“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:” (Jeremiah 3:14)
God through the prophet Jeremiah calls the people of God to repentance. One analogy of the relationship God has with His people is that of a marriage. What it means is that our faithfulness is to be for our one God and not others. Our worship should be to the one God and no other gods as did the peoples of the land.
It is Jesus who has been spiritually betrothed to every believer, which is the church. He is the Creator and Redeemer. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.” (Isaiah 54:5)
Our life as part of the church, the bride of Christ, is one of joy and delight in the Lord. The Lord God also is joyful in our relationship. It is God’s glory and victory over the devil. “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” (Isaiah 62:5) In this Scripture the Lord compares His joy as a bridegroom’s joy over His bride.
Paul explains this relationship to the Corinthians: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2Corinthians 11:2) There are still evidences of idol temples in Corinth. It’s easy to fall into idolatry when it’s part of the culture one is raised in. There is a melding of worship and principles. This was Paul’s fear. He warns them that they belong to Christ as a bride. To follow after other gods is idolatry. This has happened throughout the world. There is a displacement of worship to other than Jesus. There is the worship of saints and virgins. There is a turning from Jesus the Lord to others because of apparitions and other signs that are manifested. But any sign or apparition in this world is questionable, especially when it draws our worship away from the Lord. Paul was deeply concerned that his work might have been in vain.
Hosea was another prophet which compared our devotion to Jesus to faithfulness and devotion in a marriage. To illustrate His people’s idolatry, God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute who is unfaithful. God commands Hosea to receive her back each time to illustrate how much He loves His bride. (Hosea chapter 1,2 & 3) “And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” (Hosea 2:19-20) Paul writes: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him Who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” (Romans 7:4) We are no longer united to the works of the Law, to sin and to death, but to Jesus Who is life.
To the Ephesians, Paul wrote how much Christ loves the church. He again compares our relationship to Jesus in terms of a marriage. He is the husband Who loves, cherishes and cares for His bride, the church, so that she is spotless and without any wrinkle, in other words perfect, cleansed by the Word of God and holy. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
At the end of time the bride will be revealed. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9) It’s the New Jerusalem adorned with the righteousness of the saints. “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” (Revelation 21:9-10)
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