Preparing for the Wedding

Dannah Gresh: If you’ve come to faith in Jesus, you’ve become what the Bible calls, “the Bride of Christ.” That leads to a question from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: In a human relationship, can you imagine a bride forgetting who her groom is? It’s unthinkable! The danger is that we would lose our focus, that we would forget why we’re here on earth . . . which is to get ready for our Bridegroom. 

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of A Place of Quiet Rest, for Friday, July 14, 2023. I’m Dannah Gresh. This week Nancy is in a series called “Here Comes the Bridegroom.”

So far we’ve heard a powerful reminder of how much God loves us! Now, let’s review some highlights of what we’ve heard over the last couple days. 

Nancy: We are sinners! We’re not beautiful; we’re ugly in our hearts, in our spirits. We talk so much today about self-esteem, self-image. We want to feel good about ourselves.

Listen, the way to feel good about yourself, ultimately, is to realize there is nothing in yourself, apart from Christ, to feel good about. If you are related to God today, it’s because God saw you when you could not help yourself and you couldn’t do anything about your fallen, sinful condition. And God said to you, “Let there be life!”

I wear on my ring finger, almost all the time, a ring as a reminder that I am not my own, that I’ve been chosen, that I belong to someone else, that I’m a bride! When I look at that ring it reminds me to think like a bride, to act like a bride, to live like a bride.

I may be feeling down. I may be feeling discouraged. I may not feel very bride-like at that moment. But I look at that ring, and it’s just a tangible reminder of a truth that’s been imprinted in my heart, because the Scripture says that God has given His Holy Spirit to me as an engagement ring, a seal, a guarantee of the wedding that is yet to come—a promise of our relationship with Christ eternally. 

So to be His bride means that I belong to Him. It means that He desires to have an intimate relationship with me.

Dannah: If you’ve ever wondered, “Does God really love me?” I hope you’ll concentrate for the next twenty-five minutes or so and hear this truth loud and clear: “You are loved!” Here’s Nancy.

Nancy: Don’t you love going to weddings? I went to one last week, and it was so precious! It was just a Christ-centered wedding—really very beautiful. But when you think of weddings, the person that you really want to see at the wedding is . . . who? The bride! I mean, all eyes are on the bride!

You go to some weddings and you can hardly even remember what the groomsmen were wearing—or maybe even who the groom was! But you will remember what that bride looked like! And, aren’t all brides beautiful? I mean, there’s just something really special.

That girl may never put herself together any other day, but on that day she’s putting herself together! In any wedding I can think of that I’ve been to, the bride has been the center of attention.

But this week we’ve been talking about another kind of wedding, and in this wedding the bride is not the center of attention. We’ve been talking about the love relationship between God and His people, between the Lord Jesus and His Bride. We’ve been using an illustration from the Old Testament book of the Song of Solomon.

If you’ve not been with us, let me just give you the quick story in a nutshell. There was a king in that story who wanted a wife. He didn’t choose any of the women that you would have thought he, as a king, might have chosen.

But he went and he found a peasant girl. He said, “I want you to be my bride!” He brought her back to his palace; he married her; he gave his love to her. He began to invest in her life and she became his; he became hers. The Song of Solomon in the Old Testament is the story of that love relationship.

Now it’s a very human story of a love between a husband and wife. But even more than that, it’s a picture—a story—of the love relationship between Christ and His Church. And when we think about our relationship as the Bride of Christ to our Bridegroom, our Beloved (as He’s called in the Song of Solomon), we need to keep in mind that in this relationship, in this wedding, the Bride is not the center of attention. 

It’s the groom who is everything! It’s all about the Groom! In fact, we’ve called this series: “Here Comes the Bridegroom.” We’re going to see as we continue in the series that He is coming and that we need to be getting ready for His coming!

But I want us to take some moments today to just focus on the Bridegroom, to look at Him. In Revelation 21—toward the very end of the Bible where we read about the ultimate wedding between Christ and His Bride—we read that the Bride is beautifully dressed for her husband. (see v. 2)

That’s why that bride dresses the way she does at her wedding. She’s dressing for her husband, for him to see. When she buys that dress she’s thinking, What will he like? How can I look beautiful for him?

