Who Is This Man?

The Hospitality and Suspicion of Laban

Well, it's a it's a great blessing after last week to hear so many specific prayers in our prayer time. What a what a what a joy we can go to the Lord with these things. This morning. We look to complete what we began last week last week.

Of course, we Considered more of a practical view of the first half of Genesis 24. We considered prayer and God's providence and as I mentioned last week this morning. We want to consider a little bit more Theological reflection in Genesis 24, we're not going to quite get there as we start but we'll get there soon enough.

So wasting no time we begin with verse 29.

We have a.

In Hebrew, it's called a disjunctive clause and you some translations would actually put this in parentheses and that's important because there's a narrative Foreshadowing here. We're introduced to the figure of Laban and we know if we've read Genesis that good old uncle Laban is somewhat of a trickster and a deceiver and a very greedy man and we're introduced to him here and that's sort of a foreview of chapters 29 through 31.

We're also given notice of Rebecca's father Bethuel in verse 24. And then in verse 28, we read Rebecca ran and told her mother's household these things. So it seems to be that for whatever reason Bethuel had become Incapacitated.

We cannot say that he's dead because in verse 50 Bethuel is clearly still kicking. But for whatever reason he's not able to make decisions. He's perhaps Incapacitated in some way and so the mother's household is notified and clearly Laban is the one who takes charge of the family.

He's the one who exercises authority in arranging the marriage. Now we read in verse 30 It came to pass when Laban saw the nose ring the bracelets on his sister's wrists. And when he heard the words of his sister Rebecca saying thus the man spoke to me that he went to the man and there He stood by the camels at the well if we didn't have previous knowledge of Laban we might think he was a very gracious host and a very upright man in fact a very hospitable man.

Come in we read. Oh blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside and perhaps the first time around we're going, you know. That's a great guy. You know, what a nice family Rebecca has but having read Genesis we go.

Oh boy. Here we go. We roll our eyes. Oh blessed of the Lord. We almost detect this man's antics. Notice how he connects and this is just again part of the foreview. He connects the Camels and the jewelry with the blessing of the Lord.

How does Laban know that this servant is blessed of the Lord. Look at the material possession? And so for Laban very clearly material possessions equal blessing at a superficial level and That'll become important when we get to chapters 29 through 31 and we consider the blessing of the Lord moving on to verse 32.

We read.

The man the servant came to the house and he unloaded the camels and provided straw and feed for the camels and Water to wash his feet in the feet of the men who were with him. Food was set before him to eat.

But he said I will not eat until I have told about my errand and so he said speak on and from verses 34 to 47 we have a Recap of really the first half of the chapter and this is very significant. We're not going to touch on this just yet, but it's very significant that this is all recounted in detail and not just summarize as it could have been because of course it is Necessary for the servant to tell the story for the sake of Milka for the sake of Laban.

But it's not necessary for the reader. It's not necessary for us to read twice the details that have taken place. We could simply have had at the beginning of verse 34 and he told them all that had happened and Then we go on to the end of the chapter.

And so why why is the detail given why is the effort put forth to record Almost double the information of this chapter. I think it's very significant. I think it's meant to cause us to slow down and consider the vital centrality of this chapter and hopefully we'll understand why momentarily as a result of the report.

Everyone has to acknowledge the purpose of God the providence of God verse 50 and 51 Laban and Bethel answered and said the thing comes from the Lord. We can't speak either good or bad. Here is Rebecca before you take her go let her be your master's son's wife as The Lord has spoken.

So notice that first they acknowledge the providence is so detailed so overwhelming. We can't speak good or bad of this. Clearly. This is in the hands of the Lord in fact. They're unable to say anything at all then they say go take Take Rebecca to be your master's son's bride and notice the servants speech is taken as the Lord's speech.

Thus the Lord has spoken or as the Lord has spoken and so they equate the servants mission with the activity of the Lord in the arranging of this marriage between Rebecca and Isaac and Then notice as we saw last week Apparently a habit for the servant.

He can't help but break out in worship verses 52 and 53 He bows himself to the ground in worship and then he goes and runs and somehow Underneath the saddles on the camels. He still has more precious Jewels more precious gifts and treasures to bring out and then of course the joy of this momentous occasion.

They have a great celebratory feast and Then they arise the morning verse 54 and he says send me away to my master and her brother Laban and her mother Milka they say let the young woman stay with us for a few days at least ten and then she may.

Go.

Now I'm tempted to think is this Laban up to his old tricks looking to squeeze out some more jewelry, you know. Maybe there's another bracelet up one of those camels saddles somewhere. But actually this would accord with ancient near Eastern customs that when a marriage was being arranged the virgin to be married would stay with her family for some indefinite amount of time and Generally, it was a lot longer than ten days.

This is actually somewhat gracious as an accommodation at least ten days when it could have been months even ten months of waiting and being with the family to celebrate and prepare and enjoy each other as the Household is about to part ways and so it's a modest request.

But as modest as it is the servant is on a mission and he cannot delay verse 56. Do not hinder me. Since the Lord has prospered my way send me away so that I may go to my master. So the reason the servant gives is the Lord has directed him from the beginning of his journey until now and the Lord has blessed Him and he doesn't want to be hindered.

He wants to continue seeking the Lord's blessing and this marriage must happen. And so he must get back to his master without delay. In other words even good customs. Insensible requests must give way to the Lord's will.

That's what the servant knows and so he has an urgency. And then we come to verse 57 and 58 and out of all of chapter 24 It's the most significant Contribution that Rebecca makes. They said we'll call the young woman and ask her personally.

Don't you want to stay with your brother Laban? And your mom and your home. Don't you want to have at least 10 days to spend some time together on the sofa? Do the things we used to do play some board games pack up your room.

So they go and they call the young woman and they ask her personally and they called Rebecca and they said to her Will you go with this man? And she said I will go. I can imagine many decades before this in this very area of Mesopotamia.

There was a man who had been given a word from the Lord similar to this. Will you go? Into a land that you've never been a land that I will show you. Will you go? Will you leave behind your family and all that you've known the life that you've established here?

Will you go into this land that I will give you and that man said I will go. Just like Abraham Rebecca is acting by faith from the Word of God. She's willing to leave her home she's willing to leave her family.

She's willing to travel into a land that the Lord will give to her that she will become an heiress within the land. And so once more in Genesis. Following this Abrahamic pattern we see a foreigner in a foreign land prepared by God's grace called by God to enter into the land of promise to receive it and Her family then gives her this blessing.

Verse 60 they blessed Rebecca and they said to her our sister. May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them. Now it was customary when you gave a blessing to be exuberant.

To be.

Hyperbolic to be may this may the stars themselves. You know kneel to bless you that these were the kind of extravagant blessings that were given in the ancient Near East. But this is not just customary blessing.

This is covenantal prophecy. It echoes the promise that God gives to Abraham in Genesis 22 verse 17 Blessing. I will bless you multiplying. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the shore and your Descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies many descendants and Descendants that even possess those who hate them.

So not only is the Abrahamic calling being repeated in Rebecca's life. The Abrahamic blessing is being repeated in Rebecca's life. And so verse 61 we leave Mesopotamia she and her nurse her maids a nurse this would have been her wet nurse as a as a young baby and then That nurse continues to be a guardian and a caretaker and a counselor through the rest of that nurse's life and so she takes her nurse with her and They load up on the camels and the servant and Rebecca depart back to the promised land back to Isaac beginning in verse 62 we read the narrative shifting to Isaac he's been dwelling in the south in the Negev in the dry region of the promised land and The narrative not only shifts to Isaac.

But it shifts in a way that we're reminded again. Not only of the personal providence of God in the encounter at the well with Rebecca. But we come to another well and we're reminded of the personal providence and guidance of God at beer Lehigh Roy front and center.

We read Isaac came from the way of beer Lehigh Roy for he dwelt in the south and we're calling back here to genesis 16 when Hagar was on the run and So destitute having been persecuted by her mistress and God there met her and she named the place of the well That was open before her beer Lehigh Roy here.

I have seen him who sees me and Isaac is about Meditating. He's out in the field. We read in 63. He's out to meditate in the field in the evening and so God is Seeing Isaac in this place and Isaac is is Reflecting meditating dwelling perhaps on the testimonies of his father.

