A Wedding Portrait
Been said that a picture is worth a 1,000
words. That is True/ & Pictures often reveal the character of the artist
A) Story of Leonardo D.
painting the last supper, fight w/ his best
friend,
friends face on the body of Judas
Pictures can
reveal the Character of the Artist & Pictures also reveal the perspective
of the artist.
A) When my son Aaron was
Littler living in OR. Drew a - family
picture
- Dad w/ a great big mouth
B) Now when we come to the Bible one thing we need
to remember is that The Bible is a picture book that reveals to us God's
character & perspective.
1) Old
Testament is full of Pictures
C) In fact every N.T. principle
clearly seen in the O.T. in the form of a
picture
D) See God
knows his children need pictures
And one of the
most exciting, most powerful, pictures in the Old Testament is found in the
story of ISSAC
A) Isaac is a
picture of Jesus
B) From Isaac we can learn very much about.
1. The Person
2. Character
3.
Plan
of Jesus Christ / interesting
parallels
Consider
Both were a
promised children
A) Isaac to Abraham,
descendants, sand, stars.
B) So to w/ Jesus, God gave a promise to mankind
concerning Him
sending
His son,
1) Over 300 specific predictions were given
concerning Jesus coming
C) Both had mothers who had miraculous births, Sarah barren, Mary
Virgin.
3.Both were named before they were born,
Isaac, laughter, stoked! Also Mary was given name Jesus ‑ "The Lord
is our salvation."
4. Both were
mocked by their 1/2 brothers, Isaac, Ishmael
5.
Both were in perfect harmony
with their fathers.
A) You will never read about
Isaac being disobedient to Abraham, he was
the pride and joy of Abraham / Obedient Unto death, we saw last study
B) So too Jesus the promised
child from the Father, "Always did
the
things which pleased His Father."
Obedient even unto death
6. Both were willing sacrifices
A) Both Carried the wood, Isaac
the stack / Jesus the cross / by which he
gave
his life a ransom for many.
B) Both on Mt. Moriah
7.Both
experienced resurrection, the Lord stops Abraham symbolized
A) Jesus rose on third day.
And After
resurrection, both are seen going back to their Father's house.
Perfect parallel, but it goes on!
Chapter 24:1‑4
Abe's
request of Eleazor, now Eleazor is a type of the Holy Spirit.
A) Eleazor the servant is
choosing a bride for the son according to the
request
or commission of the Father.
B) John 16:7‑8 concerning H.S. 7 "Nevertheless I tell you
the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the
Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."And
when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment: 9 "of sin, because they do not believe in
Me;
C) The word Comforter means helper or servant, & Eleazor is a
perfect picture of a servant, who went out after the Son had come back to the
Father's house to pick out a bride for the son.
D) And That is the work of the
H.S. who is knocking on the hearts of men
and
women everyday to pick out or make up a bride for the son.
1) If
you name the name of Christ you are a part of the bride of Christ.
E) Called
the body of Christ. Body makes up the bride.
1) God's purpose from beginning to have a companion for Him.
Verse 5‑8 5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps
the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son
back to the land from which you came?" 6
But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back
there. 7 "The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house
and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying,
'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and
you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8 "And if the woman is not willing to
follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son
back there."
Eleazor asks what if she is unwilling to come
'?, you give the request its up to the girl to decide - Again neat parallel
A) H.S. perfect gentleman / H.S. doesn't force
anyone.
B) Talking this morning Jesus
only goes where He is invited Jesus
said "Behold I stand at the door and knock."
v. 9 ‑21 ‑ Eleazor prays and what he
prays happens
Now Eleazor is a picture of the H.S.
& Isaac is a picture of Christ, but
Rebekah is a picture of us.
A) 1st she is
identified by her goods works drawing water from the well
for weary travelers on their journey.
B) Neat picture of us as we draw living water from
the well of salvation to those weary people wandering, searching, looking to
quench their thirst
C) Told in Verse
16, Rebekah was very beautiful, a virgin.
