Love Stories of Genesis

So this is mostly for the ladies...It is something I wrote in September 2008 that I happened across just recently and found it a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness...I hope it encourages and blesses you all:

“Darling did you know that I dream about you. Waiting for the look in your eyes, when we meet for the first time. Darling did you know that I pray about you. Praying that you will hold on and keep your loving eyes only for me.”

We are brought up in a world full of fairy tales, love songs, and romantic movies. As little girls, we try to picture and pretend what our wedding day will be like, whom we will marry, and how our love story will come to be. It isn’t surprising that our worlds key mission in life is to find love, for God began the world with love, and made it the greatest commandment of all. Love is what ties the Bible together. However, we will be looking at a specific type of love, as there are many, the love between a man and a woman. There is no greater place to turn to for an example of what a Godly marriage should be like than of those in the book of Genesis. From Adam and Eve to Noah and his wife and on through the line of Abraham we find love at its best. I do not find it a coincidence that marriage is discussed as one of the very first topics in the Bible, seeing as God created marriage to be an example of the covenant that He wishes to have with us. The most wonderful thing about love is that it is unchanging and so we can still apply the stories of these couples to our lives today.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and on the sixth day God created man. The Lord was not content and said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The Lord then put Adam into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping removed a rib from his side. Woman was not taken from Adam’s head to dominate him, nor from his feet to be trodden down, but from under his arm to be protected, and from near his heart to be loved. God could have made Eve from bara (to create out of nothing), but He decided that woman would be forever part of man and took from Adam’s bones. Adam and Eve became a solid binding covenant, becoming one flesh. When Adam awoke Eve stood before him, we can only imagine what he was thinking. I love how Joshua Harris puts Adam’s point of view into words. “My mind was on fire with curiosity and a new kind of happiness. Here stood a creature after my own kind. Her every feature comforted my senses and invited me nearer. Her eyes looked back into mine with soul depth.” This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called “woman”
for she was taken out of man (Genesis 2:23) “It was a dedication of her, of us, to the Maker. I named her just as I named the animals, but her name was an acknowledgment that the Maker had once again, and more beautifully than ever, done what was good—He had made us for each other.”
The Bible also shows us that no romance is perfect because of sin. When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Eve had influenced Adam to sin with her by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Thus began the trials and temptations in relationship, and God punished Adam and Eve for their sinfulness. Man would have to toil and work the ground to provide for his family and would know death, becoming mortal. Woman would have to come under the headship of Man and would suffer pain in childbearing. Even after Eve had caused Adam to sin, Adam in love named her The Mother of all Living, which showed that though she was a sinner God still showed grace to her. From a curse, blessing would come. Adam and Eve continued to love each other and had many children bringing them up the best they could in the ways of the Lord.

Years and years later, the World became evil in the eyes of the Lord, but one man, Noah found favor in the eyes of God. He was righteous and blameless among the people of his time, and HE WALKED WITH GOD. God made a covenant with Noah “I will establish my covenant with you…and your wife.” Noah was asked such a HUGE task of the Lord. As we are told when you are married you become one flesh, so Noah became one with his wife. He could not have done it without her. Mrs. Noah spent her days loving her husband, caring and looking after her sons, and keeping a Godly household.
I am sure she continually prayed with and for him, encouraged, and helped him in all the ways she could. Loving Noah fully through her actions. Mrs. Noah was a woman of God, courageous and determined, and so very faithful. Noah’s obedience to God saved his family and Noah’s wife’s obedience to submitting to her husbands headship helped save the Earth, as we know it. Through their love for each other they were able to be fruitful.

We do not know of how Abraham and Sarah’s love story began, but we do know how it prospered. Abraham and Sarah most likely grew up together, as they were half brother and sister. Sarah was, as recounted by the first century Jewish scholar Philo of Alexandria, “the darling of his heart,” and their love for each other was profound. “Their talents and spiritual gifts were complementary, with some of hers exceeding his in important ways. But from the beginning of their marriage she was ever his ardent support, faithful friend, and close confidant.” Sarah never left Abrahams side and always submitted to his requests…she loved him in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad…forever. They became of one heart and one mind under God. Like Mrs. Noah was asked to leave everything she knew of, so was Sarah to follow Abraham to Gods promised land. In return God made a covenant with Abraham and Sarah…making them a great nation. This would be an amazing promise to them as Sarah was barren. (Genesis 11:30) Abraham and Sarah would need to rely completely on God in faith for this to happen. In weakness Sarah did not believe the Lord would give her a child and so gave Hagar her handmaid to Abraham and Hagar bore Ishmael. This was of great sacrifice for Sarah to Abraham and she did it as an act of love. If only Sarah had remained patient a little longer, for the Lord never breaks a promise and He did give Sarah a baby. It would be through Isaac that the Lord would make the same covenant with that He had made with his father Abraham. Abraham and Sarah continued to live and love and serve together until death drew them apart. Sarah died at 120 years old and Abraham remained for a while to mourn and weep over Sarah his love, the darling of his heart, which no other woman could ever replace.

