Adding Context Back into the Bible
First of all, I need to establish that there is nothing wrong with reading the Bible at face value. There is no wrong way of reading the Bible; this is just one of those ways. Contextual reading is used to interpret the subtle meanings of actions and words based on the cultural lifestyle of the 1st century
I would greatly recommend getting a study bible if you do not already own one. It really doesnât matter what version it is. A study bible already includes many notes for key verses or events throughout the bible. Reading these notes can be important to âreading between the linesâ
When it comes to studying the context of the bible, it is really hard to find a prominent source of information. Thatâs why when you do your research, you need to be active in finding clarification. you donât want to take the first source you find and use it as fact. Most of what I will talk about is in the book âUnderstanding Jesus: Cultural Insight into the Words and Deeds of Christâ. You have probably heard me talk about this book. I have had the privilege of meeting the author, Joe Amaral. I have talked to him about clarification on some points in his book and heard him speak about many different 1st century cultures. I may have started with Joeâs book but I have done my own research both online and with biblical commentaries. I am very confident with what I have found but I encourage you to do your own homework on anything that you may have concern.
Today a man just asks for the brideâs parentsâ blessing to marry their daughter and then they plan the wedding. In ancient Israel, it was a very involved process. When it came time for a man to marry, he would have to go to the young womanâs house to present not only her but her father as well with a betrothal contract. This document outlined to the woman and her father how this man was going to provide for his bride. He would state his occupation, salary, and living arrangements as well as his intentions for her.
The father would make the decision to accept or reject the manâs offer. One of the important issues surrounding the covenant was the âbride priceâ. How much was the man willing to pay for the woman whom he wanted to marry? Not only would the âbride priceâ help compensate the family for the loss of their daughter, but it demonstrated to the father how much the man loved his daughter.
Keeping this first step of the betrothal process in mind, letâs determine how Jesus carried this out. At His final Passover supper, He accomplished the first requirement. He stated to all those who were gathered, how He was establishing a new covenant with them. He would provide for this covenant with the breaking of His body and by shedding His blood to fulfill the requirements necessary to keep the covenant.
In respect to the âbride priceâ, He stated that He would pay for it with His life. Remember that the amount of the âbride priceâ determined the level of love. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19: âFor you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. ~It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next step of the betrothal involved the pouring and drinking from a cup. After the manâs presentation of the betrothal contract, he would pour a cup of wine and offer it to the woman. She would then drink from the cup. This indicated that she had accepted his proposal and the couple were betrothed. The betrothal was legally binding and was the same as being married, except for sexual consummation of the marriage. The could not refuse to marry unless they got a certificate of divorce. The man would then drink from the cup to show his joy that she had received him.
The couple would then separate and begin to make their preparations for the wedding day. They were not permitted to see each other during this time. The betrothal period would last between 12 and 18 months.
Jesus also offered a cup of wine to His disciples in the Upper Room on the night of His final Passover meal. Matthew 26:27-29 says: âAnd he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, âEach of you drink from it, ~for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ~Mark my words - I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Fatherâs Kingdom.ââ. Â He offered the cup to each of them and told them to drink. Each one there received the cup and therefore accepted the covenant Jesus was offering them. At that point, the disciples were betrothed to Christ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the contract was accepted, the bridegroom would leave the woman with gifts. There were a demonstration of his joy for her acceptance and a sign of his affection for her. The gifts were to serve as a reminder. He was about to go away for a long time and the gifts were a reminder to her of him. Every time she would use one of the gifts that he had left her, it would remind her of him. So the purpose of this gifts was to keep the bride focused on her groom in his absence.
Jesus also gave gifts to His bride. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:7-8: âHowever, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. ~That is why the Scriptures say, âWhen he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.ââ. Several of these gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12. It is important for us to remember the purpose of the gifts. Jesus left us the gifts for one specific reason: to remind us of Him. Every time you exercise one of the gifts that you have been given, it should bring all the attention and glory to Christ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was finally time for the man to depart and go to prepare a place for his bride. The groom normally went back to his fatherâs house to build an addition on the home where he and his bride would live. The groom would spend the next couple years preparing this new home. Although the son would build the home, it was built according to the fatherâs specification. THis was the place where the couple would come to spend their first seven days together (the honeymoon), so it was called the wedding chamber.
