Jewish Wedding Custom - Proposal (betrothal) For The Bride of Christ
Posted: Thursday, March 26, 2009
by Rebecca Park Totilo
Rebecca at the Well & Heal With Essential Oils
The Hebrew word for marriage is Kiddushin and means sanctification or holiness. It comes from the root word Kodesh which means holy, to be set apart and Kadash, which means sanctified and separated from evil. God has elevated marriage to a holy state by introducing Himself to the relationship and thus, we have "Holy Matrimony." Just as God is holy, we are to be holy as it says in Leviticus 11:44:
Most Christians think of holy as sinless, but Biblically it means that you have grown in spiritually maturity and that you have an intimate relationship with the Savior - you have been set apart for His service. We are reminded in 1 Peter 1:15-16 that what we say is directly related to our holiness:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
In biblical times, a Israeli bridegroom propose to beloved by offering the Kiddush cup, which means cup of sanctification or holiness. If his chosen accepted his marriage proposal, she sipped from the cup and was now betrothed and promised in marriage to him.
Yeshua kept the same wedding custom after the Passover meal, offering the Kiddush cup to His disciples. Now, when believers take Holy Communion, they are entering into or renewing their wedding vow to Yeshua, our Bridegroom. However, as we can see in Revelation 18, Satan would entice all to drink from His cup of wine of wrath and commit fornication with her. For we are betrothed to our Savior now. We must remain faithful to Him by not partaking in the ways of the world and remain separate.
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. Revelation 18: 3 KJV
In the ancient times, the Jewish Betrothal occurred one or two years before the actual wedding (or Nuptials) and involved making a covenant. The Hebrew word for covenant is B'rit and was actually quite more serious than an engagement today. In Biblical times a covenant was final, sealed in blood, and legally binding, as we can see in Scriptures in the relationship between Mary and Joseph. Matthew 1:18-19 says:
Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
While Mary and Joseph were espoused (or betrothed), He thought to put her away (divorce her) since he believed she had been unfaithful. Their covenant was so binding, that it would require a bill of divorce to break.
This same word "espoused" in Matthew 1:18-19 is used by Paul as he reminds the believers at the Corinthian church to remain faithful. It says in 2 Corinthians 11:2:
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chase virgin to Christ. (NKJV)
Many believers today are unfaithful and there is a possibly the Lord will "put them away." This, of course, does not mean the loss of their salvation, but a loss of rewards when Yeshua returns as seen in 1 John 2:28, Titus 3:8 and 2 John 1:8. To be part of the Bride of Christ is a great reward to those Christians who have lived a pure and holy life for the Messiah.
For more information, order a copy of Rebecca's latest book, Who Is The Bride? from http://www.amazon.com or visit her website at: http://www.ratw.org.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I love this article!! I believe in it whole heartedly. Thank you! God bless.
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