63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?"
The servant said, "It is my master." So she took a veil and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
(Genesis 24:63-66)
A couple had been debating the purchase of a new auto for weeks. He wanted a new truck. She wanted a fast little sports-like car so she could zip through traffic around town. He would probably have settled on any beat up old truck, but everything she seemed to like was way out of their price range.
"Look!" she said. "I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds or less. And my birthday is coming up. You could surprise me."
So, for her birthday, he bought her a brand new bathroom scale!
Postscript: Services will be at Downing Funeral Home on Monday the 12th. Due to the condition of the body, this will be a closed casket service. Please send your donations to the "Think Before You Say Things To Your Wife Foundation," Dallas, Texas.
There are of course an endless supply of jokes about marriage. This is because psychologists tell us we joke the most about the things with which we are the most uneasy or uncertain. I don't know about that, but I do know that when Abraham's servant brought Rebekah to Isaac, and when the two of them first laid eyes on one another, it was no joke. Isaac walked toward them (although a respectable man would never run, I'm sure he walked as quickly as he could). Rebekah asked the servant, "Who is this man?" The emphasis Rebekah gave the phrase is very telling. Her heart raced within her in excitement as she laid eyes on Isaac for the very first time. Isaac lost no time taking Rebekah into his mother's tent and the two were married. Then it says that Isaac loved her.
Its interesting here that it says Isaac married Rebekah first, then loved her. I would have thought it would have been the other way around- we love someone, then we marry them. But Isaac and Rebekah never knew the other existed until that day. Obviously there is something here that goes beyond physical attraction- although I'm sure both were physically attracted to each other. Marriage requires a commitment that goes beyond physical attractiveness, or even the length of time that one knows the other. This was not so much love at first sight as it was a commitment at first sight. It was a commitment to love another and to stay married no matter what. It also says that "Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." One woman's love was exchanged for another, and while Isaac no doubt missed his mother, he could think of no one else but Rebekah ever after that. While it was true that Isaac and Rebekah's marriage was prearranged before hand, their love kept it together afterward
There are times that I think that maybe we ought to go back to such a system. I'm sure most would not find that a very acceptable solution, but for the most part, many might agree that the modern, cultural idea of dating before marriage has failed us. It puts more pressures on a young couple that neither are emotionally prepared or suited for. And while it is true Isaac's servant went out of his way to find a great wife for his master, It's also true that a successful marriage is not about finding the right person, but in being the right person.
Prayer: Dear God I thank you for my spouse today. Satan hates marriage and the family and will do everything he can to tear them up. But only You can keep us together. Help me to be as committed to my mate as much as You are committed to keeping us together. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Have a blessed day!
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