(Gen. 22; 23; 24)
The Call And Journey Of Rebekah.
" Wilt thou go with this man?" was the question plainly put to Rebekah; and she readily replied, "I will go." This was faith's answer—the answer of a heart that was already under the power of the call of God. She had heard, she had received, the report of what the God of glory had done for the house of Abraham in the land of Canaan. True, she had not seen Isaac, she had not seen the inheritance, but she believed the report, and accepted the jewels as an earnest of the inheritance, and as the gifts of her espousals. Laban, a worldly man, might have an eye to the jewels of silver and gold that were spread out before him; but Rebekah had a heart for the land and the people that were yet afar off. She had faith in the testimony of the Spirit of God, by the lips of Eliezer. It was that which made her willing to leave her country, kindred, and her father's house. Nothing else could have separated her from all that which nature holds so dear. But the solemn question now was, not merely accepting Isaac's hand, or sharing Abraham's wealth, but an inheritance of the Lord's providing in Canaan, or of nature's providing in Mesopotamia?
Which will she choose? The one was present and known, the other was distant and future. A long journey lay between the country of nature and the land of promise. Eliezer was a stranger, Isaac was a stranger, and the people among whom she was to dwell were all strangers to her: nevertheless, the report she heard and believed had filled her heart. Her eye was on the blessing of God, and a portion in the land of promise. Precious faith! Home, country, kindred, circumstances, all became as nothing to her when she believed the report concerning the future to be true.
Such is the way of faith in all ages and in every land; it yields a ready obedience to the call of God. Rebekah was now prepared to act in accordance with her own memorable words, "/ will go." " And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and she rode upon the camels, and followed the man." Her journey through the lonely desert in company with one who had told her all about Abraham and Isaac, and her future dignity and glory as the son's bride in the better land, is strikingly typical of our path of separation through this world, under the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. She was going onward to meet her Isaac; we to meet our heavenly Bridegroom. She had left all; she had nothing now but Isaac in prospect. Nevertheless, with him before her, the wilderness rejoiced; all around was bright with hope. But supposing she lost sight of him for a moment, and became attracted by some other object, her position was that of a homeless, portionless, stranger in a dreary desert. So it is with the church, so it is with the Christian when Christ is lost sight of.
Isaac waits in patience with his father for the return of Eliezer and the fruit of his mission. He comes out alone to meditate in the field at the eventide. But to his unspeakable comfort and joy, he returns not alone. He meets his approaching bride in the desert, veiled in reverent love and humility. " Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and took her, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Beautiful picture of confidence in the love of one not yet seen, of going forth to meet the Bridegroom, and of the nuptial glories of the Lamb in the house of many mansions.
Lord, hasten that happy day in thine own good time; and meanwhile, preserve us from the attractions and hindrances of the way; and maintain our souls in uninterrupted communion with the mind of Him who is exclusively heavenly.
And now, my dear reader, may I ask, What is thy portion? What is its character? Earthly or heavenly? Faith's portion or nature's portion? Which? This is the one, the all-important question. The one is for time, the other for eternity. The one we leave behind us when we die; the other is waiting and ready for us on the other side of death and the grave. The rich man's palace and purple robes with his sumptuous fare, were all, all, left behind him when he died; and not so much as a drop of cold water could he find in hell. He had never thought on the next world, and had made no provision for it, therefore he had only himself to reproach. But this is his agony—self-reproach; and this his despair—no opportunity of changing his position; the gulf is fixed—fixed by God, fixed forever. The gloom of hopeless despair is the inevitable condition of all who despise a heavenly portion through faith in Christ.
But the poor beggar, who had no palace, no purple robes, no sumptuous fare, no friends; had chosen faith's portion; and when he died he entered into the possession and enjoyment of a rich inheritance on high. There was his estate, there were his palaces, his royal robes, his banquets of love, his feasts of joy, his songs of praise, his Father's house, his Savior's face, his many friends; and all this forever and forever. No cloud will ever interrupt the bright beams of His countenance—the eternal sunshine of that happy land.
" No cloud those happy regions know,
Forever bright and fair;
Nor sin, that source of human woe,
Can ever enter there.
There no alternate night is known,
Nor sun's imperfect ray;
But glory from the eternal throne,
Spreads everlasting day.
Oh may the heavenly vision fire
Our hearts with ardent love,
Till wings of faith and strong desire
Bear every thought above."
Which then, my dear reader, is to be thy future—thy eternal state? Is it to be one of unmingled felicity, or of unmingled misery? Is it to be with the once rich man in hell, or with the once poor man in heaven? This must now be thy first, thy one question. All others dwindle into utter insignificance compared with this. Is it not strange—more than strange—unaccountable; that any in their sane mind should even hesitate for a single moment as to which? Were it merely a question as to this life, we would cease to wonder. The unbeliever may be as comfortable in this life as the believer, and even appear to enjoy it more; but then, what of the future? to say nothing of the Christian's present peace of mind.
Rebekah had no need to leave her own country and people to find the good things of this life in another land. There was no doubt plenty of wealth in Mesopotamia, and all that nature values. She might have found a bridegroom, a home with every comfort in Padan-aram. Why not? The sons of Esau in after years were dukes, the sons of Jacob were shepherds. Though Abraham was rich and Isaac his heir, she gave up what is called position, when she married Isaac. But she valued the blessing of God more than wealth or worldly dignity. She thought of what the Lord had done for Abraham in heavenly blessing; not merely of his temporal prosperity; she was in no need of his riches; it was the report of the God of glory being in some way connected with Abraham and Isaac, and their communion with Him, that. had power in her soul. Nothing else could have led her to give up present wealth, comfort, and position in the world, to be a pilgrim and a stranger with merely a tent and an altar. But she chose to be with the people of God that she might share with them His blessing and the coming glory. The future to her was infinitely more than the present. This was faith—faith in God's word, and one of its noblest deeds, " This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." May God give thee this faith even now, my dear reader, only believe, believe in Jesus now. He is better than the world now; and heaven will be better than hell hereafter.
