Page 66 - The Marriage Covenant

Foundation Stone Six - Betrothal

e now are come to look at the beautiful pattern and parable of betrothal. I hesitate to
Wdescribe this as Hebrew betrothal, or a Jewish betrothal custom, for the pattern to be
examined here is one that Yahweh Himself uses to describe the relation between His Son
and the Bride of Christ.
In our modern society we have little to compare with betrothal. Engagements are as
different from Biblical betrothal as co-habitation is from the marriage covenant. Following
is an excerpt from the online Jewish Encyclopedia.

The term "betrothal" in Jewish law must not be understood in its modern sense;
that is, the agreement of a man and a woman to marry, by which the parties are
not, however, definitely bound, but which may be broken or dissolved without
formal divorce. Betrothal or engagement such as this is not known either to the
Bible or to the Talmud, and only crept in among the medieval and modern Jews
through the influence of the example of the Occidental nations among whom they
dwelt...

Although there are varying examples of the way in which betrothals and marriages
were conducted in Scripture, there are certain foundational precepts that were established
by Yahweh, and written about in the Law. Beyond this, we have the very definite pattern
manifested in the relationship between Christ and His Bride.
Most Christians are familiar with the symbolism of Christ being a Bridegroom, and
the Church (Ekklesia, the Called-Out ones), being His bride. The apostle Paul speaks of the
saints being “betrothed” to Christ.

II Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have betrothed you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

The betrothal spoken of here refers to a marriage contract. It is not the same as
becoming engaged today, for modern engagements are not considered legally binding. The
betrothal would be more akin to a bride and groom signing the marriage certificate, and
filing it with the court. A betrothal was a binding agreement. Once a man and woman were
betrothed, they were considered husband and wife, though they would not live together, nor
the union be consummated until the wedding night.
In the Old Testament, a betrothed virgin was referred to as the wife of the man to
whom she was espoused.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24
"If there is a girl who is a virgin betrothed to a man, and another man finds her
in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that
city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the
city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife.

One thing we observe repeatedly in the Scriptural references to betrothal is that the