The Bagel: Concubinage and a bride. Pharaoh ruled over Israel worse than a king over his concubine. But God compelled Pharaoh to release his concubine and send her out. God did it by sending the last three plagues of locusts, darkness and death of the first born.

God espoused Israel in Egypt. Like a jealous suitor, God fought Pharaoh, and the gods of Egypt to win His bride. He showed His mastery over creation (nature) by the locust and by the darkness. He was also the Master of the Exodus shown by the Passover.

When a single man beholds a woman that seems to be very attractive, he looks to see her status. The ring on the left hand indicates that this woman is "not available." A woman in that situation will flash the ring or even verbalize her espousal to her husband to stop any further complications. The Tefillin¹ was like the ring for Israel, a symbol of the espoused relationship with God.



There are pretend weddings and rings. Think of the little girl who dons (if she could) the wedding dress of her mother and puts on the wedding ring. Perhaps her friends have joined in the fun with her in the house and pretend a wedding ceremony to complete the imaginative role-play. The dress and ring do not signify a marriage in this case. More is needed.

Likewise, the feature that completes the wedding is the Bride Price, the cost required to secure the marriage. This cost is not just a dowry, but is more the cost to be a bridegroom. This cost includes love, commitment, a life of service, and willingness to suffer to protect his beloved bride.

The feature that separated Israel from the pretender, Egypt and at the same time married Israel to God was the sacrificial lamb. That lamb was in lieu of the first born, it was substitutionary. All who identified with the God of Israel (Jew or non-Jew) in Egypt slaughtered the lamb. The distinction between Israel and Egypt came in the blood. It was the blood applied to the door posts and lintels of the house that caused the Death Angel to passover that home. Without the lamb and its sprinkled blood, there would have been no Exodus, no redemption, and no espousal to God.

In the Haftarah reading, Jeremiah reminded Judah that divorcing God for idols and fleeing to Egypt was no remedy. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, was about to invade Egypt and destroy it in a manner reminiscent of the way Adonay destroyed Egypt in the Exodus. Jeremiah reminded Judah of its only true espousal - to God. It concludes with the statement that God would never divorce Jacob, punish yes, but not divorce and send away.

The end of the story is in the reading of the Brit Chadashah. The scene is just prior to world redemption and Israel's final rapprochement with Yeshua. The Messiah returns in glorious victory riding on a white horse. The enemies of God and of Israel are put down. The Antichrist, like Pharaoh, will be destroyed. The Messiah's wedding scene in heaven uses His title of "The Lamb" to indicate His role as the Bridegroom.

God paid the Bride Price for Israel's redemption. He gave His Son to pay that price. That was done in the role of Yeshua as the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. The best wedding ring is the spiritual Tefillin of the head, hand, and heart that is found in a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. This spiritual Tefillin is called the "seal of God on their foreheads" (Revelation 9:4) and is described as the sealing work of the indwelling Holy Spirit for all those who trust in Yeshua as the their Messiah and Savior: "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ESV).

Cream Cheese: A wedding ring goes around the finger, the straps of a Tefillin goes round and round, and faith surrounds The Lamb!

¹ a phylactery, which is a leather box that encases texts of Hebrew Scripture, worn either on the forehead or left arm during certain religious services/observances.

The weekly reading for the week of 8 Shevat, 5763 - 11 Jan, 2003 Torah: Bo Exodus 10:1 to 13:16; Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28; Brit Chadashah: Revelation 19:6-21