Abraham—Called by God: LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC A TYPE OF CHRIST MARRYING THE CHURCH

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LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC A TYPE OF CHRIST MARRYING THE CHURCH

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

Genesis 24:63-64

Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:7

The Bible is a divine book composed with the divine concepts. Because of this, it contains many wonderful records, of which Genesis 24 is one. This chapter not only unfolds a living in oneness with God; it also implies something deeper than human living. This is the reason that it is difficult for the human mind to fathom the depths of the Bible. On the surface of Genesis 24, we have a record of human living, but in its depths there lies something divine. Although it is easy to view the surface, it is difficult to probe into the depths.

In Genesis 24 we see a marriage which is a type of Christ marrying the church. In the New Testament we cannot find a verse which says that this marriage is a type of Christ marrying the church. However, the New Testament clearly reveals that Isaac, the son of Abraham, was a type of Christ being Abraham’s unique seed (Gal. 3:16). Based upon the fact that Isaac was a type of Christ, we may infer that Isaac’s marriage was a type of the marriage of Christ.

Because the Bible is a divine book composed with the divine concepts, we can see these concepts in the various biblical records. For example, we are all familiar with the story of Joseph. Although there is no word in the New Testament saying that Joseph was a type of Christ, any reader of the Bible can recognize that Joseph’s story closely resembles that of Christ. Some Bible teachers say that we should not allegorize anything in the Scriptures unless the New Testament indicates that it is an allegory or a type of certain spiritual things. But we should not insist on this, for although the New Testament does not say that Joseph was a type of Christ, every Bible teacher recognizes that Joseph was an excellent type of Christ. As we read the story of Joseph, we see that it depicts the life of Christ. Many incidents in Joseph’s life, such as his betrayal, are similar to those in the life of Christ. In the same principle, because Isaac is a type of Christ and because the marriage of Isaac resembles the marriage of Christ, we may say that the marriage recorded in Genesis 24 is a type of the marriage of Christ.

In Genesis 24 we have four main persons: the father, the son, the servant, and the bride. This is very meaningful. As we come to the New Testament, we see that the Triune God is working together to obtain a bride for the Son. What is the subject of the New Testament? If you say that the subject of the New Testament is just Jesus as our Savior, I would say that this is good, but that it is not all-inclusive. The subject of the New Testament is the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, working together to obtain the bride for the Son. The Father made the plan, the Spirit carries out the Father’s plan, and the Son enjoys what the Father has planned and what the Spirit carries out. Who is the bride? The bride is a part of the human race which will marry the Son and become His counterpart. Matthew 28:19 speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. In the Acts and Epistles we see how the Spirit works according to the Father’s plan to obtain the bride for the Son. At the end of the New Testament, in the book of Revelation, we see the bride. Revelation 19:7 says, “The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Ultimately, the whole New Jerusalem, a city-lady, will be the bride (Rev. 21:2, 9-10). Although such a term as city-lady may sound strange, there is nothing wrong with using it, because the New Jerusalem will be a female, the wife of the Lamb, the counterpart of the Son of God. The entire New Testament is simply a record of the Triune God working together to gain a part of the human race to be the bride, the counterpart, of the Son.

THE FATHER’S PLAN

Firstly, we have the Father’s plan. According to the King James Version, Ephesians 3:11 speaks of “the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The word purpose is an archaic term for the modern word plan. When we speak of God’s plan we are referring to God’s purpose. In eternity past God made a plan, a plan to have the church for Christ (Eph. 3:8-11). God’s plan is not just to have a group of sinners, nor to have a group of redeemed ones. Such a concept is too low. God’s plan is to have a bride for His Son.

We have heard time and time again that Christ came to save sinners. But have you ever heard a message telling you that Christ came to have the bride? John 3:29 says, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” In the four Gospels the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was the Bridegroom (Matt. 9:15). He came not only to save sinners but to have the bride. Are we still sinners? No, we are the bride! Praise the Lord that we are no longer sinners—we are the bride! Should we still come to God confessing our sins in a begging way? No, we must come to Him joyfully, saying, “Praise the Lord! I am so happy that I am no longer a sinner. I’m a part of the bride!” Christ came not merely to be our Savior and Redeemer; He also came to be the Bridegroom. God did not plan to save a group of poor sinners and bring them all into heaven. God planned to take a part of the human race and make them the counterpart of His dear Son. Eventually, in the new heaven and the new earth, we shall not have a group of pitiful sinners; we shall have the bride, the New Jerusalem, the wife of the Lamb.

As we have seen, God the Father planned to take a bride for His Son out of the human race. Abraham, a type of the Father, charged his servant, a type of the Holy Spirit, not to take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites but from Abraham’s kindred (24:4, 7). In typology, this indicates that the counterpart of Christ must come from Christ’s race, not from the angels nor from any other creatures. Since Christ was incarnated as a man, humanity has become His race. Do not always think of humanity as being so poor. Humanity is not poor. Because humanity is the race of Christ, it is dear and precious to God. Only out of humanity can God obtain the counterpart for His Son. Therefore, we all must be proud of being a part of humanity and must say, “Praise the Lord that I am a man! Thank Him that I was not created as a part of the angelic race but as part of the human race.”

In Genesis 2 we see that God brought the living creatures to Adam to be named by him. Adam said, “This is a dog, and this is a cat. This is a monkey, and this is a donkey.” As he looked at all those creatures, he did not find his counterpart among them. Thus, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, took one of his ribs, and built it into a woman as his counterpart (2:21-22). Hence, Adam and Eve were of the same race. This indicates that Christ’s counterpart must come from His race, the human race. We all have been created as the human race, and as a part of the human race we all have been reborn. Only the human race is qualified to be the counterpart of Christ.

THE SPIRIT’S ERRAND

While the father had a plan, the servant received a commission, an errand (v. 33). Abraham commissioned him to go to his race and take a wife for his son. This signifies that God the Father has commissioned God the Spirit. The New Testament reveals such a divine commission.

TO REACH THE CHOSEN BRIDE • As Abraham commissioned his servant to reach the chosen bride (vv. 10-21), so God the Father commissioned God the Spirit to reach the human race. We all can testify that at a certain time the Spirit of God came to us. Perhaps you would say, “I didn’t realize that God the Spirit came to me. I only know that someone preached the gospel to me.” As that person was preaching the gospel to you, you were attracted by what he said and were willing to receive it. Although you did not understand everything he was saying, something deep within you was responding. In our mentality, many of us said, “I don’t like this,” but deep within our spirit we said, “This is very good.” In my early ministry in China I did a great deal of gospel preaching. When the learned Chinese, who thought of Christianity as a foreign religion, heard our preaching, they said in their mentality, “This is a foreign religion; I don’t like it.” But, as many of them later testified, while they were saying this, something deep within them said, “This is what I need.” What was it that caused them to respond in this way deep within? It was the Holy Spirit reaching them.

Rebekah never dreamed that she would be selected to be Isaac’s wife. According to the custom of the time, she simply went to draw water late in the afternoon. But on this day something special happened. Before she came to the well, Abraham’s servant was already there. This indicates the Spirit’s coming to the human race (v. 10). Before we ever heard the preaching of the gospel or came to a gospel meeting, the Holy Spirit was already there waiting.

In Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant, who had come to a well (v. 11), asked a woman to give him a drink of water (v. 17). In John 4, the Lord Jesus, who had come to Jacob’s well (John 4:6), also asked a woman for a drink. Preachers often say that we are thirsty and need the living water to quench our thirst. But have you ever heard that the Holy Spirit is thirsty and needs you to quench His thirst? In Genesis 24 we see a servant who was thirsty after his long journey, and in John 4 we see a Savior who was thirsty after His tiring journey. Who was more thirsty in Genesis 24, the servant or Rebekah? The servant was. Likewise, who was more thirsty in John 4, the Lord Jesus or the Samaritan woman? The Lord Jesus was. Hence, as we preach the gospel, we must tell people that the Father, Son, and Spirit are thirsty for them.

Rebekah did not have the sense that she was thirsty; neither did she feel the need for a husband. It was the servant who was thirsty. By the time he had reached the city of Nahor, he was thirsty both physically and spiritually, thirsting for the woman who would be the proper wife for his master’s son. In John 4, the Lord Jesus also was thirsty both physically and spiritually. As you are reading this message, the Holy Spirit is even now thirsty for you. Will you give Him a drink and quench His thirst?

When we heard the preaching of the gospel in the past, we did not realize that the Holy Spirit was thirsty for us. We might have thought, “Why is this preacher so ambitious to convince me?” But that was not the ambition of the preacher; it was the thirst of the Spirit. As you were listening to the preaching of the gospel, did you not sense that someone was desirous of having you? At the time you were saved, you felt that someone was chasing you. On the one hand, you said, “I don’t like this”; on the other hand, something deep within you said, “You cannot run away.”

