I, Isaac, take Thee, Rebekah
Moving from Romance to Lasting Love

By Ravi Zacharias

Rosemary and myself were bought this book as an engagement present and read it together a chapter at a time – 7 chapters – 7 sittings. However, they weren’t comfortable sittings as I read each chapter aloud. Each chapter is comfortable in length and can be read in a relatively short time, however, the content is not comfortable and makes the subsequent days uncomfortable while dwelling on what is written and what has been read aloud. Please don’t misinterpret the preceding sentences when I type such words and terms as ‘uncomfortable’, ‘weren’t comfortable’ and ‘not comfortable’. We weren’t created by our Godhead for comfort and it’s not the kind of discomfort you experience while sitting on a wet park bench or a jagged rock located in a precarious position overhanging sheer cliff. It’s an inner searching of your life; as past sins come screaming to light in your mind, you are left on some occasions with an utter unworthiness before God as He, in His sovereign wisdom, led and guided you to marrying a precious child of His while for days, months and years He has been dishonoured in deliberate sin and indifference. This was a difficult read, however, I praise God that this book was placed into our hands and we subsequently, as previously, examined ourselves against Scripture.

Ravi uses the background, meeting, courtship, marriage and life lived together of Isaac and Rebekah before God as a backdrop to this book. This 156-page book is full of wisdom and practical guidance for couples, both engaged and married. It is, as stated previously, a short book and of course is limited in that it obviously can not cover the multi-layered issues that may arise during the course of a deeply God-honouring and glorifying marriage but is a worthwhile purchase and read.

For some believers currently with girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancée/wife/husband I would recommend, before reading this book (which I advise if lending or giving to someone you inform them it may potentially not be an ‘easy’ read), you immerse yourself in Scripture (if you are not already doing so and please continue to do so for the remainder of your days), learning more of Who your God really is alongside which I commend reading ‘The Cross-Centred Life’ by C.J. Mahaney (which in itself should only take an evening) while laying hold of your justification, imputed righteousness and forgiveness of sins past, present and future.