Sermon Central
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The Greatest Engagement
Contributed by Riaan De Villiers on Nov 6, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: God loves you so much he is prepared to be engaged to you. But there is wonderful news if we understand His commitment to this engagement.
The greatest engagement
Hosea 2:19 – 20
The first question that comes to mind is what does betroth means?
The word betroth = to be engaged. According to the dictionary it is a deed with a promise of marriage. According to the Law it is a contract of highest faith between a man and a woman to get married in the near future. The reason for an engagement is because the couple desires to get married.
In the time of the Bible it had the following meaning: Men and women were betrothed when they were engaged to be married. This usually took place a year or more before marriage. From the time of betrothal the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed.
An engagement is thus an agreement where two parties decide to get married at a later time. This is very important to remember throughout this message. Another important fact to remember is that this agreement is made between two people who really love one another. And in this agreement both parties have certain responsibilities.
In this part of Scripture we find God Almighty promising to engage Himself unto His people. But He does more than that; He also gives us His responsibilities in this engagement. Because of His great love for you and me, God makes a promise to us that one day He wants to marry us. He wants to take us to be His wife and to confirm that He is prepared to be engaged to us.
Let us look at the way He is prepared to be engaged to us.
Firstly, He says that He will be engaged to us for ever.
BBE: And I will take you as my bride for ever
CEV: I will accept you as my wife forever,
According to the dictionary forever means a length of time without beginning or end. God says that He loves you so much He wants to be united with you forever.
GNE: I will make you mine forever.
Listen to what this entails for you and me.
AMP: Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.
BBE: Be strong and take heart, and have no fear of them: for it is the Lord your God who is going with you; he will not take away his help from you.
CEV: Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The LORD your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.
MSG: "Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you."
Forever.
AMP: [And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.
BBE: Will a woman give up the child at her breast, will she be without pity for the fruit of her body? yes, these may, but I will not let you go out of my memory.
AMP: be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
He is our fiancé forever.
Secondly, He says that He will be engaged to us in righteousness.
According to the dictionary righteousness is an obligation or commitment of God against Himself as a Holy Being. In other words God says that because He is God He commits Himself as God towards us.
ASV: In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee.
Because of His engagement to us, we will be established as His bride.
AMP: And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.
Thirdly, God says that He will be engaged to us in judgment.
That means that God says that He will take care of every situation that we will face. That means that I do not have to worry about anything because He will be in charge and in control.
