Wedding Thoughts- Part One

On Sunday I had the privilege of witnessing a wedding ceremony during our worship service. (Congratulations Steve and Victoria! May God bless both of you in this covenant!) Our pastor has been preaching a series about Jesus called “One Extraordinary Life”. Our text was John 2, which tells us about a wedding that Jesus attended as a guest. Besides the things I learned from our Pastor, some other things jumped out at me in the text.

The first of these was the phrase, “On the third day.” I've heard those words before. Is there significance here? What else has happened on the third day? When Jesus was telling his disciples about the events that would soon be occurring, he told them that he would be killed and on the third day raised to life (Mt. 16:21). Is there a reason that Jesus first miracle and the beginning of his public ministry also occurs on a third day?

Then I pondered why his first miracle was at a wedding. Was this important? As I thought more, tears formed in my eyes. A wedding? Isn’t Jesus whole ministry really about a wedding? Didn’t Jesus come to find his beloved and bring her to Him? Isn’t a wedding a natural place to start? (I still have questions regarding Jesus’s words in vs. 3, but I think I’ll save that for a little later.)


I wanted to know more about weddings in Jesus’s time, so I did a little digging. (I’m beginning to love digging!) At this time when a man found his beloved, he wrote a marriage covenant. He proposed the Ketubah, or marriage covenant, to his beloved and her father. Included in this proposal was a “bride price”, which was intended to cover the cost of raising his beloved. It also spoke of his love for her. Our Savior paid for us with His own blood. Surely we are precious to Him!

Next, the young man poured a cup of wine. If the beloved accepted the offer, she would drink this cup. The covenant was thought of as a blood covenant. The couple was now betrothed and bound by a covenant that can only be broken by divorce. Jesus has offered us a cup of wine. We find this cup being offered at the Last Supper in Mt. 26:27-28. Jesus said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.” When Jesus offered this cup he was saying, “Will you marry me?”

At this time the young man gave his beloved gifts and left her. The beloved waited for him to return for her. During this time she prepared herself for that day. The young man was also making preparations. He went to his father’s house and prepared a room in it for his bride. He could only return for his bride when the father approved of his preparations. If someone asked him what day he would be bringing her home, he replied, “Only the father knows.” Are there some tingles in your toes as you read this? Our groom has gone to prepare a place for us. He told us so in John 14:2. Jesus has gone to His Father’s house and is busy preparing a place for us. Can you imagine what He’s up to? And he will return for us. He’ll return when the place is approved by his father. Only the Father knows when that will be, but we can be sure it will happen!


Finally the day came for the groom to bring his bride to his father’s house. The bride and groom went to their room for a honeymoon that lasted seven days. It was at this time that the covenant was consummated. The guests in the house celebrated for those seven days. Talk about a party! At the end of the seven days, the husband and wife would join the guests for a wedding supper. What a time it will be when Jesus returns for His bride!

We'll return back to John 2 and the wedding Jesus was attending in the next post.

Hard Thinking

Recently I started reading Cultivating a Life for God, by Neil Cole. It's making me think. I like books that make me think. I don't like books that make me think. You know what I mean?

I'm still thinking, but I wanted to process a bit now, so you get the joy of reading a "processing post". Cultivating a Life for God is a book about discipleship. It's not just about a formula per se, but it does examine how the church in the United States handles discipleship and the ways it is lacking. It also shares principles that can be put into action to lead to growth in making disciples.

A primary principle is that growth of any kind comes from God and not by the efforts of anyone else. I can't make myself grow, nor can I make anyone else grow. God is the source of life transforming power. The best way I can reach out to someone is to tell them about how God's life transforming power has worked in my life. It's simply sharing what has happened in my life. AND simply sharing that with people I'm in contact with.

Take a look at the ninth chapter of John sometime. It's the chapter that tells us about a blind man that was healed by Jesus and then brought to the Pharisees because Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. This man's life was touched by God's life transforming power, and because of this he could see for the first time in his life. And he could probably see many things clearer than those that had been "seeing" for all of their lives. This is the type of man that Neil Cole says has a great opportunity. He simply has to tell people the people he hung out with the way that Jesus changed his life.

But why does what is simple seem so hard? When have you last shared with someone how Jesus changed your life? Does anyone else struggle in this area? Are any of you like me- You know you were blind, but God's grace reached you at such a young age that it's hard to remember what it was like to be blind and your world was so small anyway that the blindness didn't seem so crippling? I know I have a great story, because it's God's work and what was once dead is now alive, but it just doesn't seem to have the punch that other stories have. I don't really want to trade my experience, but at the same time, I wish I could better express to someone just how life transforming Jesus is with some pretty exciting black and white examples.

