JCAThJewish
Betrothal Customs
To
truly appreciate what it must have meant to Jesus' disciples when He taught them
about His Kingdom using marriage metaphors, or to Paul's readers when he
described Christ as the husband of the Church, we need to discover what marriage
and courtship were like in First Century Israel. When we compare what we
discover to the calling out of the Church by the Lord Jesus, we find an amazing
parallel, in which virtually every aspect of the ancient Jewish tradition is
fulfilled.
Why is this important? Apart from the general insight that
such a study gives us into Scripture and into our relationship with the Lord, we
see that our God is a God who pays meticulous attention to detail, who fulfills
according to what He has established, who was willing to pay an inconceivably
high price to secure a Bride for His Son, and who will not fail to send His Son
back to reclaim His Beloved
OT
and NT Bridal language
Genesis begins with
marriage, ends in Rev with marriage
Gen 2:7-9:
15-24 HELPER…helpmeet, succor (breasts,..SoS) and milk/honey under
tongue
It
is not good for man to be alone: Adam slept (type of Christ, who was
dead/buried, Bride made
But
for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
NKJV
NLT…’suitable’
WE
COMPLETE JESUS!
GOD
HAS A NEED!
GOD
is love, LOVE must have a recipient to pour its love out
on..
Trinity was satisfied in
itself except for one thing..no one to pour love out
Imagine a vessel full of
overflowing water; pours His love into us and we pour it into each other,
1st and 2nd greatest commandments
God
creates Adam, puts him in garden, especially designed for
Him
Romans 5:14
Netherless death reigned from Adam to Moses………who was type of HIM who was to
come
Why did God wait
to create Eve???
Adam is a picture of Jesus:
ADAM HAD TO WAIT FOR HIS BRIDE; SO JESUS HAS TO WAIT
FOR HIS BRIDE
Gardens are made for Kings
today….a garden exemplifies Kings wealth, displayed their most beautiful plants.
Kings gardens are PRIVATE, not anyone can come in (SoS chapt 4)
God
displayed Adam in His garden in Genesis. Jesus was perfectly satisfied in
heaven, expcept Jesus needed someone to pour Himself into. Adam noticed all the
animals had a partner, except him. He realized he was alone, he had an ache in
his heart (Just like Jesus)
Adam (man) was made in Gods
image, meaning that ACHE in his heart, that lonliness for a partner, was the
same as Gods’ ache for fellowship, for Jesus’s ache for a bride. IT is not GOOD
for me to be alone (Good in Hebrew?)
Look up aching in SoS…Kings
aching..???
Adams highest calling was to
be a lover of God and lover of man. A vessel of longing.
God
causes deep sleep to fall on Adam (like Christ) Ephesians 5:14 …sleep is synom
of death. Just as God pulled rib out of side of Adam, they thrust a spear into
side of Christ (rib) thru death of Jesus we find life. Blood/water gushed out of
side of Christ…just like in birth of a baby. ASK, what
flowed out of Jesus when spear was thrust into his side? Where in natural
process do we see blood/water?
Ephesians 1:4…He chose us in
HIM…We were in Christ before the foundation of world..in His heart, we were
brought forth from HIS heart!!!!
just
as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love,
Psalm
139:16
THE
FIRST WEDDING..WOHOO! Genesis
2:And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and
brought her unto the man.
GOD BRINGS HIS
BRIDE TO HIS SON…No man comes to Me unless the Father draws him
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise
him up at the last day JOHN 6:44
WHEW…discuss
this
Rev 19…our wedding
day
Genesis 24
Issac/Rebekah
Issac :son of
laughter
Rebekah : snared by
beauty
SoS
6:4-5 (turn your eyes away from me..)
Isaiah 61:3…Bride of Christ,
ministry of Jesus on earth, garland of beauty, means bridal headpiece..a
crown
62..fashions people into
crown, bridal headpiece (look of word)
Lamentations, bride of
Christ has
Hosea..bridal
language
Jeremiah 31:31 new covenant,
with house of Israel and Judah, not like previous ones
HE
was husband
Romans
11:17
John 3:28-29 friend of
bridegroom
Mark 2:19-20 Jesus
identifies Himself as bridegroom
Matthew 22 There is a father
who is preparing wedding feast..
Matthew 25:1…His return, 10
virgins
Ephesians 5 :25-32 powerful
passage
THE MATCH:
Shiddukhin
Initiated by the father of
the groom;Christ acted at the initiative of the
Father, John 5:30
The
Bridegroom's Father chooses the Bride, the Groom in most cases does not. He
sends a friend or a trusted servant to come to terms with the parents of the
prospective Bride, and makes all the arrangements. The Bride may not have any
idea of what this person looks like or even know his age. All she knows is she
will spend her whole life with him if she says yes to this
marriage
Agent may be used (Story of
Issac/Rebekah, the servant)Holy Spirit acts as
agent of
Father in
the world today, 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 4:6. ;Christ chose His disciples, John 15:16
Consent of
the bride We respond to Christ's love and accept Him, 1 Pet. 1:8
…………………………………….11/16…
Ephesians 5 :25-32 powerful passage
It’s Christ’s good pleasure to nourish,wash, and present us faultless
before the Father on the wedding day!
