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The Four Cups of Betrothal'
by Richard M. Sharp
Tracing the Jewish roots of Christianity in the ancient writings, Dr. Richard Sharp examines how the ancient ritual of betrothal has framed the meta-narrative of God’s relationship with man. “Meta” is situated behind or beyond (Webster, 1996); it is this notion that there exists a story of betrothal behind or beyond a simple narrative of a particular story in the Bible that is implied. It is that meta-narrative that ties the sixty-six books of the Bible together, not as single pieces of literature, but as stories which fit within a grander story. This ritual of betrothal is suggested by scriptural texts from Genesis to Revelation and suggests that a formal wedding between God and man is in the offing, and that the legal marriage has already occurred through the act of betrothal. By His death on the cross, the barrier between Jew and Gentile has been removed through faith in Jesus, and we are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2: 14-22). Nothing and no one can ever come between the covenant of marriage established as betrothal on the cross for all who have embraced Jesus.
ISBN: 978-1-950839-08-7