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In the previous type we saw how a person chosen by God to inherit God’s promised inheritance should be a burnt offering to God for the satisfaction of God’s desire. Following that, we have another type, a type portraying Christ and the church, symbolized by the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.
Isaac as the son brought forth by Abraham through his wife Sarah became the unique seed to inherit all that his father had. When Abraham’s old servant was securing a wife for Isaac, he testified that his master had given all that he had to his son (Gen. 24:36). Genesis 25:5 also tells us that “Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.” Hence, Isaac became the one who inherited his father’s riches. Isaac’s inheriting of all that his father had is a type of Christ’s inheriting all that God the Father has. John 3:35 says, “The Father loves the Son and has given all into His hand.” Furthermore, in John 16:15 the Lord said, “All that the Father has is Mine.” Hence, Christ not only has received all that was given by the Father but has also inherited all that the Father has.
Abraham sent his oldest servant, who ruled over all that he had, charging him to take a wife for Isaac not of the daughters of the Canaanites but of Abraham’s kindred (Gen. 24:2-4). As a result, Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, who was of his father’s house and of his kindred. This typifies that Christ desires to obtain the church, which is of the same blood and flesh as He is, to be His counterpart. The counterpart of Christ must come from Christ’s race, not from the angels nor from any other creatures, but from the human race. Hebrews 2:14 says, “Since therefore the children have shared in blood and flesh, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same.” Through Christ’s becoming a man of blood and flesh, the human race has become Christ’s race. Christ’s desire is to obtain the church, which is of the same blood and flesh as He is, to be His beloved counterpart for the satisfaction of His heart’s intent.
Just as Isaac is a type of Christ, so Isaac’s wife Rebekah is a type of Christ’s counterpart, the church. Rebekah was chosen to be Isaac’s wife by the old servant whom Isaac’s father, Abraham, sent to the place from where he was called out by God. Rebekah never dreamed that she would be selected to be Isaac’s wife. What happened to her altogether did not depend on her. It all depended on God’s sovereign arrangement (Gen. 24:14), for she was the one chosen and prepared by God to be given to Isaac. This typifies that the church is chosen and prepared by God to be given to Christ. Ephesians 1:4 says, “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” This shows that before He created us, God chose us according to His infinite foresight to match Christ as His corporate bride.
When Rebekah had provided sufficient water for the camels, the old servant took a gold ring weighing half a shekel and put it on Rebekah’s nose (Gen. 24:22, 47). Half a shekel signifies the first taste, the foretaste, indicating that another half, the full taste, is coming. The gold ring signifies the sealing Spirit. This is a type of the church’s receiving the Holy Spirit as a seal and a pledge. Ephesians 1:13-14 says that in Christ we have been “sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance.” To be sealed with the Holy Spirit is to be marked with the Holy Spirit as a living seal. At the time we were saved, God put His Holy Spirit into us as a seal to mark us out, indicating that we belong to God. The Greek word for pledge also means “foretaste, guarantee.” God gives His Holy Spirit to us not only as a pledge of our inheritance, securing our heritage, but also as a foretaste of what we will inherit of God, affording us a taste beforehand of the full inheritance.
The old servant gave Rebekah not only a gold ring but also two gold bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels (Gen. 24:22, 47). Moreover, when the old servant went to Rebekah’s house, he brought forth articles of silver, articles of gold, and raiment and gave them to Rebekah (v. 53). The bracelets on her hands weighing ten shekels signify that we have received the gifts of life and thus can fulfill the requirements of God’s commandments and fully fulfill the heavenly function. The articles of gold, the articles of silver, and the raiment all indicate the riches of Christ. This typifies that the church has received the spiritual gifts and the riches of Christ from the Holy Spirit. At the time of our salvation, we not only receive the Holy Spirit as a seal and a pledge, but we also receive the spiritual gifts and the riches of Christ from the Holy Spirit for us to carry out the heavenly function and enjoy the riches of Christ.
After Rebekah received and enjoyed these riches, she was willing to leave her father’s house immediately and be given to Isaac (vv. 54-58). This typifies that the church is willing to forsake her relatives in the flesh and be given to Christ. Today, although we have never seen Christ, we are attracted by Him and we love Him (1 Pet. 1:8) because of the Spirit’s testifying in us on behalf of Him. Hence, we are willing to forsake the world and our relatives and be given to Christ.
After Rebekah decided to leave her father’s house to be given to Isaac, she rode on a camel and followed the old servant to go to Isaac (Gen. 24:61). This is a type of the church’s following the Holy Spirit to come to Christ. According to Leviticus 11, a camel is unclean, yet it is useful. Many of today’s conveniences are not clean in the eyes of God. Nevertheless, through them we can follow the Holy Spirit to travel through the desert to come to Christ.
One day Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide, and he lifted up his eyes and saw that camels were coming. When Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, she took her veil and covered herself. Isaac brought her into his mother’s tent, took her as his wife, and loved her (Gen. 24:63-67a). Rebekah was married to Isaac at eventide, and she was loved by him. This typifies that at the close of this age the church will be married to Christ as His eternally beloved counterpart (Rev. 19:7).
After Rebekah was brought to Isaac, Genesis 24:67b says, “Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother.” Rebekah was given to Isaac and married to him, and the two became one flesh. Thus, Isaac was comforted, and she also enjoyed all the riches which Isaac had inherited from his father. This typifies that the church is given to Christ to become one with Him as His beloved counterpart for His full satisfaction and thus to be able to enjoy all the riches which He has inherited from God the Father.
Isaac and Rebekah are a type of Christ and the church. Isaac inherited all that his father Abraham had and took Rebekah as his wife, who was of his father’s house and of his kindred. This is a type of Christ’s receiving all that was given to Him by the Father and inheriting all that the Father has, and also of His obtaining the church, which is of the same blood and flesh as He is, to be His beloved counterpart for the satisfaction of His heart’s intent.
As Isaac’s wife, Rebekah is a type of the church as Christ’s counterpart. Rebekah was chosen to be Isaac’s wife by the old servant whom Isaac’s father, Abraham, sent to the place from where he was called out by God. This typifies that the church is chosen and prepared by God to be given to Christ. Rebekah received a gold ring from the old servant, typifying that the church has received the Holy Spirit as a seal and a pledge. The old servant also gave her gold bracelets of ten shekels in weight for her hands; he also brought forth articles of silver, articles of gold, and raiment and gave them to her. This signifies that the church has received the spiritual gifts and the riches of Christ from the Holy Spirit, that she may carry out the heavenly function and enjoy the riches of Christ. After receiving and enjoying the riches, Rebekah was willing to leave her father’s house immediately and follow the old servant to go to Isaac and be married to Isaac to be loved by him. He was comforted, and she also enjoyed all the riches which Isaac had inherited from his father. This signifies that the church is willing to forsake her relatives in the flesh and follow the Holy Spirit to come to Christ. Moreover, at the close of this age, the church will be married to Christ to be His eternally beloved counterpart for His full satisfaction and thus be able to enjoy all the riches which He has inherited from God the Father.
