The Betrothal Process of God and His People, whether with the ancient Hebrews or with modern Christianity
God often portrayed Himself as the groom and His people Israel as His bride. This is a study in itself.
-Typical covenant is in vassal-covenant style: a weaker vassal serves a stronger vassal in return for protection and provisions. For the weaker vassal, often, they pass from one authority to another.
-sealed by blood
-The marriage covenant is the same process but as relationship and much more intimate. The bride passes from one authority (her father) to another (her husband). To be under his authority is not a bad thing, because he has responsibility over her provision, protection, and wellbeing. Unlike becoming married by intercourse alone (which was common in ancient days) this provided intrinsic value to the bride, because it was a covenant with stipulations on both sides.
God chose Israel when he chose Abraham.
He pursued them and vied for their love during the plagues of Egypt.
He proved His faithfulness in His protection and provisions in the wilderness journey.
He betrothed His people at Sinai, sealed with blood.
A betrothal is binding. It is the official setting apart of the bride for the groom. Once betrothed, they are considered married, though the marriage hasn’t yet been consummated.
For another to take a betrothed woman would be adultery.
To break the betrothal would be divorce.
Though God divorced Israel due to their unfaithfulness (Ezekiel 16), He promised a new covenant (Jeremiah 31-34) and Israel will accept this new marriage covenant in the last days (Hosea 2:16, 19-20- “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’….And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.)
God is jealous for His people like a husband is for his bride. He wants their love and loyalty. He will provide more than they desire if only for their undying loyalty. Note: He is not jealous of his people, he is jealous for His people. Zech 8:2- “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
-Human marriage is designed to mirror that of the relationship between God and His people: Eph 5:22-33- Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
-Though wives of modern days get hung up on the submission part, we miss that the majority of the weight is placed on the husband. Not only is he to provide and protect, but to love her as Christ loves His church. That doesn’t mean just taking a bullet for her in a robbery, that means willingly humbling himself and serving her, putting her needs and desires above his own on a daily basis.