"He's Coming for a Pure Bride" (July 2,2013)

 

"He's Coming for a Pure Bride"

We, as a body of believers, are known as the Bride of Christ. As such, we have been given the benefits of the engagement [betrothal] typically bestowed upon a traditional Jewish bride in Biblical times.

The Father of the groom typically chose the bride-to-be for his son-a Biblical example of this is seen in Genesis 24, where Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to find a bride for Isaac. Once the bride was selected a bride price was established: 1Corinthians 6:20 "you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body...": our bride price is the life of the Groom.

Betrothal is the next step-the bride and groom are legally bound to one another and cannot separate without a legal divorce. An example of this is seen with Mary and Joseph-although the time had not come for them to be physically living together, they were legally bound to one another. Jeremiah 2:2 and Hosea 2:19-20 speaks of Israel's betrothal to God. Next, a written contract is drawn up and the bride gives her consent. This agreement requires the bride to verbally say "I do" to the contract-Romans 10:8-10 speaks of our verbal confession of Christ and agreement to live for and through Him.

At this point gifts were given to the bride as as symbol of love, loyalty and commitment, and the cup of the covenant was shared between the bride and groom. The gifts were a down payment or promise by the groom to fulfill the marriage contract. Eph.1:14 calls the Holy Spirit "the earnest of our inheritance" to come. The word "earnest" literally translates as "engagement ring" in the Greek language. Our promise to live life as the bride of Christ is enabled by this down payment out of the full inheritance. What a marvelously loving God we serve who pours out the Holy Spirit upon us,enabling us to live for Him, being sanctified day by day, that the Groom would be wed to a pure bride.
The cup of the covenant is then shared-the groom drinking first and then the bride. Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you [the bride]."

The final steps to the marriage contract include the brides mikvah, or water immersion as a ritual cleansing, the departing of the groom back to his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber before the formal wedding ceremony, the brides time of preparation and consecration while the groom is with his father, the return of the groom at an unknown time and the formal wedding ceremony.

Without listing several references from scripture,it is easily seen that this pattern of the Jewish wedding ceremony is the image of the church and Christ's betrothal. We are in the consecration period of the betrothal-awaiting the return of our groom as we daily partner with the Holy Spirit in the process of sanctification.

Look forward to the wedding banquet! We have a glorious inheritance and have not been forgotten....the future holds far more than we can think or imagine...press on!

Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself.

(For further reading see Eddie Chumneys book "The Seven Festivals of the Messiah" which can be read online at http://www.hebroots.org/index.htm)