Modesty &: Courtship (Part 2)
Hey family! Continuing where we left off, let’s continue looking into the story of Isaac in search of a wife.
In our previous part of this study (which you can view here), we found 3 great principles for courtship:
Do not be unequally yolked with unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Prayer is essential to keeping God’s will for your life, that includes your courtship ( Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 6:18, Job 22:27, Matthew 26:41)
Develop a modest christian character (Ephesians 5:1)
We pick back up in Genesis 24: 15-19
“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. 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. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.”
We see that before the servant even finished his prayer, God provided. He is IMMEDIATELY concerned with our needs, our concerns, and our wants! Right then and there, Rebekah was his answered prayer. She offered water for both the servant and his camels as he sought when going to the well. This was God’s providence! The lesson in this is:
God is interested in your future. He has a special person picked out just for you, and He will give signs to direct you to His will. Not only does God provide for us, but He provides ABUNDANTLY. He provided for the servant and for his camels through Rebekah. God has a plan for a prosperous future for us, if only we believe and receive Him (Jeremiah 29:11)
We continue on in verses 21- 23:
And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not…
and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?
Let’s look closely at this. After having his prayer answered, the servant did NOT hastily jump to a conclusion that Rebekah was the woman that he was to bring back. Sometimes it may look good and feel right to us, but the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). We must always take it back to God, and get confirmation before making any decision. Instead, he asked to meet her parents!
Consult God before making any decision and get Divine confirmation.
The thoughts of the parents should be considered in courtship.
Why is it important that our parents are not only included but involved in the courtship process? Who knows us better than our family, particularly our parents? By involving Godly parents within the courtship process, we are able to see principles and characteristics that otherwise would go unseen until marriage. Not only can the parents give unbiased observation on their child to you on what kind of character their child possesses, but you are able to see the principles that were instilled in their child through the interactions within the home. Once they leave their household and cleave unto you, you are eternally bound and responsible to this soul— a new household and ministry to God is then made.
“If children would be more familiar with their parents, if they would confide in them and unburden to them their joys and sorrows, they would save themselves many a future heartache. When perplexed to know what course is right, let them lay the matter just as they view it before their parents, and ask advice of them. Who are so well calculated to point out their dangers as godly parents? Who can understand their peculiar temperaments so well as they? Children who are Christians will esteem above every earthly blessing the love and approbation of their God-fearing parents. The parents can sympathize with the children and pray for and with them that God will shield and guide them. Above everything else they will point them to their never-failing Friend and Counselor.”
-Adventist Home 73.3
After the servant asks about Rebekah’s family, she gives context on who her family is. After he hears that they are brethren of Abraham’s family, he praises the Lord, since this was providence from the Lord. Continuing on we see in verses 29-36, that Rebekah’s brother makes a place fo the servant to stay, and provide food for him to eat. Before he eats, he says to them in verse 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.”
Make your intentions plain to your partner and their parents before anything else. No mystery providence.
The servant speaks on the entire conversation he has with Abraham (read 32-49), the conditions which were to be met, what God had told Abraham concerning the prospect, and God’s providence through it all. Each and every aspect was made plain to all. Too many times in the world we see that certain things are to be left out of the conversation until much later on. “Don’t say how you really feel or what your intentions are on the first date”. Friends, this is something that the devil himself came up with to be sure that courtships are not done in a Godly fashion. We need to continuously guard our hearts (minds), for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
After all this, he says (verse 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.
Everyone must be in agreement. Can two walk together lest they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)
Once the servant spoke his piece, he wasted no time. If they were to be in agreement, he was to go back to Abraham and present Rebekah. But if the family was not in agreement, he would have gone on his way to continue his search. After the family and Rebekah heard the all the events and everything that entails with the search of a wife, they all came to the conclusion that this was the Lord’s doing, and Rebekah agreed to go back with him.
Consider these things as you look into the courtship. Above all else, everything that we do, let it be done for the glory of God. When we come to the decision of marriage, we are going into a ministry where we display to the world what the marriage relation is to be like between Christ and His church in Heaven. We are to ask ourselves, “is my character where it needs to be for marriage?" What are my intentions, to glorify myself, or my Father?”
Be blessed,
Leave a comment below!
