Taking His Name...

Exodus 20:7 tells us not to take the name of the Lord in vain.

What exactly does that mean?  Does it mean saying OMG when you are not speaking to Him or about Him?  For years, that is what I thought, and it was my pet peeve when people (including Christians) would throw His name around like that.

But I have come to believe that dropping one of His titles casually like that is the very tip of the iceberg.  In fact, the word "God" isn't really His name. 

When Moses asked who He was at the burning bush, He replied, I am.  (Yahweh - a name so holy that the Jewish people will not write it out or say it, in case they might stumble over it).  Whenever you see the word LORD in capital letters, it is the Hebrew word spelled yod heh vav heh - the tetragrammaton. 

 

I believe that this concept goes much deeper than a mere utterance.  What does it mean to take someone's name?  When we women get married, most of us take on the name of our husband.  When we receive Yeshua as our Lord and Savior, we become the covenant Bride of Messiah - we take on His name! 

 

 

 

I believe the commandment is telling us not to live a life in vain of that calling.  How we live our life matters!  Are we living in such a way as to bring glory and honor to our holy Bridegroom?  The Word tells us to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16).  The word holy means to be sanctified, set apart; in other words, to be different from the world around you as you live out a life of obedience to the Master.

 

I no longer cringe when I hear unbelievers use the OMG expression.  They have not yet taken on His name!  Are you a believer in Yeshua/Jesus?  As the bride of Messiah, you have a high calling and are commanded to live a life worthy of that calling.  What a blessing!

Isaac - A Snapshot of Messiah

I've been doing a study on the life of Isaac in the book of Genesis, and am amazed at the similarities between him and Yeshua our Messiah.  Here is a list of parallels between them:

• God waited a long time before sending the promised child.  Isaac arrived at the God-appointed time, after being eagerly anticipated for what must have seemed an eternity to those whom he was promised
• He was conceived and born miraculously
• He was offered up in sacrifice by his father before God intervened
• He was himself was obedient, willing to be sacrificed
• The timely intervention of God represented his "being brought back from death."
• The place of obedience unto death was at Mt. Moriah - the same location as the future crucifixion of the Messiah
• He would be the head of a great nation and bless many peoples.

In Genesis 24, Abraham concludes that it is time for Isaac to be married.  In this account, we again see numerous parallels to the Messiah and His bride.

• The bride must be from his own people (to the Jew first)
• Her marriage was planned long before she knew about it
• The servant of Abraham, who is a picture of the Holy Spirit, interceded in prayer for the bride  (Romans 8:26-27)
• Rebekah learned of the son from the servant
• She was a chaste bride-to-be (a virgin)
• She left her family without delay and eagerly went to be with Isaac
• She loved Isaac before she saw him
• She journeyed through the wilderness with the servant guiding her
• Isaac was back at his father's house, preparing a place for his bride
• After the time of his sacrificial offering, Isaac was not seen again in scripture until it was time to be united to his bride
• Rebekah attired herself appropriately as she was about to meet her bridegroom

The story of Rebekah and Isaac is arguably the most beautiful love story in scripture.  How much more beautiful will the final fulfillment be - when we are united with our Bridegroom at His return!

The Marriage of the Lamb!

In my last post, I wrote about the similarities between a Hebrew betrothal and the covenant that was made between Yeshua and His bride, and I noted that we are in the betrothal period right now as we await the joyous arrival of our Groom.

Before I move on, there is one point that I want to add to my last post on betrothal.  In the ancient Hebrew betrothal covenant, a cup of wine was shared by the groom and the bride to seal the covenant.  Yeshua sealed this covenant with us, His bride, when He drank of the cup of wine with His disciples the night before He died, at their Passover celebration.  At the actual marriage ceremony, a second cup of wine would be shared by the Hebrew bride and groom.  Note the words of Yeshua in Matthew 26:29:  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.

We are now in a very exciting time to be alive!  We know that the sign of Israel being a nation again is the key to the return of the Messiah.  Yeshua will soon be fulfilling the Fall Feasts, just as He perfectly fulfilled the Spring Feasts with His first earthly visitation.   As the betrothed bride of the Messiah, we are now in the time of sanctification; that is, preparing ourselves to become His bride. Sanctification is the process of becoming holy day by day - getting ready for the Big Day!

A bride in ancient Israel had no idea what day or hour her bridegroom would return for her.  The groom himself didn't even know - his father would be the one to decide when all was ready for the wedding.  Sound familiar?  It should!   But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  Matthew 24:36

Jewish bridegrooms usually came for their brides late at night, near the midnight hour.  Shofars would break the silence of night.  There would be shouts in the streets, and a torch-light procession would wind its way through the town to the home of the bride.  Similarly, Yeshua will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) when He returns for His bride.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins gives us a sobering illustration in Matthew 25.  Five of the virgins were prepared and ready. The other five did not allow themselves to become sanctified and holy; therefore, they were not prepared when the bridegroom showed up. They had no oil for their lamps, meaning that they did not have the Holy Spirit, who is symbolized by oil.  Sadly, they were shut out from the Wedding of the Lamb, for He did not know them.

