Ruth's Road

“Yet;yet;yet;yet: not”

Bamidbar/In the wilderness
Numbers 1:1 - 4:20
Hosea 1:10 - 2:22

As usual there is enough to write a large volume here, so I will just endeavor to stir your heart and interest to spend some time in these verses and ‘discover gold and silver’. Numbers begins, as you would expect, and ‘numbers’ the children of Israel. Since God however has chosen us (Jews and Gentiles) from before the foundation of the world and knows each of us; we aren’t just enumerated in His counting but personally set apart for His love and life before Him, all of our days. So, know, oh dear lover of the Living God, that you (Gentile), as well as His First Born, aren’t just a number in His glorious ‘spreadsheet’ of creation! Before we venture over to the haftorah in Hosea, I just want to note that Numbers is like a starting point for His people to express the wonders of the God of Israel before the nations. It’s like a parents’ plans for their children’s future with all their best intentions for them, and notice that He takes time to note their names…

Hosea ‘picks’ the story up a bit later in their history: how are these ‘hopes and aspirations’ being played out in real time? I feel that the first word in Hosea 1:10, gives a bit of warning for their condition: “yet”; though it may be used to indicate their condition; it is followed with the evidence of God’s heart and promise of redemption. Isn’t it awesome that we serve a God that doesn’t shy away from showing His best for us even in the negative circumstances of our lives (even the self-imposed ones). Here are a few of the ‘words’ flowing out of His “yet”: “Shall be as the sand of the sea”, “You are the sons of the Living God”, “Gathered together”, “My people”, and “Mercy is shown”...and this is mere a prelude to what is still ahead. Let’s now take a look at some of the causes of His “yet”: “Harlotries; adulteries; behaved shamefully; went after other lovers (false gods); she gave the elements meant to serve the One True God (My bread, My water, My wool, My linen, My oil, My drink, etc) to the false gods she pursued! Yet the Father’s love, “walls her in with hedges of thorns; keeps her from overtaking her false gods and unable to completely serve them”...”then she will say, “I will go and return to my first Husband, for then it was better for me than now ``''. Just like in the Book of Joel, He removes the grain, new wine, wool, linen and other crops that were used to “cover Israel’s nakedness” through the use of these elements in the tabernacle and the temple for sacrifices and celebrating their position as His people before the nations. Stop here for a moment and consider how tender it is for Him to see it as “covering their nakedness”; as we are all ‘naked’ without His covering us also.

In Hosea 2:10 the “lewdness” of serving these gods is seen for what it is, though these false gods require all sorts of perversion from those that serve them. In vs 11 He lets us see the Biblical Feasts as what caused mirth and rejoicing among His people. In vs 12 He will expose the lie that the false gods were capable of bringing any kind of blessing or abundance. Hear His heart in vs 13: “But Me she forgot, says the Lord''; how amazing that He cares and can be hurt… So how does He deal with this apostasy and unfaithfulness? Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her”.

