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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. |
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| 2 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 Abraham – Type of Jehovah. F170; R4476:2, R4516:2, R5187:3, R5533:5
His eldest servant – Eliezer, type of the holy Spirit. F171; R4476:2, R4516:2, R5187:3
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| 3 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: |
A wife – Type of the Church. F170; R4476:2
My son – Type of Jesus. F170; R4476:2
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| 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. |
Go unto my country – Representing the household of faith. R3953:2, R5187:3
To my kindred – Those already in relationship to God through faith. SM204:2
Unto my son Isaac – Type of Christ. F170
Who was at this time 40 years old. Isaac's submission typified Christ's submission to Jehovah. R2861:2, R5178:3
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| 5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? |
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| 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. |
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| 7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. |
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| 8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. |
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| 9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. |
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| 10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. |
The servant – Represented the work of the holy Spirit in calling the Church. PD23/34
Took ten camels – Representing the Word of God. The camels bore the servant and the presents to Rebekah. R161:2[R161]
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| 11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. |
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| 12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. |
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| 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: |
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| 14 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 showed kindness unto my master. |
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| 15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. |
Behold, Rebekah – Type of the Church, the Bride of Christ. F170; R5533:5
Milcah – One of Haran's daughters whom Nahor married; grandmother of Rebekah. R5177:6
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| 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. |
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| 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. |
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| 18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. |
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| 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. |
I will draw – The spirit of generosity, of service. R5187:6
For thy camels also – The spirit does not communicate to us the things of our high calling in Christ until we entertain the Word as well as the spirit. R161:3
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| 20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. |
For all his camels – Illustrating her hospitable, kindly disposition. Only those who have something of generosity and amiability in their characters are invited to be of the Bride class. R3953:1
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| 21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. |
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| 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; |
A golden earring – Representing the blessed effect of hearing the call to be of the Bride of Christ. R1386:5; SM206:2
And two bracelets – Representing the blessed effect of the divine call upon our doings after we hear the call. R1386:5
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| 23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? |
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| 24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. |
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| 25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. |
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| 26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. |
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| 27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren. |
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| 28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. |
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| 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
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| 30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. |
Earring and bracelets – Symbolic of spiritual blessings. R5187:6
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| 31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. |
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| 32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. |
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| 33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. |
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| 34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant. |
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| 35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. |
Blessed my master – The great riches of God are illustrated in Abraham. SM204:3
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| 36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. |
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| 37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: |
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| 38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. |
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| 39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. |
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| 40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: |
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| 41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. |
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| 42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: |
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| 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; |
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| 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. |
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| 45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. |
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| 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. |
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| 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. |
Milcah bare unto him – Children are of the father, by the mother, as illustrated in the human birth of Christ. E99
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| 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. |
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| 49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. |
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| 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. |
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| 51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken. |
Take her, and go – The acceptance of the call to be of the Bride of Christ could not be possible if it were with hesitancy: it must be prompt and hearty. R3953:3
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| 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. |
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| 53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. |
Jewels of sliver – Symbolizing truths. R1386:5
Jewels of gold – Symbolizing additional treasures of the holy Spirit which we receive after our betrothal to Christ. R3953:3, R4516:3, R5188:2; SM206:2
And raiment – Symbolizing the Church's newness of life and relationship to the Father and the Son whose call she has accepted. R1386:5
Gave also – Showing that others of the household of faith receive spiritual blessings through the betrothed class. R1386:5
Brother and to her mother – Typifying the sympathizing ones of the household of faith, justified but not fully sanctified. R1386:5
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| 54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. |
In the morning – This day and the day previous represent the two thousand-year days in which the Bride of Christ receives the call. R2310:4
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| 55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. |
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| 56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. |
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| 57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. |
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| 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. |
Rebekah – Type of those who become members of the Bride, the Lamb's wife. R5188:2
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| 59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. |
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| 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. |
Be thou the mother – The Bride will become the mother of thousands of millions of humanity. R5188:5; SM207:1; PD27/38
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| 61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. |
Rebekah arose – Typifying the personal consecration of each one who, led of the spirit, accepts the invitation to joint-heirship with Christ. SM206:2
And her damsels – Maids, representing the Great Company. Q584:6; SM205:1, 3; F171
Upon the camels – Representing the Scriptures, by which the faithful are borne along. R5188:4
Followed the man – Representing our individual experiences as we follow the guidance of the holy Spirit; and also the experiences of the Church as a whole, covering the past 18 centuries. R3953:3; PD23/34
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| 62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. |
And Isaac came – Typifying the second advent of Christ. R3953:3
Lahai-roi – The place where Hagar talked with the Lord without seeing him; thus teaching that at the second advent Christ will be invisible to the natural eye. R161:6
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| 63 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. |
In the field – "The field is the world." (Matt.13:38) R1387:6
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| 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. |
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| 65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself. |
Unto the servant – Typifying the spirit of the truth. R1387:6
She took a vail – Representing the passing of the Church beyond the vail. R3953:3
In the resurrection the Church will no longer need the guidance of the holy Spirit through the Scriptures. SM206:3
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| 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. |
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| 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. |
Isaac brought her – Typifies Christ receiving the Church at the end of her journey. R4371:6; Q169:5
His mother Sarah – Type of the Abrahamic covenant. F170
Rebekah – Type of the Bride of Christ. OV320:5; R4387:1
Grand-daughter of Milcah. and great grand-daughter of Haran, Abraham's brother. R5177:6
Became his wife – Sarah had died; Rebekah became her successor. So, the glorified Church will replace the Sarah covenant as a channel of blessing. SM207:1
Isaac had but one wife; Christ has but one Bride. R3953:3
The figure of Isaac and Rebekah as types of Christ and the Church ends here where the twain are made one. R1388:3
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