Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman before God. Not only is it a covenant, it is a blood covenant - the most enduring and everlasting that there is and should not be broken. Images seen in today's wedding ceremonies are based in the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament).
In 1 Samuel 18:2-4, we are told that Jonathan (King Saul's son and heir apparent to the throne of Israel) and David (the giant killer and the anointed future King of Israel - the most powerful man of his day) covenanted with each other. After much study of the Hebrew roots to my Christian faith, the covenantal steps I learned are listed below. You may also refer to The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread by Dr. Richard Booker (founder, director and teacher of the Institute of Hebraic-Christian Studies). (See link to his website in "Link" under my "Home Page" tab.) The first of the two steps in this part of the covenant was to exchange robes. Robes defined who you were. By exchanging robes, each gives the other person everything he has or hopes to be - the covenant partners committed their lives to each other. Not only were the robes exchanged, but so were the belts (step two). Belts signified weapons and strength and if one was attacked, the other was bound by the covenant to defend alongside his covenant partner. Today in marriage covenants, we exchange rings for better; for worse; for richer; for poorer; in sickness and in health. Essentially, we are doing the same things which began the Hebrew covenants.
The next step was cutting the covenant. An animal would be split in two. The covenant partners would stand back-to-back signifying - in today's terms - I've got your back. They would then walk through the two halves of the animal, circle it and then return to each other (making a figure 8). When they returned to each other, they would be facing each other. The number 8 means new beginning and that they are dying to themselves and becoming one.
Step four was to cut palms (intermingling blood and becoming one) and thereby pledging their undying allegiance to one another. They were putting off their old self and putting on their oneness. The next step was exchanging names. In Bible times, a child was not named immediately after birth (and definitely not before his or her birth). A child was named what his parents wanted him or her to become or after deceased relatives (as a memorial to that deceased person). When we are married, we women take on the names of our husbands. We are taking on his nature and character. The next step follows because of step four. The cutting of the palms causes a scar. Every time one covenant partner saw the scar, he would be reminded of his covenantal partner. The wearing of a wedding ring is our "scar" today. Every time we look at our rings, we are reminded we belong to someone special. A very special verse in Isaiah 49:16 reads in part "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." God cut His palm and carries the scar reminding him that we are His. What an awesome thing, to have our names graven on God's hands. That signifies His blood covenant with Himself for our benefit. He will always have our back. Step seven - we're nearly finished - was giving of the covenant terms. By swearing allegiance to the other - and everything they are - they are pledging their assets and liabilities to each other. By doing this, you are equally responsible for any debts, but you are equally blessed with any assets the other has. The last is the memorial meal. We think of it as the bride and groom cakes where each is serving the other. Instead of smashing the cake in the other's face, we should gently feed the other. By doing this, we are stating that we want to be with each other and are confirming it by becoming one in marriage. Again, as we say in our marriage vows: for better; for worse; for richer; for poorer; in sickness and in health until death do us part. The words point to the picture of the everlasting covenant which God covenanted with Himself for our benefit. As with Jonathan and David, this covenant outlives the covenant partners. As you read in 2 Samuel, after Jonathan died, David searched out Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, to verify the covenant was still ongoing. Mephibosheth, who had not known about the covenant, then agreed to accept the ongoing covenant, and lived with King David as his adopted son. This everlasting covenant began in Biblical times, however, it goes on even today. Before God created the universe, He planned to make a blood covenant with Himself for us so that we might be one with Him. In the fullness of time, God entered into time and space in the person of Yeshua HaMachiach (Jesus, the Messiah). The Anointed Son of God exchanged robes, belts and names with us and converted into man in order to become one with us through God (the covenant maker). The night Yeshua/Jesus was betrayed, he had a memorial meal with His disciples (a.k.a. the last supper). According to the Apostolic Scriptures (a.k.a. New Testament), Yeshua/Jesus died on the preparation day for Passover (Pesach) (not on Good Friday as most Christians believe). The last step in the everlasting covenant was to plant a covenant tree. The covenant tree in Yeshua's/Jesus' covenant was the execution stake (a.k.a the cross or the tree). Yeshua/Jesus went willingly to the execution stake. He cut the covenant and His palms on the execution stake. The tree was then splattered with His blood. The nails pierced His hands and feet and the spear pierced His side. All of these wounds created scars. The simple and most important covenant terms were stated in John 3:16 which states "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not die but will have eternal life." John 14 tells us, "In my Father's house are many places to live. If there weren't, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also." In Bible times, when a couple got betrothed, they were basically married. The groom went to his home and prepared a home for his bride in his parents' house or attached thereto. When he completed the preparation of his new home, he gathered his best friends and proceeded to the bride's house. The groom announced his coming with a shout and the bride left her home and went with her husband. In Biblical times, it was not unusual for a bride to be a virgin. The wedding party would escort the bride and groom into the bridal chamber (in her husband's father's home) and would stand outside the bridal chamber as the marriage was consummated. After the consummation of the physical act of becoming one, the bloodied sheet would be shown. This was the "cutting of the covenant" (also know as the breaking of the hymen) to make sure that the groom received the virgin he expected.
One day the Bridegroom (Yeshua/Jesus) will come for His Bride (the true believers in Yeshua/Jesus). He will take His bride to His Father's house (Heaven). There will be the memorial meal (the marriage supper of the Lamb). Just as in the Hebrew Scriptures, the blood of an innocent substitutionary animal (many times a lamb) was shed for the forgiveness of sins. Yeshua/Jesus was the innocent substitionary sacrifice. Without blood there is no redemption of sin. Believers of Yeshua/Jesus know that the slain lamb signifies the Lamb of God who was slain from before the foundation of the world in order to atone for our sins. As Romans 3:23 tell us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
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