Take a moment and experience with Israel, the God we serve! “She will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up from the land of Egypt” “You will call Me my Husband” “I will take from her mouth the names of the false gods” “I will betroth you to Me forever...in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy, I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord”. Soak it in! Soak in it! Let it rearrange your mind and heart. He then goes on to restore all that they needed to worship Him and have a life of abundance and joy. Oh, what a God we have been invited in to know! by john e
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Pondering on Shavuot
Christie’s Journal Entry
“I thought of those 50 days in between the barley and the wheat harvests. Counting of the Omer...Countdown to something... something is building to a crescendo... Something is ready to breakout...Expectation at a mountain in Exodus 19... Jesus tells them to wait with expectation of something to happen... Wait in Jerusalem. We know what happens in the book of Acts... When Shavuot or Pentecost had fully come... God poured out the Holy
Spirit... Just like when He brought the nation of Israel to Mount Sinai to enter into a marriage contract... But what happened during the counting of the Omer? What was God doing in the wilderness with His people to prepare a group of newly freed slaves to meet Him on a mountain? He was present with them every minute. He did not leave them for a second. It was not a time of silence. Similarly, what was Jesus doing from the time of His resurrection until the Shavuot? He appeared to many for 40 days... the disciples, served dinner, cooked dinner on the beach... Road to Emmaus, and John says in His gospel that Jesus did so many things that all the books in the world could not contain the record of all the things that He did!! But why did He disappear in the clouds at 40 days? What is the pattern of the 10 days between the time that he ascended in the clouds and Shavuot? Interesting. What message did Jesus send to His followers by His appearing those 40 days? It was though He was saying: “I am alive... I am present with you personally, and I care about the deep things of your heart... Thank you for following after Me, even when everything in the natural tried to defeat your faith... I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after me in the wilderness... You left all... gave up all... trusted Me when you have never even seen Me... thank you. You will not be disappointed. I know you cannot sustain yourself... I know you get discouraged... I know it seems like one big ‘hope deferred’ at times, but wait, keep trusting, keep walking through this barren wilderness where everything around you wants to say it is foolish to believe... that you are wasting your life... I am here... I am present... you will not be disappointed... thank you for your kindness in following after Me.” What is our heart posture today as we wait for this appointment? Remember, God just delivered a group of slaves with mighty signs and wonders out of an evil land and killed the one who held them captive. The Lord was more than a benevolent deliverer that felt sorry for His people... He was executing a plan that He, the Father and the Holy Spirit set in motion before the world was created. He was after a partner, a Bride and He was taking them somewhere. The next “moed” was under a bridal chuppah on a mountain and when God “proposed” all the nation of Israel said yes. Their identity changed from slaves to priests and kings then to a bride on a mountain. Why? Because He was reminding them of why He was coming in the future! To restore face to face relationship that He had in the garden. The book of Ruth is a picture of the future Gentile bride being grafted in (Romans 11); a girl from a pagan culture who is a poor beggar after her husband’s death and becomes a redeemed mother of Israel that brought forth the future Messiah. Barley to wheat... Poor to rich... Forsaken and barren to married, chosen and fruitful... it is an amazing story, and it is ours! Jesus was sown as the suffering servant Messiah into the ground during the Feast of Unleavened bread, and three days later was resurrected at the time of the First Fruits of the barley harvest (the poorest of crops), 49 days later (after the counting of the omer) the wheat crop came up (the richest crops). This is the Festival of Weeks or Shavuot, which He fulfilled by pouring out His spirit! From flat matzah at Passover to abundant loaves at Shavuot... what a great picture! Jesus betrothed us in the upper room. He paid a bride price with His blood, and left a bride gift at Shavuot/Pentecost, His Holy Spirit in us! We have a legal bridal identity. The release of joy was bridal wine... An expression of how we are now to be living and carrying our heart. Mary of Bethany, relational heart. She was the wise virgin... Martha was the foolish virgin who lived out of issues, theology and doing...instead of devotional, sitting at His feet. It is not a contrast between righteous and wicked, but between wise and foolish. Being in love automatically makes us wise, because we become lovesick.” - End of journal entry-

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“Sand Isn’t the Foundation”

Bechukotai/In My statutes
Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Promises and problems...think about the ‘promises’ for the future of whatever country you may be living in; things written in the official documents that were used to establish order there and your history...some of course have worked out better than others, but we could all say they are the work of previous leaders who had your best interests in mind or had either no or very little concern for your personal welfare. This, you might say, is the plight of all people upon the earth! However, there is one nation that is different; it is the land and people of Israel! (With that in mind, we may use that truth to inform our minds and hearts, how we look at these people and this land…especially when you consider where these foundations came from and Who laid them.) These foundations aren’t full of shifting sand like those written by mere mortals; they are established first in heaven by the Lord God Almighty, King of the whole earth...and established upon the earth through the ‘agency’ of His word and His First Born (Israel) for all to see (a light to the nations).

In the reading in Leviticus, He lays out what you might say is the ‘constitution of heaven’ for the earth and His people to prosper and have abundant life; contrasted by what the gods of this world cause to happen to His people (and all people), that become subject to them instead of Him. He doesn’t even need to judge His people, because the atmosphere and rule of these gods is judgement in itself! Oh, for the mercy and longsuffering of our God! He is so faithful to His promises and intentions for the Children of Israel; not only for Himself; but for all of mankind to see what His rulership looks like in flesh and blood. Even where the Jewish people were failing; He sent Jesus as a full demonstration of His love and rule.

