Split Sermon "The Traditional Jewish Wedding and The Marriage of the Lamb" by Dave PerMar

there are many times in the new testament where jesus used events and surrounding the surrounding culture to help his listeners understand and relate to what he was talking about for example the example the tower of siloam you know jesus said you know do you think that all those people that the tower of siloam fell on you think they were worse people or worse sinners than everybody else and they could say oh okay i know what the tower salome is you know they were familiar with that another example is when he was talking about a city on a hill uh you know when he said there's a city on a hill there was actually a city on a hill that they could relate to it was uh the the city of safid in galilee which is which was and still is the highest city in israel so at times he used these events he used surroundings and also local customs as teaching aids today what we're going to do is we're going to be examining one of those customs that jesus used it's the traditional jewish wedding and marriage ceremony he used it as a model primarily in referring to aspects of his future second coming and the marriage of the lamb and a few other things as well and since jesus used the model of the ancient jewish marriage ceremony to refur refer to his future second coming to better understand exactly what he was talking about it's helpful for us to understand the nature of marriage during christ's earthly ministry in israel so what we're going to do is first we're going to review what took place in a jewish wedding during christ's time then we'll go back and see how christ used it during his earthly ministry to teach lessons to his followers and then we'll see how those lessons apply to us today as christians we'll go through the whole process what it was and then we'll break it down to see what we can glean from each step in that process okay to get started a jewish marriage a jewish marriage included a number of steps first it was the father of the groom that would select the bride for his son and he would work out the marriage with the father of the bride next there would be a betrothal phase which involved the groom traveling from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride there would be a paying of a purchase price or a bride pot price like a dowry then they would establish the marriage covenant then the groom would then return to his father's house which meant remaining separate from his bride for 12 months or maybe more and during that time he would then prepare living accommodations for his wife at the father's house during that time the bride would then prepare herself for the wedding then what would happen the groom would have come for his bride at a time not known exactly to her then he would return with her to the groom's father's house for the actual wedding ceremony and then they'd celebrate the wedding feast for up to seven days so that's the process in a nutshell basically let's now unpack this some and look a little bit more at each of the steps in more detail first of all the the marriage agreement so first what would happen is like i said the father of the groom made the arrangements for the marriage and he paid the bridal price in ancient times the father of the groom often selected a bride for his son as did abraham did for his son isaac please turn over to genesis chapter 24 and we'll read a few verses in that regards genesis 24 starting in verse 1. genesis 24 verse 1 and it says now abraham was old well advanced in age and the lord had blessed abraham in all things verse 2 so abraham said to the oldest servant of his house who ruled over all that he had please put your hand under my thigh and i will make you swear by the lord the god of heaven and the god of the earth that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the canaanites among whom i dwell but you shall go to my country and to my family and take a wife for my son isaac so we see then how abraham instructed eliezer his servant to go get a wife for his son isaac he was arranging the marriage in ancient times marriage often was looked upon as more of an alliance for reasons of survivor survivability or practicality and at times the concept of romantic love remained a secondary issue if considered at all romantic love most times grew over time but of course the consent of the bride to be is also an important consideration rebecca for example was asked if she agreed to go back with abraham's servant to marry isaac sighed unseen and we read in genesis 24 verses 57 to 59 that she did agree she went willingly so the father would select the bride for his son and arrange the marriage the timing of the arrangement varied but the father would then basically pay a dowry for the bride the bride's father was given a bride price so the father of the groom would pay for the bride and he was paying basically for the loss that would incur to the bride's family by the bride leaving her family and going and becoming a part of the groom's family next the groom and the bride would sign a kituba or marriage contract which protected the rights of the wife by specifying the groom's responsibilities and caring for her and the amount of support that would be due her in the event of a divorce next came that betrothal ceremony traditionally in preparation for the betrothal ceremony the bride and groom are separated and separately they are immersed in water they're immersed in water and a ritual which is symbolic of spiritual cleansing then they would enter into a marriage canopy a marriage chamber and the groom would then share a cup of wine with the bride the wine was symbolic of the covenant that they are entering into he was giving his life for her and accepting the wine would show that she was willing to commit to him for the rest of her life if she drank from the cup then they were engaged they were betrothed and betrothal was basically like they were already married as good as married next the groom would then go back to his father's house and he would then prepare a room for them a place for them in his father's house usually the room had to be built but this would typically take a year or more and during that