Why did Jesus have to die? A question that many have asked over the years and the answer that Christianity provides is atonement, and though that is by itself enough, is it the WHOLE story? What if I told you the Bible is a love story like no other love story ever written, and that everything points to the love of a Bridegroom for His Bride? What if God chose to die as an ultimate dowry for the bride He so faithfully loved and desired to win her affection? Please read on and judge for yourself whether the framework of the entirety of Scripture could be considered the Greatest Love Story Ever Told.
God in His creative genius created and established the institute of marriage as a special covenant between one man and one woman. He did this by forming the woman out of the body of the man. When God created the man, everything needed to form the woman was contained in the man's body; they were therefore created at the same time. God then took her out of his body and ultimately reunited them as one flesh. This statement “…they shall be one flesh” is a bit mysterious; obviously the two remain separate entities, but are united in a way that causes them to be one. Does this refer to child bearing? Or does this refer to the special bond that forms between husband and wife?
“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:22-24
A man shall cleave to his wife. This word cleave is a verb meaning to cling, stay close, stick with…in other words they become inseparable, when you think of one you think of the other they are a team that is closer than any other kind of relationship. God established a similar relationship between Himself and the nation of Israel immediately after rescuing them from Egypt.
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6
God promises to establish Israel as His people, a peculiar treasure valued above all else on the condition that they are obedient to Him. In Leviticus He further explains that He will live among them and walk among them as His own people.
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” Leviticus 26:9-12
Later in Deuteronomy, God provides His instruction on marriage as it pertains to divorce. The husband, by law, is required to put a bill of divorce in his wife’s hand.
“When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.” Deuteronomy 24:1
We can see that throughout Scripture, time and time again Israel plays the harlot and shows her unfaithfulness to God by her adulterous “flings” with the gods of other nations. She is compared to a threacherous wife
“Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:20
Centuries later after forgiving them over and over for their continuous whoring after idols and other gods, God finally divorces Israel and issues her a bill of divorcement in accordance with His law.
“The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce…” Jeremiah 3:6-8
According to Deuteronomy, once a wife has been given a bill of divorce she is free to be another man’s wife.
“And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.” Deuteronomy 24:2
The problem is here given; once a woman is divorced from her first husband and she chooses to marry another who subsequently divorces her, it is unlawful for the first husband to take her back. It is even considered an abomination before God.
“And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD ….” Deuteronomy 24:3-4
So now the problem is established; God divorces Israel, she subsequently whores after Baal, Ashteroth and an assortment of other foreign gods making it impossible for God to re-establish the marriage covenant with Israel and be in compliance with His own law. Yet God says that He will again have Israel as his bride.
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Isaiah 62:5
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.” Joel 2:16-17
And finally…
“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20
“And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” Hosea 2:23
“Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.” Numbers 30:13-15
The stage is set, how will God accomplish the impossible and yet retain the integrity of His Word? How will a loving Husband free His bride from the curse of adultery when His law states clearly that it is unlawful for the husband to re-marry his divorced wife. Paul, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, keenly explains the impossible technicality in the law that an all-powerful God makes possible.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
“The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:39
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.” Romans 7:2-3
When her husband dies, the divorced wife is free from the curse of adultery, she is free to marry WHOMEVER she will. The word whomever is key, because that whomever could also include her first husband. Huh, you ask? Oh yes, she would be free to marry whomever, but in order for her to be free from the curse her first husband would have to die so how would she marry her first husband? Thus the technicality provided that only God could exploit, and He did for the love of His bride.
“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4
Paul brings his point to a climatic conclusion in his letter to the Romans 7:4. By Christ suffering death he voided the curse and by raising Himself again ALIVE, He again is an eligible bachelor for His bride. God loves His people so much that He died for them, but didn’t just die, He suffered and bled and accomplished the impossible task of maintaining the integrity of His Word while saving His people from their sin through His atoning blood.
There is still one aspect of the law that has yet to be fulfilled…
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10
The adulteress was freed from the curse of the law to be put to death by the action of her bridegroom, but the adulterer is to be put to death. He that lured away the wife of the Lord will have “Hell to Pay!” for his crime against the Bridegroom, and it will be administered by the Father.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
And finally the marriage of the Lamb of God, who is the bride? John is a witness.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
The Spirit AND the Bride say come…
“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” Ephesians 6:19
“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 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. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:30-32
There is a great misconception of this word church, ἐκκλησία ekklēsia, it does not refer to a building and it does not originate in the New Testament with the book of Acts, this word ekklesia is a gathering or an assembly and one of the definitions is a “gathering of Israelites” . Ok, but what does that do for me, I’m not an Israelite? Wrong! If you, by the grace of God, accept Christ as your savior, no matter what your heritage, you are grafted into the blessing of Israel. Not replacing Israel, but becoming one with Israel. The Spirit and the Bride say come…
“And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.” Romans 11:17
The “church” always was and always will be the assembly of His people, His body if you will, the body of Christ. Therefore, out of His body shall be taken His Bride. As it was in the beginning so shall it be in the end.
