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Rebekah, the servant Bride by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know" (John 14:1-4). "And the servant ran to meet her (Rebekah) and said, Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher. So she said, Drink, my lord. Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking. Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels" (Genesis 24:17-20). Abraham had made his servant Eliezer swear, "You will not take a wife for my son from among the daughter of the Canaanites in whose land I live… you will take a wife for my son from the family and household of my father" (Genesis 24:37,40). The Canaanites had a reputation for being idolaters (Psalm 106:38). Therefore Abraham's servant's mission was to take a wife for Isaac from within the family and household of Abraham's father. Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to look for a wife for his son. Likewise, God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to seek men and women who will be saved to be part of the Bride of Christ. And Jesus Christ will soon return for His Bride. When Eliezer saw that Rebekah was part of Abraham's family, "He left some silver and gold objects and some clothes, which he gave to Rebekah" (Genesis 24:53). Rebekah accepted the presents, then decided to follow Eliezer who led her to Isaac in order that she might become his wife. Rebekah represents the Bride who serves others and lets herself be guided by the Holy Spirit. As Rebekah adorned clothing Eliezer brought her, the Bride of Christ is clothed in fine linen clothes she received for her divine justification. So she embellished and purify herself with the help of the Holy Spirit in order to appear glorious before her Bridegroom Jesus Christ (Psalm 45:14-15). The Bride of Christ who will be taken up for the wedding Feast of the Lamb will also be taken into the Family of God. Isaac remained near to his father to prepare himself to welcome his bride. In the same way, Jesus remains near to His Father where He is preparing a place for us while waiting to take up His Bride so that She can be with Him. The Bride of Christ will not be the whole of the Church, but that which will have prepared itself to be taken up to stand and appear before Him, which will be judged worthy to be lifted up to escape the tribulations coming into the world, "Watch and pray at all times, so that you may be judged worthy to escape all these things which will happen, and to stand and appear before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). |