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Rebekah a Type and Figure of the Bride of Christ and of Christ Himself

By Chris McCann
January 19, 2020

Rebekah is a very interesting Biblical figure. Here's some things the Bible tells us about her:

1. Before her sons were born she was told the elder would serve the younger (which ties in with God's program of election-Romans 9:10-14).

2. Rebekah gains information regarding the intention of Isaac to bestow the blessing of the firstborn (she always seems to know some very important private and personal things that she really shouldn't know)

3. Rebekah acts upon this information and commands her son Jacob to obey her voice and impersonate his brother

4. Jacob protests, but Rebekah insists that he listen to her and do as she says. She then arranges circumstances wherein Jacob does indeed receive the blessing of the firstborn son

5. After his brother receives the blessing instead of him, Esau plans to kill his brother. Rebekah again tells Jacob to obey her voice and flee to her brother in the land of Haran.

Of course, when we read the Bible we're always looking for the deeper spiritual meaning of the things we read. So we wonder, who does Rebekah represent? Earlier in Genesis (chapter 24) Abraham's servant fetches her from Haran and brings her back to marry Isaac (type of Christ)-there she is a picture of the bride of Christ (God's elect). But in Genesis 27, a chapter where she takes center stage as an organizer and arranger of details and circumstances which results in Jacob receiving the blessing of the firstborn son-we find she is no longer a picture of the bride of Christ, but rather is a picture of the Word or law of God (Christ).

Once we realize that the blessing given to Jacob (elect) and not Esau (non elect) is a type and figure of the blessing of salvation which God gives to those who were chosen to receive it (Psalm 133:3) we begin to see exactly who Rebekah represents in Genesis chapter 27. Before her twin sons were born she already knew that the younger would receive the blessing of the firstborn-information that Romans 9 tells us has to do with God's election program. God even says in Romans 9 that He told her (Rebekah) this very thing prior to their birth. And since the reference to "before either was born" has to do with God's predestination plan developed in eternity past, this revealing of which son would obtain the blessing to Rebekah places her (spiritually) in the counsels of the Godhead in eternity past.

But even more than this, it is Rebekah's commanding of Jacob (obey my voice) three times in Genesis 27 and the arranging of circumstances which finally results in Jacob (the elect) obtaining the blessing (salvation) of his father Isaac (Christ) that shows without any question that she is a type and figure of the Word of God-as the Word (Christ) was sent into the world and into the lives of the elect of God to bring them the blessing and as the Holy Spirit operated to arrange things in their lives until they received the blessing of the firstborn-sons of God.

Rebekah, a complicated Biblical character. A type and figure of God's bride (Genesis 24) and of the law/Word (Christ) of God itself (Genesis 27).