A Love Story of the Olden Time.
THE twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis is thrillingly interesting. We heard it read at a large Sunday-school gathering not long ago, and have since thought more about it. The narrative takes us back nearly as many years before the birth of Christ as we live this side of that event, or over 3740 years in all. Then we see the aged patriarch Abraham administering an oath in a peculiar way to the "eldest servant of his house" (whose name is not given, but was probably Eliezer), binding him to take a journey of some hundreds of miles to get a wife for Isaac from among his kindred; the meeting in Mesopotamia with Rebekah (Isaac's cousin), at the well; the night's entertainment at her father's house; the return journey; the marriage without courtship or personal acquaintance, and the happy issue—we cannot be otherwise than interested in it as a true story of Oriental life. But knowing that "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4), we are led to look beneath the surface, and to ask what lessons we may learn from this record. We note but two, though there are many others. 1. TAKE EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER.
It is a sad mistake to think that only our spiritual necessities are to be spread out before him. He cares for the body as well as for the soul. He who taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins," teaches us also to say, "Give us day by day our daily bread." Luke 11:1-3. The apostolic direction is emphatic: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil. 4:6, R. V. Abraham's godly servant prayed most earnestly respecting the temporal matter intrusted to him, watched the leadings of Providence, recognized the guiding hand, and made grateful acknowledgment of Jehovah's mercy. Why should not we imitate his example, at least so far as to express our desires to our heavenly Father, believe that he hears us, and that he will grant them if he sees that to do so would be for our good. 2. WE CAN LOVE THE UNSEEN.
Rebekah did. She had never seen Isaac; yet on the representations of Abraham's servant, she was willing to leave her father's house and the land of her nativity, and unite with him her interests for life. Is there not here a good illustration of gospel truth? Peter when speaking of Christ says: "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Pet. 1:7, 8. We cannot love the unknown, though we can the unseen. Rebekah was told of Abraham's great wealth which Isaac had inherited, and had some evidence of it in the caravan which she saw, and the jewels which were bestowed upon her and her relatives. She believed the servant's words, and acted accordingly. So we have heard in the gospel of the great riches of God the Father, and the matchless love of his Son, Jesus Christ, "whom he hath appointed heir of all things;" and "though we see him not," we can assuredly love him, so that when the question is put to us, "Wilt thou go with this man?" we are ready to answer, "I will go;" and casting in our lot with the people of God, we await the day when, the journey of the church being ended, we shall meet the heavenly Bridegroom—not as a solitary man out in the field meditating, but descending from Heaven with the glorious retinue of angels, ready to escort us into his Father's presence. Then shall our eyes "see the King in his beauty," and as we "shall be forever with the Lord," there will be ample time to form a personal acquaintance. Rebekah prized the kind words which she heard and the costly jewels which were given her; yet these did not satisfy her. She wanted to see the man himself, the one to whom she was now espoused. So as Christians, greatly as we prize the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can never be satisfied until we shall see Him who loves us, who gave himself for us, and in whose personal presence we are to dwell forever. We despise not the jewels, though we want to see Isaac.