As Rebekah went to draw water from the well that day, she was completely innocent, having no idea of what was to happen to her. She did not realize that by giving a man a drink of water and by drawing water for his camels she would be caught. But the father far away had made a plan to take a woman from her race as the wife for his son and had commissioned his servant to carry out this plan. Thus, the servant came to the city of Nahor and purposely waited there by the well. He was a real hunter hunting for a wife for Isaac. If Rebekah had never spoken to the servant, she would not have been caught. But, as we have seen, what happened did not depend on her. The servant had already prayed that the Lord would give him success, saying, “Let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master” (v. 14). While he was still speaking in this way, Rebekah came. When he asked her for a drink of water, she not only gave him a drink, but said, “I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking” (vv. 18-19). Although Rebekah did not realize it, in doing this, she was caught.

Many of us can testify that, at the beginning, we did not think well of Christ. But at a certain time something deep within began to love Him. When I was a youth, I did not understand very much about Christ, but I did love Him. Although I could not explain it then, I simply began to love Him. But now I know the reason: in eternity, the Father had planned to catch me. Although I am just a little man, I am more than worthy of being caught by God. We all have been caught by Him according to His plan. Let me ask you, did you desire to be saved or to be a Christian? None of us did. But one day we heard the name of Jesus and responded to it in love. This is the sign that we have been chosen. Who brought the servant to the city of Nahor where Rebekah dwelt? And who brought Rebekah to the well where the servant was waiting? Undoubtedly, it was the Spirit of God. Our being saved did not depend on us. It was the result of the Father’s plan and the Spirit’s commission.

Abraham’s servant eventually reached Rebekah through the satisfying water (v. 14). God’s chosen ones are the satisfying water to the Holy Spirit. Today the Holy Spirit comes to seek God’s chosen ones as Christ did at the well of Sychar (John 4:7). If anyone responds to Him and satisfies His desire, this is a sign that he is one of those chosen for Christ and that he will be gained by the Holy Spirit for Christ.

TO BRING THE RICHES OF CHRIST TO THE BRIDE • The Spirit also brings the riches of Christ to the bride (vv. 10, 22, 47, 53). After the camels had finished drinking, the servant put a golden ring on Rebekah’s nose and two bracelets upon her hands (v. 22, Heb.). The best way to catch a person is to catch his nose. That Rebekah had a ring on her nose and bracelets upon her hands meant that she had been caught. After giving her these things, the servant asked her, “Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?” (v. 23). Once the servant was brought into Rebekah’s home, he testified of Isaac’s riches. After Rebekah’s brother Laban and father Bethuel accepted the servant’s proposal, he gave Rebekah more of Isaac’s riches, articles of silver, articles of gold, and raiment (v. 53). He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. This is exactly what John 16:13-15 reveals concerning the Spirit. In these verses, the Lord Jesus said that the Spirit will not speak of Himself, but that He will glorify the Son. All that the Father has is His, and the Spirit receives of His and discloses it to the disciples. Suppose Abraham’s servant had said to Laban, “It is difficult for Abraham to earn a living in Canaan, and his son Isaac is not healthy. I have been sent to get a helper for him.” Do you think that after hearing such a thing Rebekah would have said, “I will go”? No, she would have run away instead. But the testimony of Abraham’s servant was not poor; rather, it was very rich. The servant said that the Lord had blessed his master Abraham, that he had become great, that he had given all things to his son Isaac, and that his master had charged him to find a wife for his son. As Rebekah was listening to this testimony, she was attracted to Isaac and was willing to go to him.

This is a picture of how the Holy Spirit comes to us testifying of the riches of Christ. Today Christ is the One appointed to inherit all the riches of the Father. We know this because the Spirit has told us of it through the Scriptures. Because of the Spirit’s testimony, we have all been attracted to Christ. Every saved one who loves and seeks the Lord has been attracted in this way. We do not care for the things that the worldlings are seeking. We enjoy coming to the church meetings and telling the Lord Jesus how much we love Him. Oh, we love Him, we seek Him, and we praise Him! Over and over we say, “Lord Jesus, I love You.”

Rebekah realized the riches of Isaac through the gifts which Abraham’s servant brought forth to her. Today we realize the riches of Christ, which He has received of the Father, through the gifts that the Spirit has dispensed to us. Before Rebekah met Isaac in the good land, she had participated in and enjoyed Isaac’s inheritance. It is the same with us in partaking of Christ’s inheritance. Before we meet Him, we enjoy the gifts of the Spirit as a foretaste of the full taste of His riches.

TO CONVINCE THE BRIDE • The Spirit also convinces the bride (vv. 54-58). After the servant, typifying the Spirit, brought Rebekah the riches, she was convinced and was willing to marry Isaac. Although her relatives wanted her to linger, Rebekah, upon hearing the servant’s testimony of Isaac, said, “I will go” (v. 58). She was willing to go to Isaac in the land of Canaan. Likewise, we are willing to go to Christ. Although we have never seen Him, we have been attracted by Him and we love Him (1 Pet. 1:8). Although Rebekah had never met Isaac, she loved him. When she heard about him, she simply loved him and wanted to go to a land far off to be with him. As long as we have the willingness to go to Christ, it is a sign that we are the chosen Rebekah. As I have watched the young people loving Jesus, I have said, “What are all these young people doing here? Why don’t they seek the things of the world?” But deep within, I know the reason. We have all been convinced that Christ is the wonderful One. He is the most lovable One in the whole universe. How we love Him! As Rebekah was riding on the camel to be with Isaac, she must have said many times, “Isaac, I love you! Isaac, I want to see you and be with you!” It is the same with us today. As we are traveling on our long journey, we say over and over again, “Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I long to meet You and be in Your presence.”

TO BRING THE BRIDE TO CHRIST • Eventually, the servant brought Rebekah to Isaac (vv. 51, 61-67). Although it was a long journey, he brought her through and presented her to Isaac as his bride. The Holy Spirit has convinced us and now He is bringing us to Christ. Although it is a long journey, eventually He will bring us through and present us to Christ as His lovely bride.

THE CHURCH’S RESPONSE

Now we must see the church’s response. As we have seen, Rebekah responded immediately, being willing to go with the servant to Isaac. Although there is within our old, fallen nature a reluctance to follow the Lord immediately, we cannot deny that there is also within us the willingness to follow Him. Although we are still in this old nature, it is nevertheless easy for us to follow the Lord. It is much easier to follow Him than not to follow Him. Do not believe the lie of the enemy that you can easily be frustrated in following the Lord. Tell the enemy, “Nothing can frustrate my desire to follow the Lord. Deep within me there is the longing to follow Him.” Satan is a liar. Sometimes he even lies to us through preachers who speak negative things and tell us that we cannot love the Lord Jesus. Do not believe the lies, but declare, “No! I can and I do love the Lord Jesus!” We may even lie to ourselves, saying, “I’m so weak. I just can’t follow the Lord. I’d better turn around and go back.” We must reject this lie and say, “I will never go back. I will follow the Lord Jesus.” Never believe the lie that you do not love the Lord. Tell the enemy, “I love the Lord Jesus. My loving Him does not depend upon my ability to love. It depends on His being so lovable. Because He is lovable, I cannot help loving Him.” If I gave you a pair of old shoes, you would reject them, saying, “I don’t care for those!” But if I gave you some diamonds, you would easily love them, not because you have the ability to love but because the diamonds are lovable. Likewise, we do not love the Lord Jesus because we are able to love; we love Him because He is so lovable. In Genesis 24, it was not Rebekah who was able to love Isaac and respond to him; it was Isaac who was lovable.

DOING WHAT THE SPIRIT EXPECTS • Our response to the Holy Spirit is that we always do what He expects. Abraham’s servant expected that Rebekah would give him a drink of water and then draw water for his ten camels, and Rebekah did exactly what he expected (vv. 18-20), satisfying the servant’s thirst. Often we have unconsciously done what the Holy Spirit expected, satisfying His desire, doing it without knowing what He expected. Our doing this was a sign that we were under the moving of the Spirit.

RECEIVING THE GIFTS • After doing what the servant expected, Rebekah received the gifts. Firstly, the servant put a golden ring on her nose. Although ladies today like to put rings on their ears, here the ring is put on Rebekah’s nose. In reading the Song of Songs, I was surprised to see that the Lord does not appraise the ears of the seeking one. Instead, He appraises her nose, saying, “Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus,” and, “The smell of thy nose like apples” (7:4, 8). In Song of Songs 2:3, the seeker says, “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” Because she had been enjoying the apples, her nose had the smell of apples. What is the significance of this? The function of the nose is to smell. Putting a golden ring on Rebekah’s nose meant that her smelling function had been caught by the divine nature. Once we have this ring on our nose, we have the divine smell and taste. As the book of Hebrews says, we have tasted of the heavenly gift, the good word of God, and the works of power of the coming age (Heb. 6:4-6). Before I was saved, I had a particular taste. However, after I received the Lord, my taste changed. I had received the divine taste. Is there a golden ring on your nose? Is your nose like the high tower of Lebanon? According to Leviticus 21:18, no one with a flat nose could serve as a priest. We all must have a high nose, not a flat one.

We, the saved ones, have the divine smelling function with the divine taste. Since we have this taste, there are many things in the department stores which we cannot buy. What tells us not to buy these things? The golden ring on our nose. By our nose with the golden ring we smell that something is wrong with certain items in the stores. Because we have such a nose, we do not need others to tell us what to do or what not to do. The function of our smelling and tasting organ tells us what matches God’s taste and what does not. We must have a high-tower nose and a nose with the smell of apples. Our spiritual nose must be a high tower in the Spirit. Our spiritual nose must be with the smell of Christ. The more we enjoy Christ as the apple tree, the more we have a nose full of His apple smell.

The servant also put two bracelets on Rebekah’s hands (vv. 22, 47). In a sense, she was handcuffed. According to the New Testament concept, this means that we have received the divine function (Rom. 12:4). The more we are handcuffed by the Spirit, the more gift we receive of Him. We have not only received the divine taste; we have also acquired the divine function. The two bracelets given to Rebekah were ten shekels in weight and thus could fulfill the requirements of God’s commandments. The weight of the golden ring on her nose, on the contrary, was just a half shekel. This half shekel signifies the first taste, the foretaste. The half we have tasted indicates that another half, the full taste, is coming. While the taste is only in part, the functions are in full. Do not say that you have only half a function. No, your function, your talent, is complete. Everyone has at least one full talent. The taste which we have received of the Holy Spirit is only partial, but the divine function which we have received of Him is complete.

Rebekah also received articles of silver, articles of gold, and raiment (v. 53), all of which indicate the riches of Christ. At first, Rebekah received a golden ring on her nose and two bracelets on her hands. After the acceptance of the servant’s errand, more riches were brought forth. Likewise, after we came into the church life and accepted the Spirit’s commission, the riches of Christ, the articles of silver, the articles of gold, and the raiment, were brought forth for our enjoyment.

By all these details we can realize that the record in Genesis 24 is altogether divine and implies the divine concept. This is not my allegorization; it is recorded in this way. Why was the golden ring just half a shekel and not three quarters of a shekel? Why were the bracelets ten shekels and not nine or eleven shekels? Why did the servant not bring forth all the other riches until his errand had been accepted? All this matches the revelation in the New Testament. Today we are not only enjoying the golden ring on our nose and the bracelets on our hands; we are also enjoying the articles of silver and of gold and the raiment. In the church life all the riches of Christ are ours.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT • After receiving and enjoying all these riches, Rebekah followed the servant, traveling through the desert on a camel until she met Isaac (vv. 58, 61-65). Likewise, we are following the Spirit, traveling a long journey on a “camel.” When we meet Christ, we shall dismount from our “camel.” All the modern conveniences, such as telephones, automobiles, etc., are our “camels” today. Rebekah traveled through the desert on top of a camel, and we are traveling through the desert on today’s modern “camels.” According to Leviticus 11, a camel is unclean; yet it is useful. Many of today’s conveniences are not clean in the eyes of God. Nevertheless, they enable us to travel through the desert. When we meet Him, we shall leave the “camels.”

THE SON’S MARRIAGE

In a good sense, the son, Isaac, did nothing. This indicates that everything is planned by the Father and carried out by the Spirit. All the Son does is receive the bride.

Isaac received Rebekah at eventide (vv. 63-64). This implies that the marriage of Christ will be at the eventide of the age. At the close of this age, Christ will come to meet His bride.

Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent and loved her (v. 67). As we have seen, Sarah typifies grace. Hence, this means that Christ will meet us in grace as well as in love.

This chapter ends with the words, “Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” If I had been the writer, I would have said that Rebekah was comforted after her long journey. But the Bible does not say this. Do not consider your comfort, your satisfaction; rather, consider Christ’s comfort, Christ’s satisfaction. If Christ has no comfort and satisfaction, we cannot have any comfort and satisfaction either. Our satisfaction depends on His. Our comfort is His comfort, and His satisfaction is ours. Christ is now waiting for His comfort. When will He have it? On the day of His marriage. That day will come.

Abraham—Called by God: LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC A PRACTICAL LIVING IN ONENESS WITH THE LORD

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LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC A PRACTICAL LIVING IN ONENESS WITH THE LORD

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

Genesis 24:2-4

The Bible reveals that God’s eternal purpose is to express Himself through a corporate Body and that this purpose is fulfilled by the divine life. If we would probe into the depths of the book of Genesis, we must see these two things. In Genesis 1:26 we see that man was made in God’s image. The man here is not an individual man but a corporate man. We may say that it is mankind, a corporate Body that can express God’s image. In Genesis 2 we see that for the fulfillment of God’s purpose we must have the divine life signified by the tree of life. In these two chapters we have two crucial words—image and life. Image reveals God’s eternal purpose, and life unfolds God’s way of fulfilling His purpose. Never consider Genesis as merely the record of God’s creation and the history of some patriarchs. This view is too superficial. When we plunge into the depths of this book, we see that it is not merely a record of creation and history, but that it is a revelation of God’s eternal purpose and His way of fulfilling it.

With these two points in mind, let us now come to Genesis 24. Everyone who reads Genesis thinks of this chapter as the record of a marriage. However, the important thing here is not the marriage but what the marriage indicates, implies, and typifies. When we were on Genesis 1 and 2, we saw that those chapters are not only a record of God’s creation but a record of life. Everything found in those chapters is related to life. Anything that is not related to life is excluded. If you read those chapters carefully, you will see that many aspects of God’s creation are omitted because they are not related to life. In the same principle, only those aspects of Abraham’s history which are related to life are recorded in chapters twenty-one through twenty-four.

The entire book of Genesis, a book of only fifty chapters, covers over twenty-three hundred years, the first twenty-three centuries of human history. If Genesis were a record of history, it would need hundreds of chapters to cover this span of time. The fact that such a long period is covered in just fifty chapters proves that Genesis is not a record of history. I say again that although Genesis apparently is a record of history, it actually is a record showing God’s eternal purpose and the way of fulfilling it by life. Anything which is not related to God’s purpose and its fulfillment by life is not recorded in this book.

Chapters twenty-one through twenty-four, covering forty years (25:20), mention five main things: the birth of Isaac, the growth of Isaac, the offering of Isaac, the death and burial of Sarah, and the marriage of Isaac. Although this record is brief, it is very meaningful. Here we see a proper birth and the proper growth. This birth and growth produced a burnt offering for God’s satisfaction. After the birth and growth in chapter twenty-one, we have the burnt offering in chapter twenty-two. Then, as we have seen, in chapter twenty-three we have the death of Sarah and a detailed account of her burial. Following this, in chapter twenty-four, we see a wonderful marriage. But this chapter is not merely the record of a marriage; it is a story which has a deep meaning and significance in life.

According to the common understanding of most Christians, the main point of this chapter is that Isaac is a type of Christ as the Bridegroom and that Rebekah is a type of the church as the bride. However, this is not the main point. The primary point is the practical living in oneness with the Lord for the fulfilling of God’s purpose. We should not understand the Bible according to our common knowledge or tradition, but come back to the pure Word. Whenever we read any portion of the Scriptures, we must forget all we have learned in the past and look to the Lord for something new. Fifty years ago I read Genesis 24 carefully, doing my best to remember every point. Nevertheless, when I come to this chapter now, I do not care for what I had in the past. I like to come to this portion of the Word as if I were reading it for the first time. I can testify that just recently I have seen something new in this chapter.

Have you ever realized that in Genesis 24 we can see a practical living in oneness with the Lord? As we have seen, God has a purpose, and the way to fulfill His purpose is by life. These are the two governing points in understanding the Bible. If we would understand Genesis 24, we must apply these two governing points. Why does Genesis 24 give us such a record of Isaac’s marriage? If we only read chapter twenty-four we cannot see the purpose of this record. In order to answer this question we must read the three foregoing chapters. Genesis 21:12 says, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” God called Abraham with a purpose. For the fulfillment of this purpose, God promised to give Abraham the good land and the seed which would inherit the land. God’s eternal purpose is to express Himself in a corporate way. In order to have this corporate expression, God must have a people. This people is the seed of Abraham. Furthermore, in order to have the people to express God corporately there is the need of the land. What then is the purpose of the marriage in Genesis 24? Is it simply that a single man might have a happy, comfortable life? No. If you consider the Bible as a whole, you will see that Isaac’s marriage was altogether for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. Without marriage, how could Isaac have brought forth the seed? If this single man was to have seed for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose, he had to get married. After Abraham had been tested in chapter twenty-two, God said, “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (22:17-18). Here we also have the seed for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Thus, Isaac’s marriage was not common nor merely for his human living; it was for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.

ABRAHAM

Abraham’s living was a practical living in oneness with the Lord. Abraham did not suddenly have a vision in which God told him that He had a high purpose to carry out on earth, that He needed him, and that Isaac had to be married in order for God’s purpose to be fulfilled. There is no such vision in chapter twenty-four. Rather, the record in Genesis is common and human. According to this record, a man had a son in his old age. When this son was thirty-seven years old, the wife and mother died, and the father buried her in a very meaningful way. The father and the son, both of whom were now unmarried, were left alone, living together in that sad condition for three years. The son might have said, “Father, where is my mother?” and the father might have replied, “Son, where is your wife?” The father was burdened to take care of his son. Perhaps he said, “I have lost my wife, and my son is now forty years of age. This surely is the right time for him to get married. But we are surrounded by Canaanites, none of whom would ever be accepted by God.” There is no record that God said, “Abraham, let Me charge you to send someone to your own country to get a wife for Isaac. I will never allow you to take a Canaanite woman as a wife for your son.” Although there is no record of God’s saying this, Abraham did have this understanding. From where did he derive it? It came from his living in accordance with God’s concept.

Abraham was a man who lived in oneness with God. If I live in oneness with a certain brother day after day, there will be no need for him to tell me of many things. I will already know what he likes and what he does not like, what pleases him and what offends him. If I love him and live in oneness with him, whatever I say and do will be in accordance with his likes or dislikes. I am sorry to say that many Christians do not live in oneness with God. When important matters arise, they kneel down and pray, “O Lord, what is Your will?” Eventually, they do not follow God’s will but their own concept. We do not know God’s will by praying in such a way. If we would know God’s will, we must live in oneness with Him. If we live in oneness with Him, He will not need to tell us what He desires, because we shall already know it by being one with Him.

Although Abraham was desperate to take care of his son’s marriage, he would not accept a Canaanite as Isaac’s wife. If we had been Abraham, we might have taken the easy way and said, “There are many girls here in the land of Canaan. Why can’t I choose one of them as the wife for my son? There may be one very nearby.” Abraham did not think this way, but sent his oldest servant far away, back to the country from where he came, to find a wife for Isaac. Although God never told Abraham to do this, what Abraham did was according to God’s inner will and concept. As we have seen, Abraham knew God’s will and mind because he was living in practical oneness with Him.

Abraham was not the only person who had such a living. All those mentioned in this chapter were living in an atmosphere of oneness with God. Abraham, the oldest servant, Rebekah, Laban, Bethuel, and Isaac were all living in oneness with God. I hope that everyone in the churches will see that we need such a living for the fulfillment of God’s purpose today. We do not need to pray and seek after God’s will; we need to live in oneness with God. When we live in oneness with Him, we shall share His concept, and whatever we think and do will be in accordance with His feeling. God will not need to say anything, for we shall sense what He senses, knowing His inner feeling because we live in oneness with Him.

MOVING IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S ECONOMY • Abraham moved in accordance with God’s economy (vv. 3-8). What he did in obtaining a wife for Isaac was for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. We long to see that all the marriages in the churches will be for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. This kind of marriage requires a daily living in oneness with God. Young brothers, if everything you do is in accordance with God’s economy, even your marriage will be the carrying out of His economy. You need to say, “Lord, what I am doing here today must be in accordance with Your economy. I am single now, but one day I will be married. May my marriage be for Your economy.” This is the main revelation in Genesis 24. The primary thing in this chapter is not that Isaac is a type of Christ as the Bridegroom and that Rebekah is a type of the church as the bride. I say again that the primary thing revealed here is the practical living in accordance with God’s economy for the carrying out of His eternal purpose. We need a life which resembles that of Abraham. His motive, action, and everything he did were in accordance with God’s economy.

I doubt that Abraham was as clear about God’s economy as we are today. Nevertheless, he told his servant that God had called him, had promised to give the land to his seed, and that the servant had to go to his country to find a wife for Isaac. In the light of the whole Bible, we can see that this was the carrying out of God’s economy. How we need such a life today! Our motive, action, and all we do must be the carrying out of God’s economy. This does not simply require that we know God’s will and then do certain things. No, we need a daily living that is in oneness with God. We must be this kind of person. If we are such a person, whatever we say will be God’s expression, and whatever we do will be for the fulfillment of His purpose. This is the life that we need for the church life today. Do not say, “Oh, I don’t know the Lord’s will concerning my marriage or my schooling. I must fast and pray for three days and nights.” Let me tell you honestly that although I tried this for years, it never worked very well.

Consider the example of Abraham, the first of God’s called ones. Since he was the first called one, we see in his case the principle of the first mention. Abraham did not act in today’s traditional, religious way, fasting and praying to seek the Lord’s will. He did not suddenly have a dream in which he saw Rebekah in the land of Chaldea waiting for Abraham’s servant. As verse 40 indicates, Abraham walked before the Lord. As a person walking in the presence of the Lord, he did not need to fast or pray in order to know God’s will. Since he walked in the Lord’s presence, whatever he did was God’s will and according to God’s economy.

CHARGING HIS SERVANT WITH THE LORD • Abraham did not charge his servant to be faithful, honest, or to do a good work; he charged him with and by the Lord (vv. 2-3, 9, 40-41). Here we see that the atmosphere in which Abraham lived was the Lord Himself. By charging his servant with the Lord, he brought him deep into the Lord. Likewise, we should not charge people with our wisdom or even with our love, but with the Lord.

BELIEVING IN THE SOVEREIGN LORD • Abraham believed in the sovereign Lord, telling his servant that the Lord would send His angel with him and prosper his way (v. 40). Abraham seemed to be saying, “God will send His angel before you. Although I am sending you to do the job, I believe in God. In a sense, I don’t believe that you can accomplish this work, but I trust in the living God. You don’t need to be burdened or to worry. Just go and do the job, for my God will send His angel to do the work for you.” What a life Abraham had! If we had been Abraham, we might have said, “My servant, you must realize that I have passed through many experiences. Let me now give you a map and tell you of the people and their customs.” Abraham did not do this. Rather, he only charged his servant to serve by the Lord, assuring him that God would send His angel before him and prosper his way. Here we see Abraham’s living faith.

THE OLDEST SERVANT

FAITHFUL IN RESPONSIBILITYFAbraham’s oldest servant was faithful in responsibility (vv. 5, 9, 33, 54, 56). He followed Abraham’s footsteps in being faithful. I believe that he was infused by and with Abraham’s life, seeing how Abraham did everything by trusting in the Lord. As a result, the servant also trusted in Him.

TRUSTING IN THE LORD FOR HIS RESPONSIBILITY • Abraham’s servant trusted in the Lord for his responsibility (vv. 12, 21, 42). He prayed to the Lord in a clear, humble, yet simple way. Everyone who truly believes in God is simple. When he came to the well near the city of Nahor, he prayed, saying, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good success this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master” (vv. 12-14, Heb.). His prayer was answered immediately. Before he had even finished speaking, Rebekah came with her pitcher upon her shoulder. When he asked her for a drink, she not only gave him a drink but also drew water for all his camels. After she had done this, the servant was clear that Rebekah was the one and he gave her a ring and two bracelets.

LOOKING FOR THE LORD’S LEADING IN THE ENVIRONMENT • The servant knew the Lord’s will by looking for His leading in the environment (vv. 13-21, 26-27, 48-49). We also can see God’s sovereignty in our environment. No one told the servant to go to the city of Nahor, the city of Abraham’s brother. He just went there and at the well he met Rebekah, Nahor’s granddaughter. Nothing was accidental; everything was ordained before the foundation of the world and was carried out through Abraham’s servant, a man who trusted in God.

REBEKAH

CHASTE, KIND, AND DILIGENT • In verse 16 we are told that Rebekah was “very fair to look upon, a virgin.” Rebekah was chaste and pure. She was also kind and diligent (vv. 18-20). When Abraham’s servant asked for a drink, she immediately gave it to him. She also drew water for his camels. It was hard work for a young woman to draw water out of the well and pour it into the trough for ten camels to drink, but she did it. If the young sisters want to be under God’s sovereignty, especially with respect to their marriage, they need to be kind and diligent. Any young woman who is unkind and sloppy should remain single. When people ask you to do one thing, you must do two things for them. And the second thing should far surpass the first thing. You should not only give a man water to drink, but should also draw water for his ten camels. If you do this, you will be qualified to obtain your husband, your Isaac. This is some advice to all the young single sisters.

ABSOLUTE • Rebekah was absolute (vv. 57-58, 61). Although Rebekah had never seen Isaac, she was willing to go to him without hesitation. She did not say to her mother, “Mother, I have never seen Isaac. Perhaps I should correspond with him first and afterward have him pay us a visit. Then I could decide whether or not to marry him.” Rebekah did not talk in this way. Although her brother and mother were hesitating, wanting her to stay for at least ten days, she said, “I will go.” She was absolute.

During the past forty years, I have seen a number of young sisters who developed mental problems as a result of considering marriage. Some spent days, weeks, months, and even years considering whether a particular brother was the one whom God had prepared for them. When such sisters came to me, I said, with a rebuking tone, “If you feel he is the brother, marry him blindly. But if he is not the one, forget about him and don’t talk about it. The more you consider, the more you bother God, yourself, and me. How can I tell you yes or no? If I say yes, you will say that I do not know him well. If I say no, you will feel unhappy because you have already fallen in love with him. Don’t think about it anymore. Either marry him or forget about him.” I was serious in telling them this. Young sisters, if you want to be married, you must learn to be kind, diligent, and absolute.

SUBMISSIVE • Rebekah was also submissive (vv. 64-65). When she saw Isaac and realized who he was, “she took a veil, and covered herself.” Sisters, do not put a piece of cloth on your head as a decoration or ornament. It must be a sign of your submission. Once you are married, you are no longer your own head. Your husband is your head, and your head must be covered. This is the true meaning of marriage.

LABAN AND BETHUEL

Laban and Bethuel were in the fear of the Lord (vv. 29-31). They were also very hospitable (vv. 31-33). Hospitality often brings in the greatest blessing. For Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and the sister of Laban, to become Isaac’s wife was a great blessing. That blessing was secured by their being hospitable. If they had not been hospitable but rather had rejected Abraham’s servant, that wonderful marriage would never have taken place. Furthermore, they accepted the Lord’s sovereignty, saying, “The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good” (vv. 50-51, 55-60). Laban and Bethuel recognized that this was the Lord’s doing and that they had no right to say anything about it. Here we see the atmosphere of their life, a life in oneness with God.

ISAAC

Isaac was not a man of activity, for he did not do anything. He simply dwelt by a well, by a place of living water. Verse 63 says, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide.” Translators of the Bible are bothered about the rendering of the Hebrew in this verse. Some versions interpret it as meaning that Isaac went to the field to pray, and others say that he went to the field to worship. It might have been that Isaac was meditating in the presence of the Lord, possibly considering his marriage. He had lost his mother, did not have a wife, and the most trustworthy servant had gone on a journey. Isaac did not know if the servant would ever come back. The family had no safety or security, and he was in a desperate situation. Hence, he went out to the field to seek the Lord and meditate before God. While he was meditating, Rebekah came. After the servant had told Isaac all that had happened, Isaac took what his father had done for him and married Rebekah (vv. 66-67). His marriage was an inheritance, not a strife. He did not strive for a wife; he inherited what his father had done for him. He did not do a thing to get a wife. He only took what the father had secured for him. Acting in this way, he was one with the Lord that the purpose of God might be fulfilled in him. He had a real and solid marriage without a wedding ceremony.

FULFILLING THE PURPOSE OF GOD

Isaac’s marriage eventually fulfilled the purpose of God (21:12b; 22:17-18). The life of those in this chapter was not merely for their own human living; it was a life that issued in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose, a life which brought forth Christ and produced the kingdom of God for God’s economy.

Abraham—Called by God: LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH

23

LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH

Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you….

Genesis 23:2-4

By faith Abraham…dwelt as a foreigner in the land of promise as in a foreign land, making his home in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise; for he eagerly waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.… But as it is, they long after a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:8-10, 16

In this message we come to Genesis 23, a chapter which records the death and burial of Sarah. When I was young, I did not see why this chapter was included in the book of Genesis. I could not understand why, when Abraham must have done many great things which are not recorded, twenty verses were used to describe how he spent his time, energy, money, and even his politeness to acquire a burying place. But the Bible does not waste any words. Since every word of the Bible is God’s breath, Genesis 23 must be very significant. If we consider Genesis 1 and 2 as being important, we must also consider Genesis 23 as being important. Every Christian appreciates Genesis 1 because it gives a record of God’s creation. We appreciate Genesis 1 not merely as a record of creation but also as a record of life. It speaks of God’s image and dominion as related to the man created by God. We also appreciate Genesis 2 because it tells us of the tree of life. However, few of us appreciate a sepulcher. But Genesis 23 is focused on the matter of a burying place and gives us a detailed account of the purchase of a sepulcher. More details are included in this story than in any other record in the book of Genesis. While every other record is quite brief, this one gives a full and clear account of where the tomb was located, who owned it, how it was purchased, and the amount Abraham paid for it. This sepulcher is mentioned in a very significant way, for we are told that not only was Sarah buried there, but that Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were buried there also. It is very significant that the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the components of the divine title of God who is the God of resurrection (Matt. 22:32).

Genesis 23 is a window through which we can see the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is not found in this chapter, but it can be seen through it. This chapter is like a telescope: through it we can see the eternal tabernacle that is far off in the future.

Genesis 21 gives us the record of the birth of Isaac. This was certainly worth mentioning. Following this, in the same chapter we are told that Abraham redeemed a well, planted a tamarisk tree, and called on the name of Jehovah, El Olam. As we have seen, in chapter twenty-two we have the offering of Isaac. Then, in chapter twenty-three, we have the death and burial of Sarah. These three chapters cover at least thirty-seven years. Although a great many things must have happened with Abraham during these thirty-seven years, only four things are mentioned: the birth of Isaac, the living in Beer-sheba, the offering of Isaac, and the death and burial of Sarah. These three chapters exclude many things which, according to our human concept, are important, but include a detailed record of the death and burial of Sarah. Because of this, we must pay close attention to Genesis 23.

IN HEBRON—THE PLACE OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

At the end of chapter twenty-two, Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac were dwelling at Beer-sheba, undoubtedly living near the covenanted well and the tamarisk tree. This was a miniature of the church life, for the church life is always by a well of living water and a tamarisk tree. Suddenly, at the beginning of chapter twenty-three we are told of Sarah’s death. Although Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac were living at Beer-sheba, she died and was buried in Hebron, the place of fellowship with God. Sarah went on from Beer-sheba to Hebron. In like manner, if the Lord delays His coming back, I would like to live in the church life and die in the fellowship with God.

According to the map, Hebron is between Beer-sheba on the south and Jerusalem on the north. It is on the way from Beer-sheba to Moriah, where Jerusalem is. If the Lord delays His coming back, I would like to be buried in a place which is on the way to the New Jerusalem. Where are you living today? We all must answer that we are living in Beer-sheba, in the church by the well of living water and the tamarisk tree. Our church life is today’s Beer-sheba. Before the Lord comes back, some of the older ones may leave Beer-sheba, the church life, die in Hebron, and wait there for the New Jerusalem. Hebron is not only a place of fellowship with God; it is also a way to Jerusalem. The cave of Machpelah in Hebron is the gateway to the New Jerusalem. Perhaps some day we shall hear Sarah testify, “When I entered into the cave of Machpelah, I entered into the gate which leads into the New Jerusalem.” Sarah was not simply buried in the cave of Machpelah; she is now sleeping there, waiting for the day when she will wake up and find herself in the New Jerusalem.

SARAH’S EARLY DEATH

Sarah died at the age of one hundred twenty-seven (vv. 1-2). Although this may seem to be very old today, at that time it was an early age to die. Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five years (25:7), living thirty-eight years after Sarah died. Sarah should not have died at such an early age. Her death, thirty-seven years after Isaac’s birth (17:1, 17; 21:5), was abnormal.

ABRAHAM’S SUFFERING

Abraham and Sarah were the best couple in the whole universe. They truly loved one another, never having any consideration of divorce or separation. When Abraham was robbed of his wife, it was a great loss to both Abraham and Isaac. Isaac was a dear son to his mother, and she undoubtedly loved him very much. At the age of thirty-seven, he was still unmarried and lived with his mother. When he did marry at the age of forty (25:20), the Bible even tells us that Isaac was married in his mother’s tent (24:67). Suddenly, the love between Abraham and Sarah and between Sarah and Isaac was broken, for Sarah, the wife and mother, was taken away by an abnormal death. Because of this, Abraham suffered greatly.

If you read Abraham’s history, you will see that God was always taking things away from him. Lot separated from him, Eliezer was rejected, Ishmael was cast out, and Isaac was offered to God on the altar. Then his dear wife was taken away in death. What trials and sufferings Abraham passed through! According to our natural concept, Abraham, one who was so good with God, should not have suffered all these things. In chapter twenty-two Isaac was offered to God and returned to Abraham in resurrection. Suddenly, while Abraham was enjoying a happy life with his wife Sarah and his son Isaac, Sarah, the factor of his happiness, was taken away. The happiness in this family was dependent upon Sarah, the wife and the mother. When Sarah died, the atmosphere, life, and happiness of this family were all taken away, and the family itself was gone. What a suffering that was to Abraham!

As God’s called ones, we should not expect to have a happy life here on earth. We must follow the steps of Abraham looking for a better country, for a city with foundations (Heb. 11:10, 16). Our temporary life on earth is the life of a traveler. Due to this, Abraham paid little attention to his dwelling place and simply erected a tent. He was a sojourner, a stranger, who was looking for a permanent dwelling place.

Abraham lived for thirty-eight years without Sarah’s help (25:8). In the Bible, the number thirty-eight is the number of sufferings, trials, and tests. The children of Israel suffered trials and tests in the wilderness for a period of thirty-eight years. As we have seen, Isaac was forty years old when he married. In the Bible, the number forty also means trials, temptations, and tests. We also have another number in this chapter—four hundred—which is ten times forty. The first time the number four hundred is used in the Bible is in Genesis 15:13, where Abraham was told that his descendants would suffer affliction for four hundred years. Here in 23:16 we read that Abraham bought the sepulcher at the cost of four hundred shekels of silver. This indicates that it was a test, trial, and suffering.

As you read this chapter in the past, perhaps you did not have the feeling that Abraham was suffering. But notice two words in verse 2—“mourn” and “weep.” Abraham mourned and wept for Sarah because he had lost his happiness and his family life. The Hebrew words translated “mourn” and “weep” indicate much more than just mourning and weeping. Abraham suffered intensely at losing his wife in his old age; he was deeply hurt. His great suffering is indicated by the numbers thirty-eight, forty, and four hundred.

ABRAHAM’S TESTIMONY

Abraham, one who had suffered the loss of his dear wife, had a very strong testimony. The Hittites addressed him as lord and called him “a mighty prince” (v. 6). The Hebrew words translated “mighty prince” may also be rendered “a prince of God.” In Hebrew, the word for “mighty” is the word for God. Abraham expressed God as a prince of God and was respectable as a mighty prince. In his own eyes, he was a stranger, but in the eyes of the people, he was a mighty prince and a prince of God. He was truly a weighty man.

We all need to be weighty and have the same kind of testimony that Abraham had. In our neighborhoods, occupations, and schools, we must not be light and allow others to look down on us. We must be weighty, and others must estimate us very highly. Although we should not estimate ourselves so highly, we must be high in the eyes of others. I hope that the teachers in the junior high schools will say that the young brothers from the church who are students in their class are mighty princes. Young brothers, do not just pray boldly in the meetings. You must also be weighty in school. Simply having good behavior does not mean very much. We must have weight. Gold and diamonds are weighty, but popcorn and cotton candy are light. If you are gold or diamond, you will have weight. As God’s called ones, we Christians should be so weighty that people are surprised and say, “Why is this young man so weighty? He is neither common nor abnormal. Although he is a normal young man, there is no lightness with him. He must be a prince.”

We are weighty because we have God in us. The called ones need to call on the name of Jehovah, El Olam. The more Abraham called on this title of the divine Being, the more weighty he became. God is gold. If we call on Him, we shall become golden. The more we call on the golden God, the more of His golden element will be infused into our being. Consider the difference between wood and petrified wood. Wood is light, but petrified wood is weighty. It is even more weighty than stone, because weighty minerals have been wrought into it. We all were born light, but we have been reborn to be weighty. In addition to our rebirth, we have the process of transformation. The way in which wood becomes petrified is through the continuous flow of water. This flow of water carries away the element of wood and adds in its place the element of various minerals, transforming the wood into a weighty, precious stone.

It is insufficient for us merely to be good neighbors. We must be weighty children of God. As God’s called ones, we are now under His infusion. We must be so strong and weighty that people will say that we are a mighty prince, a prince of God.

As a mighty prince, Abraham was respectable (v. 6). He respected others and received their respect in return. He was also wise (vv. 3-13). In this chapter we see that Abraham had a wise way of communing with people, speaking to them in a very tasteful and wise manner. Furthermore, Abraham was honest and did not take advantage of anyone (vv. 14-16). His intention was to purchase the sepulcher. When it was politely offered to him as a gift, Abraham, after learning that its value was four hundred shekels of silver, agreed to pay the full amount. He did not seize the opportunity to take advantage of others, and he did not bargain about the price. He gave Ephron the price he asked, paying the full amount, the full money. Likewise, we should not impress people with our scarcity; we must show our riches. This is our testimony. I feel badly about the low level of morality in today’s Christianity. What a poor standard of behavior there is! We must express God showing that we, as the children of God, are weighty, respectable, and honest. We should be willing to suffer loss, but not to take advantage of others. Whether we lose or gain means nothing. If we lose, we shall still live; if we gain, we cannot live any longer. How we must learn to be honest and respectable, expressing God in a weighty manner.

A SEPULCHER OF CHOICE

Verse 6 speaks of the “choice” sepulcher, referring to the best sepulcher. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He did not have a good dwelling place. But after He died, He was put into a very good burying place (Matt. 27:57-60). He lived in a poor home, but He was buried in a rich tomb. In the Bible, this is a principle. We should not live in a good home, but we should prepare the best tomb. Abraham paid more attention to the sepulcher than to the tent. Genesis does not say a word regarding how Abraham put up his tent, how much he paid for it, or exactly where he erected it. He pitched his tent like someone who goes camping in the mountains for a few days. Abraham, a true camper, was camping throughout his entire life. Although he did not care very much about the tent, he was very concerned for the sepulcher. In this chapter we find a full description in detail of the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron. Not even the Old Testament city of Jerusalem is described in such a detailed way.

Let us now consider the meaning of this. In the light of the New Testament, we can see that Abraham was called by God and realized that he was a stranger, a sojourner, looking for a permanent city and a better country (Heb. 11:9-10, 16). As he was looking for this better country, his dear wife suddenly died. But Abraham did not give up his faith. Neither did he say to Isaac, “Isaac, your mother and I have been looking for a city with foundations and for the better country which God has promised us. We have always had this expectation. Now your mother is dead. How will she ever get there? What should we do? Probably our God is not trustworthy and we should not believe in Him anymore.” Abraham did not speak in this way. As we examine the record in Hebrews, we see that Abraham was not disappointed and did not lose his faith. Rather, he had strong faith in the God of resurrection, believing that his dear wife would be in that city and in that better country. This belief implies resurrection.

Genesis 23 is not a chapter on resurrection; it is a chapter on the gate into resurrection. In Genesis 23 Sarah did not enter into resurrection; she entered into the gate. According to Abraham’s realization, Sarah’s death was the entering into the gate of resurrection. Abraham did not take this matter lightly. Although he might have been somewhat light with his tent, he was not light concerning the burying place of his wife. His intention in purchasing the cave of Machpelah was not only to bury Sarah there, but also to bury himself there. The word Machpelah in Hebrew means double or doubling. Everyone who was buried in this cave was buried as one of a couple: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (v. 19; 25:9; 49:29-32; 50:13). Deep within, Abraham was filled with the expectation that one day his wife would be in the city of foundations. This implies resurrection. Shortly before his death, Jacob charged his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah. Although in ancient times it was not a small thing to take Jacob from Egypt to Canaan to be buried, Jacob’s sons did it for him (50:13). By this we can realize that, as he was about to die, Jacob did not consider death as a termination but as a station, as the gate into the better country.

Abraham was filled with the hope of resurrection. He might have even loved the dead body of his wife more than he loved Sarah when she was living. If Sarah could have spoken to Abraham, she might have said, “Abraham, why are you so good to me after I have died? When I was living you never prepared a good tent for me. Now that I am dead, you have paid so much money to buy a cave in which to bury me. Why did you buy a cave with a field and trees? What are you doing?” Abraham might have said, “Sarah, you must realize that you are not being buried here. You will just rest here. I have prepared the best bedroom for you in which you may rest as you wait for that day. If that day is far off, I will come to be one with you and we shall rest together. This is why I have purchased the field as well as the cave. Look at the life in the field. It is not a place of death—it is a place of life.”

In the Bible, a field signifies the growth of life, that is, resurrection. This is true even today. If you do not believe in resurrection, I would ask you to consider a wheat field. Not long after the grains of wheat are planted, they rise up again. In 1936, I was preaching the gospel to a group of students at Ching-Hua University in China. One evening, after I had preached, a young student came up to me and, wanting me to explain the matter of resurrection, said, “I have no problem with Christianity, but I cannot believe in the resurrection. How can we, in our modern, scientific age, believe in such a superstitious thing as resurrection? How can a dead person be resurrected? Yet, this is one of the main teachings in the Bible.” I said to him that this was easy to explain. Through the window of the room in which we were sitting we could see wheat fields. I said, “Look at the wheat fields. Do you see the wheat that is growing there? Can’t you see resurrection in these fields? The seed is sown into the soil, dies, and eventually the wheat comes forth. This is resurrection.” This simple illustration convinced him, and he was saved. Now he is one of the leading co-workers on the island of Taiwan.

A growing field signifies resurrection, but driftwood signifies death. Abraham did not put Sarah into a place of death, but into a place of life, a place full of resurrection. The cave in which she was buried was in the end of the field (v. 9), and there were many trees nearby (v. 17). Suppose the cave of Machpelah was surrounded by piles of driftwood. Whenever anyone saw this, he would immediately have had the sense that it was a place of death, a place of termination. But the cave of Machpelah is not the place of termination; it is a place full of the expectation of resurrection. It is on the way to resurrection. In this place, Sarah could restfully sleep as she waited for that day to come. If she could speak, she might say, “I am not waiting in a place of death. I am in a living place. Look at the field and the trees. Someday, I’ll be in resurrection.” Sarah’s death did not disappoint Abraham in his search for a better country and for a city with foundations. On the contrary, it stirred up his expectation of the coming day. Therefore, he devoted much attention and spent a large amount of money to purchase the burying place for Sarah, himself, and his descendants. If we have the light from the New Testament, we shall realize that this indicates the expectation of resurrection. Once again I say that the sepulcher is the passageway, the gateway, into the expected city, the New Jerusalem. Hallelujah, the cave of Machpelah is on the way to Jerusalem!

We know that Genesis 23 indicates the expectation of resurrection because the Lord Jesus said that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matt. 22:31-32). In our eyes, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are dead, but in God’s eyes, they are living.

Our forefather, Abraham, God’s called one, did not care very much for the present, but he did pay attention to the future. The choice sepulcher was for the future. In principle, we also should not prepare a better home for the present but a gateway for the future. We are not here for today but for tomorrow. If the Lord delays His coming back, we all shall enter into this gateway. We should not pay too much attention to the present but rather to the future. We should live in a tent looking for the city which has foundations.

Abraham—Called by God: LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE OFFERING OF ISAAC (2)

22

LIVING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE OFFERING OF ISAAC (2)

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:6-8

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.…

John 3:16

In the last message we saw how Abraham offered his son Isaac according to God’s demand. That story, recorded in Genesis 22, is not only a meaningful history but also has an implied significance, for it is a vivid picture of Christ in several aspects. Although we cannot find the title of Christ nor the name of Jesus in this chapter, many aspects of Christ are signified in the way of implication. In this message we need to see the aspects of Christ depicted in this chapter.

ISAAC TYPIFYING CHRIST

Isaac typified Christ. We have seen that Abraham answered God’s call to go to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac. This is history. However, if we view this matter from the perspective of God’s revelation, we shall see that what Abraham did to Isaac is a vivid picture of what the Father did to His beloved Son. When Abraham journeyed to Mount Moriah with Isaac, two young servants accompanied him. On the third day, Abraham put the two servants aside, saying, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you” (v. 5). From that point on, the story was different. It was no longer a story of four people—the father, the son, and the two servants; it was now a story of Abraham and his son Isaac. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, who bore it to the top of Mount Moriah. Compare this with John 19:17, which says, “And bearing the cross Himself, He went out to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” Isaac walked the same path on the way to Mount Moriah that the Lord Jesus later walked on the way to Golgotha. Before Christ bore the cross and walked to Calvary, Golgotha, Isaac bore the wood for the burnt offering and walked along the same way. And Jesus was crucified on the same mount where Isaac was laid on the altar. Thus, we see that Abraham was a type of the Father, and Isaac, with the wood upon him, was a type of the Only Begotten Son of God. Isaac was brought as a lamb to the altar. Jesus was also “brought as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7).

As Abraham and Isaac were climbing Mount Moriah, Isaac said, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (v. 7). Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (v. 8). Here we see that the son fellowshipped with the father. Do you not believe that while Jesus was bearing the cross on the way to Calvary He fellowshipped with the Father? And do you not believe that the Father talked with His Son? I do. If you say that the Bible does not tell us of this, I would say that Genesis 22 tells us so. We need to have the sight and the listening ear to hear the heavenly conversation on the way to Mount Moriah. Abraham and Isaac typified the Father and the Son, and their fellowship on the way to Mount Moriah was a vivid picture depicting how Jesus the Son fellowshipped with the Father as He was bearing the cross to Calvary. Although we do not have a clear explanation of this in plain words in the New Testament, we do have the picture in the Old Testament, and a picture is better than a thousand words. The picture in Genesis 22 portrays something which words cannot explain. Although the writers of the New Testament did not describe the loving fellowship between the Father and the Son on the way to Calvary, it is clearly portrayed in the picture in Genesis 22. How we all need to see this picture. As we shall see, nearly every point regarding the type in Genesis 22 is covered in John 1.

Let us consider now some details of Isaac as a type of Christ. Isaac was Abraham’s only son (vv. 2, 12, 16). This typifies Christ as God’s only Son (John 3:16). Isaac was Abraham’s beloved son (v. 2), and Christ was the Father’s beloved Son in whom He delighted (Matt. 3:17). In 22:5 we see that Isaac took his father’s will, and in Matthew 26:39 we see that Christ chose the Father’s will. In the picture in Genesis 22, we see that Isaac, a full-grown man, was obedient unto death (vv. 9-10). According to the record of this chapter, in the matter of offering Isaac, Abraham consulted neither with his wife Sarah nor with his son Isaac. Abraham took his son, put the wood upon him, led him up the mountain, bound him, and laid him on the altar. He did not give Isaac the opportunity to say anything. But Isaac took his father’s will and was obedient to death. Likewise, when the Lord Jesus was about to die, He said, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). In Philippians 2:8 we are told that Christ was obedient unto death. Look again at the picture: Isaac was obedient unto the altar. He not only followed the father to the foot of the mount; he also obeyed him in taking up the wood and in being bound. He did not resist. Even when the father laid him on the altar, took the knife, and stretched out his hand to slay him, he did not rebel. He was obedient unto death. If we consider all these aspects of Isaac as a type of Christ as portrayed in the Old Testament, we shall see that they were sovereignly arranged, matching the clear word of the New Testament revelation.

In God’s eyes, Isaac was killed. Just as Abraham was about to slay his son, the angel of the Lord intervened from heaven, saying, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him.” The angel of the Lord here is actually God Himself. This is proved by verse 12 in which the angel of the Lord said to Abraham, “I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” The “me” here is God Himself. Notice that the angel of the Lord did not say “from him,” but “from me.” Abraham, the father, put his son to death, but the angel of the Lord raised him up from the dead. In like manner, Acts 2:24 says that God has raised up Christ from the dead.

ISAAC REPLACED BY A RAM

Isaac was replaced by a ram, that is, by a lamb. Verse 13 says, “Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” Here we see that the son was not killed, but the ram, the lamb, was. Who was killed on the cross—the Son of God or the Lamb of God? It was the Lamb of God who was killed. Christ is the Son of God, but when He was killed on the cross, He was replaced by the Lamb of God. John 1:14, speaking of the Son of God, says, “We beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from a father.” But John 1:29 says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Here we see that the Son of God was replaced by the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God, not the Son of God, was crucified. In crucifixion, the Son was replaced by a ram.

In 22:8 Abraham prophesied that God would provide a lamb for a burnt offering. The eternal Lamb was ordained by God from eternity (1 Pet. 1:19-20). In 22:13 we see “a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.” In the Bible horns signify fighting power. Christ has the fighting power, but it was caught by a thicket. The thicket signifies humanity. We are the thicket, and Christ, the Lamb of God, has been caught in us and cannot escape. He has been caught by His human nature that He might be offered as our substitute. Christ as the Lamb of God was willing to have His horns caught by humanity. When we see this clear picture, we all must say, “Lord, thank You. You were willing to be caught by us.”

The Son of God was replaced on the cross by the Lamb of God. In a positive, divine sense, the Son of God was never crucified. The Lamb of God was crucified. No one could crucify the Son of God. Praise Him that He was willing to be a little lamb putting His horns among human beings and being caught by us. Thus, we see that not only did this Son of God become the Lamb of God, but that He was replaced by the Lamb of God. Although we do not have such a picture in the New Testament, we see it in the Old Testament. Along with the clear words in the four Gospels, we need the pictures in the Old Testament.

PROVIDED BY JEHOVAH-JIREH • The ram who replaced the son on the altar was provided by Jehovah-jireh (v. 14). The title Jehovah-jireh has two meanings: Jehovah will provide and Jehovah will see. There is not only a provision but also a vision. Within the provision, we have the vision. Look at the cross: what provision and vision we have there. I can testify that at the cross I have received both the provision and the vision. Before the cross, I was lacking, but at the cross I obtained the divine provision. Before the cross, I was blind, having no vision, but at the cross, through the provision, I can see. Now my sight is so clear. I have not only been provided for but also enlightened. Even many of the young people can testify that before they came to the cross, they were poor and blind. But one day they came to the cross and found the provision and the vision. May the Spirit of wisdom help us to realize the depth of the significance that is in the fact that the Son of God was replaced by the Lamb of God whose horns were caught by humanity.

TYPIFYING CHRIST AS OUR SUBSTITUTE • The Lamb of God who replaced the Son of God was our substitute (1 Pet. 3:18). As the ram was killed instead of Isaac, so the Lamb of God suffered crucifixion for us. When as a boy I heard the preaching of the gospel in which we were told that Christ suffered death on our behalf, I could not understand it fully. Only when I saw the clear picture in Genesis 22 was I able to understand how Christ was our substitute. The ram was killed for Isaac. This is a picture showing that Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified on the cross for us. We all should have gone to the cross, but God replaced us with the Lamb of God. To this we all must say, “Praise the Lord! The Lamb of God, who is the Son of God, was our substitute.”

Because the Lamb of God became our substitute, He became great and significant. In Revelation the unique title of Christ is the Lamb. When in Revelation 5 the Apostle John saw the scroll which no one in heaven or on earth was worthy to open, he wept. Then one of the elders said to him, “Do not weep; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Immediately after this, John saw the Lamb: “I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing.” In Genesis 22 we have the seed of that Lamb. This seed grew up in John 1:29 and is harvested in the book of Revelation. Eventually, the throne of God becomes the throne of God and of the Lamb out of which proceeds the river of water of life with the tree of life growing in it (Rev. 22:1-2). All this proves that the Bible is not a manmade book. It certainly is the divine revelation. What a picture of Christ is revealed in Genesis 22!

ABRAHAM BLESSED BY GOD

WITH THE SEED MULTIPLIED • Abraham was blessed by God. The blessing here is not that of material things. Many of us have had the wrong impression in the past, saying that receiving a good job or material benefit means that the Lord has blessed us. We have all been told to count our blessings one by one, counting such things as our degree, promotion, wife, house, and children. Although I do not say that such things are not blessings, I do say that they are not golden blessings, but muddy blessings. In Genesis 22, God did not bless Abraham in this way. Rather, He blessed him with the multiplied seed, saying, “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore” (v. 17). I do not care for material blessing. I care for multiplication. I would firstly like to see fifty churches in the United States, then a hundred, and then a thousand. I would also like to see that from the United States the multiplication would spread to Africa, Australasia, Europe, and even back to Jerusalem. This is the blessing I want to see.

Abraham was blessed with two categories of people, one likened to the stars of the heaven (v. 17; 15:5) and the other to the sand upon the seashore (v. 17), which is also likened to the dust of the earth (13:16). If you know history and the prophecies regarding Abraham’s descendants, you will see that they are of two categories, one heavenly and the other earthly. We, the Christians, are the stars, the heavenly descendants of Abraham; and the genuine Jews, God’s earthly people, are the sand, the dust. Eventually, the Jewish people will be God’s priests on earth and will teach all the nations. This is prophesied clearly in Zechariah 8:20-23. Why are the Jews described both as the sand and as the dust? The sea signifies the world corrupted by Satan, and the dust is of the earth created by God. The Jews have been restored to God’s creation. Hence, they are signified by the sand which is the dust beside the sea. Although they are an earthly people, they are not the dust under the sea, but the dust, the sand, by the seashore. They are separated from the corrupted sea, Satan’s corrupted world. However, the stars are not only separated from the corrupted world but are also heavenly.

According to Revelation 20:8 and 9, at the end of the millennium Gog and Magog will fight against the camp of the saints and the beloved city. The camp of the saints is the camp of all the heavenly stars, and the beloved city, Jerusalem, is the city of the separated sand. The two categories of Abraham’s descendants, who at that time will be caring for God’s interests in the universe, will be attacked by Gog and Magog under Satan’s instigation. That will be the last war in the universe, a war between the devilish people and Abraham’s descendants.

The star is sown as a seed in Genesis 22 and will be harvested in Revelation 20 and 21. The New Jerusalem is composed of the twelve tribes of Israel, representing the Old Testament saints, and the twelve Apostles, representing the New Testament believers. Those represented by the Apostles are the heavenly stars, and those represented by the twelve tribes are the sand of the seashore. These two peoples eventually will be built together into the eternal New Jerusalem. Hence, the eternal New Jerusalem will be the ultimate consummation of Abraham’s seed. This is God’s blessing to Abraham.

After seeing this, we need to say, “Praise the Lord, God’s blessing is not a good house, car, degree, promotion, wife, or child. It is the multiplication of the saints in God’s recovery and the multiplication of the churches.” I hope that one day a part of the New Jerusalem will be our multiplication as God’s blessing to us. At that time, all the cars and houses will be gone. Only the multiplication in God’s blessing will remain forever. We shall see the blessing in God’s multiplication in the New Jerusalem for eternity.

Here in Genesis 22 we see a basic principle, that is, whatever God gives us will be multiplied. God gave Abraham one Isaac, and Abraham offered him back to God. Then this one Isaac was multiplied into numberless stars and sand. If Abraham would not have offered Isaac back to God, he might have had only one Isaac. But having been offered back to God by Abraham, Isaac was multiplied into the New Jerusalem. This is the way to have God’s gift multiplied in us—offer back to God what He has given us.

WITH CHRIST AS HIS UNIQUE SEED • God’s blessing of Abraham eventually issues in Christ as the unique seed in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (v. 18; Gal. 3:16). In Galatians 3:16 Paul speaks of only one seed—Christ. We all are included in this one seed. Are we not all in Christ? Do you know the true significance of the short phrase “in Christ”? This phrase is used many times in the New Testament. In Christ we have been justified. In Christ we are sanctified. In Christ we have the sonship. Everything concerning us is in Christ. Hallelujah, we are in Christ! We are actually a part of Christ. Ultimately, all the heavenly stars and the earthly sand will be in Christ. As we have pointed out in the past, the New Jerusalem will be a great, corporate Christ. In the four Gospels we have the individual Christ, but at the end of Revelation we have the corporate Christ including all true believers.

In this one seed, Christ, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Have not the United States, Germany, Japan, China, and Great Britain been blessed? This is God’s blessing. May we all expect that the blessing which we shall receive of God will be the multiplication that will issue in Christ, the unique seed. The multiplication that will spread to Europe, Africa, and throughout the earth must simply be Christ. All the churches on earth will just be the multiplication of Christ.

CHRIST REVEALED IN THREE WAYS

In Genesis 22 Christ is revealed in three ways: as the angel of the Lord (vv. 11-12, 15-18; Exo. 3:2-6), as the ram (v. 13; John 1:29), and as the seed of Abraham (v. 18; Gal. 3:16). When Abraham stretched forth his hand to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord prevented him. Then Abraham saw a ram and killed it, offering it in Isaac’s place. Afterward, it became a blessing in multiplication. This multiplication issues in Christ as the unique seed. Here we see the angel of the Lord stopping, the ram replacing, and the seed bringing the blessing. All three are Christ. This is too mysterious because Christ is everything. Christ was the One who told Abraham not to kill his son. Then He immediately became the ram caught in a thicket to replace his son. After the crucifixion, He became his unique seed in God’s blessing. The angel of the Lord, who was Christ, provided the ram, a type of Christ, which eventually issued in the seed, who is also Christ. Christ is everything. We do not have a small, limited Christ. We have a great and unlimited Christ who is everything. Praise the Lord!