her adultery, but He promises that their union will
be restored through a new covenant.
This covenant is not with Israel herself but is of her
PW][M#Q\Q[\PM+P]ZKP)[1[ZIMTQ[WN \PM7TL2MZ]salem, so the Church is of the New. And God is no
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bride, doing so in accordance with Hebrew custom.
In the Hebrew tradition, betrothal ceremonies were
deeply ritualistic. Historically, a Jewish groom would
travel from his father’s house to that of his prospective bride to initiate the betrothal. He presented a
marriage contract, or “bride price”, to the intended
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NZWUIK]XWN _QVM\PMOZWWUWٺMZML\WPMZ)N\MZ
that, the groom would announce, “I am going to
prepare a place for you,” and take leave of his betrothed for months or even years.
In this time of separation, the groom built a dwelling for his bride as an addition to the father’s home
while the woman awaited his return in her hometown, her face covered by a veil to mark her as the
betrothed. It was only through an intermediary that
the bride and the groom could speak with each other. The engagement period was complete only when
the father set his mark of approval upon the dwellQVOXTIKM#\PMV\PMOZWWU_W]TLZM\]ZV\WPQ[JZQLM
surrounded by a triumphant wedding party, and the
bride, not having known the day or time he would
return, would immediately leave her home and go
to her husband. The groom would bring her to their
dwelling for the consummation of the marriage,
followed by seven days of feasting and celebration.
Any lukewarm devotion to the vestiges of
religion vanishes when we view ourselves
as the Bride, eagerly searching the horizon for the return of the One whom her
soul loves.
And this is just how Christ, the Bridegroom, pursues
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His own body as the bride price. He set this pro-
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Church, saying, “this is My blood of the covenant”
(Matt 26:28, NIV) and they drank from it. Then
He declares, “And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3, NIV).
During this engagement period, the Church is given
an intermediary, the Holy Spirit, to communicate
with the Bridegroom while they are separated. And
it is for none but the Father to know the when the
dwelling place is complete and the Bridegroom will
return for the consummation.
1[ZIMT_QTTJMXZM[MV\I\\PQ[_MLLQVON]TÅTTQVO\PM
Lord’s promise of restoration. Just as Naomi, an
Israelite, was restored to her lands through the marriage of Boaz to Ruth, a Gentile of Naomi’s house,
so Israel is restored to the New Jerusalem through
the marriage of Christ to the Redeemed Church.
Viewing Christ as the Bridegroom is essential to a
life of true faith because so often we imagine that it
is we who pursue God. We feel a sense of religiosity
when we, of our own volition, attend church regularly for a few months or listen to Christian radio in
the car. Outward demonstrations of faith supersede
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for a religion we can put down when it becomes an
inconvenience. But it is poisonous to a true relationship with Christ to forget that it was the Bridegroom
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marriage before us while we were still sinners.
Any lukewarm devotion to the vestiges of religion
vanishes when we view ourselves as the Bride,
eagerly searching the horizon for the return of the
One whom her soul loves. Dogmatic sacraments are
transformed to joyous worship as the bride makes
herself ready for the impending celebration of her
union with Christ.
So, Church, consider the covenant set before you,
and rejoice always in the waiting for the return of
the Bridegroom.
Hope McGovern is a sophomore concentrating in
Engineering-Physics.
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