Jewish Wedding Custom - Proposal (marriage contract) For The Bride of Christ
Posted: Wednesday, April 08, 2009
by Rebecca Park Totilo
Rebecca at the Well & Heal With Essential Oils
Behold, the days come, saith the Lo r d, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with th e house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The Jewish wedding celebration is comprised of two separate ceremonies: th e kiddushi n , or betrothal, an d nissui n , o r nuptials. In a traditional betrothal, the engaged couple enters into a covenant with the signing of the Ketubah. In this marriage contract are the terms of their agreement, such as the bride price and provisions the bridegroom agrees to make for her (including food and clothing), and also names the wife as the heir to the estate, should he die.
Rich in commitment, the Ketuba h is r ead aloud for all to hear of their mutual devotion toward one another. The custom of r eading the Ketuba h aloud is r ooted in the g r eat wedding between God and Israel, when Moses received the Torah. In Exodus 24:7 it says, "Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obe y " (NIV).
It is for this reason that they have a wedding ceremony- to sanctify and bless the contract. Properly signed and wit- nessed, the document is given to the bride, and she i s instructed to keep it with her at all times, since there can be no marital relations if it is lost or destroyed.
Just as a bride cherishes her beautiful Ketubah for its rich p r omises, the Bride of Christ cherishes her Ketuba h , the B'rit Hadashah (New Covenant or T estament), which is full of p r omises f r om our Brideg r oom, Y eshua. The new covenant is a marriage contract specifying all that belongs to us as His bride. Our Heavenly Groom promises to take care of us, not only spiritually, but also physically, with food, clothing, and shelter when we enter into a covenant with Him.
After the first covenant with Israel (etched on tablets of stone) was broken, God proposed to "whosoever will." Now, those who are strangers to God's promises and covenants can enter in and become a part of His bride (this means we are members of the commonwealth of Israel through Yeshua, and observe the Torah - which instructs believers how to behave toward their neighbor and God.
The New Testament-our renewed covenant-is filled with even better promises and is written on the tablets of every believer's heart that enters into a love relationship with Y eshua. Accept His Ketubah. Have faith and trust in your Divine husband. He will take care of you!
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lil- ies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(Matthew 6:2830 NKJV)
For more information about the Jewish wedding customs and their spiritual significance for Christian believers, visit Rebecca at the Well's website http://ratw.org. In Rebecca Park Totilo's bestselling book, His Majesty Requests you will discover how to prepare as the Bride of Christ for the Messiah's return.
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