How is the mission of the head of Abraham’s household a type of the mission of the Holy Spirit?

In the twenty-fourth chapter of the book of Genesis we see that the sequence of events related about Abraham and his family bears a symbolic resemblance to the events of salvation. For example, the sacrifice of Isaac, Sarah’s firstborn, is a type of the cross of Christ and His resurrection. In a similar way, Abraham sending the head of his house, after Sarah’s death, to the city of Nahor in Haran to bring back Rebekah as a wife for Isaac is a type of the work of the Holy Spirit, who brought the nations back from their evil land — the worship of idols — to present them as a bride to the true Isaac, our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham called his servant, the head of his household who was responsible all his affairs, and charged him not take a wife for his son Isaac from among the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom he dwelt; but rather to go to his people in Mesopotamia and bring back a wife from his own family, lest Isaac marry a Canaanite woman who might draw his heart away from God’s love, pervert his thoughts, and corrupt them. Firmly, Abraham firmly refused to allow his son Isaac to go himself to Mesopotamia, trusting that God who had called him, would Himself send a wife for his son that would support Isaac in the way of the Lord just as Sarah had supported him.

Abraham was not concerned with choosing a wife for his son that was rich or beautiful; his highest priority was that she should be holy and faithful, a support to his son in his

841 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on John 75 (FOTC 41:301).

spiritual life, and not an obstacle in his way. Therefore, the Lord gave Isaac Rebekah, a woman beautiful in appearance and spirit, and the secret of his consolation and joy throughout the days of his sojourn.

The head of Abraham’s household is a type of the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the onlybegotten Son from the Father. He came into our lives, as into the city of Nahor, to take us away from our land, borne upon our Master’s camels, and take us back to His land; that is, carrying us to His heavens to be with the heavenly Bridegroom forever.

St. John Chrysostom says, “Since then Christ made a covenant with us (for He was about to take me as a bride) he also assigned a dowry to me not of money, but of blood. But this dowry which He assigns is the bestowal of good things ‘such as eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man’ (1 Cor. 2:9). He assigned them for the dowry — immortality, praise with the angels, release from death, freedom from sin, the inheritance of a kingdom (so great are his riches), righteousness, sanctification, deliverance from present evils, discovery of future blessings. Great was my dowry … He came; He took me: He assigns me a dowry: He says, ‘I give you my wealth.’ How? ‘Have you lost paradise?’ He says, ‘Take it back’ … But yet the dowry was not given to me here. ‘Why do You not give me the dowry here?’ ‘It will be given when you have come to my Father, when you have entered the royal palace. Did you come to me! Nay I came to you. I came not that you should abide here but that I might take you and return. Seek not the dowry here: all depends on hope, and faith.’”⁸⁴²

The Holy Spirit comes to us like the Abraham’s servant, leading ten camels, to give generously to the Church, out of the riches of God, and draw her always towards heaven where she can bask in the fullness of glory. Is it not strange that Abraham’s servant went to the well in the evening to look for a bride for Isaac? This well can only be the water of baptism in which the Lord Christ encounters the Church as her Bridegroom. As Bishop Caesarius of Arles , says, “If the Church had not come to the waters of Baptism, she would not have been joined to Christ.”⁸⁴³ He also says, “Look, brethren: Isaac’s servant found Rebecca at the well, and Rebecca in turn found Isaac himself at the well. It is true: Christ does not find the Church, nor the Church Christ, except at the sacrament of Baptism.”⁸⁴⁴

And the scholar Origen finds in the well a type of the Holy Bible in which the soul meets her Bridegroom: “Rebecca came to the wells daily; she drew water daily. And because she spent time at the wells daily, therefore, she could be found by Abraham’s servant and be united in marriage with Isaac … [this] teaches you to come daily to the wells of the Scriptures, to the waters of the Holy Spirit, and always to draw water and carry home a full vessel just as also holy Rebecca used to do.”⁸⁴⁵

842 St. John Chrysostom, Two Homilies on Eutropius 2.12–13 (NPNF I/9:260) amended.

843 Caesarius of Arles, Sermons: Volume II (81-186) 85.3 (FOTC 47:22).

844 Caesarius of Arles, Sermons: Volume II (81-186) 85.4 (FOTC 47:23).

845 Origen, Homilies on Genesis 10.2 (FOTC 71:159–160).