Telling Love’s Adventure – Sharing Stories.
Couples often find themselves sharing stories about their relationships. Mark Hillis continues his series about love.
Sharing Stories Between Friends
Exchanging personal stories between friends and loved ones can be a wonderful way to build relationships. Whenever my wife and I have an opportunity to spend time with another couple, one thing we determine to do is ask them how they came to know the Lord (if they are believers), how they met and came to be married.
We so enjoy hearing how the Lord works in other people’s lives and their personal faith journey in finding true love. It creates connection, deepens Christian relationships, and is an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others, which glorifies God. Every love adventure we hear is laced with God’s sovereignty.
A Beloved Story
Thank you for joining me in part-5 as we continue to look at one of the Bibles most beloved stories of couples coming together; Isaac and Rebekah; where God’s providence in bringing two people together is put front and center. As we continue into Genesis 24, all is going to be revealed as both sides sit down and exchange their individual experiences and as a result God is magnified!
Read Genesis 24:28-61 to understand the story.
Immediately following the revelation to Abraham’s servant that Rebekah was related to his master, he praises God, then tells her who he is; she then takes off running home to tell her family what is going on. Her brother Laban heard her account and ran to the well to meet the servant, inviting him into their house to lodge, giving a place for his camels to stay and providing him with the full nine yards of hospitality.
Then Bethuel, Rebekah’s father, and Laban, place a meal before him, but he stops and says, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.” “All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”
The Back Story
Abraham’s servant begins with the back story about God’s material blessing upon Abraham, and telling of Sarah, Abraham’s late wife, the mother of Isaac. From there he details the oath he made to Abraham to find a wife for his son, and all the events that happened when he reached the city of Nahor. He recalls to them his prayer to God and Rebekah, being the answer to his prayer. He said,
I bowed low and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife.
Genesis 24:26-27
He asks Laban and Bethuel,
“So, tell me—will you or will not you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I will know what to do next.”
Genesis 24:29
The Lord’s Hand at Work
Undeniably, they realize that the Lord’s hand is in the situation, and they tell the servant,
“The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”
When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshipped the LORD. Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.
Genesis 24:52-54
Preparations for Leaving
The next morning the servant is ready to return to his master Abraham in Hebron and asks permission to leave. Her brother and mother said.
“But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days, then she can go.” “Don’t delay me, he said, “the LORD has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.” “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” So, they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.” So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away. Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
Genesis 24:55-59
Notice the hesitation of her family? It seemed like a reasonable request to have Rebekah stay for at least ten more days, to spend that time together before their final good-bye… but perhaps the intent was to pour their love upon her, persuading her to stay.
Tied to the Apron Strings
Have you ever heard of someone who is “tied to the apron strings of their mother?” This means that a parent is still holding dominance and control over the life of their child, and this could have been the case with Rebekah’s mother and brother.
Love is definitely an adventure. It should be an exciting time to begin the prospect of a new life with the one God has given you. May I emphasize “new life.” This is the way God designed it. It’s a huge change, a new path that you have never traveled. As soon as the vows are complete and the threshold is crossed, life is never the same.
Unfortunately, there may be some who will not share in your excitement of life change. Let’s face it, parents invest a lot in their children. Maternal love is a tie that binds a mother and father to their child, and when that tie must be loosened, it can hurt.
Leaving and Cleaving
Marriage causes some realities of life to surface, like it or not. When God created marriage there was a principle for married life that came with it:
Genesis 2:24 states
A man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
“Leaving and cleaving.”
Let’s briefly consider what it means to “leave,” your parents when you get married.
All your life, growing up, you were dependent on them emotionally, financially and physically. They are a God given authority in your life with the purpose of raising you and guiding you along in your journey of maturity; helping you navigate through life’s moral and practical experiences. Marriage ends that.
Ties Of Dependence
The ties of dependence to your parents must be cut for the second part to balance things out and that is “cleaving,” to your spouse. It’s a transfer of dependence from your parents to your marriage partner. There is no room for cleaving to the dependence of your parents and also cleaving to your spouse…
Any overbearing ties outside of the commitment to your partner have the potential to cause much friction and strain on your relationship.
The nuptial union that God intended goes much deeper than the “child-parent” relationship. He wants it to become so close that two people become “one.” Nothing should come between the husband and wife that might cause a potential breakdown in that relationship.
Leaving and cleaving, in many ways, is contrary to the world’s way of perceiving marriage. The world has a hard time accepting the ways of God, so this should be no surprise to us.
No Need to Delay
Abraham’s servant saw no need to delay getting home. His task was done, but Rebekah’s family wanted to hang-on to her, just a little longer, but the servant’s urgency is a picture of the reality of “leaving and cleaving.” Both parents and newlyweds should strive to be mutual and intentional in following this principle. It can be hard to “let go,” but parents, please be careful to not be a distraction or hindrance to what God has ordained.
To varying degrees, we all struggle with change. Marriage is an adjustment that both parents and children need to recognize. It may require a lot of patience, working through, and consideration for others. When done right, the leaving and cleaving principle will strengthen marriage and give due honor to fathers and mothers. It’s something that needs to be seriously contemplated and discussed pre-marriage.
No Hesitation
Rebekah agreed to leave, with no hesitation. She knew God was in it and she was willing to submit to the journey ahead of her. She was on her way to meeting her future husband! I look back on my adventure of love, seeing the Lord’s hand guiding me through my ups and downs of single life, dating and eventually meeting my bride-to-be.
There is much I have learned and grown from. I suggest to those of you who are in the stage of looking for love or are in a pre-marriage relationship to be intentional about seeking time to sit down with godly married couples with whom you are comfortable and ask them to share their adventure with you. I guarantee that it will encourage you, teach you, and help you along in your journey.
Have you got time for sharing stories? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Mark Hillis
Mark lives in the small rural village of Fenwick, Ontario with his wife Michelle and three boys.
He joined the FBH International team in February 2022, coming from the business world with a design and art background.
Mark is particularly interested in seeing people come to Christ and grow in their faith. He recently produced the series entitled: Sow to Grow.
Mark serves as an elder at Brockview Bible Chapel in St.Catharines , Ontario.
Visit Mark’s contributor’s page here.
More Podcasts to Enjoy:
More Blogs
What Does the Bible Say About Love?
Images Courtesy of:
Wedding – Pexels
Couple Walking – Barthelemy de Mazenod
Apron – Chermiti Mohamed
Family – Kingofkings_LJ
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