Gifts for the Bride
Every bride enjoys gifts! And our God is a giver of every good and perfect gift. The Betrothal included the giving of gifts by the bridegroom to his bride. Many times a bridegroom gave a coin or other object of value to his betrothed bride. It would always be something special that would help her remember him while they were apart. This was because the real focus of the gift giving was to be on the giver and not on the gift. Today we have the engagement ring. This is a symbol of love and commitment. When the bride-to-be looks at her ring, she is reminded of the one who gave her the gift.
God’s Holy Spirit is our spiritual engagement ring. He doesn't call attention to Himself but to the one who purchased us —Jesus.
Through Jesus, we, the bride, receive many gifts: Forgiveness, eternal life, fruit of the spirit, gifts of the spirit, and many more. What bride would say to her bridegroom who comes bearing gifts, “No, I can’t accept them.” Yet many of us do that to our Bridegroom, Jesus. Don’t miss out — decide today to accept all that your Bridegroom has for you.
‘Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ James 1:16-18
1 Corinthians 12:3-5; ‘Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.’
1 Corinthians 12:8-10; ‘For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:’
Galatians 5:22-23; ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.’
Ephesians 5:8-10; ‘For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;’
Friday, January 1, 2010
Jewish Bride - Step Seven
Mikvah
Brides in ancient Israel, as well as brides in Israel today, experience a mikvah prior to her wedding. The word ‘mikvah’ means a pool of living water that was used for ritual purification. This immersion and ceremonial washing in water is part of their physical and spiritual preparation for the wedding ceremony. The mikvah represents a separation from the old life to a new life. Figuratively speaking this was a re-birth into her new life as a wife and mother.
The Bride of Christ also goes to the living waters of the mikvah. When we, as believers in Jesus, are immersed in water baptism, it is a separation from an old life to a new life. Baptism is an outward expression of our new birth in Jesus and the washing, or regeneration, of our spiritual man – our inner most being.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Cor. 5:17
Mark 16:16 reads, “He who believes and is baptized (goes to the mikvah) will be saved; but he who does not believe, will be condemned.”
Acts 2:37-39; ‘Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.’
Brides in ancient Israel, as well as brides in Israel today, experience a mikvah prior to her wedding. The word ‘mikvah’ means a pool of living water that was used for ritual purification. This immersion and ceremonial washing in water is part of their physical and spiritual preparation for the wedding ceremony. The mikvah represents a separation from the old life to a new life. Figuratively speaking this was a re-birth into her new life as a wife and mother.
The Bride of Christ also goes to the living waters of the mikvah. When we, as believers in Jesus, are immersed in water baptism, it is a separation from an old life to a new life. Baptism is an outward expression of our new birth in Jesus and the washing, or regeneration, of our spiritual man – our inner most being.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Cor. 5:17
Mark 16:16 reads, “He who believes and is baptized (goes to the mikvah) will be saved; but he who does not believe, will be condemned.”
Acts 2:37-39; ‘Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.’
Jewish Bride - Step Eight
Departure of the Groom
Once the marriage covenant was sealed, the bridegroom left his bride to go to his
father’s house to prepare a wedding chamber. He would be gone for up to twelve months.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus said “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.”
Perhaps a better translation of the word ‘mansion’ in this verse is ‘room’. For in the time Jesus walked among us it was the custom for the bridegroom to build a home for his new bride as an addition to his father’s house. The son would not know when this addition was ready; his father would make that decision. The Bridegroom was not allowed to skimp on workmanship or materials used, all was to be done to ‘code’ as it were. Typically it was at least a year in the making, but was not considered ready until his father gave him his blessing and released him to fetch his bride. That is why Jesus said in Mark 13:32-33, ‘But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’
Our Bridegroom has gone to prepare a wedding chamber for His bride. It is the ‘chamber’ of our heart. When the Father has pronounced it prepared He will return to us. John 14:3; ‘and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
In Matthew 9:15, ‘Jesus said, “Can the friends of the Bridegroom mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’
While we wait for the return of our Bridegroom/King, we need to stay faithful, watchful and spiritually alert. This is the hour to pray and fast!
1 Peter 4:7 says, "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers."
Once the marriage covenant was sealed, the bridegroom left his bride to go to his
father’s house to prepare a wedding chamber. He would be gone for up to twelve months.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus said “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.”
Perhaps a better translation of the word ‘mansion’ in this verse is ‘room’. For in the time Jesus walked among us it was the custom for the bridegroom to build a home for his new bride as an addition to his father’s house. The son would not know when this addition was ready; his father would make that decision. The Bridegroom was not allowed to skimp on workmanship or materials used, all was to be done to ‘code’ as it were. Typically it was at least a year in the making, but was not considered ready until his father gave him his blessing and released him to fetch his bride. That is why Jesus said in Mark 13:32-33, ‘But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’
Our Bridegroom has gone to prepare a wedding chamber for His bride. It is the ‘chamber’ of our heart. When the Father has pronounced it prepared He will return to us. John 14:3; ‘and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
In Matthew 9:15, ‘Jesus said, “Can the friends of the Bridegroom mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’
While we wait for the return of our Bridegroom/King, we need to stay faithful, watchful and spiritually alert. This is the hour to pray and fast!
1 Peter 4:7 says, "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers."
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