Christ as Bridegroom

As I was contemplating what topic to study for this week, the thought of the symbolism of Christ as the bridegroom came to my head. A couple days before, Brent and Krisstina were having a conversation about how women should take their husband's name when they are married. I came into the conversation adding how I think taking your husband's name shows a different level of commitment because you are actually leaving your old identity and taking on a new one. This leap of faith shows that you are commited to being a part of your new family. Suddenly the thought came to me that we are told to take on Christ's name and I marvelled at the parallels of taking on Christ's name and taking on the name of one's new husband. We commit to Christ that we will leave our old selves and take on a new identity as part of His family. Taking on his name shows a deep level of commitment and devotion. This was a neat thought to me and I realized this was perhaps one aspect of the symbolism of Christ as the bridegroom.

This thought continued to return to my head over the next couple of days, and later on Tuesday, as I was trying to decide on a topic, the symbolism of Christ as bridegroom kept coming to my mind. I was very interested in exploring the topic further, but it seemed a fairly lofty one to attempt. Little did I realize just how overreaching this symbolism is.

When it first entered my mind to study this topic, I thought I would find other neat correlations between a bride and a groom and us and the Savior, such as the one about taking on your husband's name and taking on Christ's name. After reading a few scripture passages, it became clear to me that it would be crucial to understand the Jewish custom of marriage since those were the customs to which the people of Jesus' time would relate as He taught them.

My mom read my post about the new topic and I asked for her input as to what to study. She asked me, "How deep do you want to go?" I said, "I don't know. What do you have?" She gave me a book to read called Beloved Bridegroom by Donna B. Nielsen.

I have been studying that the past couple days and I am only now on page 51. But I cannot believe the wealth of insight and new understanding that has come to me that was so unexpected when I chose this topic. It has furthered my understanding of Christ's love for us, of the meaningfulness of the sacrament, and so much has flooded my mind regarding the sacred symbols and clothing of the temple. I certainly did not expect to discover all that I have when I was prompted to study this topic, and I am so grateful for the newfound understanding I have gained by coming to understand this profound symbolism.

Like I said, I still have the majority of this book to read. But I would love to share with you a few of the insights I have gained so far.

In the Jewish custom of marriage, there are three parts. The betrothal, the preparations for marriage, and the wedding. Marriages are arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. Parents of the groom choose a suitable bride and then the groom and his father or another close male family member go to the prospective bride's home to make the marriage proposal.

When they arrive they are given food and drink as a gesture of hospitality, but they refuse to partake until their request is granted and the bride agrees to the proposal. In Beloved Bridegroom (the source of all quoted references in this post) it explains:

"Middle Easterners have strong associations between covenants and the idea of a covenant meal to seal an agreement. Eating a covenant meal together in Biblical times was a way to ratify pacts or treaties. By consuming meals together, they symbolically became members of the same family. This was especially true regarding bread. Through partaking from the same loaf at the same table, even strangers became companions, a word whose literal meaning is "one with whom bread is broken. . . .With so much importance attached to the idea of 'breaking bread' or sharing a meal, no wonder that a food could not be eaten together until a binding contract between the bride and groom had been settled." (p. 20-21)

A completed marriage contract in Biblical times had three conditions that had to be met to be legal. They were money, writ, and intercourse. Money was the bride price, either money paid or services rendered. Writ was the "ketubah"--a contract which stated the bride price, the obligations of the groom, and the rights of the bride. Intercourse or "knowing" a wife "filled the requirement that blood be shed as a fulfillment of the covenant." (p. 18)

By today's perceptions, the idea of buying one's bride may seem degrading. "On the contrary, the value and esteem of a woman were directly connected to the size of the bride price paid for her. It was expected that the more noble the family and the more beautiful the girl, the higher the bride price asked for her. Her strength, age, ability, and character determined the final amount. The price paid also influenced the level of esteem that the groom's family had for the bride. The lower the price, the less she was valued by her husband and his kin. If a man obtained a wife for a small price, he had little respect for her. But if much was paid for her, he felt he had something valuable, a person who had to be cherished and well treated." (p.22)

