Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor's wife.
Adam and Eve
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was]
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband
with her; and he did eat.
Since the word husband is here in the beginning of the
Bible we can conclude that Adam and Eve were married and that marriage has been
around since the garden of Eden
God and Israel
Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and
thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he
be called.
Jeremiah 31:32
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
[that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith
the LORD:
Jeremiah 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I
am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family,
and I will bring you to Zion: (Somewhere else we will show that Zion is not
Palestine. They were already in Palestine. That's where they were when Jeremiah
spoke these words. Therefore, Zion has to be somewhere else on the Earth.)
If God and Israel were married, when did this take place?
Where in the Bible can we find the ceremony?
The Proposal following the courtship.
- (Exodus 19:2-8) For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to
the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel
camped before the mount.
- And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the
mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the
children of Israel;
- Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and {how} I bare you on
eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
- Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then
ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is
mine:
- And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These
are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
God speaks to Moses - The Proposal
Here God spoke only to Moses. And God made an offer. God
said, you go tell the children of Israel;
(The Courtship) Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I
brought you out of Egypt, and how I brought you here to meet with me.
(The Proposal) Now therefore, if ye will do as I say, and keep my
covenant, that is, keep this agreement that I propose, then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto me above all people: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of
priests, a holy nation.
Now Moses, you go and tell the people what I have to
offer, in exchange for their obedience.
Moses speaks to the Elders - The Engagement
So Moses went, but Moses did not go direct to the people
crowded about the mountain, Instead Moses went to the leaders. The first thing
Moses did was to presented God's offer to the leaders. The leaders were called
elders. Here it is, in the next verse Listen:
- And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid
before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
- And all the people (Elders) answered
together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses
returned the words of the people (Elders) unto
the Lord.
Did the leadership accepted God's offer? Yes they did, the
elders said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." That my friends is the
beginning of what is now called, the Old Covenant. I didn't hear one word about
salvation. Did you? No you did not. That is because the Old Covenant is not
about salvation.
There is no salvation in law keeping. The agreement was,
God would make them a blessed people, a nation of kings and priests in return
for their obedience. Obedience to not just The Ten Commandments, but to anything
else God asked of them. It was like a marriage ceremony. God promised to love,
honor and cherish. What did God ask in return? He wanted the people to love,
honor, and obey. But this was not yet a marriage, only an engagement. An
engagement because, thus far the covenant agreement is only between God, Moses,
and the elders. What about the people? And what specifically did God require in
the way of obedience? What were his instructions to be obeyed? Obeyed in trade
for these national blessings? The people wanted to know the details.
God -> President <--> Congress <- People
God- > Moses <--> Elders <- People
This whole sequence of events would compare to a visit to
the President by God. And God saying, Mr. President, if you and the people do as
I say, then I will make America a great nation. The President might call for a
joint session of Congress. The President would tell Congress what God had in
mind. Then Congress would consider the matter and put it to a vote by the
people. Well, the story continues in Exodus 19. After talking with the elders,
Moses went up the mountain again to speak with God.
The Marriage Ceremony
While Moses was on the mountain God told him what to tell the people. This
is from Exodus 19:
- (Exodus 19:16-25 ) And it came to pass on the third day in the morning,
that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and
the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that {was} in
the camp trembled.
- And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and
they stood at the nether part of the mount. --- Moses spake, and God answered
him by a voice. --- and the Lord called Moses {up} to the top of the mount;
and Moses went up.
Moses went up the mountain to speak to God. On the mountain God
gave Moses instruction. When Moses came back down he spoke to people on behalf
of God. Moses told the people what God had to say. What was Moses doing? Moses
is acting as a mediator between the people and God. And this time, when Moses
came down from the mountain, Moses gathered, not just the elders, but all the
people, and said these words. This is from Exodus 19 and 20;.
(25) Exodus 19:25 - 20:17 ) So Moses went down unto the people, and spake
unto them. (saying)
(1) And God spake all these words,
(2) I {am} the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(4) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, ---
(7) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; ---
(8) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ---
(12) Honor thy father and thy mother: ---
(13) Thou shalt not kill.
(14) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
(15) Thou shalt not steal.
(16) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
(17) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Several chapters later after being given many more commands and instructions;
The I do's
Exodus 24:3 -4 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the
LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and
said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
The Marriage Documents
(4) And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the
morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to
the twelve tribes of Israel.
Yes, the people answered with one voice. The vote was unanimous.
The people made a decision. They made a decision for God. They said, All the
words which the Lord hath said will we do. In effect God said, "I will love,
honor, and cherish," And the people said, "We will love, honor, and obey." At a
wedding ceremony the bride is asked, "Do you take this man to be your wedded
husband?" Here, the people were asked; do you take the Lord God Yahweh to be
your God? And the answer, "I do." An that is why the Bible constantly refers to
the Old Covenant, as a marriage, and to God as a husband to Israel. Listen to
this verse. It is Isaiah 54:5:
Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is]
his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth
shall he be called.