Title: Nurturing the Nations Reclaiming the Dignity of Women in Building Healthy Cultures
1Nurturing the NationsReclaiming the Dignity of
Women in Building Healthy Cultures
2The Bible is Nuptial
- All of human history will consummate in the
Wedding of the Lamb. - Creation began with the wedding of the Man and
his Counterpart. - The end of history will be the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords marrying His eternal Counterpart.
3(No Transcript)
4The Ultimate Wedding
- our God is a God who pays meticulous
attention to detail, who fulfills according to
what He has established, who was willing to pay
an inconceivably high price to secure a Bride for
His Son, and who will not fail to send His Son
back to reclaim His Beloved. - Bill Risk
- The Ultimate Wedding
5Seven Elements of a Hebrew Wedding
- Shiddukhin The Match
- Mohar The Bride Price
- Mattan Love Gifts
- Shiluhim Dowry
- Ketabah The Marriage Contract
- Kiddushin The Betrothal
- Nissuuin The Nuptials
6Shiddukhin The Match
- The Key Idea The first step of the Jewish
wedding was the arrangement. - The Hebrew Custom The father of the groom
usually initiated the Shiddukin with the father
of the bride (Genesis 343-6). - The Implications for the Wedding of the Lamb The
Father initiated the proceedings (John 316a 4
34 174).
7The Giving of Gifts
8Mohar The Bride Price
- The Key Idea the bridal payment from the
father of the groom to the father of the bride
it was required by law - The Hebrew Custom Reflected the value of the
bride (Genesis 3412 Exodus 2216 1 Sam
1825) - The Implications The Mohar of the Father was the
life of His son (John 316) - The price was required by the Law (Romans 83,4)
- The price was paid as required (1 Cor. 620 1
Peter 1 18)
9The Bride Price
10Mattan Love Gifts
- The Key Idea a gift from the groom to the
bride it was a gift of the heart, a romantic
expression of love. - The Hebrew Custom There were no laws that
governed this practice because it was a gift of
love. - The Implications
- The bride is a new creation (2 Corinthians 517)
- Eternal life (John 1022-28)
- The commitment to do anything for His Bride (John
1413-14) - Shalom peace (John 1427)
11Shiluhim Dowry
- The Key Idea the parting gifts given by the
brides father to his daughter. - The Hebrew Custom The fathers dowry was to help
the bride to be equipped to begin her new home
and life. - The Implications The Father has given gifts to
the Church - The Holy Spirit (John 1416-17 Ephesians
113-14) and - Spiritual Gifts (2 Cor. 122-23)
12The DowryThe Gift and Gifts of the Spirit
13Ketubah The Marriage Contract
- The Key Idea A written document testifying to
the Mohar, the rights of the bride and the
pledge of the groom. - The Hebrew Custom God married the nation Israel
(Exodus 19-24). The Mosaic Covenant is
established (Ex. 195) and ratified by Israel
(Ex. 243). - The Implications The New Covenant is the New
Testament. Here are found the promises of the
Groom and the rights of the Bride and a statement
of the Mohar.
14The Ketubah Marriage Contract
15The New Covenant
16Kiddushin The Betrothal
- The Key Idea At the point that the marriage
contract is completed the couple is now legally
married. - The Hebrew Custom At some point in Jewish
history, the cup of acceptance was instituted.
Now the couple prepare for the Nissuuin The
Nuptials
17The Groom Prepares theHuppah the Bridal Chamber
- The groom would depart to prepare the huppah
the bridal chamber at his own fathers house. - The father of the groom would determine when the
huppah was fit for the bride. - It is at that point that the groom could go to
fetch his bride.
18The Bride Sets Herself ApartMilkveh The
Purification Bath
- For the bride this was a time of purification
and eager expectation. - Purified The bride would complete a purification
bath Mikveh - Marked She would mark herself as promised, by
wearing a veil in public. This reminds other men
that she has been bought with a price and that
she is set apart for the bridegroom. - Anticipating The bride did not know the exact
time that the groom would come for her. The
surprise was part of the wonder. She would have
her lamp trimmed and ready, in case the groom
came for her at night.
19Kiddushin The BetrothalImplications for the
Wedding of the Lamb
- Set 1 Matthew 26 27-28 1 Corinthians
1123-26 - Set 2 John 141-3 Mark 1332-33
- Set 3 Ephesians 5 25-27 Revelation 19 7-9
- Set 4 John 17 15-19 2 Corinthians 112
- Set 5 Matthew 25 1-13
20The Cup of Acceptance
21Kiddushin The BetrothalThe Cup of Acceptance
22Kiddushin The Betrothal The Groom Prepares
theHuppah the Bridal Chamber
23Kiddushin The BetrothalNo One Knows the Day
24Kiddushin The BetrothalThe Bride Sets Herself
Apart - Milkveh
25Kiddushin The BetrothalWaiting for the
Bridegroom
26Nissuuin The Nuptials
- The Fetching of the Bride
- The Ceremony
- The Wedding Feast
- At Home with the Bride (Dwelling Together)
27Nissuuin The NuptialsThe Fetching of the Bride
- The Key Idea The groom goes to fetch his bride
for the wedding and to take her to her new home. - The Hebrew Custom The groom and his groomsmen
would travel to the home of the bride. - Often at night
- One of the groomsmen would shout, Behold, the
bridegroom comes! - Often one in the wedding party would accompany
this cry with the blowing of the shofar.
