So before we start, lets get a few things sorted. In this account, there are a few main characters that are pictures, or types, of the three persons of the Godhead.

 

 Abraham would represent the Father

Isaac would represent the son: Jesus

The Servant would represent the Holy Spirit

Rebecca would represent the Church

 

This account is set against the backdrop of Abraham offering up his son, Isaac. So in type this would be a picture of the Lord dying. Now that that death has been accomplished, God now turns His attention for securing for His Son a bride, that’s us, as being part of the church! 

 

Look Up:

Ephesians 5:25

 

It is also interesting to note, that Sarah (who is know as the ‘vessel of promise’) has recently died. This would be a picture of how Israel (the ‘people of promise’) would be unresponsive to the Lord Jesus at the moment. 

 

So we get here Abraham sending out His Servant to secure for His Son a Bride. As Old Testament types go, this surely has to be one of the most obvious!

 

Verse 16 reveals that Rebecca is very beautiful. It is the same with Church. Although maybe from our side, we view the Church as broken and in a complete mess, God still views His true Church as beautiful and fit for His Son. (When we say true Church, we mean the collection of all those who have truly given their lives to Christ- this is not some special elevated position that only some Christians can attain, but you become part of the true Church when you accept Christ as your Saviour and are given the Holy Spirit.)

 

Next, the Servant brings out many gifts to give to Rebecca, “silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave them to Rebecca”. The silver articles would represent redemption. (Silver represents redemption all through the Bible) So I think the Spirit would be making us value the redeeming power of the death and blood of Christ 

 

Clothing is also brought out, which would represent being clothed properly by God, so are able to reflect Christ. 

 

Look up:

Psalm 122:1

2 Corinthians 11:2

 

The first time Rebecca sees Isaac, she covers herself. This would represent the Church being exclusively for Christ  It also says that she jumped or sprang of her camel. There was a real energy and enthusiasm about her affection for Isaac. It should be the same for us! We should be really fired up with genuine love for Christ when we come to worship.

 

“The Spirit has come, sent by the Father, in order to carry out a wonderful mission; that the Church should be secured as compensation for Christ.

“Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death”. Think of what the Lord suffered as having lost Israel, and all the promises connected with Israel! But He gets the church to make up for it.”1

 

1. Excerpt From: Coates, Charles. “CAC V01 Outline of Genesis.”