The language of a marriage contract, groom and bride are connected in the Bible to God’s deals with Abraham and Israel, Messiah and God’s people (believers), respectively.
Words of the Day
Match — How do you make a match? Who were involved in making the matches? Do parents have a vested interest who their children marry? Were martial matches based on emotions such as love (Genesis 21, 24, 26–28)? Why did Abraham and Isaac both want their sons to marry wives from Abraham’s homeland rather than from the land of Canaan? Why are these matchmaking stories in the Bible? Who is our matchmaker? Who is the Bridegroom? Who is the Bride? Did we make that match? Did Yeshua make the match? Who is the Groom’s father? Who is the Bride’s father? How do you follow through with a match?
Mohar — What is a dowry? Who gives the dowry? Who receives the dowry (Gen. 24:53; Ex. 22:16–17; Deuteronomy 22)? What did Ya’akov (Jacob) pay in lieu of money for his bride(s)? What did Othneil pay in lieu of money for Caleb’s daughter?
Mattan — Why is it important for the groom’s family to give a gift to the bride? What was Israel’s mattan? What was the gift from the Groom to the Bride? (Gen. 15:8–19; Acts 2) How are the “fruits of the spirit” similar to the mattan?
Ketubah—What is a ketubah? Do we have a ketubah? How many ketubah’s do we have with God? What was the first ketubah (Ex. 6:6)? When was the first ketubah ratified (Deut. 5)? What was the second ketubah (Jeremiah 31)? What did Israel receive with their ketubah?
Khuppah (Chuppah)—When did the people of Israel have their huppah? When do we have our huppah?
Sheba — Did the people receive their seven-day wedding party? Why does God call Himself Israel’s husband? What happens to the contract after the husband dies (Hos. 2:14–23)?
Closing thoughts
Men, are you a good Bride? What makes a good or bad bride? Does the Messiah brag about us? Do we have anything the Messiah can brag about? How can we be a virtuous bride to the Messiah (Proverbs 31)?
Speaker: Daniel Agee.