A message I heard on the way to work on V-D (no sexual disease pun there- just some symbolism about this Hallmark Holiday and how intimidating this day can for some. Not me, of course!) Talked about the 'Beautiful People of the Bible'.
The Bible talks specifically about three people: Rebekah, Rachel and Joseph (of Technicolor Coat Fame), one of which is who my Beautiful Wife is named after!
Genesis 24 details the beginning courtship of Isaac and Rebekah and their first meeting:
15 And it came about before he had finished speaking, that 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, 16 and the girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her and she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came up. 17 Then the servant rand to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar."
There are some parallels:
1. When we first met in January 1992 I was a stranger in a strange land (From Indiana to Florida to go to school).
2. Proudly she was pure (as so was I)
3. She was beautiful.
4. A good friend of mine (we were roommates) and a friend of hers played matchmakers (not servants, though).
5. She was the one!
There were differences too:
1. I wasn't thirsty, nor was my servant/friend.
2. My Camels weren't thirsty.
3. I didn't totally know she was the one at the time. (v 21: the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.)
She is my loving wife of three beautiful children, and is everything I could have dreamed of. The Lord chose her for me before the foundation of the world, just as He Supremely arranged the Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah.
God is Awesome!
