Devotion 14

O.T. Marriage Ceremony - Forgiveness - Devotion 13

Genesis 24:67

"Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

Talk about a small wedding. Marriage was done far different. Both were committed to life long marriage, but it was not done in a church or at the court house, but in the bedroom. Marriage began in the Old Testament with the act of sexual intercourse. Let's put this in today's language. Marriage is blessed in the church, promises are exchanged, papers are signed, but in God's eyes marriage happens on the honey moon or in some cases on the way to the honey moon.

This should open our eyes wide especially in dating. Do we really want to get married in God's eyes ahead of marriage (at minimum be a concubine). It is no wonder that a person can feel so devastated after breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. It is bad enough if you break up after just a strong relationship built on conversation, but if you have been having or had sex together you know the person inside and out. This without Jesus is an irrepairable gouge! In a sense the two are married in God's eyes, they have been one in flesh. At minimum he/she is a concubine and it brings up the subject of polygamy which was not condoned even in the Old Testament. Life long they will know each other deeply, they have known and felt the deepest emotions God designed for two people to have and now for this to be broken they are divorced. The memories do not go away.

There is only one solution to this problem. Blood has to be shed. Nice words such as, "It will be okay." just do make a person feel better who has a broken marriage or the guilt of pre-marital sex. Even an hour shower cannot remove this guilt. This is why Jesus came to die on the cross. This is why Jesus came pour out his body and blood in the Lord's Supper to touch us in a way deeper than even sexual sins. Jesus blood goes inside of us making us holy once again. See Leviticus and God’s theology of blood.

Jesus was in a conversation with a woman who had been married 7 times and she was living with one that she was presently with, The woman said to him:

"Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

"I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." ...

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. John 4:15b-19, 39-41(NIV)

Jesus came as her Savior. Jesus comes as our Savior. He physically died to remove our sins.

Prayer: Lord not every relationship was like Isaac and Rebekah. Many have lived just like this Samaritan women. Forgive me when I have lived in brokeness in thought, word, or deed. Help me to live for you in Jesus. Amen