The Bride of Jesus Christ (4)

Story:

Marriage, Role of Wife

Charles Swindoll tells of being married ten years before he became aware of the value of being grateful for the differences between his wife and himself. He was often irritated that she didn’t view things exactly as he did. She wasn’t argumentative, only expressive of her honest feelings. But he took this as a lack of submission and told her so. Time and time again they locked horns until finally God showed him from the passage that his wife was different because God had made her different, and she was more valuable to him because of those differences. She was not designed to be his echo but to be his counterpart, a necessary and needed individual to help him become all God wanted him to be.852

Charles Swindoll tells of being married ten years before he became aware of the value of being grateful for the differences between his wife and himself. He was often irritated that she didn’t view things exactly as he did. She wasn’t argumentative, only expressive of her honest feelings. But he took this as a lack of submission and told her so. Time and time again they locked horns until finally God showed him from the passage that his wife was different because God had made her different, and she was more valuable to him because of those differences. She was not designed to be his echo but to be his counterpart, a necessary and needed individual to help him become all God wanted him to be.852

Historically, The Father Finds the Bride for His Son

It was The Father (Abraham) who chose a wife for His Son (Gen 24:1-4)

It was It was the Friend who went to Find a Wife for the Son

This servant was believed to be Eleazar (15:2), the one who stuck by the side of Abraham from the beginning of his call to step out toward Canaan, one who had highest trust, seniority and steward of all the Ab had.

Placing of the hand under the thigh (vs 2) also found in (47:29)Put your hand under my thigh, a prelude to the servant’s act of swearing. thigh is undoubtedly a euphemism for genitalia, in the light of passages such as and .”

The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50 1. Abraham Instructs His Servant (24:1–9)

R. D. Freedman has suggested that taking the membrum—now circumcised as a covenant sign—into the hand is a way of invoking the presence of God at this moment between master and servant. Or it may simply be a way in which the servant reassures Abraham that he will honestly and truthfully carry out his master’s wish.13

The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50 1. Abraham Instructs His Servant (24:1–9)

In touching the genitalia of Abraham and Jacob, the servant and Joseph are placing themselves under oath faithfully to expedite the last wishes of two elderly patriarchs on family matters. Any attempt to void those wishes will arouse the wrath of the ancestral spirits.

The Servant placed his hand under his master Abraham’s thigh and swore and oath to him concerning this matter. The servant took 10 of Abraham’s camels and departs with all kinds of his master’s goods and departed to Nahor (his great nephews town Aram-naharaim (Mesopotamian) (Vs 9-10)

He is

The servant may have want to a plan b but Abraham knew and believe that God was fitful, He would find a wife for Isaac (vs7)

Abraham’s vision came to pass and the servant’s prayers were answered

It was the Wife who made Herself ready for the Son

(HCSB) — 57 So they said, “Let’s call the girl and ask her opinion.” 58 They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She replied, “I will go.”

The Father Finds A Bride for His Son

The Father Instructs His Servant to Prepare a Bride for His Son

Bible customs: Betrothal

Synopsis

The period of engagement preceding marriage; betrothal was a binding contract established between two families and sealed by the exchange of gifts. During this period the couple did not live together; sexual relations with each other at this stage was regarded as equivalent to adultery. Betrothal describes the relationship between God and his people and between Jesus Christ and the church.

Wives were often chosen by parents for their sons

It was usual practice for the groom’s parents to choose his wife and arrange the wedding.

(HCSB) — 21 He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

See also ;

(HCSB) — 4 but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

(HCSB) — 6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Suitable husbands were sought by parents for their daughters

Naomi, in the role of parent, assumes responsibility to find a husband for Ruth.

(HCSB) — 1 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

See also ; ;

(HCSB) — 17 Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “My hand doesn’t need to be against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

(HCSB) — 21 “I’ll give her to him,” Saul thought. “She’ll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” So Saul said to David a second time, “You can now be my son-in-law.”

Sometimes the man chose a prospective bride and his parents negotiated the marriage.

(HCSB) — 1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine woman there. 2 He went back and told his father and his mother: “I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines for a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, because I want her.” 4 Now his father and mother did not know this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

See also ; ; Esau chose a bride against his parents’ wishes.

(HCSB) — 1 Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see some of the young women of the area. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, a prince of the region, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3 He became infatuated with Dinah, daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke tenderly to her. 4 “Get me this girl as a wife,” he told his father Hamor.

(HCSB) — 57 So they said, “Let’s call the girl and ask her opinion.” 58 They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She replied, “I will go.”

(HCSB) — 34 When Esau was 40 years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Betrothal preceded marriage

; A betrothed soldier was exempted from military service until after his marriage; ;

(HCSB) — 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her.”

(HCSB) — 7 Has any man become engaged to a woman and not married her? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise he may die in battle and another man marry her.’

(HCSB) — 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her

(HCSB) — 36 But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, if she is past marriageable age, and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will ) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well. 38 So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

An exchange of gifts accompanyed betrothal

The bride-price

This gift, which was given by the groom to the bride’s family as compensation, sealed the marriage contract.

(HCSB) — 11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I’ll give you whatever you say. 12 Demand of me a high compensation and gift; I’ll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife!”

See also ; ; ; ; ;

(HCSB) — 53 Then he brought out objects of silver and gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.

(HCSB) — 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

(HCSB) — 27 Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”

(HCSB) — 16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and he has sexual relations with her, he must certainly pay the bridal price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must pay an amount in silver equal to the bridal price for virgins.

(HCSB) — 28 If a man encounters a young woman, a virgin who is not engaged, takes hold of her and rapes her, and they are discovered, 29 the man who raped her must give the young woman’s father 50 silver shekels, and she must become his wife because he violated her. He cannot divorce her as long as he lives.

(HCSB) — 14 Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of 100 Philistine foreskins.”

The dowry

The dowry was a gift from the bride’s father to the bride and/or groom.

(HCSB) — 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He then burned it down, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

Servants were given to the bride as a dowry:

; ;

(HCSB) — 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah with the one who had nursed and raised her, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

(HCSB) — 24 And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.

(HCSB) — 29 And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.

(HCSB) — 14 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 15 She answered him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water also.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

Betrothal was treated as marriage

Though there were no sexual relations within the betrothal period, the commitment was regarded almost as seriously as marriage and infidelity of a betrothed partner was treated as adultery.

(HCSB) — 23 If there is a young woman who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and has sex with her, 24 you must take the two of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s fiancée. You must purge the evil from you.

See also The men betrothed to Lot’s daughters are described as his “sons-in-law”; Mary’s pregnancy during betrothal left her open to the charge and consequences of unfaithfulness.

(HCSB) — 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to marry his daughters. “Get up,” he said. “Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

(HCSB) — 18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.

Betrothal portrays the relationship between God and his people

;

(HCSB) — 19 I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. 20 I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh.

(HCSB) — 2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure virgin to Christ.

See also ; ; ;

(HCSB) — 29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.

(HCSB) — 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

(HCSB) — 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb are fortunate!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”

(HCSB) — 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.