time the bride would then be getting prepared for the wedding and the bride and the groom wouldn't see each other at all during that period of time now she would be aware of how the room was coming along because she would hear it through the grapevine about what's going on so she would have a general idea of when the groom would be coming for her but no one would know the exact time when the groom would come for his bride except for the groom's father the groom's father he was the one who determined when the groom would go and get his bride and bring her back and if anyone would ask the groom when he's going to get his bride he would say i don't know only the father knows and although the bride knew to expect her groom after about a year she didn't know the exact day or hour he could come earlier as i said it was the father of the groom who gave final approval for him to go return to collect his bride for that reason the bride always had to keep oil in her lamps the lamps were like little flashlights just in case the groom came in the middle of the night sounding the shofar which they did to lead the bridal procession to the home that he had prepared for her so then the next step after the betrothal period is then the groom would then go as they say fetch his bride they'll get his bride and at a time determined by the father sometime after that room was prepared the groom would go get his bride to bring her to his father's house the groom's arrival was preceded by a shout which forewarned the bride to be prepared for his coming the groom would come down the street often in the middle of the night with his friends sometimes wearing a crown and as he is approaching they would blow a shofar the bride with her friends would then light their lamps which as i said was a small small oil lamp that they used like a flashlight to light the way for the groom and to be able to go out to meet him the groom would then lead the wedding procession back to his father's house where they would have a private wedding ceremony they'd go back into that chamber that wedding canopy they'd go in once again they would recite a blessing over a cup of wine again which was a symbol of joy a cup of joy and finalize their vows then would come the wedding feast where many people were invited and it could last up to seven days so now let's see how all these things fit in with the marriage of the lamb and the scriptures that apply here so we see brethren the marriage of the lamb is patterned basically after this jewish jewish marriage customs and phase one the first part was the arrangement so we saw then that the father of the groom made the arrangements for the marriage and paid the bridal pot price in the same way brethren we see in the bible that god the father is the one who draws us to christ john 6 44. john 6 44. jesus speaking he says in john 6 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and i will raise him up the last day also verse 65 of john 6 and he said therefore i've said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father so the father is the one who does the calling as for the price being paid first corinthians 6. first corinthians 6 verses 19 to 20. we know brethren we were bought with a price as well we see here in first corinthians 6 verse 19 says or do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit which is in you which you have from god and you are not your own for you were bought at a price therefore therefore glorify god in your body and in your spirit which are gods so just as in the jewish ceremony where the father paid for the bride we know brethren that there was a price that was paid for us turn to first peter 1 and we'll see what that price was first peter 1 and verse 18. first peter 1 verse 18 says knowing that you were not redeemed or bought back or ransom with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers verse 19 but with the precious blood of christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot so we see then after the father of the bride in the groom agreed to the marriage the match the bride price was paid by the father of the groom and in the same way god the father paid the price for us with the blood of his own son next was at betrothal period the ceremony and the whole period of betrothal this phase would last for a year or longer during which time the bride was getting herself ready as we saw earlier in preparation for the betrothal ceremony the bride and groom were separately immersed in water in a ritual which is symbolic of spiritual cleansing we know in matthew 3 verses 13 to 17 we read that jesus has already been immersed remember he was baptized by john the baptizer in the waters of the jordan river lesson for us brethren as as the bride-to-be we are also asked to be immersed mark 16 verse 16 says whoever believes and is baptized and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned we see that baptism is a necessary part brethren as you know and preparing to be part of the bride of christ and we can see here this aspect of baptism in relation to becoming part of christ's bride also during that betrothal ceremony the groom would share a cup of wine with the bride-to-be turn to first corinthians 11 verse 25. first corinthians 11 25. you see what paul says here first corinthians 11 verse 25 this is during jesus last passover says in the same manner he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me there they were they were all there they were having the passover dinner they all had their own cup of wine and we see jesus taking this cup and asking all of them to drink from it we know the wine represented his blood which would be shed for the forgiveness of sins and he was also saying that he was giving his life for them and they by drinking from it were committing themselves to him as a bride committing herself to her groom and every year when we take the passover wine we too are also recommitting ourselves to the covenant that we made with jesus christ and recommitting ourselves to preparing to being part of his bride but you know brethren the world has a cup of its own that it wants us to drink we read about that in revelation 17. let's look at a few verses there revelation chapter 