To make the simple seem even less simple, I seem to have created a "Christian" bubble around me. This is even more true since becoming a SAHM. It's hard to find someone to share with in the context of a meaningful relationship.

As I share all this, I know that God has given me a story nonetheless. It is a story that is amazing because the main character is about this incredible God who blows your mind away with the way He works. The story includes me, but really I'm not the main character. I'm there as Ephesians 2:7 says, "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all that he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (NLT). AND I know that He brings people my way and will continue to do so if I'm intentionally seeking to listen to His plans and obey Him.

BUT I'm still thinking and examining my heart. I hope my hard thinking will prompt you to do some hard thinking, too.

I'd love to know how God's story includes a chapter with your name on it. Feel free to tell that part of the story as a comment and let's give God all the glory!

A Different Kind of Celebration

I know if you've been reading my blog I told you I'd get off the celebration theme, but this kind of celebration is different!

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party, 2009! The ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom's have created a great way for people to connect in the blog world. Click on the banner to learn more and join the party.

If you've joined me from the party, welcome! Let me introduce myself. I'm Melissa, the wife of Dear Husband, the stay at home mom of almost two year old Little Man, and a woman who desires to follow after God with all her heart. Since I stay at home a lot, blogging has done much to help keep me thinking and stay connected to people. I started blogging when Little Man was about to make his grand entrance to the world. Just this year I began this blog because I wanted a place where I could process and share what I was learning. I belong to a great body of believers, but felt that God was leading me to share in this arena. This blog is still growing; you might want to think of it in some kind of caterpillar stage. It's also a pretty serious site...sorry no giveaways, no cute themes yet, and lots of reading. Regardless, of how it changes, I want it always to be a place where you can find some encouragement by connecting to someone who's trying to be the woman God sees her to be.

You might want to check out these posts if you're interested in learning a little more about the site.
Servant's Heart
Something To Share With A Mom
Book Chat
Let's Celebrate

Back to the party! There's nothing like having a reason to celebrate. Here's what I'm celebrating today:
1. I can see some brown grass and not just a foot of snow in my Maine front yard. AND the calendar says it's spring.


2. Little Man can say Thank You and said it to me on his own without any prompting when I have him some yogurt today.


3. Ice Cream---and the opening of our local ice cream location


4. My God who hasn't given up on me even when He needs to keep repeating the lessons He wants me to learn.

5. The Internet, which allows me to keep in touch with family and friends, and meet new folks like you!



Before you leave, I'm curious. What are you celebrating right now?

Watch the Lamb

Thank you, my dear Jesus.

Festival of Harvest-Pentecost

Thanks for sticking with me as I've looked at the celebrations spoken of in Leviticus 23. I know it's been a little tedious, but I've learned much. I'm going to wrap up this thread of posts though, by writing about the final spring festival.

The Festival of Harvest is celebrated 49 days after the Feast of First Harvest. (50 days total, which is where we get the word Pentecost.) The Festival of Harvest was a time when the spring wheat harvest was being gathered.

Historically it correlates with the Israelites receiving the Torah, or Law. When the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai, they purrified themselves for 2 days and were to receive God's word on the third day. They were not to approach the mountain. It was covered with dense clouds, fire, smoke, and there was thunder and lightening. God wrote his commands on 2 tablets of stone. It's also significant that when Moses came down from the mountain and found the people worshipping a golden calf, God judged the nation and 3,000 people died (Ex. 32:28).

God used this festival to point to the giving of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Jesus's resurrection and the beginning of a harvest of believers. God offered a new covenant through Jesus and the Holy Spirit was given as a promise to those that entered the covenant. Acts 2 tells us about the Holy Spirit's arrival at Pentecost. When Peter, who is filled with the Spirit, speaks to the crowd gathered to celebrate Pentecost, 3,000 people believe and enter the new covenant.

Pentecost was celebrated by offerings, one of which was a new grain offering. They were to offer 2 loaves of bread. These were not unleavened loaves, but rather loaves made with yeast. This is very different from the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. Why the differnece? My readings told me that Christ was represented by the unleavened bread in the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. He was without sin, so therefore, the bread was without yeast. However, the bread at Pentecost represents the nation of Israel and the church. Both contain sin, so the bread contains yeast.

The Festival of Harvest was the last of the spring festivals and the beginning of the gathering of grains. In the fall, another set of festivals would be celebrated that correlates with the gathering of the fruit harvest. We are living in the times of plentiful harvest. Let us pray to the Lord of the Harvest and ask him to send out workers. Let us also be about the work that God has given us. The fall festivals give us information about Jesus second coming and the Final Harvest. I'll be studying, but unless I find something that I just have to share with you, I think the blog will take a break from all this celebrating. (I know some of you are dancing with joy!)

