Types of the Bride of Christ: Rebekah

Scripture tells us that Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nabor, Abraham’s brother.

Abraham — a type of God the Father — instructed his servant (a type of the Holy Spirit) to find a bride for his son Isaac, who is a type for Christ.  Abraham insisted that the bride was not to come from the Canaanites, but from his country and his people. 

Her deeds qualified her 

Rebekah, a virgin, kindly provides Abraham’s servant with water from the well, which was the sign the servant was looking for.  It is also a type for the bride filling herself up with the living water that the Lord lovingly provides every time we go to His Word.  Rebekah fills her pitcher, not once, but twice, which tells us that she had a double portion.

The servant gives her a golden earring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, which was the bride price.  The golden earring represents that she was hearing and obeying God’s Word (Royce Powell).  He also gives her jewels of silver and gold and her raiment, which points to the bride being qualified at judgment seat of Christ.

When the servant asks if there is room in her father’s house, she says there is both enough straw and provender.  Isaiah 11:7 tells us that when Christ reigns, the lion will eat straw. 

She came out of her world

The servant asks: “Wilt though go with this man?” Rebekah says yes, which requires leaving her home and family behind, a type of what the Holy Spirit will do after He removes the bride from this fallen world.  It is also instruct us that we should not follow the ways and the sways of the world and steadfastly follow Christ Jesus, our Bridegroom.   

She had faith in that which was unseen

Scripture tells us that Rebekah arose to go and meet Isaac — who was coming to claim her — just as the bride (among other believers) will arise at the rapture to meet her Bridegroom for the first time in the clouds.  Rebekah had never met Isaac before, but she goes to him having faith in that which is unseen.  She is a beautiful type of a bride who willingly gave up everything to be with her bridegroom.  

References: Complete Word Study Bible, Jewish Encyclopedia