A Marriage Made in Heaven

During my days of teaching at Fort Wayne Bible College, I witnessed a very romantic event, as a young man dramatically proposed marriage to a young lady that he had been dating for quite some time. In the cafeteria during the lunch hour, he presented her with a dozen long-stemmed red roses and even knelt before her to ask her to marry him. His planning revealed his deep love, and those observing gave the couple a standing ovation of congratulations. In God’s Word, the bride and bridegroom idea is readily used by God to express His love for His people. In Isaiah 62:5, for instance, the prophet writes,

“...as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

As the Church, we are the focus of our Lord’s delight, and He is even not preparing us to be with Him forever. And as the young lady eagerly responded to the proposal, so we shall willingly respond to the advances of the Divine Bridegroom. His preparation also expresses the extent of His constant love for us, and all of heaven rejoices. In the New Testament, Paul gives us a beautiful commentary on this text.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless.”
--Ephesians 5:25-27

Song:

The bride eyes not her garment,
But her sweet Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace.

Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hand:
The Lord is all the glory
Of Emmanuel’s land.
--Anne Ross Cousin