June 11, 2006 Meeting - Message Summary

Our area of study today was Genesis 24. This is a very rich chapter and just as chapter 22 pointed forward to Christ, so does this chapter. It gives us pictures of God the Father, God the Son and especially God the Holy Spirit. If you are following along with our study, please see a brief summary of this below.

Abraham
· Abraham was a picture of God the Father, in that God the Father makes a marriage between His son Jesus and Christians (the Church), just as Abraham made the marriage between his son Isaac and Rebekah.

· Abraham demanded that Isaac not intermarry with the sinful Canaanites, just as God demands that Christians keep themselves separated from sin.

· Another important lesson here is that Christians should not marry spouses who are not Christians. Such a marriage will be greatly stressed and may not succeed.

The Chief Servant
The chief servant was a picture of the Holy Spirit in several ways.

· He did not speak of himself but of his master, just as the Holy Spirit speaks not of Himself but of God the Father and God the Son (Jesus).
· He called out the Bride (Rebekah), just as the Holy Spirit calls out the Church (Christians) to be the Bride of Christ.
· He brought the Bride to the Bridegroom, just as the Holy Spirit brings us to Christ. Please note that it is the Holy Spirit who brings us to Christ. Men may preach the gospel or witness to us but only the Holy Spirit brings us to Christ (salvation).
· He gave gifts to the Bride, as he saw fit, just as the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers (Christians), as He sees fit.

Isaac
Isaac was a picture of Christ (Jesus) in several ways.

· His Bride was called out by the servant, just as the Holy Spirit calls out sinners to become Christians – and therefore, the Bride of Christ.
· He went out to meet his Bride and took her to his late Mother’s tent, which was the place that Isaac’s Father (Abraham) had prepared for them. On the day decided upon by the Father, Jesus will take the Church (Christians) to dwell in the place prepared by His Father (heaven).

Rebekah
Rebekah was the picture of the Church (Christians) in that:

· She was called out by someone to become betrothed, just as we are called out by the Holy Spirit to become betrothed to Christ (to be saved or to become a Christian).
- She stepped out in faith and agreed to become betrothed to someone she had never seen, just as we step out in faith and agree to become betrothed to Christ, although we have never seen Him.