The Bridal Company Part 3

In our two previous blog posts, we have discussed the concept of the Bridal Company. We have focused on certain characteristics that are inherent in the true bridal company...characteristics that we were able to draw from Deuteronomy 21: 10-13. In the first of these blogs, we focused on the first response of the Bride to her having been selected to be the conquering Warrior's bride.  We took note of the fact that she should "shave her head." We saw that this is the requirement of her laying aside her own human glory and wholehearted submitting herself to receive and to reflect His glory.
 
In session two we looked at the second part of verse twelve, where she is instructed to "pare her nails." We saw that this speaks of her humbling herself before Him and trusting Him fully to be her "buckler and her shield," her protection at all times and in all situations...and to provide for her all the necessities of life.
 
In this session, we look at the admonitions of verse 13, where is admonished to "put off the raiment of her captivity." In essence, she is counseled to enter fully into the sanctifying work of the Word and of the Holy Spirit...to put off the fleshly man, the "old man with his deeds. In so doing she makes the way for the Holy Spirit to produce the effectual essence of the New Man in her. She can now be practically arrayed in the reality of righteousness, holiness and purity of life in thought, word and deed. This is an on-going work that is in progression from the moment of the "new-birth" until the moment we are judged worthy before God.
 
Note also that she was to "bewail her father and her mother for a full month." Notice that the two most powerful and effective influences in the natural life are here addressed. To be able to do this is to indicate that one has laid down his life fully and completely to the truth and the life of the New Covenant. Here we are able to say that we have come to regard and to esteem Christ greater than even our father and our mother. This is not to say that we do not love and appreciate mother and father deeply, but that Christ has become first in all things in our lives. To bewail our father and mother is truly to esteem them, but less than we esteem our glorious Savior, Jesus, the Son of God. The little attachment: "a full month" simply implies that we will progressively grow in our love for God until it exceeds our love for all other influences in life whatever they might be.
 
Then notice the last clause: "...and after that, you shall go in unto her, and be her husband and she shall be thy wife." Please see that He must become our husband before we can become His wife. You might say, "It occurs at the same time," but in reality until a man has become a husband to his bride, she cannot trust him fully to be his wife. Note that in the marriage covenant, the man is rightly asked first, "Do you take this woman to be your wedded wife...do you promise to love her, to protect her, to care for her and separate yourself from all others to be her husband. When He answers, "I do," he has declared himself to be her husband...now she can readily and safely submit to him as his wife.
 
He has chosen us out from among the billions of the earth. He has put us in position and provided us with all that is essential to be His Beloved Bride. Let us be as the Shulemite in the Song of Solomon, who continued to grow up unto Him until He could say to her as in chapter 7, verse one, "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter..." and she could say to Him, "I am my beloved's and His desire is toward me." But that is another story...one to which I trust in time we might look into more fully.