Bride of Christ Analogy

Acquisition of Isaac's Wife, Rebekah

Genesis 24

The story of how Abraham arranged for Isaac to secure a wife can be viewed as an analogy of what the church was to become. It shows how the institution of marriage is like the relationship of Christians to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

First, you should read the story if the details are not readily in your memory. They are in the 24th chapter of Genesis. Now, let me paint for you a picture of how this works.

Abraham represents God. He is the patriarch. He already had offered his only son for sacrifice, an act similar to God's sending his Son to earth to be sacrificed.

Isaac, son of Abraham, represents Jesus, the son of the father, God. The only legitimate son.

Abraham uses a servant to be an enabler . . . or a messenger . . .a bearer of gifts, which will be for the bride whom the servant is seeking for the son.

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is the instrument through which spiritual gifts come. In our story the servant brought gifts to the bride. The Holy Spirit brings gifts to the bride, the church.

Rebekah is to become the bride of the son, much as the church, scripture tells us, is like the bride of Christ.

The servant brings Rebekah back to Isaac, much as the Holy Spirit's gifts draw the church, the bride of Christ, to the son, and which represents the only way to get to know the father.

Jesus said that the only way to the Father is through Him. The analogy is complete. The Church is foreshadowed in the story of Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah. Isn't that neat?

D. A. Sharpe

Click to e-mail

Set to words in an analogy heard years ago in long ago teaching by Derek Prince.