Faithful on Fridays Blog

Of all the types of relationships we experience with God He chose the Bride as the final connection for His Son. Think about it; God is pictured as our father, friend, savior, guide, and energizer, however, only God’s Son receives a Bride. 

This special relationship is considered sacred and entitled a sacrament of matrimony. Why is that? Why are classes often required for pre-marriage counseling? Undoubtedly it’s due to the sense of this sacred, holy, and revered promise between two people.

Marriage vows are spoken by the bride and groom in order to solidify the unbreakable bond of love. Bridal love seems to be the quintessent or highest relationship we can have with God and we should consider it holy or sacred as well. Jesus must’ve thought so too:

But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’ Mark 10:6-9 

This lower story of marriage, being joined together by God, should direct our attention to the upper story more and more as we get to know Jesus as our Bridegroom; He’s the perfect embodiment of bridal love. 

And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.

I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:3, 23, 26 

When we read in the Bible about ‘knowing’ there’s an experiential component associated with it: Adam knew Eve. Everyone knows what that means. They experienced one another in the highest degree of knowing, sexually, and that human union was also a picture of the divine union.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 

Eternal life is experiencing a union with Jesus, consequently, it’s no surprise that His first miracle was performed at a wedding! It’s also not coincidence the village was Cana, it means jealousy in Hebrew. Jesus has intense, jealous desire for His Bride that burns with an unquenchable flame. 

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Song of Songs 8:6 

A bride and groom and encouraged to leave, weave, and cleave to each other; think about that as you ponder:

Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Joel 2:16b