The bridegroom

ALTOGETHER LOVELY

Aim: to reach the hearts of girls with the love of Jesus for sinners, using the illustration of the bridegroom spurned and the contradiction of his description by the bride and Isaiah’s prophecy.

Intro:
When I was married – at the Tabernacle in 1971, my flat mate insisted that I shouldn’t see my fiancé during the morning when he came to drop off the flowers, indeed she pulled me back from the window, so important it was that I shouldn’t see/be seen. So when I walked down the aisle I didn’t look at him and it wasn’t until we signed the register, I said, Let’s have a look at you then! Very Smart! I thought my bridegroom looked great. So, often you hear all the description of the bride but the description of a particular bridegroom is what I wanted to talk about today.

Bridegroom's Description:
This bridegroom had been described as follows:

My beloved is bright as dazzling white light. A man far, far higher than an ordinary mortal. He has a sublime character and is full of grace. His presence lights up the darkest place, conspicuous and outstanding.
He is effective in his actions; full of unselfishness, love and approachability.
He is the ultimate Hero, of great value and status. She says his head is as the most fine gold and his bushy, black locks show his youth, health and vigour. His will is fine and perfect. His view is perfect and genuine.
His features are lovingkindness, mercy, grace, teaching, power.
His hands are full and open and strong, active in his mission.
His innermost feelings are deep and tender, strong and true. He is flawless and breathtaking.
He is like a great cedar tree: stately, powerful, beautiful,..
In summary she says “He is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend” (Song 5v16).

Awesome description! But there is another description of him – the same person and it reads like this:

He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him,
No appearance that we should be attracted to Him,
Despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and like one from whom men hide their face,… we did not esteem Him

Why is this description so different?

Character versus Appearance:
It’s because the bride’s picture of him is of his character – NOT his physical appearance. His character is so important. What is his story then that she loved him despite his lack of attraction? What made her love him? Let me tell you their story – the bridegroom and this young woman.

He: set His love upon her way, way back.; before she knew of him. He determined to love her when she wanted nothing to do with him, when he called on her she ignored his advances; when he offered her his name, his protection and a share in his great wealth she not only rejected him out of hand but she so did not want to be tied to him in a relationship that she went with others so make herself less attractive to him. She laughed at him and those whom he sent with messages and tokens of his love. She deliberately avoided his presence and any attempt to bring her into contact with him. She returned his love letters unread and made fun of the things she knew he held dear. Surely that would put him off. Can’t he see that I don’t want his advances?

But as life went on then, she found herself trapped in the life she had chosen and unable to help herself. She had become reckless of herself and her life that it all seemed worthless and she remembered his kindness with regret. She had sold herself into a life that offered no peace and she could not find her way out. There was no escape. She was a debtor now to those who she had chosen to live with and they would not let her go, her life was forfeit to them now. She had sold herself into their power willingly and was unable to free herself. Like a bird trapped in a net.

The spurned groom knew of the condition and her pleas; he knew that her life was forfeit and she had become a slave to the life she had chosen. Because he loved her still with a love stronger than death he offered his life as a substitute for hers. He died in her place. The anger and vengeance of her enemies was wiped out because he was her willing substitute. He died; she went free.

And now how bitterly she surveyed her treatment of him. Her rebellious, sinful attitude and hatred had caused his death. Oh what would she give to hear his voice again? How she repented of all her obstinacy, pride, hatred, folly, spite, unkindness, selfishness, …

Conclusion:
OF course the illustration fails here, because the groom was the ultimate hero. He was not bound by death: he rose up by his own power alone; death could not hold him. This ultimate Hero is indeed the Saviour of his Bride. The Bride is both each individual Christian and all his people from all times who make up his Church. The Church is the Bride of Christ. She is His. He made her. He bought her with his blood when He died for her on the Cross at Calvary..

Wholly Desirable
But why spurn such a fantastic offer from such a wonderful Saviour?
He is ‘wholly desirable’ – his actions make that known:
*Left heaven and came down to seek you
*Lived on earth for you
*Died in your place, bearing in his body the punishment for your sin if you will believe in him,
*Rose from the dead, really and truly, so that you could see that his death had been successful in paying your debt against a holy God
*Calls you now to come to Him.

Who is this? He is altogether lovely – wholly desirable. There is no other you should desire as Him. Will you reject this Saviour of your soul?
Can you say: He loved me and gave himself for ME? Believe it!

Believe It!
Of the very many that hear the report of the Gospel to whom the Saviour calls, there are few, very few that believe it. It has been reported openly and publicly during the whole of history and is so faithful and so well worthy of accepting that you’d think everyone would accept, but it is quite otherwise and in our day and age the message has been quietly buried and made of no importance; ignored, scorned as unscientific, mythical, fabulous. Have you noticed what has happened even to history's desigantions of AD and BC? Got rid of so there is no reminder. New history books talk of Common Era. The enemies of Christ are working so hard to get rid of him. These are surely the last days before he comes to the bridal feast – what the Bible calls the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The Marriage Supper
And when He comes for the wonderful day of the marriage of Christ and His Church – will you be one for whom he comes as my Beloved? My Friend?
Those who were astonished at His first coming a man so marred by anguish so humiliated by His enemies, so broken by the anguish He bore when He died as our substitute on the cross of Calvary, will have to bow down to Him. He will be their Judge.
Don’t rebel against His call to you to seek Him as your Saviour and as a spiritual husband for your soul, as the woman in the story – our allegory - did.. I won’t have this man as my husband!
But rather say:
My life I bring to Thee
I would not be my own
Oh Saviour let me be Thine ever, Thine alone
My heart, my life, my all I bring
To Thee my Saviour and my King FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL