BETROTHAL . . .
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.” Luke 1:26,27 (ESV)
The customs relating to marriage were quite different in Bible times than what we follow today. To begin, young people in the Bible were likely married in their early or middle teens. Usually by age 20 most had married.
Arranging a marriage was a long process that began with the betrothal or pledge. The betrothal was as binding as marriage, and it was considered to be permanent. It included the couple, the parents, and a negotiator. A young man might give hints to his parents regarding a young lady. His parents would then set up a meeting with the girl’s parents. Then a negotiator would step in and work with the parents to decide who would bring what to the marriage. Often this was done in writing.
On the day of betrothal, the fathers signed the agreement, and the young man gave a gift to his future bride. The marriage ceremony would be scheduled nine to twelve months later. Throughout this time, the young couple could not be alone together because it was a disgrace for the young lady to become pregnant. This explains Joseph’s dilemma when Mary was found to be pregnant. Matthew 1:18,19 (ESV) says, “When [Jesus’] mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
Often we picture God’s church as the bride and Jesus as the bridegroom. Revelation 19:7 leaves us with this beautiful thought: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”
From: Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer