Last post we looked at the story in Genesis 23- 25 where Abrahams servant Eliezer, was sent on a long journey to choose a wife for his son Isaac. This search resulted in Rebecca becoming the bride of Isaac.

So many instances in the old testament scriptures are fore-shadowings of future events; and this account of finding

a bride for Isaac

is a foreshadowing of

the bride of Messiah.

First let’s compare

the Bride of Isaac to the Bride of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

Bride of Isaac (Rebecca)          

Bride of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua (Obedient Believers).

She fell in love with someone she had never met.

We fall in love with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus we haven’t seen.

Eliezer is a type of Holy Spirit: he told her all about the father(Abraham) and the son Isaac) but never gave his name. He referred to himself only as the servant of Abraham..

Holy Spirit tells us about the Father and Son. John 14:26

Eliezer was to bring the bride to the groom.

Holy Spirit brings the bride of Messiah into Fathers presence.

Eliezer gave the bride gifts as directed by father Abraham.

The Father gives gifts to the bride through His Holy Spirit. Hebrews 2:4.

Eliezer said that father Abraham had given all his possessions to his son. Genesis 24:36

The Father loves the Son Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and has given Him all things. John 3:35

Rebecca was asked if she would go with this man and she answered yes.

We must make a decision to follow Holy Spirit and the ways of the Father in order to become the bride of Messiah.

Rebecca was blessed for going.

Those who follow and go with Messiah will be blessed.  Psalm 16:11

Rebecca would jointly rule the house/ Kingdom of Isaac as his bride.

We will jointly rule the kingdom under Messiah. Revelation 1:6

Isaac came to meet her after prayer to the Heavenly Father.

Messiah is interceding for us and will come to meet us when our Heavenly Father says it is time.

Rebecca met Isaac after a long journey to the land.

Messiah describes Himself as a nobleman who went to a far country to receive a kingdom and return. Luke 19:12

Eliezer led Rebecca on a long and difficult journey.

Holy Spirit leads us through the difficult journey of life.

Eliezer’s name is not mentioned in this whole passage.

Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself but only of the Heavenly Father and the Son.

The hospitality and kind acts performed by Rebecca led Eliezer to worship the Heavenly Father.

This is the first time that the word worship is used in the Torah, (first 5 books of the Old Testament). Because Eliezer is a foreshadowing of Holy Spirit, we see that the Spirit of our Heavenly Father leads us into worship when we are obedient to His desires.

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Next is a comparison of

Isaac as a foreshadowing of Messiah:

Isaac was the long awaited promised son Genesis 17:17

Messiah Jesus/Yeshua was the long awaited promised Son from Genesis 3:15.

Isaac was called Abraham’s only son.

Messiah is the only begotten of the Father. John 3:16

Abraham gave all his possessions to his son. Genesis 24:36

The Father loves the Son and has given Him all things. John 3:35

Isaac was offered in type and shadow on mount Moriah after a 3 day journey. He was considered as dead from the beginning of the journey because he was to be a sacrifice.

Messiah was offered up on the same Mount Moriah. He was in the grave for three days and nights. Matthew 12:40

Isaac came to Mount Moriah with Abraham and two servants, a total of four people.

Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus came to Jerusalem on the day of Nisan 10 and was crucified on the 14 Nisan a total four days.

There is no record of Isaac committing any sin.

Messiah lived a sinless life.

Isaac submitted completely to his father’s will even to the point of death.

Messiah submitted completely to His Father’s will even to death.

Isaac was raised from the dead in a type and shadow.

Messiah was raised from the dead after His death on the tree.

A nameless servant went to a far country to take him a bride.

The Spirit of the Heavenly Father came into the world for the bride of Messiah.

The bride had never seen him.

The bride of Messiah has never seen Him

Isaac waited for his father to get him a bride.

Messiah waits for His Father to say when it is time to get His bride. Matthew 24:36

Isaac and Rebecca came to meet each other in the field.

We will meet Messiah in the air. 1Thessalonians 4:17

Isaac married Rebecca, a beautiful bride adorned with the jewels that were given to her by the father of the groom.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaac did the work his father had done Genesis 26:18

Messiah does the works of His Father. John 5:19

Isaac marries his bride on the day they met it was evening.

Messiah will marry His bride today He returns at the end of the 6000th year day?

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Interesting notes on a Hebrew/Jewish wedding.

Revelation 19:7 -9

The Jewish wedding is a unique illustration of Messiahs’ relationship with His followers. It is not strange then, that there are numerous references to it in the New Testament. In Bible times the process of getting married was made up of three phases that took more than a year to complete. The actual ceremony was the culmination of these three stages:

The first stage of the process is called

shiddukhin

and the word means

match

and it begins with the selection of the bride.

This is called:

making a match

in hebrew shidduk,

and it is performed by a match maker,

in Hebrew shad khan.

There is a reference to this in Genesis 24, where Abraham sends Eliezer his servant to make a Match for his son Isaac/Yitz’chak; trusting that God will guide the search. Women often become matchmakers and sometimes the father of the groom would make the match. In either case this is no longer commonly practiced; however, this is still a picture of all believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus having been chosen as Messiah bride. Ephesians 1:4

The second stage it is called

eyrusin

and means

betrothal.

It is the formal one year period of time when the two parties receive the betrothal blessings and become officially engaged.

They are not to live together, but the commitment is so secure that it would take a religious divorce, which is called a get, to nullify the agreement and the get is an option available only to the husband. So here we see a clear lesson from the Hebrew/Jewish wedding,

that believers are eternally secure in Messiah covenant,

because it cannot be broken unless He breaks it, which He says He never will.

As Jesus/Yeshua said: I give them eternal life they will absolutely never be destroyed and no one will snatch them from my hands.

John 10:28.

During this time of eyrusin, the groom has responsibilities, and the most pressing one being preparing the couple’s future home. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus said in my fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be alsoJohn 14:1-3 …

The nissuin completes the 3 part process and the spiritual picture of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus – the Bridegroom and His bride.

According to ancient tradition, the groom comes for his bride at the end of the one year- eyrusin. Everything is made ready and the bride eagerly awaits his arrival. The groom could come for his bride only after the grooms father had given the command and when the father had given his approval that the place prepared for the son’s new bride was ready. Which is very clear here, that only the father knows that time; the son did not know the hour or the day when this would take place.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [ a]heaven, but My Father only.

When the father said it was a time the groom leading the procession through the streets of the village to the brides home; the shofar would be sounded to the shouts of the bridegroom comes!

At the close of nissuin there is a very happy celebration as is the modern Jewish wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8 there is a description of the time when Jesus Messiah marries His bride – the body of messianic believers. Let us rejoice and be glad. “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”. Revelation 19:9 will be a great blessing to those who are invited.

Betrothed in Hebrew is ‘aras

There is a reference in Hosea 2:19

and I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

The book of Hosea and the book of the song of Solomon both seem to portray our relationship with God as a betrothal. As noted, betrothal is similar to an engagement, only the couple are really married but do not live together or engage in intimate relationships. It lasts for about a year when the bridegroom comes to the bride’s father’s house and takes her away to his father’s house where he has built an addition to the family home and then they consummate the marriage.

The comparison here is that we are betrothed to Messiah Yeshua/Jesus while we are on the earth but the day will come when we pass from this earth when He comes to take us to His Fathers house to consummate the marriage covenant. This is what He was alluding to,  that we are merely in a betrothal stage in John 14:2

As already mentioned, the Hebrew the word

betrothal is aras

the lexicon simply says it means to betroth. Looking a little deeper into the Hebrew language and the Jewish meaning will give us a better understanding and help us to make a clearer comparison to our relationship with Messiah.

The word aras comes from a semetic root in the Sumerian language which means to desire. So the whole idea behind a betrothal is to build a desire between a man and woman. Many times a young man and woman did not really meet until their wedding day. So the betrothal was a time to get to know each other. Physical looks chemistry and love did not have anything to do with marriage. Love came after they were married or betrothed.

When a young couple were betrothed, traditionally the parents were to support the young man so he would not have to work during this period. The length of time for the betrothal was generally one year but it could be more or less. The idea was that this time would be spent where the couple would begin to learn about each other understand one another and learn to love each other and as they were falling in love their desire and passion for each other would increase to the point that the man would one day become to snatch his bride away and make her his wife by consummating the marriage covenant in the room he built onto his fathers house.

This is the same for believers, where our desire to be with our Savior grows daily and as we come to know him more intimately and long to be in His presence forever. No one, not even the bride knew when the bridegroom would come for his bride; everyone would anxiously await that day, watching all the signs that the bridegroom was getting ready. Then when the father gave the word and said it is tonight, then everyone would light a lamp and follow the groom as he went to his brides house. (think 10 virgin parable.)

Not even the bride knew the time,

but she knew the seasons,

and she had a good idea ,so much so that she would be

dressed and ready

when it was time and the bridegroom comes knocking at her door.

This is so clearly a picture of our lives here on earth. We accept Messiah Jesus/Yeshua as our Savior and then we are

betrothed to Him.

We live our remaining days in a betrothal with Yeshua/Jesus, learning to love Him, spending time alone with Him, letting Him meet our needs. All the time our desire for Him grows deeper and deeper, until the day comes we will no longer be separated from Him, and our Heavenly Father says it is time. Then He will come to take us to live in His Fathers house forever because we are part of Messiahs Bride.

The question we must ask ourselves is:

are we dressed and ready?

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

Not sure ..you can be…

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,

SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.