Perhaps on God's dealings with him in his life. Perhaps aware of this servant's mission that he's out meditating and reflecting and preparing. Praying that this mission would be accomplished that a bride would be brought for him.

And.

After a long day's work you can imagine him the Sun setting over the horizon of the Negev. It probably would have looked like looked like Bemis Heights and Hubbardston the Sun setting and he's meditating on the Lord and and this is where if this was a you know a script or if this was something that a Cinematographer might do you you can picture him looking over the expanse of the sunset and now the romantic violins begin to play.

And there's some dramatic sweeping orchestral music and we read. He lifted his eyes and looked and and there just like dots on the horizon comes this train of camels. And so this heart fluttering music begins to play and and now we come to the great exchange in verse 64 and then Rebecca lifted her eyes and When she saw Isaac she she dismounted.

This is a hallmark moment. Who is this man. Walking in the field to meet us and the servant says it is my master. And so she took a veil and she covered herself. It's a very dramatic scene, isn't it? Everything sort of slows down the ladies and in the congregation go.

This was the how mom met dad story that Jacob and Esau had to grow up hearing on repeat. And it's the kind of story you would never forget and it was never forgotten because it was passed down To them and through them all the way even to Moses to be able to record it.

Frankly if I saw Alicia dismount a camel when I met her I'd never forget that either. We read that Rebecca when she drew near to this man. Who she knows this man is seeking her the servant has sought her at at the request of this man and so she's drawing close to the man who is seeking her and This is the man that now she is seeking and what does she do as as she gets closer?

She takes a veil and she covers herself. Now again, this is surely customary surely customary. But it's the kind of detail that's record if this is so customary. It doesn't need to be recorded and It's recorded I think for a reason I think it's another Insight into the character of this young woman.

Now Calvin John Calvin he points out that not only in the ancient Near Eastern cultures of the time. But all the way through the Greeks and the Romans all the way really down to present-day. There's been some sort of veiling practice related to marriage.

In fact the the Latin word for the marriage right the where boom new bendy it comes from the Latin verb new berry to veil. It's where we get our English word nuptial from and so that the marital concept has to do somehow with a veiling that is then Revealed and this is what Calvin says and he's writing in the 16th century.

If you can imagine how different standards were back then he says so much more shameful and less capable of excuse is our own age in which the apparel of bride seems to be Purposely contrived to subvert all modesty in other words He's saying rather than a why a potential bride-to-be covering herself up in modesty.

Brides today. This is in the 1500s are actually revealing themselves as they get closer to the one They are seeking and the one who is seeking them. I think Calvin has a point here. There's something to be said about Rebecca's character here.

She wasn't making her own way in the world. See a mom see a Milka see a Laban. I'm charting I'm my own woman now I'm gonna do my own thing these customs and strictures. I'm casting them off and if I think showing my skin makes me more attractive.

Well, I'm gonna do that if We were impressed last week at Rebecca's industry and her gracious compassion toward a stranger. We ought to be impressed by her modesty here. The detail is recorded to show that she is chaste she knows that beauty is something fragile and it's to be protected and Revealed not before but at the time of love.

And look at the response. It's really just a summary statement from verse 67. He took Rebecca. She became his wife. He loved her. That's the summary statement. He loved her what more can be said? Nothing more is recorded.

He took her he loved her.

And.

Surrounding this of course is more important details. Surrounding this we read. Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebecca. She became his wife. He loved her and so Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Sarah is bookending this love that's now been established between Rebecca and Isaac and this is very significant. Remember, we've been talking about how Rebecca is entering into the Abrahamic Covenant.

Taking the place really of Sarah within the setting of the Abrahamic Covenant. She becomes as it were the matriarch of the clan and so in verse 67 Rebecca is not just taking the place of Sarah physically By moving into her tent not just taking the place of Sarah.

Emotionally.

By comforting Isaac after her death, but she's taking the place of Sarah covenantally. Now the seed of promise will come through her and so God's Abrahamic promise which had been initiated With Abram and Sarah is now being passed to Isaac and Rebecca.

In fact, the servant returns and now Isaac is his master. Abraham's not even mentioned here. All of the focus is on the Sun all of the focus is on the seed of the promise and his bride. So we come now to theologically reflect on these verses and I hope you can detect where I'm going when I say something like.

