The Messiah And His Bride

Psalm 45: 1 – 17

The Messiah and His Bride

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore, God has blessed You forever. 3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty. 4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You. 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. 8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad. 9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. 10 Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; 11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. 13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. 14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. 15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King’s palace. 16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, whom You shall make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore, the people shall praise You forever and ever.

In today’s study we are going to learn about how we are considered the ‘Bride of Christ’. I have a treat for you. Have you ever thought ‘where did all the traditions in love and marriage come from?’ I want to share with you some facts that you might be surprised to hear.

. Why does the man getting down on one knee to ask woman to marry him?

Knights would get down on one knee in front of their lord as a display of respect, obedience, and loyalty. It was also a common occurrence in religious ceremonies, and in those days marriage and religion were intrinsically linked. "So, when a courteous gentlemen was proposing to his lady, pledging his allegiance to her and declaring his undying love for her, getting down on one knee was the natural thing to do."

. Why does the man go to parents of bride to ask for their permission to marry their daughter?

Genesis 29. Jacob asking Laban for Rachael

. What is the purpose of engagement and engagement ring?

Promise to fulfill vow of marrying woman. Holy Spirit Is given to us (as the bride of Christ) also as a promise that we will be with the Lord forever. Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.

. why is the Wedding dress (white)?

The white wedding dress has a twofold significance. It is a symbol of the wife's purity in heart and life, as well as her reverence to God. It's also a picture of the righteousness of Christ described in Revelation 19:7–8. Christ clothes his bride, the church, in his own righteousness as a garment of "fine linen, bright and clean."

. Why have a Maid of Honor and Best Man – Two witnesses – Deuteronomy 19: 15, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”

. Why have bridesmaids and groomsmen?

. Women – Song of Solomon chapter 1 verse 4, “The Daughters of Jerusalem We will run after you.”

. Men – Judges 14, “10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.”

. What is the point of flower girls and ring bearers

These mini grooms and brides have everything to do with fertility superstition actually. They represent the biological children the couple are expected to have. By incorporating them into the ceremony, they act as good luck charms so that the couple will have no problem conceiving (there’s no precedent on what it means when the ring bearer loses the ring or the flower girl takes a tantrum). The tradition originates from when old school wedding tradition believed the sole the point of marriage was to procreate. This also explains why flower girls throw flowers. Flowers are also fertility symbols and by throwing the petals around, it’s like blessing the wedding with even more fertility.