Read Genesis 24

What does Rivkah mean?

Rivkah - to clog by tying up the fetlock; fettering (by beauty)

Fetter - 1 : to put fetters on : shackle
2 : to restrain from motion, action, or progress

(In other words. Rivkah represented congress.) (JK)

            Words we use today: Captivating and stunning

When a woman is beautiful in Scripture, it is recorded. Physical beauty is not a bad thing, as it is a gift from God and a work of creativity on the part of the woman.

When does beauty become a bad thing?

[Ecc 7:26]  I found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is a snare and whose hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be caught by her.

[Pro 31:30]  Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.

Rivkah initially got the servant’s (Eleazar) attention, but it was what she did with his attention that showed him she was the one. God gives gifts of all sorts that help give us attention. What do we do with it?

Of course there is another side to the beauty issue:

[Job 31:1]  "I made a covenant with my eyes not to let them lust after any girl.

Rivkah’s beauty got Eleazar’s attention, but this did not mean he lusted after her. He was on a mission from God, and maintained his focus throughout. This is because his focus was on whom he was serving, not himself.

Why does it matter how she looks?

[Eph 5:25-27]  As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf, in order to set it apart for God, making it clean through immersion in the mikveh, so to speak,  in order to present the Messianic Community to himself as a bride to be proud of, without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without defect.

As Rivkah represents the Bride of Messiah, it matters how we look and act.

What were some of the pros and cons to Rivkah leaving to marry Yitzchak?

      Pros: good life, marriage in general, joining God in His work

      Cons: leaving her family, living in different land with unknown circumstances and people, marriage to a man she did not know

Rather than following her heart, she followed God’s leading despite the pros and cons.

How much choice did she have?

The choice to marry itself was made for her, but she had the choice to wait ten days or go right away.

What does her willingness to go right away show about her?

      She was ready for God’s leading whatever and whenever that was.

[ Mat 25:1-13]  "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their     

lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.  The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, 'The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!' The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.' But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Later, the other bridesmaids came. 'Sir! Sir!' they cried, 'Let us in!' But he answered, 'Indeed! I tell you, I don't know you!' So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

How are ways that we prepare ourselves to respond to Messiah’s call on our lives?

[Luk 9:57-62]  As they were traveling on the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Yeshua answered him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds flying about have nests, but the Son of Man has no home of his own." To another he said, "Follow me!" but the man replied, "Sir, first let me go away and bury my father." Yeshua said, "Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!" Yet another said, "I will follow you, sir, but first let me say good-by to the people at home." To him Yeshua said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of God."

Is Yeshua being unreasonable here?

            It seems to me that Yeshua is teaching priorities. I think He would allow these people to take care of the business they need to take care of, but He wants their devotion FIRST. There is much we do not do out of fear, comfort zones, and the details of our lives that end up taking precedence over God.

Why did Eleazar want to leave with Rivkah right away?

[1Pe 2:11]  Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you; but to live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions, give glory to God on the Day of his coming.

 God was fulfilling a promise to Avraham by providing a wife for Yitzchak. This plan was unknown to Rivkah. She had no way of knowing that one of her sons would father the twelve tribes of Israel. We do not know what God’s ultimate plans are, but we do know that God’s desire is to bless us and to bless others through us. Our main priority is to bring glory to God and help others to do the same. The longer we delay, the longer is takes for God to receive glory and for God’s blessings to return. When we drop everything and wholeheartedly seek our bridegroom, we are able to enter the wonders of His grace sooner.