You will be expecting, this month, to be shown the third portion of the picture giving us the early history of Rebecca, and perhaps you have-already been considering what it would be like.
One may well imagine a glorious sunset, something like artists have brought back on canvas from their tours in Palestine. The sun is setting upon what was but just before a tired, travel-stained caravan, but what a change! Its wonderful rays have gilded everything with its reflected glory, and each eye has now brightened with expectation, and the weary journey is already forgotten. The reason is not far to seek. The' travelers are nearing the home of Isaac, who has come forth to meet them. But there, is one in this picture, spite of all this reflected glory, who is more than ever conscious of her own shortcomings, as she sees Isaac for the first time. One half had not been told her of the splendor of the home and surroundings to which she is approaching, and which she is to share as a bride, and like the Queen of Sheba, "there was no more spirit in her." A veil appears to her far more becoming than anything else under the circumstances, and this she dons, and so the no less happy bride is welcomed by the bridegroom.
All this, however, carries us a long way beyond where we left off last month. Rebecca had then only decided to take the journey; but when the party is finally arranged, we are introduced to another person who is to accompany them, and no doubt Rebecca was astonished, as much as you and I would have been, at all the care and thought displayed in the arrangements for her journey. She had been quite willing to take it alone with this stranger if it must be so, but another had been found willing to go too.
If we are left to wonder who first suggested that her nurse should accompany her, one thing is very certain, it could only have been with the entire approval of Abraham's servant. It was certainly a touching piece of thoughtfulness that she should not be deprived of this companion of her childhood, Who was no longer to assert the authority which had previously been quite proper, but by counsel and advice to help her in conforming to all that was required by the one who had taken charge of them, and undertaken to see them safely through the desert.
And has not the Holy Spirit thought of us and our needs and loneliness; with infinite tenderness and compassion? He Himself is alone sufficient, and was so for the aged apostle John at the end of his pilgrimage, when in exile at Patmos. “Like as a father pitieth his children ... but he knoweth our frame." and how timid and shrinking we are as to the difficulties to be faced in going forth to meet the Bridegroom. He has thought of every weakness of ours, and our real strength lies in believing this, and trusting to Him to smooth each step as we take it. He was certainly no Stranger to the apostle John, who had had the high privilege of leaning his head on Jesus' bosom; but He has introduced us, who, to our loss, know Him so little, into the circle of the fellowship of the Lord's people, and they, while bound upon the same journey, are of like feelings with ourselves, and are able to help and encourage us. Indeed, we are commended to their care expressly by the Lord.
But you note the one essential in her companion must of necessity be that she was taking the same journey. There may have been plenty of amiable and more naturally agreeable young people left behind, but the fact that they were not going the same way rendered companionship impossible. It may have been, that in the details of the journey Rebecca momentarily repined, or that the old nurse from force of habit may occasionally have sought to exercise authority over Rebecca, which set aside that of Abraham's servant, but by a patient rebuke (not giving way to these shortcomings) all these matters were set right, and the journey was completed to the blessing of both.
This incident of the nurse seems a faint illustration of that wonderful promise, "There is no man that bath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children [i.e. by whichever of these forms the heart has hitherto been kept away from God] for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come, life everlasting." We may rest assured of this, we have most unworthy thoughts of God if we think He takes no care as to providing us with suitable companions nor cares for other needs by the way; and, in the spirit of this, Rebecca finds that in leaving all her kindred, it is already being made up to her. When we too respond to the Lord's "Follow thou me," He will more than surprise us; and skew how carefully He has thought out the journey for us and softened what seemed hardest! As has been said, "He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.”
How many yearnings of ours are unanswered because they come from some source of worldliness. It is evident that certain things would be out of place in traveling, and we must not be surprised if the Captain tells us He cannot carry easy chairs for us. Nor should it be our aim to make things easy for ourselves, for how often have we proved that the beds we make ourselves are the hardest of all.