Now the.

Abrahamic promise of God initiated with Abram and Sarah is being passed to Isaac and Rebecca. And let's translate that a little further now the Abrahamic promise is Being passed to the seed of promise and his bride.

I hope you can detect a little bit of how we begin to develop theological reflection on this. From this point we take a step back from the historical details at the Narrative level of the chapter and we begin to think of the theological details not in light of the chapter not even in light of the book of Genesis, but in light of the whole Bible and That is why throughout church history It has been understood that Genesis 24 is the longest chapter within the book of Genesis and is the most Repetitious chapter in the book of Genesis because it is one of the most crystal clear glimpses of God's redemptive purpose in Christ.

Christ and His Bride in Genesis 24

We remember that Abraham desires to present a bride for Isaac. That was the beginning of the chapter. Abraham desires to present a bride for Isaac. Take a step back. The father desires to present a bride to the Sun.

The father desires to present a bride for the Sun and to accomplish this the father Sends the servant to gather the bride to the Sun. It was at this very moment when I was preparing when I was drafting this sermon.

I've been listening to a playlist from the Edinburgh Festival Just a number of classical pieces and at this moment as I'm writing The father sends his servant to gather the bride. Mendelssohn's wedding march starts playing and I I Laughed it and then was emotional.

This is what every human historical wedding ultimately points to Christ and his relationship to the church is not the allegory not the metaphor for human marriage. It's the other way around a Marriage between a man and a woman in this life on this earth is the metaphor is the allegory of the relationship between the Sun and his bride.

And so the father sends his servant to gather the bride and the servant the Holy Spirit. Throughout the storyline of Scripture He's testifying about the Sun. He comes and he testifies of the father and of the Sun and you can imagine this servant when Rebecca's finally on this journey back to the promised land to stand Within the promise within the inheritance before the bridegroom that all the way along this long journey Could have been depending on routes 500 maybe 900 mile journey the servant saying wait till you meet him.

Wait till you meet.

The Sun the child of promise. Wait till you hear of him. Wait till you see his grace and his beauty and his strength and his dignity and his honor. Wait till you see him. Wait till you meet him. Prepare yourself.

Let me tell you how you must be. Let me help you be beautified. Let me arrange you so that you can be presented before him spotless and without blemish. And so at this point we turn to Genesis 24 and we recognize it's long and it's repetitious.

And we don't miss that as careful readers of Scripture for all of Scripture Ultimately is to testify about Jesus. Jesus says in John 5 39 to the Pharisees You search the scriptures because you think in them you have life, but these are they that testify of me and so you misread scripture when you cannot see the testimony to Jesus and We understand it as the servant who brings the testimony of Jesus.

It is the servant who unveils God's great purpose for the Son again verses 34 through 36 I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He's become great. He's given him flocks and herds silver and gold male and female servants and camels and donkeys and Sarah my wife's mass my my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old and To him he has given all that he has.

So the servant reveals the father and then he reveals the son. This is the servant's task. This is the servant's mission. He gathers the bride, but how does he gather the bride? He gathers the bride by Testifying to the father's will for the son.

He he as it were Reveals the son of the father and that's how he gathers the bride. And so he speaks of the great wealth and of the great power and the blessedness of the father and all belongs to him and All that belongs to the father has been given to the son.

Come be his bride.

That's the testimony of the servant. And with this testimony the servant seeks to gather a bride for the son. Jesus says the son says in John 15 26 when when he comes whom I shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth.

Who proceeds from the father? He will testify of me and then in John 16 13 He says when the spirit of truth has come he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own authority. Whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you of the things to come he will glorify me.

For he will take of what is mine. He'll declare it to you all things. The father has given are mine. This is what the servant is doing in Genesis 24 he's taking of that which the father has entrusted to the son and he's giving it to the bride and saying come I must glorify the Son and you must be wed to him.

And so with this testimony the servant seeks to gather a bride for the son. The bride of course was sought by the servant. She was in Mesopotamia a domain of darkness a pagan land ritual child sacrifice paganism debauchery and yet in this fallen distant land of darkness the servant treads and he gathers the bride the one that God's grace had been preparing and Then he transfers her into the domain into the land of the beloved son.