So today as you read these scriptures, don’t get lost in the details, but consider what they were meant to produce upon the earth as we await His return… Consider the suffering we see around the entire earth and the failings of even good men and women to lead the nations of the earth, and rejoice in a God that has a better way and hasn’t given up on His plan!

Jeremiah 16:19-21: 19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.” 20 Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods? 21 “Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord.

He has given His word; the nation of Israel...and His Beloved Son, to cause righteousness to be seen upon the earth and populate heaven with its inhabitants...Praise the Lord of Glory! by john eisner

Bonus thought: In the Book of Ephesians it mentions that we are built on the "foundation of the apostles and prophets", I believe at times this has been misconstrued to refer to the men themselves...as a result we get whole movements and denominations built on the words or placement of men. Boy what an unfortunate opportunity to be built on 'shifting sand'! We are so fortunate that the Holy One of Israel is building His Glorious House (us; living stones, a dwelling place for God upon the earth) on the foundation of the apostles and prophets: the living word of God; the tenach, the scriptures! We are grateful for the faithful leaders that have come over the years, but they were never meant to be our foundation, not even the apostle Peter...his revelation, not his person! je

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counting the omer

God has always had marriage with His people as the central motivation of redemption. He wants a pure Bride worthy of His Son and a holy, redeemed earth to dwell with her as in the beginning. There was a legal betrothal at Mt. Sinai, but the people did not go up the mountain for the consummation. Only Moses went up and the cloud came down. (More on that when we look at the fall feasts!) Remember, in an ancient Jewish wedding, after the betrothal, you have only entered into the first half...the contractual phase of the marriage. You are spoken for, paid for in full and set apart. This was the case of Mary and Joseph and when pregnant with Jesus, it appeared to others that she had broken the marriage covenant by being unfaithful. At the last supper, the Passover Seder with His disciples, Jesus turned the third cup into a betrothal cup like we have already established. He paid for us in full with His own blood, but the second part of the wedding, the consummation, will be at His second coming. Also, we see an interesting parallel to the end of Song of Solomon and the end of Revelation. The Song of Solomon... the song of romance about God and His people Israel, does not end with a marriage being consummated. There is a bridegroom wooing a young woman calling her, “His sister, his spouse” (SOS 4:9,10), but the song ends in SOS 8:14, with her yearning for him to return to consummate the wedding: “Make haste, my beloved, And be like a gazelle, Or a young stag ,On the mountains of spices”. Interestingly, it is the same cry of a Bride in Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”
I believe it is safe to assume that the second part of our wedding ceremony... the consummation, is in our future. A bride-price (mohar) has been paid with the blood of Jesus. He left a gift as a promise of His return (at Shavuot/Pentecost) to complete the wedding once the bridal chamber was ready... the gift of His Holy Spirit in us, but I believe there is more! The covenant contract of betrothal (called a ketubah) given to the nation of Israel was the Ten Commandments, written on stone. The contract of betrothal in the New Covenant, promised by God in Jeremiah 31, was the Holy Spirit in us... written on our hearts. At the second part of a wedding, the consummation, a deeper union takes place. The only thing Paul had to describe this consummation is when a husband and wife become one flesh. He says in Ephesians 5:31,32,
“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
I think this is one of the most astounding verses in the whole Bible! Paul just told us a great mystery, perhaps never been spoken before. He was speaking of a time coming in the future... at the wedding consummation for all those who love Jesus... a time when we will experience a union with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, like there has never been. Jesus spoke of it in one of His last, heart-wrenching prayers to the Father before He died. Jesus prays in John 17:21:"That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us.” Paul said he betrothed us to Jesus in 2 Corinthians 11:2: "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Of course, it goes without saying that this future union that occurs at the consummation is NOT sexual as it is between a man and a woman on earth. Paul used this picture because it is the closest example that we have. It is only a shadow of what is to come at the ultimate union of Christ and His church when we become totally one with the Godhead. We cannot even begin to imagine what that will be and that is why Paul says it is a “great mystery”. But it will be a gloriously great reality one day. I have had people over the years, especially men, react to the idea of being a bride.
This is because the only imagery we have of a bride is of a woman on her wedding day, coming down the aisle in a long white dress. The Bride of Christ is both female and male and we will be dressed in pure, white linen. On that Day, we will get a glimpse that the coming union is spiritual and not carnal.... something never experienced before because to have complete union with a holy God, we will need a resurrected, holy body. Let’s let our anticipation build, believing for a bridal encounter at Shavuot! By Christie Eisner

