Submitted by: Achaicus | View Member Profile | View Other Posts
Created: 3/1/2010
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The section preceding this one, while a beautiful picture of the Father, did not play as big a role in breaking through my fear and misinformation about God. Humanly speaking the qualities of the person I desire to have a relationship with are a more pressing concern than than that of knowing the potential in laws. These in laws certainly can help in understanding a partner, but there is that hope that the intended has taken the best from their upbringing and with God's help drawn closer to the ideal. To gain a better understanding of what that ideal is, again let us consider the Jewish culture and traditions.
The father of a son would would talk with the father of a daughter early to reach an agreement about a possible relationship between their children. When the time came that the children were grown, all four would meet officially to discuss the potential. (As you know from the first section it is the father that provides everything for the son, and thus the resources discussed here are from the father.) The details of life; size and location of a planned home, the quality of life, provisions for her care should he be unable to provide, and the bride price or redemption amount: all were written down in a document with witnesses present. This was the marriage contract or covenant and was considered legally binding. When all was written out the son would offer a cup of grape juice he had personally pressed. This was the moment of choice. If she took it and drank, the betrothal period was entered into, accepting both the son and the conditions of the relationship.
John 14:1-6 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Galatians 4:1-7 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
John 15:1, 4-7 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Philippians 4:19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.
I hope this gives a glimpse of what is promised for us. Jesus spent many hours teaching what the kingdom of heaven would be and the whole bible is written for our instruction that we may know who our intended is. The week leading to Jesus' crucifixion hold much of the details of what life is to be with Him.
The bride price or redemption served a number of purposes. First it helped assuage the fears of the family of the daughter. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son, he carried gold, silver and clothing as gifts for Rebekah and her family. The second use was also practical for the wealth given to the daughter was kept as an insurance against a time when when she might have no one to work and support her. This also was symbolic and pointed to the price Jesus was going to pay to have us.
Ephesians 1:3,4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
The reason Adam's fall was so devastating was that there was already a binding relationship that the human race had with God. We, including Adam, were chosen before the foundation of the world by the heavenly Father for his Son. Adam, by eating of the fruit forbidden, accepted one other than God as ruler. The seriousness of this is indicated by the civil code given to the Israelites through Moses: And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death Leviticus 20:10.
Jesus also affirmed the sanctity of marriage “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery" Matthew 5:31,32.
"Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul" Proverbs 6:32.
This is why Paul, a single man devoted to God, advised the Corinthians: "I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you" 1 Corinthians 7:26-28.
Romans 7:1-4 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Matthew 20:30 ...the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Consider the cost. All heaven poured out that you and I may know Him again. Proverbs 8:20 says Jesus traversed the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice. His perfect life given up to cover our just reward. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" Isaiah 53:4-6.
Jesus took the cup in the last supper and offered it to all. This is the moment of choice. Will you "taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8) and say with the Psalmist: "I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD" (116:13).
