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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth | |
Sovereign Grace Doctrine
Concerning 'THE GOSPEL' - JESUS CHRIST
Christ's Marriage Typified by Jacob's (2)
Genesis 29:1-30
Good News From The Redeemer
DANIEL E. PARKS, PASTOR
OCTOBER 2, 1999 - RADIO MESSAGE #287
The account of the marriage of Jacob and Rachel, and the events leading to it, is recorded in Genesis 29:1-30.
The preceding message demonstrated that Jacob and Rachel are here typical of Christ and the church (the congregation of God’s saints, as in Matthew 16:18 & Acts 2:47b). Their typology was expanded by observing that: both Rachel and the church are called a “shepherdess” in charge of “her father’s sheep”; both Rachel and the church are “beautiful of form and appearance”; both Jacob and Christ are familially related to their respective brides; both Jacob and Christ love their respective brides more than all others; both Jacob and Christ watered the flock of their respective brides.
We here continue.
VII. Jacob became a servant and joyfully served in order to obtain Rachel for his bride (vv.18-20): “Now Jacob loved Rachel; and he said [to Laban her father], ‘I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.’ ... So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed but a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” And because he was deceived on his wedding night by his father-in-law (as we shall later observe), Jacob served yet another seven years for Rachel (vv.21-28).
Likewise, Christ became a servant and joyfully served in order to obtain the church for His bride. He did so in his condescension to assume humanity, “taking the form of a servant .... And ... He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8; note in Hebrews 5:8 that “He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”). That is, He did not merely give His time in order to obtain His bride. Rather, He gave His all, including His life, for her redemption (Ephesians 5:25-27): “Christ ... loved the church and gave Himself for it ....” But He did so willingly (Hebrews 12:2): “Jesus ... for the joy that was set before Him [including eternal union with His bride] endured the cross, despising the shame.”
VIII. Rachel brought no dowry to Jacob. Jacob required nothing of her, and obtained her through his merits alone.
Likewise, the church brings no dowry to Christ. Christ requires nothing of her because she has nothing He desires (Isaiah 64:6). She becomes His through His merits alone (Ephesians 5:25-27): He freely and graciously sanctifies and cleanses and attires her in order that she may be His bride.
IX. Before Jacob could marry Rachel, he had to marry her sister Leah -- and deception was involved! (vv.21-25). On the wedding night, Laban deceptively withheld Rachel from Jacob and gave to him her sister Leah instead. Jacob was therefore required to serve another seven years for Rachel.
Likewise, before Christ married His church, He was espoused to Old Covenant Israel -- and deception was involved! Under the terms of the Old Covenant (that which God made with Israel at Mount Sinai [Exodus 19:1-8]), Israel was espoused to be Christ’s wife. But the marriage was never consummated because, as Christ declares, “My covenant ... they broke, though I was a husband to them” (Jeremiah 31:32). As “Leah’s eyes were delicate [i.e. weak]” (Genesis 29:17), so were the eyes of Israel. She therefore failed to rightly esteem Christ in her eyes. Although she was faithful to Him at first (Jeremiah 2:2), she eventually deserted Him (Jeremiah 3:20). He consequently declared, “[S]he is not my wife, nor am I her Husband!” (Hosea 2:2). Having deserted Israel (because of her deceptive and adulterous desertion of Him), Christ has betrothed Himself to the church, New Covenant Israel.
X. Jacob was indeed eventually married to Rachel (vv.28-30): “[Laban] gave him his daughter Rachel as wife .... Then Jacob ... went in to Rachel.”
Likewise, Christ will indeed eventually be married to His church (Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1f,9f). The bride invites you to the wedding (22:17). Will you be there?
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
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