BRIDEGROOM’S
LOVE FOR BRIDE
Genesis
24:67 (VOICE)
Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent.
He took her as his wife and slept with her, and grew to
love her deeply.
In this way, Isaac found comfort in the wake of his
mother’s death.
The
first use of the word “love” in the Bible is the intense love of a father
(Abraham) for his son (Isaac) which Abraham set aside because of his reverence
and obedient, sacrificial love for his God. This foreshadowed God setting aside
His love for His son in order for Jesus to become the sacrifice for our sins.
The second use of love is the love of a bridegroom (Isaac) for his bride
(Rebekah). This, too, is a foreshadowing.
The
New Testament teaches that Jesus is the Bridegroom and we (the church and
eventually the citizens of the New Jerusalem) are His bride. Jesus is the
pattern for a husband’s love for his wife as we see in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it.” When asked why His disciples did not fast, Jesus referred to Himself as a
bridegroom (Mark 2:18-20). The Apostle Paul expressed this idea of the
Messianic Community, the body of believers, being the bride of Christ as well,
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
The
Bible describes many types of love—the love of a parent for children, the love
between spouses, the love of dear friends—but Jesus embodies them all to
overflowing. Love is given first place, the position of priority, in the list
of the Fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Pursue
demonstrating love today. Love is a noun, but it is also a verb. Use it as a
verb today. Love your spouse, love your child, love your family, love your
neighbor, and don’t forget to love your enemy (Matthew 5:43-48).
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