Sometimes I wish I were Jewish. The apostle Paul boasts of them saying,
“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 9:4-5
They were, and in many ways still are, the chosen people of God. But because of their rejection of the Messiah, and by the sheer mercy of Christ, I am of His chosen people also. J
Of the many traditions and customs the Jewish people held (and in some countries still hold) learning about one custom has recently made my heart sing. It has made me see more clearly how I am to prepare for the Big Day—my wedding day.
You see, I’m kind of engaged. Or really I am married. To Jesus that is. Which sounds somewhat cheesy, but it is profoundly biblical and sacred. Even when I do marry on earth I will still be married to Jesus. And of course, so will my earthly husband.
But even when we’re married, we’ll both be waiting for the Big Day—the day Jesus comes to judge the earth and marry His Bride, the Church, once and for all.
As a female, it’s easier for me to see myself as Jesus’ bride. But in a spiritual sense both men and women who belong to Jesus—by grace, through faith in Him—are His Bride. The Church is His Bride and He is the Bridegroom. Interestingly though, we’re not married yet. But biblically, we are now Husband and Wife. And up until recently this seemed not to make any sense! I mean, are we engaged or are we married?
And the answer is yes. Or neither.
There’s much talk of this in the Scriptures. In fact, the command for earthly husbands to love their wives comes directly from the example of Christ loving His Wife, the Church.
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27
So I am His. But there seems to be this time period in which He is preparing me to…well…
Be His.
It seems like more than an engagement, but not marriage in its total form. So again, this is when I think of the blessing the Jewish people have to possess such rich traditions. In researching their marriage customs, I began to understand deeply what this all means.
Take it in:
Jewish Marriage Customs
The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal.
1. Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus' time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative.
2. The prospective bridegroom would travel from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride. There he would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride.
3. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established, and the young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife.
4. From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom.
5. As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
6. After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months.
7. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and to prepare for married life.
8. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he could bring his bride. At the end of the period of separation the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.
9. Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming.
10. As a result the groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout.
11. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom. After the groom received his bride together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party would return from the bride's home to the groom's father's house.
12. Upon arrival there the wedding party would find that the wedding guests had assembled already. Shortly after arrival the bride and groom would be escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah). Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face.
13. While the groomsmen and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone. There in the privacy of that place they would enter into physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier.
14. After the marriage was consummated, the groom would announce the consummation to the other members of the wedding party waiting outside the chamber (John 3:29). These people would pass on the news of the marital union to the wedding guests.
15. Upon receiving this good news the wedding guests would feast and make merry for the next seven days.
How amazing is that?
We are, as Mary and Joseph were before Jesus was born, betrothed. The Man Christ Jesus, leaves His Father’s home to get His bride. He pays the bride-price, none other than His blood on that glorious cross. The night before He gives His life, He seals this covenant over a cup of wine and promises His Holy Spirit, the seal and symbol of our union. Jesus returns to His Father’s house, after the resurrection, to prepare a place for us. We stay preparing and making sure our garments are spotless and wrinkle-free. We’re to be set apart unto Him and sanctified by His Spirit in preparing for His coming. We know His coming is near, though no one knows the day nor the hour. He will come like a thief in the night. But right before that we will hear a “cry of command” with a trumpet sound.
When that day comes, all things will be ready. We will even have a cloud of witnesses—the people who were a part of our journey throughout, who we so deeply admire, and have longed to finally meet in heaven. We will celebrate the spiritual consummation of Jesus and the Church and we will feast and make merry. It will be unlike anything ever seen, heard or told in all eternity.
So much to think about.
I think of all these things and wonder how badly I long for Jesus to come. I mean, if I’m really His wife as of now then I belong solely to Him—heart, mind, soul and strength. The covenant has been sealed by the Holy Spirit He gave me. And, everything in me should, as it often does, long for that big day—the day of the Wedding of the Lamb and His Bride.
Yes. I do long for that day and my heart sings for joy. I can’t wait. I’m anxiously awaiting and preparing for my wedding day. This will be the day when I finally see my Husband face to face to live—quite literally—happily ever after.
“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;" Revelation 19:7
“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'" Matthew 25:6
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Revelation 21:1-2
“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." Revelation 21:9
“For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:5
“In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2-3
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16
“For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:2
”Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:44
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10
Thanks for sharing this Abby. What a day that will be when Jesus comes. I can't wait either!
ReplyDelete