A BRIDE FOR ISAAC The succession of events carried a symbolic portrait of those of salvation. If the slaying of Isaac, the firstborn of Sarah, refers to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ the Lord, the death of Sarah bears, from one side, the rejection and nonacceptance of the Jewish nation, that gave birth, according to the flesh, to the Lord Christ. As to dispatching the ruler of Abraham’s house, to bring Rebecca a wife for Isaac, from the city of Haran, that, refers to the work of the Holy Spirit who attracted the nations (the Gentiles) from their wicked land -worshippers of idols - to set her a bride for the true Isaac, our Lord Jesus Christ, instead of Sarah. 1- Dispatching the chief servant in Abraham’s house 1-9. 2-In the city of Nahor 10-14. 3- An encounter with Rebecca 15-27. 4- In Rebecca’s house 28-40. 5- Success of the mission of the chief servant in Abraham’s house 50-60. 6- Rebecca, wife of Isaac 61-67. 1- DISPATCHING THE CHIEF SERVANT IN ABRAHAM’S HOUSE Sarah died 127 years old, as Abraham was 137 years old. After three years of Sarah’s death, Abraham said to the chief servant in his house: “Please put your hand under my thigh; and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country (Mesopotamia) and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. And the servant said to him, ‘Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land (Canaan). Must I take your son back to the land from which you had come?’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven. who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there’” (Gen. 24:2-7). What does putting the hand under the thigh mean? St. Augustine says that it refers to the oath by Him who would be incarnated from His seed1. It is as though Abraham was proclaiming by the spirit of prophecy, that the Lord, God of heaven and earth, will be incarnated through him. Abraham departed from Ur of the Chaldeans, from his kindred, putting in his heart through his obedience to the divine command, never to return to it, nor to bury his wife, or to send his son to marry. Indeed, he requested that his son should marry a wife from his kindred, so as not to be attached to a Canaanite, who may deviate his heart away from the love of God; believing that God Who called him, will surely send to his son, the wife that would help him in God’s way, the way Sarah did to him. Abraham did not care for his son’s wife to be rich or pretty, but his main concern was that she should be a believer, who would support his son in his spiritual life, and not an obstacle along his way; that is why God granted Isaac ‘Rebecca,’ a woman of pretty face and spirit; who was a comfort and joy to him all his days. 1 In Ioan tr 43:16. 4 2- IN THE CITY OF NAHOR The city of Nahor is close to Haran, north-west of ‘Mesa’ (Mesopotamia), known in the Assyrian documents and those of Mari. Its name probably came after ‘Nahor’ the grandfather of Abraham (Gen. 11: 22-25), or after his brother, the grandfather of Rebecca (Gen. 11:22-25), or after the name of the tribe as a whole. Nahor appears as the ancestor of a number of Aramite tribes (Gen. 22:20-24)1.] “Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. (Gen. 24:10-12) The messenger of Abraham refers to the Holy Spirit, sent by the Only-begotten Son from the Father, He came to our life as though to the city of Nahor, to set forth with us, from our land, on the camels of our Master, toward His land, namely, to carry us to His heavens, to be eternally with the heavenly Groom. If the figure 10 refers to the ten commandments, so the Holy Spirit is working in us, to carry us through the divine spiritual commandment, presenting us, ‘all goods,’ namely, the riches of the Spirit, peace of mind, fulfillment of soul, in order to receive the work of the Spirit in us; setting forth with us from glory to glory. The figure 10 probably refers also to our life on earth, as the figure 1000 refers to that in heaven. As the Holy Spirit sets forth with us to the land of promise - the Higher Jerusalem - he is presenting us here, in our earthly life, with eternal goods, as much as we can receive and enjoy, as a pledge for the enjoyment of the perfect eternal goods. We enjoy a portion of the dowry, and not the whole dowry. And as St. John Chrysostom says: [The Lord Christ, having made with us a (matrimonial) contract, sets for me a dowry, not of money but of blood. This dowry is the pledge for the goods: that “Eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man” (1 Corinthians 2:9). He sets the following things as my dowry: Eternity, the praise of angels, salvation from death, freedom from sin, inheritance of the great kingdom, righteousness, sanctification, salvation from present evils, discovery of future blessings. How great is my dowry! He came and took me, and set my dowry, saying: I am giving you My riches. Have you lost the Paradise? I shall give it back to you. But I shall not give you the whole dowry here. Why? So as to give it to you when you get to the royal position. Have you come to Me? No, it was I Who came to you, not to leave you where you are, but to take you back with Me. So, do not ask me for the dowry, while you are here in this life, but be filled with hope and faith!2] The Holy Spirit comes to us, as though on 10 camels, to offer to the Church of the richness of God, and to draw her continuously toward heaven, to enjoy the perfection of glory. How strange, that the man came to a well of water, in the evening, to seek a bride for Isaac. That well is nothing but the waters of baptism, where the Lord Christ encounters His Church, as His bride. And as Fr. Caesarius of Arles says: [If the Church had not come to the water of baptism, it would never have been united with Christ3.] And he also said: [Brethren, look at the servant of Isaac; he encountered Rebecca by the well; and Rebecca, in turn, had also encountered Isaac by the well 1 J. Mackenzie: Dictionary of the Bible, p. 602. .