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“God’s treasure keepers”

Behar/On the Mount
Leviticus 25:1-26:2
Jeremiah 32:6-27

Do we stand on one side of the road and see God’s judgments and displeasure; or on the other side and see the abundant grace in His promises for a future and abundant life? Take some time if you can and read the torah portion in Leviticus and consider the magnificence of the Lord of Glory’s economic system, that makes man’s versions so one dimensional in comparison and scope. This week however, I want to focus on the haftorah portion: Jeremiah 32:6-27. I have to admit that I don’t totally understand the context of their situation being in what seems to be prison; yet there is obviously some ability to meet and buy and sell… So, Jeremiah buys a piece of land, making sure it’s totally legal and then the Lord says:

14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.” 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

The Lord in His all knowing, helps the children make provision for their unseen future; here they are in captivity, and He instructs them to put the deed in an earthen vessel that will last “many days”... With just a few words the Holy One of Israel gives them perspective and hope at the same time: He is so good! Thus, even in a time of judgments Jeremiah is able to respond:

17 ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 18 You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. 19 You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

God isn’t trying to produce theologians, but lovers of Him and His ways! An earthen vessel is used to produce a heart that can know God! Nothing with Him goes to waste; what a God we serve; the gods of this world should not even be able to tempt us… Jeremiah and the people of God are also encouraged by knowing their history with Him:

20 You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself a name, as it is this day. 21 You have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror…

Let’s become aware of our heritage in the Lord; whether you are a Jew and can easily access these words of the Lord, or as a Gentile know that you have been grafted into this “household of the Living God” through the blood of Jesus. Our present situation is held in the loving hands of the Creator of all that ever was and shall be! Enjoy the comfort of that truth and let it pe*****te your very being and not just your mind! Isn’t it amazing that He put His treasure in these (us) earthen vessels, to preserve that treasure for the future!

“But what got them in this captivity?” you might ask…:

22 You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them—“a land flowing with milk and honey.” 23 And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.

Note to self: it’s not the devil! When the Children of Israel enter into captivity, it is actually the beginning of their redemption, as seen in God’s promises to them; will end here, not to belabor the point: God is so good! by john eisner

Bonus verse for you Gentiles: Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you (Gentiles) are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints (Children of Israel) and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (the Tenach, not the men!), Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you (Jew and Gentile) also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
I would like to invite you to consider reading my book available on amazon: “The Book of Ephesians…a love story to the Gentiles” by john eisner

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“Revelation not promotion”

Emor/Speak
Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Ezekiel 44:15-31

I think this week I will focus on the Haftorah, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Christie’s books on the Biblical Feasts, since her ‘mandate’ comes up this week in Leviticus 23; so kindly check out her two books: “Finding the Afikoman” and “Watching and Waiting”, by Christie Eisner; found on amazon.com

On to Ezekiel 44:15-31; what a privilege we have to have the light of God reflecting upon His Word and our hearts, so we can drink from His river of Life, as we read and allow the word to wash over us. Every week as I wonder if there is anything that I can put before you; I am so thankful that even if no one reads a word of what I write; I get to spend this time with the Lord. This passage seems to focus on clothing; what it’s made of and what is worn...but of course, that is merely the surface. It almost takes some ‘recalibrating’ for us not to see holy behavior or holy expectations as duty or imposition upon our ‘free will’; whereas biblically speaking, holiness is a gift; a privileged place in the presence of the Living God; a delight. Even in the first verse, we… “(15) the sons of Zadok get to stand before the Lord, Himself.”... get to! While they do this relational duty, they wear linen and no wool: “nothing that causes sweat”.