28Nissuuin The NuptialsThe Fetching of the Bride
- The Implications for the Wedding of the Lamb
- This will be a time unknown to the Bride and
revealed by the Father in Heaven. - Jesus will fetch His Bride (Matt. 25 10-12 Luke
17 34-36 I Corinthians 15 51-58 I
Thes. 4 16-18 Rev. 14 14)
29Nissuuin The Nuptials The Ceremony
- The Key Idea
- As the bride and groom are already legally
married (Ketubah) and - As they have prepared themselves (Kiddushin)
- Now the groom takes his bride to the place he has
prepared (huppah) to consummate the marriage by
becoming one flesh. - While this is occurring in the privacy of the
huppah, the public celebration of the wedding
feast begins.
30Nissuuin The Nuptials The Ceremony
- The Hebrew Custom
- There would be a marriage procession back to the
grooms home (Jeremiah 734). - There the bride and groom would be elaborately
dressed (Song of Solomon 311 Isaiah 6110) - The ceremony was conducted in the grooms home
with only the immediate family and a couple of
witnesses. - The groom would take his bride into the huppah,
symbolizing that the bride was coming under the
authority and protection of her husband. It was
in the privacy of the huppah that the marriage
would be consummated. - The bride and groom would spend a week together.
31Nissuuin The Nuptials The Ceremony
- The Implications for the Wedding of the Lamb
- For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his
bride has made herself ready. - Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to
wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts
of the saints.) - Then the angel said to me, Write Blessed are
those who are invited to the wedding supper of
the Lamb! And he added, These are the true
words of God.
32Nissuuin The Nuptials The Wedding Feast
- The Key Idea This is the public celebration of
the mystery of the one-flesh. - The Hebrew Custom
- While the wedding ceremony was a tight circle,
the wedding feast was open to a much wider circle
of friends and family. - This celebration might last for a day (Gen.
2927) or it might last a week (Judges 1412)
while the guests waited for the bride and groom
to return from the huppah to participate in the
public gathering.
33Nissuuin The Nuptials The Wedding Feast -
Isaiah 256-8
- On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet
of aged wine the best of meats and the finest of
wines. - On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that
enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all
nations he will swallow up death forever. - The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from
all faces he will remove the disgrace of his
people from all the earth. - The LORD has spoken.
34Nissuuin The Nuptials The Wedding Feast
- The Implications of for the Wedding of the Lamb
- It marks the climax of human history.
- It is the consummation of the purposes for which
God made creation. - This wedding was pre-figured in the garden with
Adam and Eve. - It is manifest, in all its glory, when God
Himself takes a Bride the church, to be with
for all eternity.
35Nissuuin The Nuptials The Wedding Feast
Prophecy Fulfilled
- Set 1 Psalm 47 728-17 Psalm 117
- Set 2 Isaiah 256-8 262
- Set 3 Isaiah 601-13
- Set 4 Isaiah 621-3 6618-20
- Set 5 Revelation 21 22-26
36Nissuuin The Nuptials The Wedding Feast
- The age-long preparation of the bride of
Christ (the church!) is finally complete and He
takes her arm, as it were, and leads her to the
table. The marriage supper of the Lamb has come.
He stands at the head of the table and a great
silence falls over the millions of saints. And He
says, This, my beloved, was the meaning of
marriage. This is what it all pointed toward.
This is why I created you male and female and
ordained the covenant of marriage. Henceforth
there will be no more marriage and giving in
marriage, for the final reality has come and the
shadow can pass away. - Pastor John Piper
37The Wedding of the Lamb
38Nissuuin The Nuptials At Home with the Bride
- The Key Idea following the feast, the bride and
the groom dwell together in Holy Marriage - The Hebrew Custom After the consummation of the
marriage - The Bride and Groom join the wedding feast to
receive their gifts. - Following the feast they establish their
household and begin their family. - The Implications
39Nissuuin The Nuptials At Home with the Bride
- The Implications for the Wedding of the Lamb 1
Thes. 417 - After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we
will be with the Lord forever. Therefore
encourage each other with these words.
40Nissuuin The Nuptials At Home with the Bride
- The Implications for the Wedding of the Lamb
- Rev. 21 1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new
earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now
the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live
with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He
will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will
be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.
41The Divine Romance
42The Bride is Ready!
- All of heaven and earth join with the Bride and
Spirit and cry out - Come, Lord Jesus!