17. revelation 17 which describes the great false church says here revelation 17 verse 1 then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me saying come i will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication so he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness and i saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls notice having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication and on her forehead a name was written mystery babylon the great the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth we see in jeremiah 51 verse 7 jeremiah 51 verse 7 talks about babylon and how it was a golden cup it said that that golden cup made all the earth drunk says the nations drank her wine therefore the nations are deranged so we see brethren that we have a choice to make don't we which cup will we drink of the cup that jesus offers us or the cup of the false religions of this world which as we read that cup is filled with abominations filthiness and fornications revelation 18 verse 4 says come out of her my people come out of this world come out of its ways but we have a choice to make just as eliezer asked rebecca if she was willing to go to be isaac's bride and she chose willingly so jesus wants us to take of his cup and commit to being a part of his bride willingly and the choice is ours that we have to make moving on once the betrothal ceremony was completed it was then as if they were already married and this can be seen in the example of joseph and mary notice matthew chapter 1 verses 18-20 in that regards matthew 1 verses 18 through 20. matthew 1 18 now the birth of jesus christ was as follows after his mother mary was betrothed to joseph before they came together she was found with child of the holy spirit then joseph her husband being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example was minded to put her away secretly but while he thought about these things behold an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream saying joseph son of david do not be afraid to take to you marry your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy spirit so don't be afraid to continue with the marriage don't be afraid to continue on and then take mary to be your wife there would be truth but it was as if they were already married they were traveling together because of the the census that they had to take right so they had to go up together they had to and since they were already considered married that's why they went together now during that year while they were betrothed the bridegroom groom would then go and prepare a home prepare a place for his bride which was attached to his father's house and like manner jesus christ is preparing a place for his bride the church notice john chapter 14 john 14. let's take a few minutes in review these verses john 14 in verse 1 jesus says let not your heart be troubled you believe in god believe and believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so i would have told you i go to prepare a place for you and if i go and prepare a place for you i will come again and receive you to myself that where i am there you may be also and where i go you know in the way you know the thrust of the first few verses here of john 14 is an assurance from christ to his disciples that they would have a place with him that he would not abandon them now we read in verse 2 in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so i would have told you i go to prepare a place for you now what did jesus mean when he said my father's house what was he talking about well what does the bible say he talks about it's found in john chapter 2 verses 15 to 16 where jesus gives us the explanation john 2 verse 15. it says in john 2 verse 15 when he had made a whip of cords he drove them all out of the temple the temple with the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables verse 16 and he said to those who sold doves take these things away do not make my father's house a house of merchandise we see brethren he was talking about the temple and he called it my father's house now we also see in verse 2 of john 14 where he said in my father's house are many mansions the word mansions translates from a word that means dwelling places built around the exterior wall of the temple were many chambers for the priests for different functions and uses such as counseling with people the people hearing christ were familiar with the temple and therefore would have immediately associated his words in this passage with those chambers jesus told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place or position of service for them and where will christ be when his disciples rejoin him well he'll be on the earth thus fulfilling a prophecy given to the apostles by the angels in acts 1 verse 11. you know remember acts 1 verse 11. they're standing there christ had just ascended to heaven and they said men of galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven this same jesus who is taking up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven his return also fulfills a multitude of prophecies of the kingdom of god in the old and new testaments beyond assuring the disciples that they would be with him christ also conveyed that he would give them important positions of authority in the coming kingdom of god revelation 20 verse 6 revelation 5 verse 10 among other verses they confirm that this is every christian's potential so we see then brethren that just as a bridegroom would leave to prepare a home prepare a place for his bride attached to his father's house in like manner christ is preparing a place for his bride the church in the kingdom of god moving on on the wedding day the groom would then leave his father's house to go get his bride remember brethren it was a time determined by the father sometime after the place was prepared acts 1 verses 6 to 7 talking about the time the disciples asked him talking it to jesus they said therefore when they had come together they asked him saying lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to israel they wanted to know he says in verse 7 it is not for you to know times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority now please