"Part of this bride price later became the woman's dowry, so that in the event of her husband's death, or if he divorced her, she was left with some financial security. . .A portion of the money was used by the father to purchase household utensils for his daughter. . . The dowry also was used to purchase clothing for special occasions and jewelry, such as earrings, nose rings, bracelets, and gold coins. These would be worn constantly by the girl for the remainder of her life--her own personal possession--by law never to be taken as payment for any debt incurred by her husband. They were carefully guarded, both for their value and their symbolic meaning. This dowry had the root idea of 'en-dower-ment' or endowment. To receive an endowment before her marriage from her father made the young girl feel protected and loved. It was a shield and safeguard against future uncertainty." (p. 22-23)

There is so much more I could include, but I will stop for now with these few references. In just these references we can gain understanding for many of the covenants we make in our lives. So far in Beloved Bridegroom, most of the text lays forth the customs of Jewish marriage, without much commentary yet on its associations with our day. So I'm sure I will continue to learn much more as I continue to read, and perhaps will find my preliminary thoughts and insights to be to quickly formed, so forgive my hasty interpretation, but here are the things that have come to my head and heart based on my reading so far.

Firstly, the sharing of the meal. This made me think of the Last Supper and the institution of the sacrament. We partake of this sacred ordinance after an agreement has been reached between ourselves and Christ (bride and groom). I believe this agreement is formed as we are baptized and agree to take on the name of Christ. We then "break bread" with the Savior, to ratify this sacred covenant each week. We symbolically become members of Christ's family and become companions. In the Jewish tradition, a covenant set forth by the breaking of bread is unbreakable and permanent and carried serious implications in its undertaking. No such covenant would be taken lightly. I was struck by how sacred a promise we really make each week as we "break bread" with the Savior.

Next, the marriage contract and particularly the bride price. After this was paid, the "man was considered to 'own' the woman. He had purchased her and she belonged to him." This may seem offensive to women today, but actually it gave the woman permanent protection by her husband under a very serious covenant as mentioned earlier. "Although a woman was a 'possession' of the husband, she was still considered to have an extremely significant place in his heart. The word used to describe this relationship is segulah which means 'peculiar treasure' or 'treasured possession.' Segulah was the term that kings used to identify certain objects in their possession that were carefully guarded because of their great worth. Segulah also had overtones of being 'hidden.' Although kings valued all of their possessions, their special (peculiar) treasures were dearest to their hearts. Truly, the worth of a bride was great in the eyes of her husband." (p. 24-26)

From this context, we can come to understand the meaning of the scripture in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

What is the bride price paid? The uttermost farthing. The Savior gave His very life and suffered the pains and sins of the world as His bride price. What does this say about His feelings for each of us? Remember from the Jewish tradition, the higher the price, the more valuable and esteemed the bride. Truly the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, for the greatest price that could ever be paid was paid to own us and make us His most treasured possessions. Of all the king's possessions, we are the most dear to his heart.

I loved the significance of the special clothing and adornments purchased by the bride's father with the bride price. She would wear these every day forever as a reminder of her "en-dower-ment." Guarding these carefully because of their great worth and symbolic meaning, these things were hers alone, never to be taken away. "To receive an endowment before her marriage from her father made the young girl feel protected and loved. It was a shield and a safeguard against future uncertainty." The woman could proceed forward knowing of her father's love and protection. I gained a greater understanding of the temple and the clothing I wear daily as a reminder of the love of my Father.

I had another insight come to me as I read about the segulah, the most treasured possession, one that is carefully guarded and hidden from the eyes of the world. I thought of the idea that this is the kind of regard a Jewish man held for his wife, and the thought came to me that this is the regard our Heavenly Father must have for our Heavenly Mother. So prized and treasured that our knowledge of her is carefully guarded. I have oftened wondered why she is not mentioned in the scriptures. This new understanding has reaffirmed to me her status in our Father's eyes as the most prized, and treasured of His possessions that she is 'hidden' and guarded.

There is so much more--I could go on and on. Perhaps I will do another future post with more insights as I finish this book. There is no way that I could completely cover this subject and all that I would like to share. I highly recommend reading this book yourselves. This has been one of the most wonderful experiences and has so enriched my understanding and I'm not even one-third the way through!

I know Christ lives. I'm so grateful for the special relationship we can have with Him. And I am so grateful to have gained a greater understanding of that relationship this week.