Things I Never Noticed in the Bible - Genesis 24

For a man to be fully flourishing and fruitful, he needs a wife.

So God gave Eve to Adam in the garden.
He gave Rebekah to Isaac in Genesis 24.
He gave the church to Jesus, Abraham's true Seed.

But it takes a lot of work to take and have a wife, as Genesis 24 shows.
It is the longest and central chapter in all of Genesis, showing its significance.

It takes clear boundaries on the process - where to find a good wife, and where to avoid (Gen 24:1-9).
It takes searching far and wide.  It takes God's providence, beyond a man's control (Gen 24:10-21).
It takes a great deal of expense, and willingness on both sides (and their families) to be generous with their time and treasure (Gen 24:22-33).
It takes a great deal of communication, repeated (Gen 24:34-49).
It takes a woman willing to venture forth into an unknown future, with an unknown man (Gen 24:50-61).
It takes a man of prayer (Gen 24:63) and a woman of modesty (Gen 24:65), each willing to give themselves fully to each other (vs 67).

She is beautiful, willing to serve, hospitable.  He is waiting on God's timing and plan to provide him a wife.  They are both willing to follow their parents' counsel, as it aligns with God's wisdom, even when it seems there may be ulterior motives at play (Gen 24:30).

This is a glorious story, and it summarizes redemptive history.  God plans for us to love and to be loved by another.  Acting in accord with this plan brings us great blessing and joy.

Some on the right today are advocating for getting married as a political tactic, to strengthen the culture.  I find this a bit off-putting, as the purpose of marriage is far more central than this.  It reflects God's grand plan to give His Son a bride for all eternity (Rev 21:2).  But it is a cultural benefit, the more good marriages are established.