1) God sees you as a beautiful, and virgin
spiritually speaking.
D) Rev. 19:7‑8 7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give
Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself
ready."
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
E) Maybe you say "Well I don't feel very beautiful, I
feel ugly, I feel
spiritually rotten, dirty."
1) Know this: If you are a
believer today, you are in Christ and it is His
beauty
that beautifies you.
For some reason It seems that we never truly
understand this, never get this It seems we are always striving to be more
impressive
A) When all the Lord is really
desiring is that we would draw near to Him.
1) Understand who we are in Him!
B) Rem. The Church at Ephesus:
left their first love ACTION NO PASSION
/ So many times we are like that church, doing great things,
1) planning more conferences, more trips, were doing, being, going.
C) Doing the
work of the Lord, yet forgetting the Lord of the work.
D) He says return to your first love. Mary, Martha
Is. 62:5 5
For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And
as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
Is 61:10 10 I
will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has
clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of
righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.
Read verses 22‑31
‑Rebekah
is given gold Jewelry, met by her brother Laban / Laban is a type of the world.
A) Now here we see Laban who is
a type of the world is attracted by the
gifts of
the bride.
B) World will be attracted by
us the bride operating in the gifts and fruits
of the
spirit.
1) Many have heard the message,
now they just need to see it the joy,
love,
etc.
32‑54
Eleazor tells of his mission, his prayer, how he
thinks Rebekah is the one. Laban and Mom agree, but notice their
reaction verse 55 ‑ But her brother
and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at
least ten; after that she may go."
So
Typical of world.
A) Put it off - don’t do it now
do it latter - tomorrow
There is an ancient story about three demons who
were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and
ruin men.
The first
said, "I will tell them there is no
God." Satan said, "That
will not delude many, for they know that there is a God." CREATION
The second
said, "I will tell men there is no
hell." Satan answered, "You
will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for
sin." PUNISHMENT
The third said, "I will tell men there is no hurry." "Go," said
Satan, "and you will ruin them by the thousand."
The most dangerous of all delusions is that
there is plenty of time.
V. 56-60
Notice choice
is up to Rebekah verse 58, who says "I will go
A) Going to a man who never say or met, same as us,
with Jesus.
B) Liked the gifts what she saw so far and what she
heard.
So Rebekah
goes but notice how she goes. Read
verses 61‑63‑
A) On a camel through the desert. Picture of this
life, pilgrimage.
B) Not alone, 10 maid servants,
you are not alone on your Pilgrimage,
Hebrew
12.
C)
Eleazor led the way. Spirit led life
!!!
We see Isaac
in these verses at Beer lahai Roi, "The
Lord sees"
A) As we journey our Isaac sees
us - He sees us on our journey, knows
what
we're going through.
B) Not only is He watching verse 63 went into field
to meditate praying
1)
Watching & Praying, Heb. 10:25 Ever
lives to make intercession
Finally The Bride comes Read verses 64‑67 ‑
A) Isaac takes her into mother and father's tent, ,
and loved her.
Picture Of
what the Lord is going to do with us!
A) John
14 ‑ "I go to prepare a place for you."
B) In my
father's house are many mansions... where I am you may be also.
C) Jesus is preparing a
honeymoon home.
Marriage supper, Rule and reign. Experience incredible joy and
peace.
Question If
Jesus is so anxious to have us with him. Why doesn't he
come
to get us now?
Important you
don't lose sight of the big picture.
A. I know that
this experience here is many times dry and
bumpy.
B) But know this: When you feel
like you are going to dry up and fall off
your
camel and die in the desert.
C) Jesus is watching 'Not w/ eyes
of condemnation but of love,
compassion.
D) Not just watching but praying.
E) Working, preparing a place
for you. Don't forget who He is and that
He's on
your side.
F) He's waiting, He wants to be with you More than
you want to be w/ Him.
Ps 139:17‑18, 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O
God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they
would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.
Jer 29:11, why?
FUTURE & A HOPE !!!!!