Topical Bible: Marriage: Isaac and Rebekah

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The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah is a significant event in the biblical narrative, illustrating themes of divine providence, covenantal faithfulness, and the continuation of the Abrahamic promise. This union is detailed primarily in Genesis 24, with additional references in Genesis 25 and 26.

Background and Context

Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, is the second patriarch in the line of the Abrahamic covenant. His birth was a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5). As Isaac reached maturity, it became imperative for him to marry and continue the lineage through which God's promises would be realized.

The Search for a Wife

Abraham, mindful of God's covenant and the need for his son to marry within his own kin, tasked his chief servant with finding a suitable wife for Isaac from his relatives in Mesopotamia, rather than from the Canaanites among whom they lived. This reflects the importance of maintaining the purity of the covenantal line and avoiding the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations.

Genesis 24:3-4 records Abraham's instructions: "I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac."

Divine Guidance and Rebekah's Selection

The servant's journey is marked by prayer and divine guidance. Upon reaching the city of Nahor, he prays for success and a sign to identify the right woman for Isaac. His prayer is answered when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother, offers water to him and his camels, fulfilling the sign he had requested from God (Genesis 24:12-14).

Rebekah's willingness and hospitality are highlighted as virtues, and her family consents to the marriage after recognizing the Lord's hand in the matter. Genesis 24:50-51 states, "Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter. Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has decreed.'"

The Marriage Ceremony

Rebekah's journey to meet Isaac is one of faith and obedience. Upon arrival, Isaac takes Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she becomes his wife. Genesis 24:67 notes, "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death."

Significance in the Biblical Narrative

The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah is pivotal in the continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. It underscores the importance of faithfulness to God's promises and the role of divine providence in the lives of the patriarchs. Rebekah's role as a matriarch is further emphasized in Genesis 25, where she becomes the mother of Esau and Jacob, the latter of whom would carry forward the covenantal promise.

Lessons and Themes

The account of Isaac and Rebekah's marriage highlights several key themes: the importance of seeking God's guidance in marriage, the value of marrying within the faith community, and the role of family and community in the marriage process. It also illustrates the concept of love and comfort within marriage, as seen in Isaac's love for Rebekah.

This narrative serves as a model for understanding marriage as a divinely ordained institution, integral to the fulfillment of God's purposes and promises throughout biblical history.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 24:3,4,67
And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 28:2
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take you a wife from there of the daughers of Laban your mother's brother.
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Library

Jacob, a Prince of God.
... younger daughter could not be given in marriage before the ... the fields of Mamre to
Hebron, and Isaac, whom the ... died, and where he had buried Rebekah, and Jacob ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter v jacob a prince.htm

The Story of Jacob
... God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac your father ... where Abraham's servant had met
Jacob's mother, Rebekah; and there ... last the day came for the marriage; and they ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of jacob.htm

Chapter xxiv
... should be a candidate in marriage for the ... Besides, the incidental importance of Isaac's
financial standing ... bring to the favourable attention of Rebekah's family ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiv.htm

The People of the New Earth
... Abraham and Nahor were brothers, and by Isaac's marriage with Rebekah, and Jacob's
marriage with her brother Laban's daughters (Leah and Rachel), the whole ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the people of the new.htm

Here Beginneth the Life of Isaac
... but fulfil and make an end of this marriage this week ... That same time died Deborah,
the nurse of Rebekah, and was ... land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I shall ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the life of.htm

Chapter xxvi
... the Hittite; and they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. ... 35. "Grief of mind"
(morath r?�ach ""bitterness of spirit") resulted from this marriage. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxvi.htm

Chapter xxv
... the two sons together, or else (KC) Isaac had succeeded in effecting a reconciliation
and an understanding (cf. Genesis 24:62) before his marriage to Rebekah. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxv.htm

No Compromise
... Rebekah might well have said, "That will never do for me ... and his revealed will, she
was not likely to go with the man, and enter upon marriage with Isaac. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/no compromise.htm

Chapter xxviii
... reasons best known to herself Rebekah does nothing of ... Jacob is called, though, indeed,
Isaac should have ... of the matter of Jacob's marriage without solicitation ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxviii.htm

Letter cxxiii. To Ageruchia.
... is short," [3287] and "now the axe is laid unto the root of the trees;" [3288] that
is to say, the forests of marriage and of ... In Isaac and Rebekah we see ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxiii to ageruchia.htm