One of my favorite stories is the romance of Isaac and Rebekah. Told in Genesis 24, Isaac’s father, Abraham, wanted to ensure his son found the best possible wife. So he loaded some camels and sent a servant on a journey to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac. There, the servant met a girl named Rebekah, who was from Abraham’s family. She agreed to be Isaac’s bride.
I’ve heard this story plenty of times but was recently startled by Rebekah’s willingness to leave her family, travel to an unknown destination with a stranger and marry a man she’d never met. What made Rebekah certain she would be treated well?
The clue is in the camels. You see, as soon as Rebekah met the servant, she watered his camels. In return, he adorned her with costly gold rings and bracelets. When introduced to her family, the servant unloaded his camels and gave Rebekah even more gifts — jewels, silver, gold, and fine clothing. To her brother and mother, he gave many “precious things.”
The servant was on an errand for a wealthy master who intended not to steal but to bless. The proof is the gifts.
How does this story point to God’s best for you?
Like Abraham, God is a wealthy father who sent his servant, Jesus, in search of a bride: you and me. To live our best life, we must leave our own familiar surroundings and securities to embark on a spiritual journey where the ultimate destination is a place we’ve never been: heaven.
But how do we know God is trustworthy? Again, it is the gifts.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” wrote James, the brother of Jesus (James 1:17).
Scripture is full of the gifts God offers to those who embark on this journey. The gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The gifts the Spirit bestows (Romans 12:6). The gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8). And ultimately, the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).
The story of Isaac and Rebekah doubles as an allegory — a tale meant to reveal a hidden meaning. Had Rebekah refused the servants gifts and offer, she never would have discovered the life God had planned for her. In the same way, we must receive God’s offer in faith and embark on a journey to find the best life he has planned for us – even when the destination is unfamiliar.
While this takes trust, it also puts you in the best position to receive the many precious gifts God has planned.
Meadow Rue Merrill writes for children and adults from a little house in the big woods of Midcoast Maine.
Her memoir, Redeeming Ruth: Everything Life Takes, Love Restores, is available for pre-order and releases
May 1. www.meadowrue.com
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