BRIDE . . .
“Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments?” Jeremiah 2:32
Bible weddings were conducted differently from what we are accustomed to today. After a somewhat lengthy betrothal period, the day for the wedding finally arrived. On that day the bride was dressed in white. Isaiah 61:10 adds that the bride “adorns herself with her jewels.” Psalm 45:13,14 tells us, “Her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king.” The bride also wore a veil, as we read in the story of Jacob and Leah.
We know that early in Jesus’ ministry he attended a wedding in the village of Cana. There, along with his mother and some disciples, he feasted and enjoyed the company of friends and family until they ran out of wine. We enjoy reading how that story ends.
As we find so many times in the Bible, the idea of a bride has two meanings. First, a bride is the new wife of a husband. But it carries a much deeper meaning than that. In the New Testament we see that the bride is the Church, and the bridegroom is Jesus. As Christ’s bride, the Church has love only for the bridegroom and promises to remain a faithful bride.
As the bridegroom, Christ promises his faithfulness to his bride. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” And Revelation 21:9 says, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
From: Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer