Something you should know about me, is that I have a tendency to take things at face value, I will take you at your word and move on (guess that makes me a little gullible). That is until something sparks in me that starts a deep dive into a single word and what it means in the particular context. Something else you should know about me, is I am a Christian. A Christian that has been seeking to grow in my relationship with God and in that joined a book club that has not only given me great books to learn from but GREAT ladies to learn from as well.
Anyway, if you are a Christian, you have probably heard Jesus referred to as the bridegroom. It’s in several books of the bible either eluding to or saying it outright (Matthew 25:10, Mark 2:20, Ephesians 5:23). I had never really thought into this past the historical stories that I had heard preachers add to the commentary. Culturally and historically, in biblical times, the groom would add a room onto his parent’s house for his new family to reside in. He would share intentions with his parents and with the woman he seeks to marry then proceed to build them a home. He would return for his bride when the room/home is complete and ready for her meeting the standards of all the men involved. Mathew 25:1-13 warns us to be wise and keep our lamps burning for the groom when he returns. I believed I had a fairly firm grasp on the concept, that Jesus being the bridegroom would return for His bride and she (the Church) needs to wait ready/prepared. While the historic knowledge does add to my understanding, I didn’t quite realize how modern and feminine my viewpoint actually was.
I have the perspective of a single woman who wants to be married. Eagerly waiting for the man who will choose me, love me, support me, protect me. Excited by the idea of one day meeting him at the alter. The same feelings I have witnessed for others on their wedding days of peace, nervousness, and seeing everything that was planned for months coming together. As a bridal party member, I know it is so fun to get ready with all the girls and helping the bride to feel and look her best before the big moment comes. I also know it is unnerving that all the planning is coming down to this day. The only perspective I have is that of the woman who has a lot of pressure riding on how the pictures turn out.
While reading through “The Names of God” I saw the bridegroom’s perspective for the first time. The groom is standing at the alter, waiting eagerly for his bride. No one in the room is more excited to see her walk through the solid wood double doors, in the dress she picked out to be her best for him. He is ready to choose her, love her, protect her every day of his life. He is there to fulfill the covenant he offered to her when he proposed and nervous that she still could walk away from it all–though the pomp and circumstance definitely should ease his mind as to her commitment.
We are lead to believe that the groom couldn’t care less about the wedding. With TV shows and movies telling us he should get little to no say on the venue, food, or decor it’s no wonder that we think this. Heck, often they don’t give the groom any say on what he even gets to put on his body on the wedding day. All of these things lead to my uniquely 21st century feminine view, or lack there of, of the bridegroom.
So maybe it seems obvious… but the groom is excited to see his bride! He can’t wait for the wedding to come any more than the bride can. And guess what, we already know the groom is a good provider, loves us with all His heart, and chose us… even in putting His life on the line for us.
The Wordy Over Thinker 