turn over to matthew chapter 24 because i'd like us to read some verses here matthew 24 and we'll start in verse 30. matthew 24 verse 30 says then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other verse 32 now learn this parable from the fig tree when its branches already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see all these things know that it is near at the doors assuredly i say to you this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away in verse 36 but of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven but my father alone just as the groom was sent to go fetch his bride to go get his bride at the time that his father determined so jesus christ will return at the time that god the father determines and just as we saw that during the betrothal period the bride would have a general idea of when the groom would return for her based on what she heard about the preparation of the room proceeding we see in verses 32 and 33 of matthew 24 that we should be looking at the signs of the times to get a general idea of when christ might return although only god the father knows the exact time we can't know it and we can't guess it because the bible says so but the bride was to keep oil in her lamp the whole time so that she'd be ready to meet the groom whenever he would arrive we see that aspect brethren in matthew chapter 25. matthew 25 let's read these verses matthew 25 verse 1 then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom notice they're called virgins paul tells us in second corinthians 11 verse 2 he says for i have betrothed you to one husband that i may present you as a chaste virgin to christ revelation 14 verse 4 says these are the ones who are not defiled with women for they are virgins these are the ones who didn't take the cup of the religions of this world of the false religions they were virgins back to matthew 25 verse 2 it says now five of them were wise and five were foolish those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps but while the bridegroom was delayed they all slumbered and slept and at midnight a cry was heard behold the bridegroom is coming go out to meet him as we saw the groom fetches the bride to bring her to his father's house so he can be with them they can be together the groom's arrival was preceded by a shout which forewarned the bride to be prepared for his coming the groom would come down the street often in the middle of the night with his friends sometimes wearing a crown and as he was approaching they would blow a shofar the bride was to have oil in her lamp and her flashlight to be able to see to be able to go out to meet him verse 7 matthew 25 then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said to the wise give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out but the wise answered no less there should not be enough for us and you but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves they weren't preparing properly and while they went out to buy the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut afterward the other virgins came also saying lord lord open to us but he answered and said assuredly i say to you i do not know you watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming after taking her from her home the groom would then lead the bridal procession back to his father's house and again where will he be when he returns well we already read acts 1 verse 11 saying that he's coming back the same way zechariah 14 4 says in that day his feet will stand on the mount of olives which faces jerusalem on the east and the mount of olives shall be split in two from east to west jesus christ returns he will be on the earth he's returning to the earth his feet will stand as it says on the mount of olives next came the marriage ceremony which was conducted at the groom's father's house they would have a private wedding ceremony the door was shut as we just read matthew 25 only the immediate families and two witnesses were invited to observe the ceremony and then came the marriage feast to which friends of the bride and groom were invited to rejoice at the son's marriage and after seven days of feasting the couple would then settle into their new home prepared by the groom so what we've seen then this afternoon brethren is what we've done is we've reviewed what took place in that jewish wedding during christ's time then we went back and we saw how christ used it during his earthly ministry to teach lessons to his followers and we've also seen how those lessons apply to us today as christians so brethren let's all make sure we're dedicated to being awake to be preparing to be the best best pro bride for jesus christ as we can let me leave you then brother with just one more thought please turn over to matthew chapter 26. matthew chapter 26 verse 26 and as they were eating jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body notice verse 27 then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins notice verse 29 verse 29 but i say to you i will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when i drink it new with you in my father's kingdom during the wedding ceremony in a traditional traditional jewish marriage the groom and bride they would enter into that wedding chamber they would shut the door behind them and then have the actual wedding ceremony part of that ceremony is the groom would once again take a cup of wine it's called the cup of joy and he would share it with his bride imagine what that would be like brethren i don't know if it's going to be that way i'm not saying it is i don't know imagine what that would be like though brethren you made it you prepared you're part of the bride of christ jesus christ comes back for you you go into that wedding chamber with jesus christ for the wedding ceremony he has that cup he hands it to you he looks you in the eye with a big smile on his face he says well done good and faithful bride enter into the joy of your husband you

Channel: United Church of God Orlando

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Keywords: second coming, return of Christ, kingdom of God

Id: xP7Aoi4AuEU

Length: 32min 57sec (1977 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 19 2020