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
Mt. Moriah
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 22:19 “So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up
and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.”
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 Calvary, He disappeared and the Nation of
Israel is “set aside” and “buried”, as if she were without her Messiah.
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.
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. 4:13-17 “But I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him. For this we say unto you
by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. “
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 3:10 According to
the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid
the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how
he buildeth thereupon.
I Corinthians 3:11 For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 3:12 Now if any
man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble;
I Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
{it shall be: Gr. it is}
I Corinthians 3:14 If any man’s
work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
I Corinthians 3:15 If any man’s
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet
so as by fire.
C. The Crowns:
1. An Incorruptible crown for mastery over the old man
I Corinthians 9:25 And every man
that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to
obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
2. A crown of rejoicing for the soul winner
I Thessalonians 19 For what is
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? {rejoicing: or, glorying?}
20 For ye are our glory and joy.
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 22:17 “And the Spirit
and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that
is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
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 Mt. Moriah after being sacrificed – absent at his mother’s funeral, appears again when the bride has appeared |
Christ was crucified, died, buried, resurrected and translated, but appears again at the rapture of the bride - John 16:10 |
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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 |