Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher - Jim Rickard Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 9 Wisdom Prepares a Wedding Feast. Pt. 4 Vs. 1-6

Jewish Customs for Marriage related to the Plan of God for the Church! Pt. 2

Mat 22:2, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.”

Rev 19:7-8, “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. 8 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.”

I. Marriage Covenant and Bride Price. B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: He came to the home of His bride to present His marriage contract, the New Covenant.

II. The Cup of Contract. B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Jesus poured the 3 rd Cup of the Passover, the redemption cup, and the disciples drank from it accepting the contract.

III. Gifts for the Bride. B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: 1) The giving of the Holy Spirit. 2) Spiritual gifts He and the Holy Spirit gave/give.

IV. The MIKVEH. B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Jesus provided for His bride with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

V. The Bridegroom Prepares a Place. B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Jesus went to prepare a place for His bride, John 13:1-3.

VI. A Waiting Bride Consecrated. A. The bride was considered to be consecrated, set apart or “bought with a price.” During this time she prepared herself for the marriage.

B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: We are now consecrated or sanctified, waiting for the return of our bridegroom, Acts 26:18; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:11; Eph 5:25-27; 1 Thes 5:23; Heb 2:11; 10:10, 14.

1 Cor 6:11, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

We prepare and adorn ourselves with the intake and application of God’s Word on a daily basis producing Divine Good, which will constitute our wedding clothes, Rev 19:7-8.

Jesus used the parable of ten virgins to describe the need to be alert for His return, Mat 25:1-13, cf. 1 Cor 1:4-9.

1 Cor 1:7, “So that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

VII. Bridegroom Comes for His Bride. A. When the bridegroom’s father deemed the wedding chamber ready, the bridegroom would go and get his bride.

He would come like a thief at night and take her to the wedding chamber, yet with much fanfare of shouting and the blowing of the Shofar (Trumpet).

B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: He will come at midnight like a thief, yet with a shout and the sound of a SHOFAR, Mat 25:6. Cf. Mark 13:35-37; 1 Thes 4:16 - 5:2

VIII. Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber. A. The bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber where they would spend seven days.

B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Dan 9:27 teaches that a seven year “time of Jacob’s trouble”, Jer 30:7, (Tribulation) would come upon the earth before the coming of the Messiah.

The 7 days corresponds to the days from the end of the Feast of Trumpets (2 day feast, 1 st – 2 nd Tishri), and the Day of Atonement (10 th Tishri), when the Lord will return with His bride at the end of the Tribulation, Rev 19:11f.

IX. Marriage Supper. A. After 7 days in the wedding chamber, the bride and bridegroom would emerge and participate in a feast with friends and family.

B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Rev 19:6-9

X. The Bride and Groom would Depart for Home.

B. Jesus’ Fulfillment: Jesus and His bride will depart for their new home, the New Heaven and Earth. Rev 21:1-4, 9-10

Communion Celebration and The Marriage Contract! Mat 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20; 1 Cor 11:23-27

1 Cor 6:20, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Cor 7:23, “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.”

We drink of the Eucharist Cup in agreement to the marriage contract! 1 Cor 11:23-26

Grace Offering Prov 3:9-10, “Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Grace Fellowship Church Sunday September 1, 2013 Tape # Proverbs Chapter 9 Woman Wisdom Prepares A Marriage Feast, Part 4 1 Corn 6:20; Mark ; Acts 26:18 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2013