٦٦ – 2 الكنيسة تحبك، ١٩٨٦ ، ص ٦١ 3 Ser. 85.3. 5 (Gen. 24:62). Christ would never encounter the Church; nor the Church would encounter Christ, except by the secret of baptism1.] Origen sees in the well, a reference to the Scripture, where the soul encounters its Groom, saying: [Rebecca used to go every day to the well to draw water; and there she encountered Abraham’s servant, and got to marry Isaac... Learn to come every day to the well of the Scripture to draw continuously the water of the Holy Spirit2.] And he also says: [Do you wish to get engaged to Christ? He sends to you His servant - namely His inspired word, without which you can never gain Him, nor get married to Him3.] Getting back to Abraham’s servant, we find him like his master, trusting that God would ordain everything; So, as he came to the well, he prayed, surrendering himself into God’s hands; Then after everything was settled, he again, prayed and thanked God for the success of his mission (Gen. 24:48). This man, as I said, refers to the Holy Spirit, that descended upon the Church at the fulfillment of time, to sanctify it as a holy bride for the Lord Christ. Some look at that man as a symbol of the apostles, who came to preach among the Gentiles, to offer them as a bride to the Lord, by the Holy Spirit working in them. 3- AN ENCOUNTER WITH REBECCA The chief servant in Abraham’s house, once finished his talk of faith with God, the response was fast; as Rebecca, the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came to the well to draw water. Besides her physical beauty, she was tender in her speech and great in her generosity; when the stranger asked for a little water from her pitcher to drink, she quickly let her pitcher down, to give him a drink, and to offer to give water to his camels as well, even before he asks for that. She noticed how exhausted he was, so she was eager to serve him, to practice her love of hospitality. Through that loving spirit, Rebecca set forth from being a girl who lives in a pagan country, to become a wife for Isaac, and a mother to Jacob, father of all tribes. By love and meekness, Rebecca had been lifted up to enjoy what never got on her mind nor came to her dreams. “And the man wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. The man took a golden nose ring weighing half a sheckel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten sheckels of gold” (Gen. 24:21-22). Some believe that the word “Rebecca” is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning ‘to perplex4,’ while St. Clement of Alexandria believes that it means ‘the glory of God5.’ She was the daughter of ‘Bethuel,’ meaning ‘man of God,’ son of ‘Milcah,’ meaning ‘queen’ or ‘counsel.’ In other words, Rebecca, representing the Church and bride of Christ the Lord, carries in her the glory of God, and enjoys an exalted beauty that perplex those who see her. The source of her beauty was that her father was the man of God, and her mother was the holy counsel. Her beauty was truly manifested, when she accepted the gifts of her groom: the golden nose-ring and the two golden bracelets on her wrists. If gold refers to the spiritual mark or the heavenly nature, the Church, 1 Ser. 85.4. 2 In Gen. hom 10:2. 3 In Gen. hom 10:2. 4 Strong’s Dictionary of the Hebrew. 5 Strom 4:26. 6 receiving the work of God through his ministers, her senses become heavenly, and so also her hands, to sense nothing but divine things, and to do nothing but what are related to the kingdom of God. Fr. Caesarius says: [The golden nose-ring refers to the divine words, and the golden bracelets, to the good deeds, as works are referred to hands. Let us, brethren, see how Christ presented these gifts to the Church!1] Origen says: [Rebecca’s beauty was only manifested when Abraham’s servant came to adorn her. Her hands are not to be adorned except by what Isaac sends her. She wishes to enjoy the golden words and deeds. Yet, she could not enjoy them, nor be worthy of them, unless she comes to draw water from the well. You, who are reluctant to come to the well, or to enjoy the golden words of the prophets, how could you carry the adornments of the teachings and the beauty of life?!2] When the man asked her whether there is room in her father’s house for them to lodge, she answered: “We have both straw and food enough, and room to lodge, Then the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord” (Gen. 24:25-26). There is nothing to glorify the Lord in our life, like having hearts wide enough for people, to find food for them and for their camels, and room to lodge and get rest. Let us say to the whole world: “We have both straw and feed enough and room to lodge.” We do not seek anything from the world. We want instead to give fulfillment and rest to all. What Rebecca, as a representative of the Church of the New Testament, was, likewise, it was practiced by the apostle Paul as one of its members, saying: “O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open” (2 Corinthians 6:11). 4- IN REBECCA’S HOUSE As Laban saw his sister Rebecca, adorned with the nose-ring and the two bracelets, and heard what happened to her, he hastened to the man to say: “Come in, O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels” (Gen. 24:31). As the man came to the house, and he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him, and food was set before him to eat, he said: “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” He began to talk about how the Lord has greatly blessed his master Abraham. How Sarah, his master’s wife bore a son to him in his old age. How his master commanded him concerning the marriage of his son Isaac. And how God worked with him when he came to the well and encountered Rebecca. Then, he ended his talk by saying: “Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left” (Gen. 24:49). Here, we are amazed before the work of God. It was not only Rebecca, but also her brother Laban who were characterized by tenderness and generosity! He calls Abraham’s servant “Blessed of the Lord,” and insists on not leaving him outside, offering him a place in his heart before his house! It is as though God set that amazing spiritual atmosphere, amid a pagan community, filled with defilement and denials; as though God set it for the sake of Abraham, the Patriarch, to put his heart at ease, as far as his son Isaac is concerned; or as though God was preparing Rebecca as a spiritual wife for Isaac, worthy of motherhood to the whole people of God! Amid the pitch 1 Ser. 85:3. 