So that the son might be her husband her head. When we read in Colossians one that God has delivered us from the domain of darkness Transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son. And he's the head of the body the church and so the bride Will come to partake of his glory.

And we see in Genesis 24 this very mystery of marriage. It's It's the next major step in understanding the mystery of marriage from Genesis 3. You remember in Ephesians 5 when Paul's teaching and he says this is a mystery.

He's quoting from Genesis 3. I Speak in a mystery, but this pertains to Christ in his church. And so whenever we come across Marital imagery in the scriptures whenever we come across patriarchal marriages.

We slow down and say this is a mystery but it pertains to Christ in the church and when Paul says as he says in 1st Corinthians 11 8 and 9 man Is not of the woman the woman is of the man and Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man and he's reflecting on Creation the order of creation, but he's doing so much more than that.

He's reflecting on redemption. The woman was created for the man. The bride was gathered For the Sun the Sun is the focal point of Redemption in Scripture and the bride can only receive blessing can only partake of glory.

When she's brought into this relationship with the Sun. Because all of God's blessing and all that the father has resides with and in the Sun. Everything is in him and for him through him and to him and this is the desire of the father.

That a bride would be wed to the Sun to partake of his glory. And so the church is this long-sought patiently gathered bride. She's the heiress of all that has been entrusted to the Sun. We are heirs joint heirs with Christ and So we partake with him commune with him flesh of his flesh bone of his bones in his dignity in his glory profoundly forever to enjoy and glorify him John 17 24 father.

This is Jesus prayer for his people. I Desire that they whom you gave me may be with me where I am. They may behold your glory what you've given me for you loved me before the foundation of the world verse 26.

So that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. That's marital language. And so then as we read the man was not created for the woman. The Sun was not created for the bride. The bride was created for the Sun, but this is the most amazing thing.

What does Paul say just before that? The woman is the glory. The bride is the glory. The church is the crown upon his head. And this is the father's desire to glorify the Sun. This was the father's plan for the bride though at the time she didn't know it.

The father had will that the servant would go into that dark land and Rebecca didn't know anything of that. She was just gathering water and doing her daily chores and participating in the family life.

She didn't know that and in the councils of the father. There was a mission being undertaken to bring her and gather her to the son of promise. And so it is with the church, isn't it? We're in this place of darkness ignorant to all that has gone in for the Spirit to seek us and gather us and Testify of the Son and bring us to him.

Can you just imagine for me? Just just imagine. Imagine Rebecca standing by this well as she did every evening covered in mud and grime goat spit, I mean whatever else you would collect during a day of hard work and Here she is she's completely oblivious To the love and the desire and the effort and the wealth and the sacrifice that has been made to secret.

She's just gathering water. She doesn't think she's particularly special. She doesn't even know what her life is going to be. She's just focused on getting through the next day and the next season. Can you imagine when this?

Luxury train like a fleet of limousines shows up and this incredibly lavish dignified servant with a whole retinue comes out with treasure chests and troves of precious jewels and gifts and in the course of time says you young woman you.

You are the object of my master's desire. You will be the heir of untold promise. All of the love that the son has to offer will rest upon you and you will be gathered to him.

Glorious.

Can you imagine? How melted she felt?

Who am I?

Why was I made to enter.

This feast.

I've been reflecting on this, you know, you listen to Christmas carols this time of year and Sometimes this happens to me all the time, right? You sing a hymn a hundred times and then the hundred first time you hear a phrase you've never noticed and that happened to me this week with the hymn Oh Holy Night and It's the second half of the second line.

You're familiar with this long lay the world in sin and error pining listen to this Till he appeared and The soul felt its worth. I never noticed that Long lay the world in sin and darkness pining Until he appeared and then the soul felt its worth.

Rebecca when that train when that servant came testifying of the Sun. She felt. And so this is what the serving spirit does when he is sent from the father. To testify of the Sun into that far country.

He's been doing this ever since Pentecost he's been in the far countries of many tribes and tongues throughout the world testifying of the Sun and wooing a bride who for the first time understands the worth of her soul the blood-bought worth of her soul and then if that weren't enough the Servant testifies of his glory and his beauty and the unsearchable riches Which are hers in Christ and the bloody perfection of his work of love for her and the Spirit testifies of his love.

That was the summary statement right verse 67 he took her he loved her. That's how we know That the one whom we haven't seen we love because he first loved us and the Spirit Testifies to that love he loves us.

The Spirit testifies to us. You haven't seen him yet. I'm guiding him to you.

But he loves you.

Christ loved the church Paul says he gave himself for her.

He loved her.

The Spirit testifies of the love of the Son and. And of course one of the most dramatic moments is verse 65, isn't it? Who is this man? Walking in the field to meet us and then the servant says it's my master.

You can almost you can't pull back from the joy the exhilaration of the master to finally Introduce the bridegroom it leaps off the page. You can imagine after that long journey all of the hindrances and difficulties and pauses along the way when Negev was nearing the GPS Destination that their hearts were getting antsy.

There was this great thrill that the moment was about to happen and when she says who who is this? Who is this man? That the servant leaped for joy to say it's my master.

It's my master, it's the bridegroom and.

That takes place every time the divine testimony of God's Spirit this self effacing Sun Unmagnifying spirit points out to a sinner being redeemed by God's grace.

It's the Lord.

It's the Lord. It's the bridegroom.

We encounter the testimony of the Son through the message of the gospel and our hearts are prompted. We pray for someone at specter to read the book of John. And what are we praying for? We're praying for the servant to testify to the Sun to promise.

So that in reading he goes.

Who is this?

Who who is this? And the servant will say it is the Lord.

It is the Sun. It is the bridegroom.

When Jesus poses that question to Peter Remember who do men say that I am. And then he turns it to Peter directly. Who do you say? Who is this man? And Peter says. You're the Messiah you're the Christ son of God.

What does Jesus say blessed are you? Simon bar Jonah flesh and blood have not revealed this to you my father in heaven. How does the Father in heaven reveal the identity of the Son? Through the servant.

Through the spirit. It's not through flesh and blood but through the spirit. And then what does Peter say? What does Jesus say to Peter on this rock? I will build my church and the gates of hell Will not prevail against her.

Now that was a Prophecy we said a covenantal prophecy that was given to Rebecca from her family. It's the Spirit of God who comes to the bride and makes that blessing a reality. It is upon the church that ultimately this blessing lands.

It is of the bride the church That the Spirit makes her the mother of ten thousands of thousands. It is of the church the bride that the Spirit makes her to possess the gates of those who hate her. And it's on this rock this identity the the servant revealing the identity of the Son that the church advances and the Spirit causes her to conquest and to inherit the earth as All things are made subject to her bridegroom the Son as all of his enemies are laid beneath his footstool.

And in this way the serving spirit gathers the bride and The Spirit what else the Spirit gives spiritual gifts to the bride. He brings out precious graces and promises. Just like the servant would unlock these little cabinets and open these little gift wrapped boxes the Spirit of God.

He comes to his bride the church and he gives gifts spiritual gifts means of grace promises. And then he faithfully guides us all of the way and it doesn't matter how distant that way is and it doesn't matter how difficult the journey is.

The servant will bring the bride to the bridegroom. There will be a perseverance of the Saints. The servant will not fail the mission of the father. The son will have his bride Presented before him in glorious array.

Step by step he's guiding the bride step by step day by day season by season church. The spirit is testifying to the wonders of the Sun patiently. Personally gently, but firmly leading our way to him.

Leading all the way until the day. When our eyes are lifted like Rebecca's eyes to behold our bridegroom face to face. We should have a as we sort of move to a close. I Haven't of course emphasized much application in a sermon.

I didn't plan to just want us to Feast on the glory of Christ in the bride as it's refracted through the prism of Genesis 24. But if there's any application it would be this. We ought to have some longing.

Some.

Anticipation some burning desire. For the spirit to bring us to the bridegroom. We ought to have something of that. Can you imagine? How much that anticipation would have built as. Every day they were a day closer to Isaac Rebecca's heart must have been fluttering she must have lost sleep at least on those last few days when they were just about to enter into the border of the land and Brothers and sisters as we progress in the Christian life and as decades begin to wane in our life There ought to be that same anticipation that same.