Could it be that it’s ‘no sweat’ to serve God, in holiness? No self-effort. When they come out of His presence and stand before the people; they take these special ‘holy’ clothes off, because some things in our lives are meant only for the Lord. What if some of the greatest revelations or experiences we have with Him in private, are not meant to be shared? What if even in the name of encouraging the body of Christ, or even building our ministries...or whatever? I wonder if we would have more, let’s say burning bush experiences if they were treated as holy… I had a friend once tell me, “Revelation is for intimacy; promotion comes from the Lord; revelation isn’t for promotion”. Wow!

So, this week let’s work on learning how to ‘go in’ to the Lord’s presence, and how ‘to come out’ of His presence. May our hearts grow to overflowing, as we learn to value those precious moments and pour them out as ointment upon His feet. Think about it; when Mary poured the precious ointment upon Jesus’ head; everywhere He went they could smell Mary’s ‘fragrance’; Jesus humbled Himself to carry her ‘testimony’ everywhere He went...even upon the cross as the wind blew upon His mangled body, drenched with Mary’s ointment… Stop and take a breath! by john eisner

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Today I want to share with you an excerpt from my book, Finding the Afikoman: encountering Jesus in the spring feasts, pp.21-24, to continue emphasizing our bridal identity.

I have come to realize that not only is the bridal paradigm a central theme of the entire Bible, it is also the thread that runs through the Jewish festivals. A few years ago it finally occurred to me, “Lord, wait, I finally get it! All these feasts are about a wedding! Is that right?” He said, “Yes, the passion of My heart is to redeem My bride. They are all about a wedding.” Wow! It all started to make sense and then I realized that the encounters I had along the way were not disconnected at all, but have served to open my eyes to this reality.

Gary Weins says in his book, Bridal Intercession, p.10: “The culmination of human history is a wedding ceremony... It is this reality that God has held in His heart from the beginning of time. Because this has always been the goal, we can therefore interpret all of His dealings with human beings in the light of this exhilarating fact.” Gary goes on to say: “...the bridal analogy is indeed a central theme, (if not the central theme) of God's revelation to us, which provides an interpretive key to understanding His dealings with us... Once we begin to see that is so, and begin to interpret the realities of scripture... the history of Israel, the coming of Christ, His life, His death and resurrection, His dealings with us as we attempt to walk out the life of faith... from the perspective of His heart as the eternal Bridegroom, we begin to understand the unfolding realities of our lives in a completely different way. He has always dealt with us from this perspective. We were created and redeemed for romance.”

When we look to the end of the story we can see what has been the consuming passion of God’s heart from the time man and woman, the crown of His creation, first fell away from Him in the garden. What is the intense focal point... the target-vision... the thing first and foremost on God's heart? What is His purpose in sending Jesus to redeem a people and a planet? Where is this whole thing headed that sums up the point of 6000 years of history? The answer is found in Revelation 19:6-9 and 21:2-4:

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

This is the climax to all of human history... that Day when all things are redeemed and restored and all evil has been removed from the earth, and Jesus reveals His Bride who is perfect and glorious, to all the earth. In a later chapter, I will share with you the traditions of an ancient Jewish wedding that were part of the culture in Jesus’ day. But I want to give you one tidbit from that tradition that is important in order to appreciate the fullness of this epic, final scene in the book of Revelation. The word “Apocalypse”, conjures up horrific images in our minds of total destruction and chaos. The word in Greek is,“apokalypsis” meaning, “unveiling”. A bride in ancient Israel was veiled to the public, but when the bride and groom come out of a wedding chuppah, the bridegroom unveils her for the wedding feast and proudly puts her on display for all to see! I believe that it was from this glorious perspective, that the apostle John was undone watching the grand finale, or closing scene of this age. It was the breathtaking moment of the revelation, or unveiling, of His Bride!!!
By Christie Eisner

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To understand His heart that is expressed through the writing of the prophets. I was asked to teach a small class on the festivals and we had just finished experiencing the beautiful story of redemption and deliverance that is in the Passover Seder. They could not wait to hear my teaching on Shavuot and I was not feeling much life on it. I could share the wedding picture that Rabbi Greenberg had helped me to see in Exodus 19, and that was good, but I ached to know more. We can strive to understand something in the Word but try as we might, head knowledge just isn't the same as those pearls of revelation understanding that just suddenly come and you know that you are getting something you could never have seen on your own. That is what happened twenty minutes before I walked into class to teach on Shavuot.

