treasures of His grace to our eyes, even
as Eliezer opened up the bags of jewels to show the riches of the son to the
prospective bride.
2. Then He clothes us with the raiment which the Son has
provided, even His sinless righteousness.
3. We set out on a journey with the Holy Ghost, with only
Him and the Bible as our guide.
a. We probably do not know the next step
b. We must put all our trust in Him
c. Let Him lead.
4. Sometimes the days are hard, but when the journey seems
long,
a. the Holy Ghost tells us more about the One whom we are
soon to meet and we take courage and continue on again.
b. When the Holy Ghost takes some of those precious jewels
from the Book of our blessed Master, and with the promises of truth, encourages
us all along the way.
5. All the way, the Servant talks, not of Himself, but
only of Him whom we are going to meet.
This is what John speaks of in the 16th chapter
of his gospel, when he says:
John 16:13,14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come. He shall
glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
F. The Holy Ghost, typified by the
servant of Abraham, does the same today.
a. He witnesses concerning our coming Lord.
b. He reveals the beauty of Christ in the Book, as we
journey on by faith.
G. One of these days, as the evening shadows of the
closing day of this dispensation come to an end, and the night of the world
approaches
a. We will look up, and there in the field of Heaven we
shall see Him,
b. The Spirit in us will answer, “That’s Him,”
c. We will light off the camel of our mortality
d. And rise to meet Him in the air,
1. We will fall into His open arms
2. Though we have never seen Him before
3. But we have learned to love Him.
e. He will bring us into His eternal tent of many mansions
a. Introduce us to His Father and our Father
b. The eternal honeymoon of bliss and happiness, where
sorrow and pain can never come, shall be ushered in with all of its glory and
splendor forever.
A. soon the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, will
come again, according to His promise.
1. All those who have given heed to the Holy Spirit’s call
will rise to meet Him.
2. The rest will go through the dark night of judgment -
tribulation
3. We are safe in the house of many mansions, prepared for
us up there.
B. All the sheep will be in,
1. The Chief Shepherd will pass out His precious rewards
for faithfulness
2. We will be as a bride without spot or wrinkle in preparation for His reign upon the earth.
C. The coming rapture is what Paul was talking about:
I Thessalonians.
II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers
together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. {husbandry:
or, tillage}
I Corinthians
I Corinthians
I Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
I Corinthians
I Corinthians
I Corinthians
C. The Crowns:
1. An
Incorruptible crown for mastery over the old man
I Corinthians
2. A crown of
rejoicing for dicipelers
I Thessalonians
I Thessalonians
3. A Crown of Life for enduring temptation
James 3:2 Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him.
4. A Crown of
righteousness for loving His appearing
II Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing.
5. A Crown of
Glory for feeding the flock
I Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over
God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. {being lords over: or,
overruling}
I Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd
shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
VII. The Holy Ghost is still
calling today:
Revelation
A. Undoubtedly, the journey which Rebekah was asked to
make with this man, Eliezer, seemed long and wearisome, endless at times.
1. Yet, one can but imagine the joy which must have
thrilled her heart when the journey came to an end, and she found that Isaac
was far more than all her expectations could have imagined.
2. He was far more
beautiful, far more kind than she had ever dreamed.
B. One of the surprises is going to be when we meet the
Lord, we shall cry out, “the half has never been told.”
1. It will be so much more wonderful than anything we had
even imagined,
2. that our mortal bodies here could not begin to conceive
or contain the glory of His blessed person.
So we conclude with another call from the Holy Ghost:
Isaac – A Type of Christ -
The Bridegroom Cometh
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Getting The Bride For Isaac |
Gathering the Bride of Christ |
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Isaac’s record leaves him still on |
Christ was crucified, died, buried, resurrected and
translated, but appears again at the rapture of the bride - John |
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Sarah dies and set in a tomb |
The Nation of Israel is “set aside” |
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Isaac the only begotten son of Abraham - |
Jesus the only begotten son of Abraham |
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After the sacrifice, Abraham sent Elieser to teach the
bride about Christ – Genesis |
After the sacrifice, The Father sent the Holy Ghost to
teach the bride about Christ John
16:7-14 |
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Rebekah had to trust Eliezer to guide her on the journey
to Isaac |
We must trust the Spirit to guide us on our journey |
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All the way, Eliezer talks, not of Himself, but only Isaac |
All the way, the Servant talks, not of Himself, but only
of Him whom we are going to meet. – John 16:13 |
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Rebekah had to take Eliezer’s description of Isaac by
faith, with evidence of jewels for a reward |
We, too must take the Word’s description of Christ by
faith, with crowns as reward |