Jesus also had to leave His newly betrothed bride to begin the next step of preparation. Remember that the son would go back to his fatherâs house to begin construction the new home. Jesus spoke about this in John 14:1-4: âDonât let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ~There is more than enough room in my Fatherâs home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ~When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. ~And you know the way to where I am going.â.
After the son went to his fatherâs house and built the room where he and his bride would live, he had to wait until his father released him before he would receive his bride. If he was asked when he would receive his bride, he would have to say he did not know the day; only his father knew the time. In Mark 13:32, Jesus said: âHowever, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.â. Acts 1:6-7 reads: âSo when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, âLord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?â ~He replied, âThe Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.ââ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While the groom was preparing the wedding chamber, the bride had a responsibility as well. Her job was to ready herself for his return. That is all she had to do. The contract had been established and accepted, so all she had to do was prepare herself for the day of the manâs return. The bride was considered to be consecrated at this point. It was said of her that she had been bought with a price and was set aside for the groom only. She would wear a veil over he head when she was out in public so that others would know she belonged only to her betrothed. She would have saved all her money to use for her preparation period. She would not know the day or hour of his return, so she had to be ready at all times. Traditionally the groom would come at night and so she had to have her bags packed and lamps filled with oil ready by her bedside.
As the Bride of Christ, we too are called to be consecrated or set apart for Him. Our task at the point is to prepare ourselves for His return. It is interesting how the woman would save her money for the wedding. This money that she would bring to the groom was called a dowry. Without it, she would not be able to marry. Also, the groom would give her money towards this dowry and she would try not to lose it. By keeping it safe, she showed her love for the groom.
In Luke 15:8-9, Jesus said: âOr suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Wonât she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? ~And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, âRejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.ââ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day would arrive when the father would release his son to go and get his bride. Usually in the evening, the groomsmen would go ahead of him to the gate of the city where the bride lived. They would sound the shofar to let her know that her groom had come. At the blast of the trumpet sound, she would leave her home and come part of the way to the gate where the groom  would be waiting for her. He would then take her away to the wedding chamber, where they would spend the next seven days together.
Just as the groom would come in the middle of the night to steal his bride away at the sound of the  shofar and she would meet him halfway, so will Christ come for us and we shall rise to meet Him in the air. Paul makes reference to these betrothal practices in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2: âNow concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brother and sisters, we donât really need to write you. ~For you know quite well that the day of the Lordâs return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.â.
Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: âFor the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ~Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.â. It is difficult to believe that the Apostle Paul did not have the betrothal process in mind when he wrote those words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber
After he comes to take his bride away, the groom takes her back to his fatherâs house; to the wedding chamber. The couple would spend the next seven days together on their own. The members of the wedding party would wait for the seven days to be over and then come together again to hear the announcement that the marriage had been consummated. Then they would celebrate for seven days.
The Jews believed there would be a seven-year âtime of troubleâ that would come upon the earth. It was also known as the time of âJacobâs Troubleâ or âThe Birth Pains of the Messiahâ. It was believed that the righteous would be resurrected just before this time and that they would enter the wedding chamber with the Messiah and be protected from this time of trouble. Today Christians call this the Great Tribulation.
If we recognize how Christ has fulfilled all but the last of the elements of the betrothal period, it is with great confidence that we believe that He will fulfill the remaining prophetic requirement of the marriage contract. As the Bride of Christ, we will be âcaught upâ before the time of trouble and will spend that seven-year period in the wedding chamber in the Fatherâs house. So we are called to await the return of our Bridegroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Departure for Their New Home
After the wedding celebration, the bride and groom would depart for their new home that the groom had prepared for them. Even to this day, if you go to Israel you will see houses with unfinished, exposed rooms in the house. If you ask the father of the home why he has these unfinished rooms, Â he will tell you that they are for his sons to that when each gets married he will have a place to come back to and build a wedding chamber for his bride.
Just as the bride and bridegroom would emerge and return to their new home, so will we return with Christ to our new home that He has prepared for us.
âThen I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ~And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. ~I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ~He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." ~And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." ~And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! ~All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. ~But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars -- their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death." ~Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." ~he took me in spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.â