……………………………………………….
God
the Father has sent the Holy Spirit as a servant (as in servant of Abraham,
Genesis, to seek out a Bride for His Son. GENESIS
24 (have them have this passage ready) Verse 24, He gave her gifts (gold, compare to Song of Solomon
chapter 1:10-11 Your
cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your
neck with chains of gold.)
THE BETROTHAL: (Eyrusin, a
period of sanctification or setting apart) Ephesians 5
:25-32 powerful passage It’s
Christ’s good pleasure to nourish,wash, and present us faultless before the
Father on
Betrothal was
legally binding..just like marriage
without consummation of marriage
Father would chose the
bride, he would go get his son and say, Ive found her, lets go get her. (Genesis
24) John 15:15..Jesus left His eternal home..You did
not chose me but I chose you. Ephesians 1:4, chose us before foundation of
world.The bridegroom would travel from his home to the home of the bride
in order to negotiate with his prospective father-in-law, the purchase price of
his bride. The Father, bridegroom, bride and her family would sit down at
a table, and offer a contract of marriage. They discuss the bridal price. This
is called the MOHAR. . It was required by law, legally binding, and paid by the bridegroom. It HAD to be
paid before the wedding could take place.
money which in purchases is
given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently
be paid
Often there would
be negotiations. The young man understood he had to sacrifice in order to be
able to purchase his bride. He knew that the price had to be high, for that
reflected how much he really wanted the young woman! Reflected the value he had
of her. Often if might be
Lands,
livestock, silver or gold. The young
man prepared a Ketubah, or marriage contract (or covenant) which he
presented to the intended bride and her father. Included in this was
the " Bride Price ", which was appropriate in that society to compensate the
young woman's parents for the cost of raising her, as well as being an
expression of his love for her. In the Ketubah the Bride is promised that she will be provided and cared
for in every way. It states that all of her needs will be fulfill by the
Bridegroom. The Hebrew term for Bridegroom is "Hatan" meaning: "one
who enters Covenant." This contract is always signed before
two witnesses, then given to the Bride and her Father. The Holy
Scriptures are our Wedding document. It tells us all that our Bridegroom has
done for us and will do for us - and so much more!
What
are some of the terms/conditions in the Ketubah, the things that our heavenly
bridegroom has promised us (our needs?) Ask for verses Matthew 6:28-30; Phil.
4:19
What was Christs
price?? I Corin 6:20;
I Peter 1:18 This price, refered to as the "mohar", had to be paid
prior to any other events relating to the marriage. Can you imagine the
discussion in heaven, with the Trinity, discussing the price Jesus would have to
pay to gain His bride??? Can u imagine the Father telling Jesus, now, Son, I
really you to make the Bride know how valuable she is to
you!
Romans
8:3,4; John 3:1. It was a high cost. The
bridegroom would have to sacrifice dearly if he really valued the bride to be.
2 Corinthians 1:22
2 Corinthians
1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the pledge, seal of the Spirit in our
hearts. READ IN
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Pledge,
down-payment, or ‘earnest’ money, deposit money which in purchases is
given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently
be paid
GENESIS
24…Jacob/Laban, price for Rachel
To
see if the proposal was accepted, the young man would pour a cup of wine for his
beloved and wait to see if she drank it. This cup represents a blood
covenant. If she drank the cup she would have accepted the proposal and they
would be betrothed. The young man would then give gifts to his beloved, and then
take his leave.
. WHAT DOES THIS REMIND U OF???
When
Jesus lifted up the cup of wine in the last supper, and said this is the NEW
COVENANT IN MY BLOOD, the disciples knew EXACTLY what He was talking about!!
MARRIAGE CONTRACT!
Matthew
26:27-29
"And Yeshua
took the cup in His right hand, lifted it, blessed it, and gave it to His
followers, saying, 'Drink ye all of it; For this is My Blood of the New
Covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say unto
you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that
Day when I drink it new with you in my Father's
Kingdom.'"
The betrothed secured,
i.e. sealed. Gifts are now given to the Bride and her family from the
Bridegroom or His Servant, as in the case of Abraham sending his servant
Eliezer. Eliezer came with 10 camels filled with gifts to secure a Bride for
Isaac. Eliezer means: comforter, helper, and is a picture of the Holy Spirit of
G-d.