In the spring of 2012, I had a revelation of Him in Shavuot that I believe is a key
I was sitting in my car and said to the Lord, “I know there is something more to this feast, I have felt that for years, but I don't get it. Where is your heart in it?” Almost instantly I felt Him answer, and what He said still makes me cry every time I share it. He said, “It is where I made My heart vulnerable.” I sat there stunned. What? How can God ever be vulnerable to man? Impossible. Unthinkable! But then the revelation began to unfold. I hope you stop and pause and take in what I am about to say because this is not theology or information; this is about God’s feelings and the magnitude of it is absolutely heartbreaking.

From what I can see in scripture, up until this moment on Mt. Sinai God had not revealed Himself as a Bridegroom. It is a rich study to look at how God reveals His character through His different names at strategic times in the Old Testament. I would highly recommend reading The Names of God by Andrew Jukes. It is another tool that the Lord used to help me get to know Him more intimately. We see that He is Elohim, the mighty creator God in Genesis, Who is in covenant with all that He created. Then, later in Genesis, He appears to Abraham in a tender way and calls him His friend and reveals Himself as El Elyon, the “Lord Most High”, ruler over heaven and earth. We see the revelation of Jehovah (YHWH), working mighty signs and wonders, delivering the children of Israel from Egypt with a mighty outstretched arm and yet demanding righteousness and holiness, and warns Israel not to worship other gods,

“...For I, the LORD (Jehovah) your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

As El Shaddai, He reveals His provision and protection in the wilderness after delivering His people out of Egypt. Andrew Jukes says, “This is El Shaddai, the ‘Pourer-forth,' Who pours Himself out for His creatures; Who gives them His lifeblood; Who ‘sheds forth His spirit,' and says, ‘come unto Me and drink; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.’” (Andrew Jukes, Names of God, p.69)

He is their cloud by day and their fire by night. He feeds them manna to eat and brings forth water from a rock, while protecting them from all their enemies. Then He takes them to a mountain, (“I will take you as My people...” (Ex. 6:7)), and something astonishing happens. He legally betroths His people to Himself; and just like the requirement in an ancient wedding ceremony, once the bride agrees, the contract (called a ketubah) is written down by the groom (the 10 commandments), and from that day on the covenant of marriage is legal. Looking through this lens, you can now read Deuteronomy 28, the blessings and curses, and understand God's promise of blessing to a faithful bride and His warning of judgment to an unfaithful one.

Once He becomes a Bridegroom, everything changes. Any man who is married can understand this vulnerability that the bride you marry holds your heart in their hand and if they leave to go after another you could be devastated. This is what Israel did to the Lord, and the anguish of God’s broken heart over His unfaithful wife is heard throughout the writing of the prophets. Let’s read some of these and let your heart feel God’s emotions in light of this perspective. Look up Jer. 2:2, 5-6; Jer. 3:20; Ez. 6:9; Ezk.16:1-14, 17; Ezek. 16:32, 38; Jer. 31:31-34; Is. 54:5-8; and Hosea 2:16, 19-20.

Do we think it is any different for us? We are betrothed to the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings. Every time we take communion, we should remember that third cup that Jesus took with His disciples the night before He died. We need to encourage and strengthen our hearts with this bridal reality that we are a betrothed people! Jesus paid the bride price for us with His blood and left the bridal gift of His Spirit dwelling within us! He is serious about this covenant that cost Him everything... He is not going to lose His bride! He is building a bridal chamber and when the Father says it is ready, He is coming to get us! Because of this, when we take communion, let's rejoice as we remember this exhilarating truth. More than lowly sinners hoping to be worthy to take the cup; we are a redeemed bride being made spotless and proclaiming the Day coming when the shofar blast will sound and the proclamation is heard, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!”

By Christie Eisner

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