SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/17/2024 10:05 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Intro
to Matthew 25:1-13”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 25:1-13
Message of the verses: “1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to
ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were
prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4
but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 “Now while the
bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 “But
at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 “The foolish said to
the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But
the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too;
go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 "And while they were going away to make
the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to
the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “Later the other virgins also
came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say
to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the
day nor the hour.”
In the last SD I was quoting from John MacArthur’s
commentary about how weddings were done in the Middle East at the time when
Jesus was on earth. I stated that there
are some places there that this was still done.
I will continue quoting from MacArthur’s commentary about this subject,
as we have to understand it before we can understand the parable in verses
1-13.
“At
the end of the betrothal period the wedding feast would be held, and it was in
the feast and its related celebrations that the entire community became
involved. This festivity, which could
last a week, began with the groom’s coming with his groomsmen to the bride’s
house, where her bridesmaids were waiting with her. Together the bride and the groom and their
attendants would then parade through the streets proclaiming that the wedding
feast was about to begin. The procession
was generally begun at night, and lamps or torches were used by the wedding
party to illumine their way and to attract attention.
“At
the end of the feast period, a close friend of the groom, who acted much like a
best man, would take the hand of the bride and place it in the hand of the
groom, and the couple would for the first time be left alone together. The marriage would be consummated and the
couple would henceforth live together in their new home. It was that third part of the marriage rite
that Jesus used as the framework for this parable.
“As
the parable unfolds, Jesus focuses first on the bridesmaids, then on the
bridegroom, and finally on the warning that the parable is given to reinforce.”
Now
that we have a better understanding of these types of weddings that took place
we can better understand looking at the church age as the church is the bride
of Christ and the church is awaiting the arrival of the Lord to return to
planet earth to get His bride and take His bride to the place where He has
prepared for her.
2/17/2024 10:24 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment