The Song of Loves

 The Psalm of the Great King

Book of Psalms Chapter 45

Psalm forty-five invites us into the lavish royal wedding where the King and His bride symbolize the deep, committed relationship between God and His people. 

Psalms forty-five paints a picture of divine love, encouraging us to incorporate the same principles of truth, humility, and justice that this King exemplifies.

Not everyone agrees but the truth of Psalms 45 is the truth of King Jesus and the Church, the Bride of Christ.

That word "Maschil" would mean that this Psalm is a song of instruction requiring the sons of Korah to choose the most qualified singers.

That word "Shoshannim" would describe the saints of God, the Bride of Christ, the beautiful virgins, lilies.

We know the Holy Spirit is the author of all the Word of God and He says this is a "Song of loves".

This Psalm describes the love the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah has for the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: Luk_24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that "all things" must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

The Church will be with our Lord Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Rev_19:9  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".

This verse supports the fact that the Holy Spirit and God the Father are the same person.

Psalm 45 invites us to the royal wedding where our King and His bride symbolize the deep, committed relationship between God and His people. 

This Psalm paints for us a picture of divine love, reminding us to embody the same principles of truth, humility, and justice that the King Jesus has shown to us.

Chapter 45 and verse 1

*****Psa 45:1  To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 

That word "Mashil"  means that this is a Psalm of instruction of a serious matter.

That word "Shoshannim" describes the Bride of Christ as lilies. but we know that King Jesus is the lily of the valley.

The Lily of the Valley represents purity and innocence, the true life of Jesus Christ.

He represents the virtue and beauty found in salvation.

2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from "the simplicity that is in Christ".

The Lily of the valley symbolizes the renewal of life and the rebirth of the child of God.

The Lily of the valley represents the arrival of a fresh start and a new beginning.

The Lily of the valley symbolizes happiness, good fortune, and joy in the Lord Jesus.

The Lily of the valley is associated with the love and romance of the Messiah and His Church, the delicate nature of true love.

All these things come to us by the Lord Jesus Christ!

That word "inditing" means that the Holy Spirit has committed all these words in writing, dictating what shall be written with special instructions.

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The salvation offered by the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest of all gifts that are given to undeserving humans.

*****Psa 45:2  Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 

Matthew Henry writes that the Lord Jesus is the great favorite of Heaven. 

Jesus is fairer than all the children of mankind.

God has done more for Jesus than He has for all mankind and because of this, He will show kindness to mankind for Christ's name’s sake.

Pro 22:11  He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. 

The Lord Jesus is full of "grace" and this "grace" is for the Church.

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 

Joh 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

God the Father has blessed God the Son with an everlasting Kingdom.

So let us read what God the Holy Spirit has given to us.

*****Psa 45:3  Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

There is no one mightier than the Lord Jesus Christ!

All the tools of our great King are to be used for truth and righteousness.

Even God's "judgment" is done in righteousness.

Honor and majesty are the Divine attributes of God's representative and "He will pass these things down to His children".

He will have a never-ending fellowship with all His loyal subjects!

We know that truth and righteousness have practically disappeared in America today and from all the other nations of this world and it is this reason that God will make all things new. A new Heaven and a new Earth.

Our King will return to earth this time as a man of war and He will not be excused from this field of battle by the law which says:

Deu 24:5  When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. 

This Bridegroom, King Jesus, will not abide by this Scripture because He will immediately go to war and He will take His bride with Him.

Salvation is not about the law; salvation comes only by the "Grace of God"!

*****Psa 45:4  And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 

When the Lord returns to claim His bride, we will see our victorious warrior face to face and He will be clothed in majesty.

The Lord Jesus will defend truth and righteousness to a world that has none.

We see these things disappearing from our societies today.

No ruler can conquer a nation to win their souls. Jesus will war for truth, meekness, and righteousness.

The Lord Jesus does not war out of arrogance and greed or a thirst for power, as we see today.

Satan has a campaign against the truth of God that is going full force and it is just a matter of days that the Antichrist will step out unto the world scene to take charge of this campaign against the truth of God.

We must not forget that we are already in the army of God and we are to resist Satan, the Devil, and his forces and the greatest battle with Satan will be the Lord's.

This is why we are to wear the armor of God daily even in our homes where Satan is trying to destroy our families.

This is why we carry the Sword of the Spirit in us at all times. In our heart and in our minds.

Eph_6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Lord Jesus Christ will crush His enemies with His mighty double-edged sword!

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Every nation will bow before our Lord and Savior, the Holy King from Heaven.

*****Psa 45:6  Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 

Immediately we see that this King, this Messiah, this Bridegroom, is none other than God Himself and this will never change!

This throne is the throne of God and not the throne of David or any other king.

No one can sit upon the throne of God, but God Himself.

How do we know that this King is God?

Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 

Heb 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 

The Bible will never contradict itself!

So we see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all involved in this passage of Scripture.

One God in three persons!

*****Psa 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 

Psa 45:8  All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. 

This royal Bridegroom, His personal beauty, the justice of His government, the success of His arms, the magnificence of His court, is the One of whom Divine Blessing will be on forever and ever.

The Lord Jesus Christ loved righteousness and this is the way He lived and the way we are to live.

The Lord Jesus Christ hates wickedness and will have no part in it and it should be the same for every child of God.

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 

The Lord Jesus Christ conformed to the will that God the Father had for Him, except for one instance when He took upon Himself all of our sin from Adam's sin unto the last Christian to be saved, when He took upon Himself all the sin of the world and took that sin down to Hell where it belongs, and God has forgiven all the sin of this world and we can see just how sinful this world has become.

This one act caused the death of our Savior, but He did not stay dead!

It is this resurrected Savior who is the Bridegroom!

Salvation is also being in the will of God.

1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Because our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect in His character in every way, because of His holiness, God has anointed His Messiah with the "oil of gladness" above all things that He has created.

The fragrance and the splendor of Emmanuel showing His perfection, renown heroism, splendor of royalty, Divine majesty, this is the Savior who reached way down to pull me out of the cesspool of sin, just before I went under.

Our Lord Jesus Christ at one time gave up all these things to save a sinner like me and many more did come to know the truth of the Triune God.

All the spices identify this Bridegroom in His office as our High Priest.

The fragrance of the myrrh points to our Savior as the Bridegroom to the Church, the Bride of Christ.

The myrrh and aloes point to the death of our Savior.

The home of our Savior is the most elegant of all places and is called Heaven.

Yes, Heaven is a real place!

So let us look at this Bride.

*****Psa 45:9  Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Do we really know just how blessed we really are?

Do we realize that the Bride of Christ will sit at the right hand of the Bridegroom as He sits as the sovereign King of all this Universe.

It is this Mighty King who laid down His life just we could live with Him throughout eternity.

Life in this present world is far to discouraging, plagued by trials, by difficulties, and struggles that never seem to end but this marriage to the Lamb of God will allow us to have a little bit of joy now, because we know we will live with Him forever.

When we realize just how short our lives are and how long eternity is, it will seem like we are almost there.

Even one thousand years when this Bridegroom will sit as King of this world does not seem to be a long time.

Jer 23:5  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 

Jer 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

We sit here today knowing that day Jeremiah speaks of could begin at any moment.

Until this time comes, we are to be busy with the work that the Lord has given to us all.

*****Psa 45:10  Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; 

Psa 45:11  So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 

We should understand that every privilege we have because of our Savior has their own responsibilities.

These responsibilities are spelled out for us in the Book of Romans.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

We must leave everything behind and choose our Bridegroom.

We may have to give up all our old friends.

We may have to give up our father's family and our mother's family or all our family.

The Bridegroom will not accept us unless we put Him first in our lives!

We must be completely devoted to the Bridegroom.

Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 

The Bridegroom must be first in our lives.

The Church is beautiful only because our sins have been forgiven and we are new persons in Christ Jesus.

Our sins are behind us and the Bridegroom has given us a fresh start to a new life.

Our reason for living is now to honor and glorify our Lord and Savior.

1) We should be able to see that the Bridegroom desires us to be with Him. He is not willing to share us with anything else!

2) We must be totally devoted to Jesus Christ because he is the Lord of our lives. We should live for Him because He died for us.

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

In return for our devotion to the Bridegroom there will be great gifts given to the Bride.

*****Psa 45:12  And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

Psa 45:13  The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. 

Psa 45:14  She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 

Psa 45:15  With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. 

1) The Bride of Christ will be exalted before all nations.

2) The Bride of Christ will be dressed in the most perfect and glorious clothing. She will be transformed into the image of Christ. Eph 4:24

3) The Bride of Christ will be presented to the Bridegroom and be wed while wearing fine garments. Rev 19:7-8

4) Pure, holy companions will accompany the Bride of Christ. (Old Testament believers)

5) The Bride of Christ will know the greatest gladness and joy possible living in the presence of King Jesus. Rev 22:3

What will be the King's reward?

*****Psa 45:16  Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 

Psa 45:17  I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. 

Because of His submission to his Father's will, our Bridegroom will be exalted throughout eternity.

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1) The King will father many royal sons and daughters who will be princes and princesses.

This generation of royal descendants will reign with Christ on this present earth in the one thousand years He will reign on this earth but also throughout eternity on the New Earth.

2) The King will be honored and praised forever and ever. His name will be above every name.

Every knee will one day soon bow to Jesus Christ and every tongue will confess Him as Lord.

If we live faithfully for Jesus, He will richly reward us.

There is no better day than today to give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Marriage Must Begin With the Love of God

 Finding A Wife for Isaac

Book of Genesis Chapters 24 Through 26

The one thing Abraham realized and we to are to realize is, that it is just a great thing to be involved in the plan of God.

It is a great thing to be in the family of God and being left upon this earth to do the work He has assigned to us.

We must make the will of God for us to be our own will!

We should understand that God takes these little things that are so important in life and with them, teaches us the great mysteries of the Bible and the truth of His Word.

A marriage is of great concern to our Heavenly Father. 

A marriage that follows the Biblical design will be a lasting marriage and also teaches us the relationship of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Church.

Yes, the Church belongs to Jesus Christ. 

It astounds me that so many so-called churches have removed the Lord Jesus Christ and are no longer a part of God's Church and no longer married to the Lord Jesus Christ though they still claim to be and their members who have rejected the Word of God.

They reject the truth of Jesus.

They reject that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

They reject the truth of the Scriptures allowing man's law to take priority.

They reject the Virgin birth.

They reject the Cross.

Yet they claim to know the way to Heaven.

God cares who we marry and to marry is one of the great decisions we make in our lifetime.

A good marriage will be filled with love, joy, and peace just as our relationship with our Savior will be.

A marriage will be between one man and one woman and God decided their sex at birth.

A marriage to the wrong person will only bring heartache!

It was time for Isaac to get married.

*****Gen 24:1  And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 

Gen 24:2  And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 

Gen 24:3  And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 

Gen 24:4  But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

In the day of Abraham it was common for the parents to arrange the marriage of their children.

Abraham was 140 years old and Isaac was now 40 years old and mature.

Sarah, Isaac's mother had been dead for 3 years and Isaac still mourned for his mother.

We should understand that God has a time for us to think about marriage!

God is not involved but only in part, in the marriage of unbelievers.

Remember unbelievers do not know the Word of God nor do they respect the Word of God.

They are best described as those people who lived in the day of Noah before the flood destroyed them.

No doubt that Abraham had discussed these things of marriage with his son Isaac.

Abraham was insisting that Isaac would not marry a maid of the Canaanites.

We already know the Canaanites worshiped false gods and had wicked and immoral beliefs.

God had already destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and three more cities of the plain, and there had been no survivors.

It is probable that the remaining Canaanites did not realize why such a thing would happen and brushed it off as something natural.

This still happens today!

The world does not see the acts of God nor the miracles of God and brush them off as accidents or blame them on nature or other people, such as this Climate Change hoax that is blamed on humanity rather than the promises of God.

Certainly, the climate is changing and if people are worried about heat, they had better learn how to avoid Hell!

God has said things will get worse and we see it in plagues, in the climate, in wickedness, corruption, and immorality and the wickedness in high places.

We know Jehovah is righteous and it is the right thing to do to destroy unrighteousness, but only God has this knowledge to do so.

The Canaanites were a cursed people.

Gen 9:25  And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 

Abraham would never have chosen a daughter of the Canaanites!

To Abraham there was only one choice for Isaac this wife was to be chosen from Abraham's home country, the descendants of Noah's son Shem.

We used to have a tradition to swear an oath by laying our hand on the Holy Bible.

In the day of Abraham and oath was sworn by a hand upon the thigh.

It was a sacred thing and was not to be broken.

In our father’s day a handshake was as good as an oath!

Today you have to sign your name a hundred times just to get a loan.

As we follow the journey of this eldest servant, we will see another lesson in typology.

We will see this eldest servant as the Holy Spirit.

Isaac as the Messiah.

Abraham as Jehovah.

Rebekah as the Church, the gentile bride of Christ.

Abraham said to his servant that Jehovah would send His angel to guide him.

Abraham knew if his son was in the lineage to the Messiah, then Jehovah would be involved in his marriage!

One thing we should clearly understand, it is better not to marry than to enter into a bad marriage!

As Abraham instructed his servant, if the woman does not come willingly then Isaac will not marry her.

2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Remember to be saved we must willingly give ourselves to the truth of God and repent from the ways of the world.

Believers should marry true believers or not marry at all!

*****Gen 24:10  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 

Notice just as the Holy Spirit is God, just as God the Father and God the Son, this eldest servant had control of all the goods of Abraham.

The journey to Mesopotamia was as much as a 500-mile trip and it would take a lot of supplies to go and return from such a trip. 

It is the will of God that we marry a true believer, and we may have trouble finding one. It may take some time and we must be prepared for the journey.

If we are to find our soul mate, we must trust the Word of God and the Will of God and that He will lead us to that person who He has chosen for us.

In reality, it would be wise to not even date someone who does not meet these qualifications given by the Lord.

This servant came to the end of his journey, and he prayed for guidance.

*****Gen 24:11  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 

Gen 24:12  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 

We must always pray for the guidance of the Lord!

I fail in this myself and usually just dart off on my own.

What is God's promise?

Psa 32:8  I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 

What is our prayer?

Psa 119:133  Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 

Psa 25:4  Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 

What should I clearly understand? The promises of God.

Psa 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

And why not pray for good speed, remembering we must understand that God's timing is the best timing!

And why not pray before for specific things before we meet anyone who might be that perfect mate!

*****Gen 24:14  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 

This servant prayed to God for a sign.

We make huge mistakes when we do not pray before we choose a mate.

If God is not involved with us before our marriage, how do we expect to have a good marriage?

Notice how specific this prayer was.

This precious lady would be the one God had chosen for Isaac.

This precious lady would approach this servant of Abraham and ask him if he wanted a drink of water.

This precious lady would then draw water for his camels. This was in itself no easy task. A camel can easily drink 20 to 30 of more gallons of water and there were 10 camels.

It would be almost impossible to find a precious soul willing to do these things for a stranger, but nothing is too hard for God.

Her name was Rebekah, which means "she could ensnare you with her beauty".

*****Gen 24:15  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

Rebekah was one who, when she walked into the room, you could not take your eyes off of her.

Not just her beauty but her work ethic and friendliness.

Even before this servant said Amen, his prayer was answered!

Rebekah was God's choice to be the bride of Isaac!

I believe when we are men of sincere prayer, God will provide that soul mate for life.

It is not our custom today to send someone else to find us a wife, we must do this ourselves, but God must be involved!

We should still listen to our parents if they are godly parents.

We still need God and we still need prayer and God does not mind providing a wife for godly men!

Gen 2:18  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 

Pro 18:22  Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. 

Ecc 4:9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 

Ecc 4:10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 

Ecc 4:11  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 

Ecc 4:12  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

1Pe 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. 

And Rebekah was certainly beautiful.

*****Gen 24:16  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 

What is a virgin according to the Bible, a lady that has never been with a man in a sexual encounter!

Even though Rebekah was very fair to look upon, she did not stand still and allow this man she had just met to just gaze upon her.

Many today blessed with beauty take advantage of it in not so godly ways.

It is also very true, that beauty is only skin deep, and inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

Being humble, courteous, with a charitable disposition will make us more pleasant to the eyes of those watching us and there is always someone watching us including the Lord.

These are the things that bring a reward from our Heavenly Father.

Mat 10:41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 

Mat 10:42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Not part of our lesson but verse 21

Gen 24:21  And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 

Notice this servant was amazed at the things he was seeing as he had prayed.

As this servant questioned Rebekah, he found that she was from the family that Abraham had sent him seeking a wife for Isaac.

He then bowed his head and worshiped again amazed at the ways of God.

The only thing he did not know then was "if she were willing".

Like the Holy Spirit this servant showed Rebekah some of the treasures of choosing the truth of God.

Gen 24:22  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 

We also see the secular side of this family.

Gen 24:30  And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 

It is the lust of the eyes that got the attention of Laban, Rebekah's brother.

This servant of Abraham knew God had prospered his journey and it was not time to linger. 

*****Gen 24:56  And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 

When our prayers our answered such as this one from Abraham's servant it was not time to linger with unbelievers.

It was very clear, that God was involved in the things going on with this marriage of Rebekah to Isaac.

When we accept the gift of salvation then we must understand this is a new life, a living life.

We live in a dyeing world, but Heaven is a place of Glory.

The servant showed Rebekah and her family the riches of Abraham.

Gen 24:53  And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. 

When we give our dead life to the Living Savior, we obtain a new life!

Heb 10:18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 

Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God; 

Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

We begin to prosper as we begin our journey with the Lord.

We must give ourselves willingly.

*****Gen 24:57  And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. 

Gen 24:58  And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

What are some great lessons we can learn from this simple story of seeking a wife for Isaac?

We must saturate our work for the Lord with prayer.

We must wait on the Lord for direction.

We must praise our Heavenly Father.

If we see Rebekah as that lost soul, then we must imagine her as someone who hears the Gospel.

She had to realize there was a great father reaching out to her.

He had only one son, His only begotten son and He was well beloved.

He was in search of a Gentile Bride amongst all of the world.

She would be the bride of His dear Son, forever and forever.

She was not worthy of such blessings.

This in typology is the way God calls us all.

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

*****Gen 24:59  And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 

Gen 24:60  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 

What we see is that the journey home has begun.

As Rebekah has willingly given herself to Isaac even at a distance, she has consented to be his wife.

Each of us who have given ourselves to the Lord are now on our journey home.

Rebekah, a Gentile Bride, espoused to God's chosen son Isaac.

From Isaac would one day come the Messiah.

Rebekah, thou art also our sister!

Now that she was going to be a wife they prayed along the lines of God's blessings.

She would certainly be the mother of millions as every "Born Again" child of God adds to this number.

Without a doubt many of her seed will possess the gate of those who hate them as Israel entered into Canaan Land and forward into the Millennial Kingdom.

What had God promised Abraham?

Gen 22:16  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 

Gen 22:17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

*****Gen 24:61  And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 

As the bride to be began her journey, the servant began his journey home.

You see as we are the Bride of Christ, the Holy Spirit will lead us to Jesus.

It may not always be a pleasant trip because we live in the world of our enemies, but we have no excuse for not enjoying it.

After all we are not going to Canaan Land, but we are going to Heaven, the true Promised Land.

The same land that Abraham was seeking and never found because he knew it was not of this earth.

Those who think Heaven will be upon this earth are wrong and foolish to believe that God would say He is giving us the best and then stop short of doing so.

1Co_2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

As Rebekah rode upon a camel, we ride upon the "Grace" of God.

2Co_12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2Co_13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

The Holy Spirit will only lead us to the Bridegroom!

Joh_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

*****Gen 24:62  And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. 

Gen 24:63  And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 

Lahairoi means "the well of the Living God".

Jesus said 

Joh_Psa_42:2  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

If we are not craving the water from the Living God, then we had better check our salvation.

Psa_84:2  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Psa_42:2  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Isaac was dwelling near this well at this time waiting upon his wife to be and the Lord Jesus Christ is that well of "Living Water" and He will soon be coming to take us home to present His Bride to His heavenly Father.

Where is the best place to meditate? Near the well of Living Water.

What did Jesus teach the Samaritan woman?

Joh_4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Isaac could not have known the camels would be returning on this day.

Isaac was alone, still mourning the death of his mother who loved him so much. 

Isaac had been the only begotten son of Abraham and Sarah.

Isaac was the promised son!

Jesus said:

Mat_6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

On this day, this field in the evening time, near the well of Living Water, was the place where Isaac felt closest to the Lord.

We all need a place where we can meditate on our relationship with our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

No doubt one of the thoughts of Isaac was this wife his father had sent for and we can be sure he prayed over this matter and lo and behold to Isaac his prayer was answered.

Rebekah knew this thing also.

*****Gen 24:64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 

Gen 24:65  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 

In those days it would have been unmannerly for Rebekah to remain seated when she saw Isaac walking. There was no exception even made for a woman. 

Rebekah would not even wait until the camel she was riding came to rest, but she lighted off the camel. She simply jumped off the camel which is taller than a horse in her excitement.

She quickly recovered her composure and covered herself with a veil.

I ask myself what will I be like when I first see Jesus?

Will I lose my composure as did Rebekah?

Will I regain my composure and show respect?

Will I fall on my face before the glory of the Living God?

In reality, I believe I will be in great fear until the Lord says, "peace be with you".

To be honest I believe the Lord God of this Universe will be waiting with open arms.

If we cannot be excited about going to Heaven, then something is wrong with us!

If we cannot be excited about being saved, then maybe we are not thinking right.

When we recover, we will remember we stand before a Holy God, who has loved us into His Own Home, and we will forever be welcome in His House!

Heaven will be a happy place, not solemn and gloomy!

Isaac wanted to know all the details of the journey of his bride.

Jesus will want to hear us describe our journey to Him for He will be just as excited as we will be.

*****Gen 24:66  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 

Gen 24:67  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. 

The Holy Spirit would not have saved all these details if they were not important!

It is love that filled the tent of Isaac.

It will be love that will fill the Temple of God in Heaven.

God will never love us less then He loves us now and he cannot love us more because He has that true love.

We are not lured into Heaven. Heaven is a place desired by both parties.

The Lord Jesus went back to Heaven to build us a mansion in His Father's House.

This is the truth of salvation!

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Jesus has given us the instructions on how to get to Heaven.

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

With the love of his wife, Isaac was comforted from the death of his mother Sarah.

As we live upon this earth there may be many of our loved ones who have gone on before us.

When we see all those in Heaven it will be a great comfort to see them again and then knowing we will never be separated from them again.

There will also be some that we loved who will not be there and we will be comforted by our Savior for those we will never see again.

Those who are married in a Christian home have a little taste of the relationship of the Bride of Christ to the Bridegroom Christ Himself, but we that know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior will experience the greatest life that exist when we get to Heaven.

I love you Jesus!

It has been worth every mile of the trip.

Amen.

The Heavenly Marriage

The Marriage of the Lamb

Book of Revelation Chapter 19 Verses 1 through 10

Some things we should understand. Prior to the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, His marriage to the Church, (the Bride of Christ) will take place in Heaven.

We know that from our last lessons, when the Lord Jesus Christ caused the 144,000 Jews to get to Heaven then, at that time, there will be the Lord and the Bride of Christ finally in the same place (Heaven) together, and this marriage will take place.

When the Lord returns with the armies of Heaven and the Saints, then the marriage of the Lamb of God has already taken place!

The "Judgment Seat" of Christ has also already taken place!

The Lord Jesus will after these things, return to Judge the earth in His wrath.

What did the Prophets teach us?

Zec 14:2  For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 

Zec 14:3  Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 

Zec 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 

Isa 66:15  For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 

Isa 66:16  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 

It is the marriage supper that will then take place in Israel upon this earth.

It is at this time the Lord will return to save the Jews, according to their works!

And Christ Jesus gave us this parable:

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Mat 25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 

Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Mat 25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 

Mat 25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 

Mat 25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 

Mat 25:27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 

Mat 25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 

Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 

Mat 25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

The remainder of the world will be "judged" regarding their treatment of the Jews.

Again the prophet Joel:

Joe 3:1  For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 

Joe 3:2  I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. 

Joe 3:9  Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up

Joe 3:11  Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. 

Joe 3:12  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

After the marriage of the Lamb to the Bride of Christ, these other things will take place!

Now let us witness the marriage of the Bridegroom in Heaven.

*****Rev 19:1  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 

We may ask after what things.

After the destruction of Babylon, the False Church and Babylon the economic System of the Antichrist from Chapters 17 and 18.

Notice that word "Alleluia" the one word that is universal in its meaning, (Praise God)!

Alleluia has become the cry of victory in Heaven.

This scene takes place in Heaven as the celebration begins as the "Great Whore" of false religion has been destroyed.

All religions that reject the Bible as the truth of God have been destroyed.

All these things happen because our God is all powerful!

The Lord is absolutely true and righteous in Himself!

The Lord is absolutely true and righteous in all His actions!

Heaven will now prepare for the Marriage of the Lamb of God.

*****Rev 19:2  For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 

Rev 19:3  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

We must remember the souls under the altar.

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 

Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 

Their rest is now over for their death had been avenged!

They say Alleluia for the Lord doing as He said He would do.

False religion, which has been influenced by Satan all these years, was the tool used to corrupt the people of this earth.

Salvation belongs to God. He sent His Son to die in payment for all our sin!

He has given us His written Word to explain who He is and why He does what He does. 

He has given us purpose and He has been open to all peoples since He created Adam and Eve.

Over and over again, we have seen that the plans of God have existed before He created any part of our world, and he has given us line by line of His plan that He has followed without deviating from it at any time.

It is not just the souls under the altar who celebrate. The entire Church joins in for another promise will be fulfilled.

*****Rev 19:4  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

The four and twenty elders, who represent all the redeemed of the Lord celebrate the victory of the Lamb.

We will all rejoice. The raptured Saints of God. Those souls who have been reunited with their bodies. All those who have been martyrs all these years.

All the 144,000 Jews, and every Saint who has come to Heaven during the Great Tribulation, and I believe all those who have the faith of Abraham before the Lord came to the earth the first time.

Heaven will be a place of celebration!

Heaven will be a place of Alleluia.

Psa 106:48  Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD. 

If you do not like joyful loud praise and worship, you will not like Heaven at all.

It becomes the people of God to be full of joy!

To be honest there is not much joy on this earth.

We Christians should always have a certain amount of joy, after all look at our great future!

And we will miss out on the wrath of God. We will miss out on the Great Tribulation!

Jesus said He will never leave us, and Jesus will live forever and ever!

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is God!

*****Rev 19:5  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 

Rev 19:6  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.

We must cast our bountiful praise to the One who was found worthy to open the Book of Revelation, the "Revealing" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

If we cannot do this while we live, what makes us think we will do this at this time in Heaven?

Every sorrow we have been through and have witnessed, will not be remembered when Jesus has completed His work on this earth.

Every single tear will be wiped away by the loving hands of God!

The Marriage of the Lamb of God is about to take place and all of Heaven takes notice of this most wonderful event.

That word "omnipotent" means the One who possesses unlimited power!

Jesus said:

Mat_28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth".

Much of that power is used to provide eternal life to all of us who love Him!

Joh_17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, "that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him".

Nowhere in God's creation is there One more powerful than the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

We should be rejoicing now because we do not have to wait to get to Heaven.

It will just be much sweeter in Heaven.

The wedding of the Lamb of God is about to take place.

The one greatest time we will ever have as Christians.

We will be presented by the Son (the Lord Jesus) to our Heavenly Father as His Bride!

*****Rev 19:7  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. 

We immediately see that this time is special to the Lamb. It is the Lamb of God who has been patiently waiting on this day!

Here on earth we focus on the Bride but should truly focus on the Lamb of God!

In Heaven all the focus will be on the Lamb!

The same Lamb that was found to be worthy to open the Book.

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

It is Hallelujah time in Heaven!

It is rejoicing time in Heaven!

The Bride, all the "Redeemed" have made themselves ready by clinging to the faith. That faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done so that we could be "Redeemed" and able now to stand before our Heavenly Father as the Bride of Christ, with the true Messiah.

When will this wedding take place? It will take place just before the Lord returns to this earth as King.

Remember the Lord first destroyed the "false religious system" of the Antichrist.

He next destroyed the "political system" of the Antichrist.

Billions of people had died because they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Earth was in flames!

When the Lord returns after the Wedding, He will restore the earth as it was in the days of Adam and Eve and reign as King.

The Lord would fulfill the promises He had made to King David and all the things of the prophets.

These things must take place quickly because there will still those living upon the earth who had not taken the "Mark of the Beast".

The world would be a much better place if we would focus on the Lord Jesus Christ now during the "Church Age"!

Jesus said He would build His Church:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

It was true, not even Hell could stand against the Church!

The Church on earth became the "Body of Christ":

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

The Jews and the Gentiles have now been reconciled:

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 

Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 

Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

The reconciled Body of Christ now becomes the Bride:

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  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. 

As the Bride, we have been waiting until this time that has officially arrived:

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

How has the Bride made herself ready?

By accepting in faith the truth of God!

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 

How has the Bride made herself lovely?

Joh_3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh_3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

1Pe_1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

And it has come time to put on the wedding apparel.

*****Rev 19:8  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. 

As the saints of God we must dress properly for our wedding with the Lamb of God.

How had Jesus found us?

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

We were terrible sinners!

We might even ask how could a Holy God ever see us as His future Bride?

None of us could claim to be better than others and it be true!

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

We were sentenced to eternal death and there was no remedy for our situation!

Our choice was to remain the same or accept the free gift of God!

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

There had to be a way!

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

We had to learn about "faith"!

Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 

We had to be constant in our faith to grow in Christ!

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

We had to put on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom_13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Gal_3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

We had to dress as Christ!

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

The Church had finally reached the object of her joy! United forever, never to be separated. All sin and evil wickedness soon to be eternally imprisoned in the Burning Lake of fire.

And the Bridegroom said:

*****Rev 19:9  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. 

What do we know about the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb"?

It is a celebration event that takes place on earth because Israel has finally repented in honor of the of the marriage of Jesus Christ to His Church and the beginning of, the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The word "blessed" in this Scripture means "happy and contented" are those which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

All those who are the happiest in this world today are those who know they are going to the "marriage supper" of the Lamb!

Yes, we can know that we will be there!

The Apostle John takes just a moment to tell us that these are the very words of God.

We must realize though there is the Spiritual Babylon and a few places where the Lord uses symbolism but for the most part the Book of Revelation is to be taken literally! Just as it is written, and we would be foolish not to!

It is the Word of God that is the basis of our faith.

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 

Heb 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 

Let us review:

The false church has been eliminated.

The wedding has taken place in Heaven.

The wedding music has played.

The Bridegroom is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The saints of God are the Bride.

The Bride is wearing the right garments "righteousness".

We are discussing the wedding reception in this verse. The Marriage Supper.

We will soon begin our 1000 years honeymoon here on the remade earth.

After those 1000 years the Bridegroom will take His bride home to be with Him forever in Heaven.

And then "they will live happily ever after!

It is believed that these guests, who are being called are the Old Testament Saints such as John the Baptist who was a friend of the Groom.

Joh 3:29  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 

By the statement made by this messenger, he was one of those Old Testament Saints or at least a blood bought child of God.

John was so excited with what these words that he fell down to worship the one who gave him this message, which was not the Lord.

We are to worship no one but the Almighty God, Our Creator, Elohim, The Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

What do we know? We know that many people even some in the Church laugh and make fun of prophesy, but the truth is, the Lord Jesus loves prophesy. 

The Lord Jesus, He is the Spirit of prophecy!

He alone is worthy of our worship!

He alone is worthy of our conversations.

All other conversations are in reality vain!

Being Christian is to be like Christ Jesus and He loved prophecy and we should to!

Next lesson we get to see the true Second Coming of the Lord.

At the "Rapture", the Lord came as a thief and stole His Church(Bride) from this earth.

At the true Second Coming, He will return to the Mount of Olives, the same place where He left this earth to go back home for a while.

If you want to know the truth, then you must meet Jesus Christ and it would be best to meet Him during the Church Age!

Amen

A Christian Home

The Blessing of a Christian Home

Book of Ephesians 5:22-33

Before there was sin in the world God had already established the family.

Before there was a Church in the world, Satan had already made plans to destroy each and every family.

One of the greatest truths in all the Scripture was the passage we ended with last week.

Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

In this passage the word "fear" is just like we understand it. We can expect to see the wrath of God if we ignore His commandments!

Fear is the passion of our nature which causes us to try to provide for our own security, expecting some evil to come.

It is the very next passage that we will see the first example of submitting to one another and it is the marriage.

The Bible is specific, a legal marriage is between one man and one woman, for life.

Note: This does not include those who claim an opposite gender. We are the gender we were born with!

God does not make mistakes!

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

The marriage is to be the greatest example of the marriage of the Church to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 19:7 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.

Rev 19:8 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.

Rev 19:9 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.

Many of us have failed while we were out in the world but knowing the Lord we should not allow this to happen again.

The Lord Jesus said we were ignorant of the truth of God and God is willing to forgive even this sin if we ask, but we will still endure the hardships of this broken relationship.

Thank goodness for the "Grace" of God that began with His "love" then His "mercy".

When we submit to one another, we are surrendering to the power, to the will, and to the authority of another!

It should be obvious that these Scriptures describe the perfect marriage and the perfect family, but these must still be our goals.

*****Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

We must consider that "submission" is in fact the will of God and submission begins as we submit to the Lord.

We must always remember, God is a God of order!

We should remember what happened after Adam was disobedient to God being influenced by Eve. Adam allowed the love for his wife to come between him and the love for his Heavenly Father. This is the first step to a broken marriage!

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

The wife is to be in submission to their "own" husband, unless where God forbids. They are never to be in submission to anyone else as they submit to their own husband.

The obedience of the wife is at the same time the obedience paid to Jesus Christ!

Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, "as it is fit in the Lord".

No one, wife or husband, is to come between us and Christ!

Which means only Christ the Lord is to come between husband and wife!

In case you are not listening, these are the commandments of God and not suggestions!

If we are walking according to our Christian walk, as we have been learning throughout this great book of the Bible, "we will be walking down the path the Lord has chosen for us". It is only then we will know to take on a wife or a husband. It is only then that we can experience a loving and peaceful relationship under the watchful eyes of the Lord and be a benefit and blessing to Him!

Only after we have experienced the love of the Lord will we be capable to show that love to another human being!

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

As the woman loves the Lord, she can please the Lord if she submits herself to her husband!

In other words, God instructs all wives to walk in the "spirit" of submission with their husbands!

We are all to please the Lord so, the Christian wives are to set their lives upon pleasing the Lord and then pleasing their husbands.

We should understand the Christian marriage is a partnership of two, one man and one woman, in the service of the Lord!

1Co 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Each Christian family is to be the beginnings of a godly society!

We must also completely understand that God sees both the man and the woman as equals!

Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

This marriage of this man and this woman is to be God's example of His relationship to the Church!

*****Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, "so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing".

As God is speaking of the man being the head of the woman, God is speaking of function and order within the organization of the Church.

Every working organization will have a head and Jesus Christ is the Head of the church just as He is to be the Head of each family!

Just as Jesus Christ is the Savior of every believer, He is also the Savior of the Church!

The husband and wife relationship will work when they both desire "to please" rather than a desire "to be pleased"!

The true husband will govern his own household in the image of Jesus Christ who governs the Church!

The husband and wife relationship that is not working well, will also restrict their prayer life.

1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

The Christian husband and Christian wife relationship that is going sour, can also ruin the testimony of the Christian family.

Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, "that the word of God be not blasphemed".

We must completely understand, that none of these things show that God says the woman is inferior to the man. These things all mean that God is a God of order and discipline.

In fact, the true family will rest upon that godly wife!

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

Pro 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

There can never be two heads in any organization for that organization to work properly, and the family will not work without order and neither will the Church that the Lord built with His own blood!

*****Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

How does God love each of us? God has a selfless and unselfish love for each of us.

A giving love!

A sacrificial love.

A love of the mind as well as a love from the heart.

A love of commitment.

God's love, is a love that commits itself to the will of each believer.

This is the same love that the husband is to have for the wife!

This is also the love the Lord has for the true church, which is the object of our Savior's love!

The true church is made up of those who "were" defiled until they realized they needed a Savior!

By nature, the church is useless but, by God's "grace" and the Holy Spirit, the church is a major force against the evils and the immorality of this world. "All because of the Father's love for His Dear Son, and the Son's love for us all".

Joh 3:16 For God "so loved" the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus Christ loves His church!

The same standard of the husbands love for his wife is the love Jesus Christ has for His church!

We must remember the order of creation. The woman was made from man, after man, and for the man.

It is the duty of each man to love his own wife as Jesus Christ loves His Church.

***Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Eph 5:27 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.

The husband's love must be set apart and cleansed, just as the church.

To sanctify means to be set apart.

1) When a man has asked a woman for her hand in marriage, "then he must set himself apart" for her and her alone!

This means making an unbroken commitment to the wife he has chosen!

When the wife accepts her husband then she must also set herself apart, only for him.

Those that refuse to do so are already in a defiled marriage!

Just as the love the Lord has for the Bride of Christ, the husbands love, must be a sacrificial love!

2) Again, just as the Lord, the Lamb of God, the husband must remain without spot or wrinkle.

Spots would be abuse and mistreatment, loose behavior, immorality and other such things.

Wrinkles would be temper and reaction to temper, broken promises, neglect, selfishness, and rejection.

It is obvious that most every marriage is dependent on the love of the husband!

Very few wives would reject such love as a love that was like that of Christ for His church!

Again, what was the prayer of Jesus Christ?

Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

A marriage that is washed in the truth of the Word of God has the best chance of being a lasting marriage!

Therefore, God is so critical of divorce in such a marriage as two Christians in a marriage!

The Lord Jesus Christ will one day soon present a perfect church to His Father in Heaven as His bride and as Christians we will one day have reach this perfection.

This must be the goal of marriage, that the husband can present himself with that perfect everlasting partner in life!

Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Those who cannot love themselves have no business claiming to love someone else!

*****Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

We should see that the word "So" refers to the previous verse.

If that wife has not become a living breathing part of that husband, then to say he does not love her is to say that he does not love himself.

So, becomes the sin of that man!

This of course means that he is to love and cherish and provide for his wife, just as much as he loves and cherishes and provides for himself!

It is obvious that a marriage is a big step to take for every couple and these things should be taken into consideration.

It is also just as obvious that a marriage that is washed in the Word of God is a precious and wonderful partnership!

That word "nourish" means to feed, clothe, nurture, and look after that wife until she is the perfect wife.

That word "cherish" means to hold her ever so dear within his heart, to always be warm toward her with tenderness and care, affection and appreciation.

These words mean that it is a great obligation for a man to take a wife!

We could wonder then how can there be so many divorces in the Christian community?

It makes it easier to understand these words of the Apostle Paul:

1Co 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman".

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

1Co 7:7 "For I would that all men were even as I myself". But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

1Co 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, "It is good for them if they abide even as I".

That wife must be treated as a special gift of God!

What did Jesus say about divorce?

Mat 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Mat 19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

Mat 19:11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

The marriage must be a sacred bond between one man and one woman, who have already given themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ or there will be too many paths to failure!

*****Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, "and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh".

What is the perfect marriage? The husband has become "one" with his wife and the wife has become "one" with her husband!

Gen 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, "and called their name Adam", in the day when they were created.

This is the marriage that God first created by Jesus Christ! The very first marriage were one man and one woman who were one!

To be joined, is to be glued together with the substance of God's Word that cannot be broken!

This should be our goal today!

This man and this woman should be so close together in their relationship, that those that see them see only one!

This union is to be much more than just living together and sharing each other’s body!

The physical union of a marriage cannot reach its ultimate fulness without knowing the mercy and the love of God, as we see in these Scriptures.

This is a union that will share life with each other and then eternal life in God's Heaven, even though there is no marriage in Heaven we will know as we were known.

Mar_12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

The angels do not marry. In Heaven we will not be angels but there are no marriages in Heaven because we will be joined to the Lord, a much higher union than even the perfect marriage.

This does not mean we will not know each other!

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: "now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known".

You see the spiritual union of those in a godly marriage will always remain, at least this is what I believe. This is the thing that can only be done by those wonderful hands of God.

The greatest thing in the world is to know the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God and know that we will have life abundantly here and in Heaven with Him!

Then these two, who are joined in marriage, cannot know true life without the Lord, here and in Heaven!

They will submit themselves together in the fear of the Lord vs21!

Day by day they will set out to nourish each other vs29!

They will work together to become a living part of each other vs30!

If the Lord so compares the godly marriage to the marriage of the church to Himself, how can these things not be true.

The Lord says, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

If the Lord deliberately shares spiritual things with us all and truly molds one man to one woman into one flesh spiritually, then this to is one of the greatest gifts of God.

All these things are to teach us just how much Jesus Christ loves His Church!

Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

*****Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The true church, where the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head, is in an intimate union with Christ Himself!

The seat of worship is the heart of the believer!

Mar_12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

The union of the Lord Jesus with His church began when He took on the human nature and made it His own!

The Lord became flesh and dwelt among us and this has continued, with His union with the church!

The trouble in the marriage and the trouble in the church begins when either spouse becomes unwilling to be bound together by the Holy Spirit.

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

It is this same Spirit that this man and this woman is to be joined in a fruitful marriage!

But nevertheless.

*****Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The true marriage is a spiritual union that can only come by the hands of God!

Mat 19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

Mat 19:11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

More than two people just agreeing to live with each other as we see so much of today.

More than a natural affection or infatuation.

More than a piece of paper or a legal contract.

Marriage comes first from a commitment to the Lord in a union unlike any other union on the face of this earth!

Marriage is to be an example of the tender, sacrificial love that the Lord has for each of those who call upon His name!

The Christian home is to have an atmosphere of the Lord.

The Christian home is to be managed by the Lord.

The Christian home is not a partnership of two but of three, the husband, the wife, and Jesus Christ!

Amen