Abraham wished the same love for his son Isaac, and so he sent his servant in search for a wife for Isaac. Abraham’s servant ventured far to the land of Canaan, where he came to a well and rested and waited on the Lord. Rebekah was going about her normal days chores joyfully, getting water for her family. On that day God appointed, Abraham’s servant was waiting for her to arrive. Through the servant of Abraham’s specific prayer and Rebekah’s obedience and servant heart the Lord had anointed her to be the wife to Isaac and the mother of Jacob. She was to become part of the inheritance promised to Abraham and Sarah. She would increase thousands upon thousands. With Rebekah wanting to be in the center of Gods will, she followed this servant of Abraham to a distant land she did not know of just as Eve followed Adam, Noah’s wife followed Noah, and Sarah followed Abraham to a new home. Rebekah made this commitment even before she had met Isaac, proving the woman of faith she was. She left her family to cleave to her husband. However, it was not just Rebekah that was praying to see if Isaac was the man that God wanted her to marry, but Isaac “went out to the field one evening to meditate”. Isaac also went to God praying for his future wife, contemplating who she is, and how he will love her. God was preparing both of their hearts, as Rebekah was on her long journey and Isaac was awaiting her arrival. I believe this is the most beautiful meeting of lovers in the Bible. He (Isaac) lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. She said to the servant, 'Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?' And the servant said, 'He is my master.' Then she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. God gave them an immediate connection as they both lifted up their eyes to look on each other. I cannot imagine the excitement, wonder, and anticipation they felt in that moment. I can picture God looking down as He was writing their love story with a delighted heart and knew it was good! God had blessed Isaac and Rebekah with an astounding love.

The story of Jacob and Rachel is that of the labor of love. Isaac, Jacobs father, told him to go to Padden Aram (Genesis 28:2-5) and gave Jacob his blessing of fruitfulness. Jacob was to choose a wife from his mother’s family line. Jacob journeyed far and long to find her. Jacob finally came to a well (a similar location to where his father Isaac’s wife, his mother was found) where the Shepherd’s would water their sheep. Jacob asked them if they knew of a man named Laban, who was his uncle. The Shepherd’s replied they did and as they spoke Rachel, a Shepherdess, as well as the daughter of Laban approached. When Jacob laid eyes on Rachel he was overwhelmed by the power of love that came over him and he was able to roll away the huge covering of the well by himself, so that Rachel could water her sheep. “Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.” Jacob had fallen so deeply in love with Rachel. Rachel then quickly ran back to tell her father Laban of the news and Jacob was embraced into their home. Jacob stayed with his uncle’s family for a whole month. Then Laban said to Jacob, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” And “Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” When Jacob had completed his seven years he asked for his wife-to-be, Rachel. However, Laban was wicked and deceived Jacob by sending Leah his older daughter, and so Jacob worked another seven years in order to have Rachel. Finally, “Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel…”

God wants to be involved in all of our love stories. He wants to be the author of the romance of our lives. He wants to sweep us off our feet, seeing that God’s expectation for who are future spouse should be for us, is so much greater than our own. The Lord will give you the desires of your heart, as well as a bonus of other qualities He has put in your future spouse to balance those He has put in you. In order to gain such a beautiful love story, we must walk in obedience with the Lord, as the couples we just looked at did.
Though I do not know of him yet, I pray whole-heartedly and fervently for my future husband. I pray that he is walking with the Lord and obedient to his calling. May he learn from God, turning to his example, so that the Lord may share of my heart, teaching him how to woo me, as my God woos. I have hidden my heart in the Lord, so that he (my future husband) must seek the Lord in order to find it. When both of our walks with the Lord meet at an intersection, and the Lord introduces us, He will have his perfect timing. When we have learned as individuals to be selfless, practicing true love, He will have his perfect timing.
I want to know of the covenant of becoming one flesh. I want a marriage like Abraham and Sarah, a love story like Isaac and Rebekah, and a love like Jacob and Rachel. I pray that when we meet, we both will be meditating on the Lord. I pray for a protector like Boaz and a worshipper like David. A man of passion whose heart is so set on God. I pray that when we unite it will be a pleasing and sweet continual offering to the Lord all the days of our lives.
But until that day comes, I will continue to pray, and I will continue to grow in my intimacy with the Lord because foremost, I am completely His, a bride of Christ!

Sources: The Bible, On Abraham 42, in Philo VI, The Loeb Classical Library, 289 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1966), p. 121., http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ancients/060223love.html#_edn, George, Elizabeth. Walking with the Women of the Bible, 1999, MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, Harris, Joshua. Boy meets Girl, Rebecca St. James – Wait for Me