On Friday April 29,2011 according to the bedazzled mass media, the “wedding of the century” took place. Prince William married the lovely Kate in a glitz-and-glamor display that cost an estimated $34 million. The simple wedding gown carried a price tag of $434,000. The two wedding cakes rang up a bill of $80,000. As TV commentators gushed in typical fashion, the world witnessed the make-her-an-honest-woman wedding of two very famous fornicators, who had been unashamedly living together in sin, in defiance of God’s Holy Scripture (called by some in the media, the “royal shack-up”). (God, who never adjusts His commands to “modern times”, calls it a sin to be living together as an unmarried couple.) No amount of Bible verses read in a wedding ceremony substitute for confessing the sin, and repentance, which should be taking place now. Naturally, modern “sophisticated” people don’t like the word sin, but according to Isaiah, God says “My ways are higher than YOUR ways ” (Is. 55:9). I Cor. 6:9 is pretty easy to understand as well , regarding God’s very serious view of sin – “do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals...., will inherit the kingdom of God.” (If we disagree with this verse, we can take it up with God, but I can’t think of any debate that God ever lost, can you?) As always, there are two ways of looking at things and determining our decisions ---
1.) The world’s way (I wouldn’t recommend that way, it leads to unfortunate short and long-term consequences) - OR -
2.) God’s way (I HIGHLY recommend looking at everything through the lens of God’s Word.)
At any rate, the gushing media was quite incorrect when they dubbed this event “the wedding of the century”. The true wedding of the century is yet to come and all so-called “royal” or Hollywood weddings will pale in comparison. At Mt. Sinai, God proposed to His bride. –“ Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD said, “This is what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. ..you will be for me a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19) Israel (the mixed multitude who had left Egypt behind) listened to Moses and accepted God’s proposal --“The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” We must remember that’ Israel’ does not just refer to Jews, but also to the wild branches – Gentile Believers – grafted into the olive tree of Israel and thereby comprising (Jew and Gentile) - the Commonwealth of Yisrael.
So Israel became betrothed to God, and now we prepare ourselves as we await the royal wedding .”Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. She has been given the privilege of wearing fine linen, dazzling and pure." (The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints.)”( Rev. 19:7,8) About the reception we are told: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. These are the true words of God.” Rev. 19:9. Sorry, William and Kate, I’m glad you "made it legal", but you'll just have to take a back seat because the true, and ultimate “wedding of the century” is still to come. Unfortunately, not everyone will receive an invitation, as we can see from the I Corinthians passage above (neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God). Many people will be disqualified by their defiance of God’s Word and their unholy living. But, for those who get to participate in this great and coming wedding and who will be seated at the wedding supper of the Lamb, they will be ecstatic that they chose to view this earthly life through the lens of God’s Word, and walked in obedience according to His righteous standards.