Festival of Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-17 gives us background information about the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The feast lasts 7 days, during which no one is to eat bread made with yeast. In the Bible leaven or yeast is a symbol for sin. The Israelites were to be a people set apart from sin. This was symbolically seen during this celebration. The festival also gavem them a remembrance of their freedom from slavery in Egypt.

Digging a little deeper I found some more insights. Before Passover (the day before the festival begins) the wife cleaned the home thoroughly, removing all leaven. However, she purposefully left 10 small pieces of bread containing yeast behind as part of a teaching tradition. The father of the family would take a candle, wooden sppon, feather, and piece of linen cloth and go with the children throughout the house looking for any missed leaven. At nightfall on the day before Passover a final search was made using just candles. When the Father found the last piece of bread, he would put the candle down and lay the wooden spoon next to the bread. Using the feather, the father would sweep the bread on to the spoon. Without touching the bread, the father would wrap the spoon in a linen cloth and cast the bundle out of the house. The next morning the father would burn the linen and its contents in a fire.

This tradition speaks of how God removes sin from our lives. Scripture (the candle) is one of the elements that reveals sin in our life. When sin is found the Holy Spirit (feather) is an instrument in bringing sin to death. The spoon (cross) bears the sin away. The linen (burial wrapping) covers death. The sin is condemned and punished (fire).

How grateful I am that God has provided the way to remove sin and its power from my life! I am no longer a slave to sin! Thanks be to God I am free indeed!

Passover

For me, the celebration of Passover was the most familiar of the feasts spoken about in Leviticus 23. The first Passover celebration is recorded in Exodus 12. The easiest connection for me to make between the Passover and Jesus's work of redemption centered on the blood of the lamb. A lamb was killed on Passover to provide the blood and the Lamb of God was killed on Passover to also provide the cleansing blood. It was the blood of the lamb, when applied to the doorposts and lintel that gave the message that death would not claim anyone in this household. Jesus blood when applied to our lives through faith in him prevents death from continuing its work in our life. Jesus is the ultimate Passover Lamb.

Further study, however, has given me some new insights about the lamb. The Passover lamb was selected or chosen five days before Passover. How fitting then, that Jesus should come to Jerusalem on lamb selection day. The Passover Lamb was present and waiting for the sacrifice.

God certainly is a God of the details! The throat of the Passover lamb was to be cut at 3 pm. It was at this time that the shofar was sounded and the people were to reflect on the sacrifice. In addition, the priest said the words, "It is finished" when he sacrificed the lamb. Do you already see the connection in the details? Jesus, The Passover Lamb, cried, "It is finished" when he gave up his spirit at 3 pm on the day day of Passover. Amazing!

There are still things I'm sorting out as I learn about the connections between Christ's life and the Passover, but I'm learning more and more. I'd often wondered how the Last Supper could be a Passover meal (seder) AND yet Jesus could die on Passover. Part of that is resolved with learning more about a day in Hebrew life...it's actually sundown to sundown. But what clears up the question even more for me is that traditionally at the time of the temple there were often 2 seders. The first Seder occurred on the 14th and the second on the 15th. So, Jesus was able to share the Passover meal with his disciples and then become our Passover Lamb.

The Passover Seder is another celebration packed with meaning and symbolism. Seder means order and God certainly uses the order found in this 15 step celebration to teach us. The meal begins with Kaddesh. The first cup of wine, the cup of sanctification, is presented and the blessing, "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine," is given. Remember that in John 15:1 Jesus tells us he is the True Vine.

If you'd like to read more about the Passover meal, I'd encourage you to. I'm going to highlight several steps in the seder that have special meaning.


The Yachatz, or breaking of bread is of particular significance. During this part of the meal the focus is on 3 pieces of bread. The middle piece of unleavened bread is ceremonially broken in two. The larger of the two broken pieces is wrapped in a napkin and set aside for later in the meal. Did you catch the number of pieces of bread? Three. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are represented. The Son of God, or Bread of Life, is broken for us.

Near the conclusion of the meal things get more interesting again. At the Tzafun the piece of broken unleavened bread that was hidden in a cloth (afikomen) is found by a child. A ransom is paid for the piece of bread. This bread is then eaten. Loads of importance here. First, the broken bread is brought out into the open. Our broken Savior was laid in a seplecure and then resurrected. A ransom was paid for us to receive life from God.

After this the Barech, or grace after the meal is said. A third cup of wine is celebrated. This cup is called the cup of redemption. It is a cup filled to overflowing. It was probably this cup that Jesus shared with his diciples as a sign of the New Covenant.

The Passover provides us with much food for thought. I hope as Passover and Easter draw close you will have new insights into God's amazing love for us.