Every time we
share in the cup of Communion we are re-affirming our marriage
Covenant with our Bridegroom Yeshua. We should always remember what it was that
Messiah Yeshua our Bridegroom achieved for us personally, with the Covenant
of "Communion in His Blood." His wine is the best wine, and it is wine,
not grape juice! Wine is a symbol of joy to the Hebrew mind, and it
should be to His Church as well.
Jeremiah
31:31-34
"The time is
coming," declares the L-RD, "when I will cut a New Covenant (Brit) with
the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be
like the Covenant I made with their forefathers (those who died in Mt.
Sinai) when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they
broke My Covenant, though I was a Husband to them, declares the
L-RD. This is the Covenant I will cut with the house of Israel after
that time," declares the L-RD. "I will put My Torah in their minds and write it
on their hearts. I will be their G-d, and they will be My people. (This is
the Promise from Deut 30:6) No longer will a man instruct his
neighbor, or a mankind his brother or sister, saying, ‘Know the L-RD,’ they will
all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the L-RD. For I
will forgive their iniquity and will recall their sins no more."
TAKE COMMUNION
TOGETHER: Let people experience this as a betrothal ceremony. Take time. Let
them hear Jesus asking for their hand in marriage J
…………………………………………………………………………………
ASK IF
ANYONE HAS TESTIMONY FROM LAST TIME RE DRINKING BETHROTAL CUP OF
LORD
After the
bride drinks the cup of bethrothal, the Father of Bridegroom picks up bethrothal
cup and hands it to the prospective bridegroom/son and says, ‘son will you drink
this cup’?
WHERE DO WE SEE
THIS IN SCRIPTURE?We see this
in garden of gethsaname J “Father if it
be possible let this cup PASS from me, but not MY WILL but your will be
done!”Matt. 26:39And
he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as
thou [wilt].
On the cross
as He was dying He said to the Father ‘into your hands I commit my spirit’ He
had fulfilled the MOHAR, the bridal price. It is FINISHED.
THEN as token
of bethrothal the bridegroom gives gifts, MATAN to the bride to be. Matan means
‘pledge’ in Hebrew. In Greek it means ‘charismata’.
EPHESIANS
!:13-14: In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation; Which is the
earnest(deposit,
guarantee) of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of
his glory.
Discuss
what it means to be sealed J SOS
applications.
These
charismata gifts mean it’s a GUARENTEE that He is coming back for His bride!!!
WHEW!! Doesn’t it make you WANT to be faithful in the spiritual gifts hes given
you! And they are a mark that YOU, His bethrothed, are a JOINT HEIR with Him,
will be His beloved bride for all eternity! WOHOOOOOOO
Jewish people
say that Pentecost was Gods matan for Israel!
…………………………………..Dec
7………………………………………………………
Once the marriage covenant
had been established, the groom would leave the home of his bride and return to
his father's house. He would remain separated from his bride for an
indefinite period of time usually not to exceed twelve months. During this
time both the groom and the bride had specific preparations which had to be
accomplished prior to the wedding ceremony.
The groom was required to
prepare living accomodations for him and his new bride.This customarily involved
building an addition to his father's house large enough for the two of them to
live in. The strong family ties inherent in the Jewish culture of Christ's
day normally precluded the building of a separate house away from the
family. The groom's preparations would include
not only the structure, but also everything needed to set up a
household. He would provide all that he could afford in order to
offer his bride the most comfort and pleasant living accommodations possible.
Matthew 24:7..only the Father knows when Jesus will be released to go snatch His
bride, why, because the FATHER is the one hat had to inspect living quarters,
bridal chamber and to give his stamp of approval on it.
What is our living quarters, our bridal
chamber like in heaven? Our room,
our mansion?
Clues in SoS: 1:4;
SS 2:14; Ps 45; Revelation 21:2
The bride, in anticipation of her married life,
would busy herself with her trousseau and personal arrangements.
Traditionally, during this separation, her mother would teach her all things
necessary to fulfill her marital responsibilities. It was a time spent in close
fellowship as both recognized their new
roles.
Just as
the Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house,
so Yeshua left the earth, the home of the church (bride) and returned to His
Father's house in heaven after He'd established the new covenant and risen from
the dead. The church is currently living in this
this period of separation awaiting Christ's
return.
John
the Baptist said: Mark 2:18-19…fasting when
bridegroom has gone away
During this period the bride-elect lived with her
friends, and all communication between herself and her future husband was
carried on through the means of a friend delegated for the purpose, termed the
"friend of the bridegroom" (John 3:29). The friend of bridegroom would relay all
messages between couple. Discuss Holy Spirits role in this (He will disclose ALL
what I say…)
The bride also goes thru sanctification
period, Called KIDDUSHIN (this word means
sanctification)
and preparing her wedding
dress
The GROOM WOULD PROVIDE THE
WEDDING DRESS FOR THE BRIDE TO BE: SHE WOULD ADORN IT!
