Reflection from Hosea - The Betrothal
Have you ever noticed this beautiful vow in Hosea 2:19-20?
I have not.
Not until I read it few weeks ago.
My heart fluttered as I read the words. I thought to myself, 'This makes for a so much more beautiful marriage vow than the ones we usually hear. (Or say ourselves)'.
You know, the one that go like this -
I (name) take you (name) to be my lawfully wedded husband/ wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Well, it sort of got me thinking and got me curious.
Where and when did this famous and popular marriage vow originate from? Who wrote it? Were these the original words? Or did it get innovated/ improvised? And how did it came to be something that all (well, at least for the Christian) couples utter during wedding ceremony? 🤔
So, I googled. And found this info.
The wedding vows as we know them originated in what is known as the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), a liturgical book used by the churches of the Anglican Communion.
Originally published in 1549 under what then was the Church of England, during the reign of Edward VI, the BCP was written by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury — although it was followed soon thereafter by edited versions just a few years later.
The BCP has served and still serves, as the source of the proper “procedures” and prayers to be followed for not only marriage, but also for baptism, confirmations, funerals, communion, morning and evening prayers, prayers for the sick, and more — along with the weekly service epistle and gospel readings. It pretty much runs the gamut of the dos and don’ts of worship and prayer.
(You can read more here.)
It dawned on me that this is the kind of betrothal the Lord has intended, desired, designed and created.
Be it the betrothal between a man and his wife.
Or the betrothal of the bride of Christ to her Husband.
(Now, note that betrothal means formally engaged to be married.)
With that in mind, let's take a look at this betrothal - the kind that God designed.
1) It is the Lord who betroth.
I will betroth you to Me. Yes, I will betroth you to Me. Hosea 2:19
You see, God repeated twice, making it crystal clear who betroth who.
2) It is forever.
betroth you to Me forever. Hosea 2:19
Yup, it is forever!
3) The way in which we are betrothed
Firstly in righteousness and justice. 2:19
Secondly in lovingkindness and mercy. 2:19
Thirdly in faithfulness. 2:20
Let us delve a lil bit into the Hebrew origin of these words, shall we?
- Righteousness (tsedeq) - rightness, righteousness
- Justice(mishpat) - judgement
- Lovingkindness (checed) - goodness, kindness
- Mercy (racham) - compassion
- Faithfulness (emunah) - firmness, steadfastness, fidelity
I like the footnote in my Bible. It says 'God promises a relationship characterized by permanence, right standards, fair treatment, love unfailing, tenderness and security.'
4) What comes out of this betrothal. Or one might say the fruit of such betrothal.
You shall know the Lord. Hosea 2:20
Again, do study deeper into the word 'study'. The original Hebrew word translated as 'know' here, yada, is used not just as an intellectual or surface knowing. It is an intimate knowing. (I suppose all will agree that when there is no meaningful relationship between two people, there is no 'knowing each other'. What we deemed as knowing is merely a superficial knowing.)
Oh, what an assurance to know that our God has promised us that, out of this betrothal, we shall know Him.
As I ponder upon this, I see God's design, a most beautiful design.
For man and his wife.
For Christ and His bride.
On an individual level, my husband and I have gone through our ups and downs in my marriage life. We have not yet fully experienced the betrothal and marriage as God has intended. Yet I dare say, through our years of journeying highs and lows together, we have managed to catch a glimpse of what it is like to have this kind of betrothal and marriage covenant.
We have tasted God's most beautiful betrothal and marriage covenant blueprint, although I must say we are still quite a way away from entering into its fullness.
But we take courage, for we are on the way, we're getting there!
Having tasted this unity and oneness with my husband, it has given me some sort of a foretaste and a longing for that perfect union and oneness with my lord Jesus Christ. How much more beautiful and glorious is that union!
And having reflected on my own marriage journey (the struggles and the breakthroughs and the fruit), it has made me ponder about the relationship between our Lord and His bride, His church the body of Christ.
Have we, the bride of Christ, heeded and responded to this betrothal?
Have we entered into marriage covenant with our Husband?
Are we living in the fullness of this marriage covenant, as how God has designed it to be?
Do we know the kind of betrothal that we are betrothed with?
And do we, then, know our Lord, as He is?
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Do we have this revelation?
That this Old Testament betrothal is fulfilled in the New Testament covenant, fully by, through and in the Person of Jesus Christ.
It is interesting to note that, although the church has been generally known as and called the bride of Christ, nowhere were believers or the church addressed as that in the Bible (not directly anyway).
But in Ephesians 5 (well, yes, it is none other than the very famous Eph 5 Scripture, which speak about husbands and wives and is quoted and preached in most wedding ceremonies), we catch a glimpse of this truth.
(Funny how almost everyone, myself included, always relate Eph 5 to the roles and responsibilities of a husband and a wife. When we think of wedding, we think Eph 5. When we think of admonition for the husband/ wife, we think Eph 5. When we think of the different roles and duties of a husband/ wife, we think Eph 5. And we often overlook that little verse in Eph 5:32.)
Eph 5:22-32 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
It is a long list of to-dos and stuff for husbands and wives. And we are familiar with preachers and teachers giving analogy of husband and wife by referencing Christ to His church.
You know how everyone says it - husband, love your wife, as Christ loves the church and nourishes and cherishes it.
But, really, the key here lies in this not so prominent, not spoken of much verse in Eph 5 - This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church (verse 32).
I am comforted and overjoyed as I read on in Hosea 2:21-23 - the fruit of this betrothal and union.
“It shall come to pass in that dayThat I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer Jezreel.
And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;
Then I will say to those who were not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”
Beloved in Christ,
What a wonderful revelation!
We are betrothed. We are in union with Christ (Christ is joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Eph 5:31) and now, we are of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30)).
A perfect betrothal. A seamless union.
What a most wonderful covenant we are living in in this day!
We shall know the Lord (Hosea 2:20), He will answer (Hosea 2:21), there will be grain, new wine and oil (Hosea 2:22), we are sowed for Him (Hosea 2:23), we have His mercy (Hosea 2:23), we are His people (Hosea 2:23).
Oh, beloved bride of Christ, may we live in the fullness of this betrothal and covenant each day!
