As we continue in our study of the names of God we are going to be looking at Numphios…
Numphios is the Greek word for Bridegroom.
Many times through out the gospels Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a wedding and Himself to the bridegroom at that wedding. It is no wonder that the enemy of our souls has waged such an attack on marriage. If we distort marriage then we distort the interpretation of the parables of Christ with it.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom;
but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him,
rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made full.
John 3:29
And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them,
the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they?
So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast in that day.
Mark 2:19-20
Now if Jesus is the Bridegroom who is His bride?
We are.
That is we, the church.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:25-32
As we look at this name of our Christ. We have to look at what the wedding looked like to the Jewish family in that day. When we do we see how beautiful this word picture that Jesus painted for us truly is.
The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal. Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus’ time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative. The prospective bridegroom would travel from his father’s house to the home of the prospective bride. There he would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established, and the young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife. From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom. As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father’s house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and to prepare for married life. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father’s house to which he could bring his bride.
Do you see the beautiful picture? Our Jesus left His Father’s house to claim His bride. He negotiated the price for His bride…
For you have been bought with a price…
1 Corinthians 6:20
The price for the bride was high… the price was high because the bride needed redeemed… and the redemption price was death.
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things
like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
but with precious blood,
as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19
At the moment that the price was paid and the dowry accepted we became His by betrothal…
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;
for I betrothed you to one husband,
so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin
2 Corinthians 11:2
Our Bridegroom left His Father’s house, betrothed His bride, He has sealed her with His Sprit of promise and now He has returned to His Father’s house to prepare the place for His bride…
“Do not let your heart be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;
if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.
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.
John 14:1-3
There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and to prepare for married life. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father’s house to which he could bring his bride.
At the end of the period of separation the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom’s father’s house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride. Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. As a result the groom’s arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom.
During the time that the bridegroom was away preparing his place for his bride, the bride was busy making herself ready. Now imagine that you knew that your wedding day was coming… it could come at any second… but you didn’t know when… and you knew that you wanted to be perfect for this day… you want your hair done, your nails clean and clipped, you want to smell wonderful, you want your teeth bright and your breathe sweet… you want your eyes clear, your face unblemished, your clothes spotless…
Would you not be mortified if your beloved called out and knocked on the door and said, Baby I am ready to take you to meet my Dad!, and you were still in the bed after not showering for three days, with bed head, dried drool on your face, cheesy teeth, funky breath, stained and ratty pj’s, with chipped nails and crusty eyes?
Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come
and His bride has made herself ready.”
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me,
“Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”
And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
Revelation 19:7-9
Oh precious one are you making yourself ready?
If the Bridegroom came tonight to claim His bride would you be ready?
The Wedding Day
A Personal Yom Kippur
The holiest day of the year is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
It is a fast day on which each person reviews in depth all of his past actions.
Since on the day of one’s wedding G-d forgives the bride and groom of all their previous transgressions, it is seen as a private Yom Kippur for the couple.
They fast until the ceremony; add Yom Kippur confessions to their afternoon prayers; recite the Book of Psalms, asking for forgiveness for the wrongdoings of their youth, committed knowingly or unknowingly, before starting their new life together.
Previously, each had been but half a person.
Now, with the hour of marriage, they resume their original wholeness, a new and pure soul is again to be theirs.
Standing under the chuppah their life destiny is set, all past reckoning erased.
Have all your past reckonings been erased?
Have all your transgressions been forgiven?
Are you ready to begin a new life with your Bridegroom… finally whole… finally complete in Him?
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
and in Him you have been made complete…
Colossians 2:9-10
*(I cannot remember the online link that I found the info in green)