Sukkot, Renewing your Marriage Covenant!

We are in the First full day of the last Fall Feast of the Lord's, Sukkot, October 17-23, 2024.

This Feast is a Type, Shadow, and Example of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:7-8, Song of Solomon. The Wedding Chuppah is a sign of "covenant" between the Bride of Christ, the church and the Bridegroom, Yeshua, King Jesus. Feast of Tabernacles is a picture of a Jewish Marriage.

Marriage Process in the Jewish Culture:

In Jewish Culture there was not such a thing as dating or courtship. Marriage for the Jews was a practical legal matter. The Parents of the bride and the Groom would make the arrangement for the couple to be Wed. This was established by a Covenant.

The bridegroom would present himself to the Bride and her family with a marriage contract. This legal agreement laid out the terms that He was proposing to marry her.

The Most important part of this contract was the price the Groom was willing to pay to marry her. The bride and her father would actually leave the room several times to agree to the young man’s proposal. If they agreed to the terms, then the groom would pay the price designated in the contract. The price was not a token, but a very costly price so the New Bride would be expensive to Wed.

Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. Laban tricked him into marrying Leah. He had to work another seven years to marry Rachel. This was the price he had to pay for her dowry.

Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price the marriage covenant was established, and the young man and woman were regarded as Husband and Wife.

Joseph and Mary were Betrothed but they were not husband and wife. Joseph would have lived with Her parents and worked to be husband and wife or what we would call “consecrated.”

Then once the bride groom and the bride got to the place where they were Husband and wife, then they would drink from a cup of wine set aside just for that time.

The cup of wine was very Important, because it signified the Groom was willing to pay the price specified in the marriage contract to have his bride. He was not being forced to do this by His Father, he was not being coerced by all the people in His family. When He drank the wine, he was saying, “I’m willing to pay this price to have you as my Bride.”

Then it was offered as a toast to the bride and then it showed her willingness to accept this covenant.

After this happened the groom would leave the bride and return to his father’s house and be separated from her for approximately one year. Sometimes it was a little bit longer, sometimes it was a little bit shorter.

Before the bridegroom would leave, He had to make a speech to his Bride and these are the words he had to say, “I go to prepare a place for you.” John14

He would prepare two places. One at His Father’s house which is called a Chuppah, or Bridal Chamber. This is where they would enter the Marriage Covenant. This is where they would go to their Father’s house and the Groom would build a room or a annex, an addition to the main house.

Then He would go and build another Home for His bride on the Family’s land. Not live with His parents. Because in the book of Genesis a man and women shall leave his Father and Mother and cling to his wife.

The Father was the only one who knew when the time of separation was over. He was the one who was responsible for the wedding feast. When the time came that the two homes were completed, He would say to His son, Now, it’s time to go get your Bride.
1 Thess. 4: 16-17.

When that time came, the Groom would leave the father’s house, and the wedding procession would come toward the Bride. They would travel with torches and the groom would come at night.

When the Bride knew it was time the groom was coming to receive her. There would be a loud, SHOUT WHICH ANNOUNCED HER DEPARTURE TO BE GATHERED WITH THE BRIDEGROOM. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54

This is a little embarrassing for the bride. When they got to the Chuppah, the Bride and Groom would be left inside where they consummated the Marriage Covenant, while the wedding party with all the family guest waited outside the door. Awkward!

Once that was done and the News was the Covenant had been consummated, the Marriage Feast began and went for seven days celebrating the marriage covenant. This one of the imagery and example of the Feast of Tabernacles Celebration.

But that is not the Marriage Supper! Like the wedding at Cana of Galilee.

During the next seven days the Bride and Groom stay in the Chuppah. They stock the Honeymoon suite with enough supplies to last seven days. After the seven days the bride and groom would come out of the Honeymoon suite and they will celebrate with what was called the Marriage Supper. This was at the end of the Seven Days.

Marriage of the Lamb is based on Jewish Culture:

Jesus of course is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride. Ephesians 5, this is where Paul is teaching on marriage.

When Jesus came to us, the price He offered to pay for us the bride, was the highest Price! He offered to pay the price of our sin, the dept we owe we couldn’t repay.

For the church, we have to say we accept the Price Jesus paid and I accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Then if you remember the Bride and Groom would be poured a cup of wine that would establish the marriage contract. The bride and groom would drink from this cup. What this cup symbolized was the bridegroom was willing to pay this price to accept His bride. Luke 22:20.