There are, alas, at this moment, thousands of believers, yes, and true believers in Christ as the Savior, who cannot, as Rebekah did, give up position in the world for Him. They believe in Him who died for them on the cross, and they are saved, thank the Lord; and many of them are very pious; but they know nothing of taking up the cross and following Him as the rejected One by this world. Multitudes in this country bow down and worship this idol, position, who would be the first to cry out against the grosser forms of worldliness. Their money they will freely give to feed the hungry and clothe the naked: to pay for missionaries at home, or to send the gospel abroad; in works of philanthropy, and in bettering the condition of the world, they love to have a chief place. But speak of strangership here, speak of following Christ as rejected by the world and received up into heaven, and you are not understood; and few indeed wish to understand you. It would take them out of their loved position both in the world and in the professing church. And, as they say, this peculiar path of separation is not necessary to salvation; and further, as they may do a great deal of good in an evil world, without giving up either their social or ecclesiastical position, they endeavor to persuade themselves that it is right to hold it. But this is to remain in Padan-aram. This is to reject the call of God to leave it, and enter upon a wilderness life, looking for the Lord's coming Isaac was the dead and risen heir in Canaan; Rebekah must go to him if she is to be a joint-heir of the father's inheritance. But the waste howling desert lay between the two countries, that must be crossed, there was no other way.
To walk according to the mind of Christ in heaven, would surely make us pilgrims and strangers in this world; and we would love to be so. Communion with our blessed Lord in heaven would destroy all relish for the world. It would soon become as a scene of strange sights and sounds to us. Would this please my Lord? Would this be service to Him? would soon become our test for everything. As Rebekah left all in her own country, both its religion and its world, to walk as a stranger with Isaac in Canaan: so the Christian is called of God to leave, by faith, nature's country, both its religion and its world, that he may walk in spirit with Christ in heaven. Rebekah, like the Christian, may forget and fail, but we must speak of her in leaving Padan-aram, as possessing like precious faith with Abraham and Isaac; and as a noble example in this respect for every Christian to follow.
But one word more with thee, my friend and reader, before parting. We may never meet again in this world. What hast thou said in answer to the beautiful gospel invitation, " Wilt thou go with this man?" Hast thou replied as readily, as decidedly as the bride of old, " I will go?" The Lord. in His infinite mercy grant it. This is all—a plain Yes or No, when the Man Christ Jesus is the object before the heart. And however long the anxious soul may be in a state of uncertainty, it must come to this sooner or later; Yes or No. But an eternity of joy or sorrow hangs on the brief Yes or No. Redemption's mighty work is done; Jesus died on the cross; put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; glorified God; rose again from the dead; ascended up into heaven; and there He waits in patience for thy Yes, " I will go;" and for the return of the Holy Spirit with the full fruits of His mission; then the marriage of the Lamb will be celebrated according to the purpose of God to glorify His Son.
Thus thou wilt see, that all who are converted now, are not only saved and have peace with God, but they will ere long share in the nuptial glories of that long-looked for day. They will not only be present, but they will form part of the " glorious church;" the bride of the Lamb. They have long known His love as manifested on the cross; now they will know it as manifested in glory, and especially in the relation of Bridegroom. What a day that will be even to heaven—long accustomed to scenes of love and glory! The once poor, pilgrim, Gentile church, owned and honored in heaven, not only as the bride, but as the wedded wife of the Lamb forever. The temporary relation of bride has passed into the permanent one of wife. But the youthful bloom and beauty of her bridal day shall never fade before His eye; and the freshness of their first love, with its untold mysteries of ever increasing delight, shall know no change forever. Wondrous, ineffable, unutterable, unmingled blessedness! Who would not long to be there? Who would hesitate to say " I will go?" This will indeed be heaven—the heaven of heavens to all who believe in Jesus now.
The Lord give thee, my dear reader, to be decided for Jesus now—just now. All depends upon thy yes or no. The dread realities of eternity—the nuptial glories of the Lamb or the flames of hell, quiver in the balance. Thy emphatic " I will go," will be like a solid weight in the one scale, and the other will fly up as lighter than vanity. Oh! hesitate not a single moment Exclaim, " Yes! yes, I will go; I will go!" Think only of the future. Look not around thee. Think not of thy present position, comforts, or friends. Think only of present salvation, and of future glory; of the degradation of being lost; of the honor of being saved; of lying bound with a chain in the depths of hell forever; of enjoying the liberty of the sons of God, in the realms of glory forever; of companionship with Jesus; of the gnawings of the worm that never dies.
How few, as thou knowest, are prepared to give up the world at once for the blessed Jesus! therefore plain speaking is necessary. They prefer, like the profane Esau, a present gratification to the hope of future glory. But their days of pleasure-seeking will soon be past; and then the solemn words of the poet may be engravers on their tomb-
" Thy songs are at an end; thy harp
Shall solace thee no more;
All mirth has perished in thy grave,
The melody that could not save
Has died upon death's sullen wave
That flung thee on this shore.
No God is there: no Christ; for He
Whose word on earth was ' Come:
Hath said, Depart;' go, lost one, go,
Reap the sad harvest thou didst sow,
Join you lost angels in their woe,
The prison is thy home."
Again, in parting, both with the worldly Christian and with the careless sinner; we can only pray, that the fine, bold, unhesitating, ever memorable, " I will go" of Rebekah, may find a happy response in every heart now, and a true reflection in all our ways in future; to the praise and glory of the name of Jesus. Amen.