Christian marriage has always included a ceremony first - uniting the man with his wife -- they are introduced to the people in the audience as Mr. And Mrs. 'whomever'. And then comes the reception and they drive off to begin their married life together. They consumate their marriage when they are alone on their honeymoon.
In a book Christy I was reading long ago and also watched the TV presentation. In the villages -- the couple were united in marriage and right away - they disappeared and consummated their marriage. They became 'one flesh' physically soon after they were united in the spiritual part.
And many decades ago -- a young dating couple at church decided that they would have sex and therefore be one in Christ -- the pastor let them know that having sex did Not make them married. It Did mean that they were committing fornication and should not continue with that activity until they Were married. The pastor was my husband at the time which is the only reason I knew about it.
With Another couple. They both had been married previously and divorced. They had planned a wedding in a few weeks, but they really wanted to be together than particular night. So, they said their vows to each other. Prayed together -- and felt it was okay to go ahead and be together. They were part of a small Bible study group that we were part of. The lady and I had a few private conversations about it.
Haven't been to a wedding in a long time.
I Googled the subject a while back. Found that in most countries -- Indian tribes even -- there is a ceremony of some kind that joins the man and a woman together and they become part of the community of families. Then they come together physically. Anything else is considered living in sin / shacking up.
Dear Sue, if I may say, in love, you looking at now and the world not at Jewish culture at the time of Jesus, you are also googling for answers which are far from the Time and place Jesus was on earth.
Is what we do today in the western world right? Is a wedding in another country applicable to what we are discussing here? Will google give us the the answer we need on a basic wedding/marriage search?
No. No. No!
As you say 'now a days' people have a marriage ceremony, then reception, then go on honeymoon, Was it like that at the time of Jesus in Galilee, No.
It will not solve any issues if we say, well we are a different culture, this is what we do today, and Christian's do it this way, and Jews did it their way. That too does not solve the situation; in fact it makes things worse.
Look at the marriage, in Galilee at the time of Jesus and see the massive differences.
The groom approaches his hopeful bride.
He offers her wine as way of saying, will you marry me, if she accepts they say their vows in public.
It was common for them to do this near the gates of the city because this was where the law makers would be. Once she accepted the wine he offered, a covenant was made and they pronounced their vows to each other,
at that point they were legally married, they then started the betrothal period; they separated and would not see each other again for approximately 12 months. But they were considered legally married from making of the Covenant.
During the 12 month, approximately, the bride returned home and purchased the material for her dress, and made it or had it made, the same applies also for her ladies in waiting, we call bridesmaids. Meanwhile the groom, returned to his father's house, he started to prepare a room there for him and his wife. But they would not see each other again until, the grooms father said, go get your bride.
She, the bride, had to be ready and waiting at all times, lamps trimmed, oil in the lamps and ready, she does not know the day of hour her groom will return for her. The groom prepares the place for his bride; he too has to wait; only his father can say when the groom can 'go get his bride'.
When the father says 'son go get your bride's the shofar is sounded, the trumpet call, as he goes to get her, everyone comes out into the street and will see him, he goes and receives his bride unto himself. Then follows the wedding ceremony and wedding feast.
The Jewish wedding, in Galilee, is totally different to what we see today, and the couple never had sex until they were legally married in the sight of God.
The picture of a traditional wedding/marriage at the time of Jesus is a wonderful picture of how a wedding should be, Lord forgive us all. As always, our Lord Jesus Christ, did what he always did, he took everyday things and showed us heaven through them. Here is very special because the wedding at Canaan in Galilee was His first miracle, co-incidence, certain not it was for sure, God-incidence. This first miracle is the thread that leads to the last one, when we, the bride, the ekklesia, the born again believers, the bride of Christ, will be with our Lord and the Wedding Feast can begin.
The groom offered his future bride some wine, at this point she accepted or rejected his invitation to marriage; this is God calling us to Jesus, to be born again, to be His Bride, the church, if we accept Jesus unconditionally the covenant between God and us was prepared through Jesus,
it happens the moment we accepted Jesus, as brother Curtis says, this is the ring on the finger.
Then comes the betrothal period which we are in now, the church, the bride, the ekklesia, the born again from above believers are preparing ourselves for our groom, for our Lord's coming. The groom went away for a while, to the Father's house in Heaven, He is creating a place for His bride, but He cannot return until the Father says so. Only the Father knows the day and the hour. Like so much in scripture, one item is an image of what is to come, marriage and the wedding feast is one also. Jesus was the master of revelations, his parables give us an insight of heaven, in this first miracle at Canaan in Galilee, we reach or hear preached the words of Mary, 'do whatever he tells you', or the miracle of the changing of water into 'the best wine', but under the sackcloth of this story is wrapped another incredible parable, I stand in awe praising God.
We are taught what a marriage was like, should be like, yet we don't see it in the world we live, weddings today are sex first, ceremony later, which so often as to be as quick as possible as the couple cannot wait to get on honeymoon. Wedding ceremony's have become a means for yet another party.
But it wasn't like that, it was not intended to be like that, it wasn't like it at the time of Jesus, and what happened at the time of Jesus was a picture of a true wedding between our Lord and His Church, between the groom, the bride and the father of the groom. The pattern was set for us to learn from, the time line was set for the wedding feast, we are to be virgin brides, preparing for the grooms return, he is coming, our lights must always be trimmed and filled with oil, we are to be ready any hour, any minute, it only needs one step to be fulfilled... the Father saying, 'Son go get your bride'.