2 In Gen. hom 10:4. 7 darkness of that city, and of the whole region, God was preparing a girl to such an exalted role! We should not also disregard the role played by the chief servant of Abraham’s house. When he saw how God gave him success by the well, and now, as he was entering the house, he feared that the niceties of hospitality might distract his attention from his mission; that is why he insisted on not eating until he had told, about God’s deeds, and had the family’s word concerning his errand; or else to tell him, that he may turn to the right hand or to the left. He, having been a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who works in the world to bring on the Church and bride of Christ, always acts according to a well-defined divine goal, or, having been a symbol of the apostles and disciples, preaching the Holy Spirit, to gain souls to fellowship in the body of Christ, His holy bride, do not preoccupy themselves with the human niceties of hospitality, but seek to realize God’s goal in them. That is why the Lord Christ commended them, saying, “Do not go from house to house” (Luke 10:7), and, “Greet no one along the road” (Luke 10:4). 5- SUCCESS OF THE MISSION OF THE CHIEF SERVANT OF ABRAHAM’S HOUSE With every successful step, the man “worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth” (Gen. 24:52), offering a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, who arranges everything with His own hands. All of them felt that all these things come from the Lord. The servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebecca (Gen. 24:53). He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. However, as the procession was about to move, they said: “We will call the young woman and ask her personally; then they called Rebecca and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ And she said, ‘I will go’” (Gen. 24:57-58). They believed in freedom of choice. Under no circumstances, a young girl or a young man should be compelled to marry a particular person! If God respects man, and sanctifies his free will, we, on our part, should believe in the freedom of our children, brothers, and sisters, should not compel them to do a thing, but counsel and support them. In complete freedom she said, “I will go.” She submitted to the divine command, and departed from her family and her household, to hear them blessing her, saying: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands, of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them” (Gen. 24:60). They asked God for their sister, growth and fruition, her descendants to become thousands and tens of thousands; and asked for them the strength, not to be destroyed by an enemy, but to “possess the gates of those who hate them.’ Rebecca then set forth with her much beloved nurse “Deborah” (see Gen. 35:8), her name meaning a ‘bee,’ who raised her to become like an active bee, to collect the nectar of the holy teachings out of every book, to be transformed by God in her depths into honey that fulfills her life and give her sweetness. 6- REBECCA, WIFE OF ISAAC Rebecca set forth to go to her Groom Isaac, after having left her kindred and household; as though she is the Church of the New Testament, that forsook what she had inherited from the pagan world, to receive the Lord Christ as her Groom. And as the servant encountered her by the well, Isaac came out to encounter her by the well of 8 “Beer Lahai Roi,” as though by the water of baptism. Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening (Gen. 24:63). Some scholars believe that it was the custom of some Jews to come out in the evening to pray to God in open air, to meditate in God’s work with them on that day, which is the custom still followed by many monks in Egypt. Isaac represented the Lord Christ, who forsook His glories, and set forth to the field through incarnation, to receive the modest Rebecca who, when seeing Him, she dismounted from her camel to meet Him, after taking a veil of meekness and shyness, and covering her face... Thus, Isaac brought Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took her to become his wife, and loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death (Gen. 24:67). Fr. Caesarius comments on that behavior, saying: [Isaac brought Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent; and the Lord Christ took the Church and set her in the place of the Synagogue. Through denial, the Synagogue separated itself from God and died, while through faith, the Church attached herself to the Lord Christ and received life. And as the apostle says that through pride, the branches of the olive tree were broken off (Romans 11:17), to be grafted into the modest wild olive tree. That is why it is said: “He took Rebecca and became his wife, and he loved her, and was comforted after his mother’s death.” The Lord Christ took the Church, and loved her deeply, and was comforted by that love after the death of His mother, namely, the Synagogue. The denial of the Synagogue saddened Christ, and the faith of the Church gave Him joy1.] 1 Ser. 85:5.
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