Linen dress, (who wore
linen dress? Priests J) Revelation 19:7-8
A
Let us be
glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come,
and his wife hath made herself ready.And
to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the
fine linen is the righteous acts (NKJ) of the saints.
During this
time the bride NEVER KNEW when her bridegroom might come for her (often at
midnight, he came and snatched her away!) so she had to wear her wedding dress,
day/nite! Because it would greatly insult the groom if she wasn’t
ready!
In parable of
wedding guest Matthew 22 it was an UTMOST insult to not have a wedding garment
on for the wedding feast!
DISCUSS…what are
our garments???
What are our adornments on
our wedding dress??
Isaiah 61…adorns herself
with jewels, wedding dresses (Jewels covered (tabrets)dancing garments! Lucifer,
before he fell, was covered with every precious stone. Relate this to the New
Jersulam being adorned as bride for her wedding!) garments of
praise..?
Psalm 33:1 praise from
the upright is beautiful
Isaiah 61:3….garment of
praise..etc
Notice the bridegroom also
has ornaments J compare to SOS
verses
ing dress, adorning it!
DISCUSS THIS
OUR
BETHROTHAL/SANCTIFICATION TIME\ KIDDUSHIN (means
sanctification)
During this time both bride
and groom go thru MIKVAH (baptism..Jesus, our bridegroom did it by being
baptized!)
Ephesias 5;26
-27(read in different versions)….He washes/santifies us thru His WORD!
Ask, how many of
you have been condemned by this idea of white/spotless
bride??
***How
much do we want to be sanctified?
To santify in
Greek is HAGIAZO means to
consecrate, set apart, to cleanse both externally and INTERNALLY! To purify from
GUILT (of sin) and renewing of the mind!
To cleanse
in Greek is katarizo which is a veryyyy thorough cleansing, comes from
root word which means to purify by fire, to prune (for purpose of bearing fruit)
means to cleanse from physical stains, to CURE (health) to remove from
guilt/sin, to pronounce CLEAN in a Levitcal sense (which even meant NO
DISEASE!!) had to be realllllllly clean
in Levitical terms!
Wash in
Greek is LOUTRON, which means BATHE comes from root word which means to cleanse
a DEAD person, to cleanse their wounds.
LOL How many
of you bathe every day? What happens if you don’t bathe? How does this affect
your body, others around you?
Bathing/washing implies
flowing water(s) talk about Psalm 29:3..His voice being like many waters..Isaiah
55, ho everyone who thirsts come to the waters.. ASK FOR OTHERS
We go thru a
natural baptism, but each time we go thru season(s) of dying we are being
baptized, washed/sanctified in His death, and our wedding dress gets whiter and
whiter!
Seasons of
death always mean resurrection, spring, life seasons are just around the
corner!!! Because the death seasons, dying to self, etc, being under the water,
baptized, into His death mean we are being immersed, being sanctified, our
wedding garments getting whiter and whiter.
During this
time the bride NEVER KNEW when her bridegroom might come for her (often at
midnight, he came and snatched her away!) so she had to wear her wedding dress,
day/nite! Because it would greatly insult the groom if she wasn’t
ready!
In parable of
wedding guest Matthew 22 it was an UTMOST insult to not have a wedding garment
on for the wedding feast!
I Cor.
1:2
I Cor
6:11
Also, the
bride never knew when the wedding ceremony would take place! She had to be
clothed ready. While adorning her wedding dress, she had to prepare her oil
lamp, gather PLENTY of oil! For often at midnight, when she was sleeping, the
bridegroom would send his friend (friend of the bridegroom) out thru the city
saying BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! (often before this happened the bridegroom
would send a gift of gold to his bride, meaning his return was very near
(golddust?)
She would then
have to rise QUICKLY and trim her lamp. If she didn’t have enough oil she would
not be able to follow him thru the city, with rest of bridal procession, and
would know where he was going.
WHAT DOES THIS
OIL REPRESENT? Parable of 10 virgins Matthew 25
Oil of joy for
mourning (Isaiah 61:3) Jesus, anointed with oil of JOY above His companions (Ps
45:7;Heb 1:9) Oil/treasure in dwelling of the righteous (Proverbs
21:20)
Why couldn’t the
wise virgins just give the foolish virgins some of their
oil??
Endtimes, love
of many will grow cold, hearts fainting from fear
Joy keeps our
anointing fire burning bright!
Do not harm
the oil and the wine (Revelation 6;6) New wine (joy also) nothing can harm us if
we are fullll of joy and new wine!