The Hebrew marriage ceremony would take place under a chuppah, which means room or covering.  The marriage of the Lamb is fulfilled at the Feast of Tabernacles, the feast during which people build temporary booths or shelters, symbolizing the chuppah.  Tabernacles is the autumn feast that is seven days long, just like the ancient Hebrew wedding.  Remember how Jacob had to fulfill his week with Leah before he could have Rachel in Genesis 29?

The cup of wine is shared by bride and groom to seal the marriage covenant forever.  Since ancient times, the glass would then be broken to symbolize that they would never be the same again.  The marriage feast would have been an extremely joyous occasion, just as the Feast of Tabernacles is the most joy-filled of the seven biblical feasts.  I don't think that it is coincidental that the first recorded miracle of Yeshua was at the wedding celebration at Cana - involving wine, which represents joy.

The time period that follows the wedding feast of the Lamb is found in Revelation 20 - the one thousand year reign.  I've been pondering this, and I have come to the conclusion that this represents the honeymoon period.  Why?  Look at this little tiny requirement in Deuteronomy 24:5 -  When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.  In Hebrew, one year can have the same numeric meaning as one millenium. 

There will be a brief war at the end of the millenium - of course, Yeshua wins - and then in Revelation 21, we see that the glorious New Jerusalem will come down from the heavens and be joined together with the regenerated earth.  The Bridegroom will present his bride with her new permanent home, where He will forever dwell with her in love, joy, and peace.

Look at the words of Isaiah in chapter 62, verse 5:  And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,  so shall your God rejoice over you.    

Isn't this just a fantastic picture that leaves you breathless with anticipation?

Next year during the Feast of Tabernacles, I'd love to build a chuppah in my yard and host a marriage vow renewal ceremony.  Anybody interested?   Of course, I'd settle for a trip to Jerusalem instead.

The Proverbs 31 Woman and the Bride of Messiah

If you are like me, you have perhaps read the description of the Perfect Woman in Proverbs 31 and groaned inwardly (or outwardly), saying, "I will never be able to be like her!"

Verse 10 starts out with what seems like a rhetorical question.  "A wife of noble character, who can find?"

But the second part of that verse says her worth (her value, her price) is far above rubies.

In their ancient culture, women were purchased.  A bride price was always agreed upon before a woman became someone's wife.  Our Proverbs 31 woman KNOWS that she is valuable to her husband because he had paid a high price for her. Knowing how much he values and cherishes her, she serves him joyfully and without reserve.  Her family flourishes, and her children and husband praise her and call her blessed.

As the bride of Yeshua, we too were purchased at a very high price -  the blood of the Lamb.  Proverbs 31 actually foreshadows our Christian walk!  We don't (or shouldn't) serve Jesus out of some guilty sense of obligation.  When we realize what he has done for us, we can BE that Proverbs 31 gal when we serve Him joyfully and without reserve!

There are many parallels between the ancient Hebrew marriage customs and the coming Marriage to the Lamb.  Let's look at a few.

• The Father chooses a bride for his son.  The Father also chose us for His Son. Eph 1:4 -  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love

• The Ketubah was and still is the marriage contract in a Hebrew wedding.  We have a ketubah today:  the New Covenant, in which the groom promises love and care for His bride - and to give Himself for her. The bride promises to pay her dowry - her financial status - that of her yielded life and to keep herself for Him.  1 Cor 6:20 - For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s

• The bride and groom were separately immersed in a mikveh, which we know today as baptism.  Yeshua was immersed as He began His ministry, and He asks us to do the same when we receive Him.

• The betrothal period - This is where we now are!  In scripture, it was as binding as a marriage.  The time of betrothal was a time of sanctification (being set apart and preparing for the wedding and marriage).  The groom's responsibility at this time was to prepare a place for them to live.  In Bible times, this was usually not a new home, but rooms that were added onto his father's house.  John 14:2-3 illustrates this beautifully:  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

• Before the betrothed couple parted to prepare themselves, the groom would give the bride a gift, called the matan in Hebrew.  Its purpose was to be a reminder to his bride during their days of separation of his love for her, that he was thinking of her - and that he would return to receive her as his wife.  Interestingly, the Greek word for this gift, or pledge, is charismata.  We see the gift that is given in Ephesians 1:13-14 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

These are just a few things to ponder as we await the return of our Bridegroom.  Watch for another post soon on the rapidly approaching marriage!