Brides and Grooms: Rebekah and Isaac

. . . let her be the [bride] You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master. Genesis 24:14b Recommended Reading Proverbs 31:10-31 Many modern marriages are the culmination of months of emotion-based involvement rather than the conclusion of an intentional search for a life-partner based on shared values, purposes, and goals. Too often unions are formed based on physical attraction first, personality second, and spiritual compatibility third (if at all). That modern checklist is the opposite of biblical priorities for marriage. When it came time for Abraham’s son, Isaac, to marry, Abraham sent his servant back to Abraham’s people to seek a bride for his son. Abraham did not want his son to take a wife from the pagan people in Canaan. He trusted God to guide the search for a proper partner for his son, and the servant prayerfully and patiently allowed the Lord to lead in the circumstances that led to the discovery of Rebekah, the wife for Isaac (Genesis 24). If you are seeking a partner for yourself or helping a child to do the same, search for spiritual compatibility above all else. The joining of hearts in spiritual union is the prerequisite for joining hands and minds for a lifetime. There is no estate to which Satan is more opposed than to marriage. Martin Luther