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- Jun 10, 2015
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Modern weddings are not the same as what we see from the Old Testament. Jesus spoke of the bride and bridegroom because the Jews could relate and knew what was involved in a marriage.
The Father normally wanted to search out the perfect bride for his son. Marriages were arranged by the father or the head male of household. If the father could not go himself he would send someone else to try to arrange it. The betrothal was important and should not be confused with the modern meaning of that word. The Jewish betrothal was a covenant that was binding and could only be broken by divorce and usually because the bride was not pure (pregnant like Mary!!). It was not up to the bride to make the covenant. Some betrothals were done when the bride and bridegroom were children! Some were made where the bridegroom never even met his bride.
There are different historical accounts about the covenant but in the Old Testament we see how the prospective groom would pay the father of the bride something...some call it a purchase price but the bride was not considered a slave by no means! There are some other terms used but the point is that the groom gave to the father of the bride something and if it was accepted then the arrangement was made establishing the marriage covenant.
We see that God the Father searched out a bride for His Son. The Son paid the price to the Father and it was accepted. The covenant HAS BEEN MADE. We do not make individual covenants to become the bride. Jesus spoke of going away to make a home for the bride and then returning for her. Jews related to that speech because that is how their marital lives normally began!
The Father normally wanted to search out the perfect bride for his son. Marriages were arranged by the father or the head male of household. If the father could not go himself he would send someone else to try to arrange it. The betrothal was important and should not be confused with the modern meaning of that word. The Jewish betrothal was a covenant that was binding and could only be broken by divorce and usually because the bride was not pure (pregnant like Mary!!). It was not up to the bride to make the covenant. Some betrothals were done when the bride and bridegroom were children! Some were made where the bridegroom never even met his bride.
There are different historical accounts about the covenant but in the Old Testament we see how the prospective groom would pay the father of the bride something...some call it a purchase price but the bride was not considered a slave by no means! There are some other terms used but the point is that the groom gave to the father of the bride something and if it was accepted then the arrangement was made establishing the marriage covenant.
We see that God the Father searched out a bride for His Son. The Son paid the price to the Father and it was accepted. The covenant HAS BEEN MADE. We do not make individual covenants to become the bride. Jesus spoke of going away to make a home for the bride and then returning for her. Jews related to that speech because that is how their marital lives normally began!