Chapter – 17 ‘Does the Rabbi’s Sister becomes a Bride’
It was a Sunday morning in Tel Aviv. The Jewish Sabbath was over and people were going to and fro buying things at the market. Valentine would be meeting Rebekah at ten a.m. and they would be having a serious talk. He put the letter from his dad in his pocket to share with her so that maybe she might see where he was coming from.
Valentine was a little nervous as he knocked on her apartment door. He had met with the Lord half the night praying for Gods Will in the matter. He didn’t want another eight years of loneliness but he didn’t want to miss out by getting ahead of God like Abraham had done concerning his son, Isaac. She was ready and they planned to walk to the beach, take off their shoes, and watch the waves from the Mediterranean flow up the sand onto their bare feet.
Rebekah asked, “Jaye, what are your thoughts? Have you thought much about us as a couple? In a year or two will you want children?” His mind hit high gear and he had to chuckle. He liked it that she was a thinker and yes he had a few ideas. A large farmer like he would be, very soon, needed nine to ten months of hard work out of the year but there was December and January where they could get away from the routine.
He told her that he had some of his own questions but the first was, “Will you marry me and become my life’s partner? We have to get past that before we tackle a couple things I want to ask you.” She was serious as she asked, “Why haven’t you tried to kiss me; I’ve been ready for more than just holding hands for a while now.” His mind went blank for a second; did she want him to kiss her right now, here on the beach?
He looked both ways then bent slightly cupping her chin and pulling it gently toward his mouth. “Wow, sweet,” she thought. The next moment she said, “Yes I will.” Inwardly he chuckled and thought, “That was easy but the next question would take a little thought from her.”
“Rebekah, you know the story of how Isaac got his wife, don’t you,” he asked?” She told him it was such a wonderful story, “Instead of moving to a far land like she had to do; we can stay where we are at.” Then he asked, “What if you were required to go to a far country like the Rebekah in Genesis had to do? Could you do that?” Gen.24:15
He reached for his pocket and pulled out an envelope, then pulled a paper from it. He unfolded it and quickly scanned the words. “I may have a challenge that you won’t like,” he said as he handed the paper to her. He watched her eyes as she read the words; her eyes moved back to the top and she read it a second time. She didn’t look up but she did comment, “I do love you Jaye but this is a total surprise; I need to talk with my brother.”
This was actually a better response than he thought he might get. In his mind he had hoped she would not say, “hit the road Jaye, I can’t come with you!” He told her he just found out about his grandpa when he got back from the excavation site. She finally looked up into his eyes. He could see her pain so he stepped forward and put his arms around her. She started to softly cry so he just stood and held her for several minutes.
She said, “I am ready to find Yosef and talk with him. You deserve an answer from me soon; so tonight we will talk. Can you help me find Yosef; he is probably with Leah.”
They found Yosef with Leah. Valentine visited a few minutes before he left the three of them. He went to his loft and started to pack some of the personal stuff. He would have to go into his HQ office in the morning, show his vice president the letter and resign. He was still putting items in a box when the doorbell rang. He answered and it was Yosef. “That was quick,” he thought. “I told her to marry you, Valentine. God let you meet each other for a reason; it was meant to be. She was crying about what our mom might think; her being a Christian now and then falling in love with a Gentile.” Yosef laughed and told Valentine he could just see the look on their moms face. Valentine told him he wanted to marry Rebekah in Jerusalem if it could be done this coming week. Yosef told him there was a ‘time for everything’, as Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Yosef commented, “If we could pull it off, maybe they could have a double wedding; send pictures to our mom; then wait for a tear stained return letter.”
[So, would there be a bride for a wedding?]
Attachment
The future wedding of the Bridegroom
The Bridegroom – Christ [God the Son] The Bride – Christians [Inhabitants of New Jerus.]
Notes of Rev. 21:9
The Marriage Feast Matthew 22:1-14
Marriage of the Lamb Rev. 19:7-9
The Invitation from the groom ALL mankind either accept or reject the invitation
Other Guest of Bridegroom 10 virgins Matthew 25:1-13
Some were prepared – Some were not prepared
Bridegroom prepares the home for the Bride John 14:1-3
Eternity – Future with the Bridegroom Rev. 21 & 22
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Genesis 24:15, 15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.
Eccl. 3: There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
2 A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
Matthew 22: 1-14, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those slaves [people who share the gospel] went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Story with a heavenly meaning. There are 2 roads; one narrow and one wide; one leads to heaven]
Revelation 21:9, 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” [The Bride is the Christian Church and the Lamb is Jesus; often He is called the Bridegroom.]
John 14:1-3, 1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. [Words of Jesus; it is a promise to the believers; those who fully trust him as Lord and Savior.]
One day Jesus is coming again; are you prepared; will you be one of them who is invited to the wedding ceremony?
DG