Most “storybook” marriages are just fairy tales, but not this one. The story of Rebecca is a good example of a God-arranged marriage. Her Hebrew name (Ribhkah) means “to tie or bind fast,” and pictures one who ensnares with her beauty. She is portrayed in Scripture as virtuous, decisive, determined, pragmatic, hospitable, generous, obedient, and courteous. Her story begins in Genesis 24 when Abraham is very old and instructs a servant to go to Mesopotamia to seek a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham will not have his son select a spouse from the ungodly Canaanites surrounding him.
After a journey of many miles, the servant comes to a well and prays to find the perfect woman for Isaac (24:12-14). Everything is done in God’s timing and he is led directly to her. She is Abraham’s grandniece, a very beautiful virgin (v. 16). Rebecca belongs to God’s family. After meeting her family everyone agrees this encounter is from God. Rebecca’s father asks her if she will consent to go with this servant to meet Isaac. “I will go,” she says unhesitatingly and unreservedly (v. 58). The question, “Will you take this woman as your wife?” in contemporary wedding vows is taken directly from this verse.
Rebecca departs with her father’s blessing. Isaac is in the field praying when the servant arrives with Rebecca (v. 63). The Lord blesses Isaac with this godly girl. The Scripture tell us that she becomes Isaac’s wife and he loves her (v. 67). She is a girl who has her spiritual priorities right and is convinced of God’s guidance in her marital situation. This is a wife who continues to seek the Lord’s advice on familial matters (25:22). Isaac and Rebecca have fun as a couple, despite the dangers they face (26:8). After a long life together, they rest side by side in the family burial cave in Machpelah (49:31).
Prayer and preparation are mandatory for anyone seeking a Christian soul mate. Don’t concentrate so much on finding the right person, but spend more time on being the right person. You can be a lifelong blessing to someone if your heart is spiritually prepared.