Beautiful Woman

Scripture: Genesis 24

Observation: The story of Eliezer's (most likely. See 15:2-3) travel to find a wife for Isaiah is amazing. It is rich with truth about how God has a will over even the small details of our lives. It also is testimony to the sovereign election of God. The story of Isaac and Esau does not take place without Rebekah's faith and personality.

Today though the Holy Spirit drew my attention to Rebekah herself. There is so much effort by society to define the value, roles, purpose of, and uniqueness (or lack thereof) of women (especially in America because, I believe, in our arrogance we believe we have outgrown God's word and have moved on to a more civil and fair-minded societal perspective). May God grant me that I would carry to my grave and into eternity the conviction that women are best served and cherished by others and that women best serve and cherish themselves when they are surrendered to and guided by the Word of God (an identical statement holds true for men...).
          What makes me a good controller is that I adhere to the guidance and counsel of the FAA and Air Force regulations for they have both defined what defines and ensures safe and effective air traffic control. Womanhood and manhood are no different. While someone may have temporary success apart from the FAA guidance, eventually they will cause an accident by ignorantly violating the requirements determined to be the best procedures by the technical experts. Likewise a woman may see any number of successes in parenting, education, profession, relationship, etc. but eventually unknowingly departing from the Best Procedures contained in the Sole Guidance as determined by the Technical Expert will produce regrets and hurt in their own lives and the lives of those around them.

The quality of Rebekah as seen here...
Hard-working Eliezer first found her doing what the women of that area did. It was not easy and light duty. She was had work serving her family. Not only that, but her heart toward work was one of joy. Had she grumbled through work she certainly wouldn't have responded to Eliezer the way she did.

Kind Easily recognizable here, but it is significant that Eliezer was a complete stranger to her, and obviously a stranger to the area.

Honest Her conversation and actions with Eliezer were candid. She made no effort to conceal truths, nor to manipulate through the encounter. In contrast her family attempted (though certainly out of love) to deter her from being straight-forward when they asked for a few days before she leave.

Devoted to God She was not deterred from the path that God had led her to even when given the opportunity to delay by what most people would consider "reasonable" (some good-bye time), she acted out the words, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

Submissive This one is the gas that fuels so much anger and disbelief of unbelievers toward God's thoughts on women in Scripture. I recently read a professing Christian with a prominent position throughout the world deny the Biblical teaching on submission of women. His position is that it was the cause of the horrible and heinous atrocities of abuse, neglect, and prejudice on women in so many countries in the world. As I read I just reviewed in my mind the words of Paul, "for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desire, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn theirs ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables."
     The sad truth is that the world will miss, and does now reel from the loss of that baby when they dispense with the bath water. Rebekah wisely understood that she was choosing to submit to others in her life because she was submitted to God. God's authority and righteous (always good and right) ways are the foundation that drove her decision to willingly select the path laid before her through God's chosen vehicles of presentation (in this case Eliezer and her father).

Faithful Rebekah continued on the path of the unknown simply by believing God.

Application:
- Pray diligently for the women in my life to receive the blessings that come through Biblical womanhood.
- Teach Nori to treasure the things that Scripture prescribes as valuable rather than the false idols of accomplishment, fame, approval, and acceptance that the world around her promotes.
- Blessing my wife and daughter for all that they do.

Prayer: Father, please help me to encourage women to become lost in You. Help me to be a voice for exalting the innate value of women because they are created in Your image. Teach me to appreciate the women in my life as You do and train me to show that appreciation daily. I love You. Amen.