And so it is in our relationship with Christ, that as His Bride we want to be beautifully dressed for our Beloved, for the Bridegroom, for our Husband. Now the danger in this wedding relationship with Jesus Christ and our marriage to Him is that we would get our eyes off of Him; that we would forget that He’s the purpose of this wedding; that He’s the key, the center, the core, the heart of this relationship; that it’s His love that has brought this relationship about in the first place.

We are so prone here on this earth while we’re waiting for the consummation of our marriage relationship with Christ, which is yet to come in its fullness, while we’re waiting on this side of heaven, we’re prone to forget our Bridegroom. Can you imagine such a thing?!

In a human relationship, can you imagine a bride forgetting who her groom is? It’s unthinkable! The danger is that we would lose our focus, that we would forget why we’re here on earth—which is to get ready for our Bridegroom, to be prepared for Him. It’s all about Him. It’s centered on Him. He is the focus.

Now in the Song of Solomon, the story we’ve been telling about that Old Testament king and his bride, there are two occasions when the bride loses the sense of her beloved. She loses a sense of his presence. She feels that he has left her, and she’s very troubled when this happens.

She’s reminded how much she misses him when he’s not there. She’s reminded how much she loves him, when he’s not there. In both cases she goes searching for her beloved, and in both cases she does find him. We learn through her search something about how to have intimacy restored in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

But in one of the two particular instances, she goes out into the town searching for her beloved. She finds the daughters of Jerusalem—the other women in the town—and she says to them, “Have you seen him? Have you seen my beloved? Do you know where he went? Where is he? Do you know where he is?”

Well, the daughters of Jerusalem say to her, “Who’s your beloved more than any other beloved?” In other words, “What’s so special about him? What makes him unique? Why would you miss him so much? Why are you so intent on finding him? Who is your beloved, what is your beloved more than another beloved?”

The implication might even be, “Go find another one! If you’ve lost him, another one will do . . . won’t he?” Well the bride begins to think about that question, and she responds to the daughters of Jerusalem. 

She says in chapter 5 of the Song of Solomon, 

My beloved is [dazzling] and ruddy, [he’s] the chiefest among ten thousand. (v. 10 KJV) 

In other words, “There’s no one else like him! He’s incomparable! He stands head and shoulders above everyone else that I know, above all other men.”

And then she goes on to describe in great detail what it is that attracts her to him. With the tenderest of voice and words and thoughts, she describes his head, his hair, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips, his mouth, his arms, his hands, his body, his legs. I mean, just every part of his body she describes in tender detail. (see vv. 11–16)

And then she concludes], “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem” (v. 16).There’s no one else like him! And you know, as you read this passage, you sense that she’s reminding herself of what she may have forgotten.

It’s not until she begins to speak of the details of what it is that she has admired about him. It’s as if she’s not only telling them, she’s telling herself, “He is the chief of ten thousand. There is no one else like Him!” She’s reminding herself of why it is that he means so much to her.

She’s being specific in her praise of her beloved. She talks about his name being like perfume poured out. And of course we know that the Lord Jesus, who is our heavenly Bridegroom, has hundreds of names in the Scripture. And all of those names, like perfume poured out, tell us something about His character and His Person.

As we study the Song of Solomon and see the bride in that book, we see that the bridegroom is her magnificent obsession! Her eyes are fixed on him. He’s what matters to her. And as we read her description of her beloved, we realize, as one writer said, “That we are witnessing an unveiling of the splendor and the loveliness of the Lord Jesus.”

We see that we’re seeing a picture of the wonder and the beauty of the Lord Jesus as she describes her beloved. So if you ask me, “What is your Beloved, more than any other beloved?” “I would love to tell you what I see in Him!”

And as she begins to speak his praise, to say what it is that she appreciates and admires about him, two things happen. First of all, something happens in her. The sense of his presence and his intimacy is restored in her life.

And second, something happens in others. The daughters of Jerusalem say to her, “Tell us how we can find him! How can we get to know this one who is so lovely, who is so wonderful, the one you describe in this way?”

You know, the greatest evangelistic plan in the world is an in-love Bride of Christ telling others what she sees in her Beloved—telling others what He means to her! And so, if you were to ask me the question the daughters of Jerusalem asked that bride, “What is your beloved more than other beloved? What makes him so special to you?” I would tell you about His Names.

I would tell you about who He is and what He is like. I would tell you my Beloved is:

• The Alpha and the Omega.
• The beginning and the end. 
• He’s the Ancient of Days. 
• He’s the Author and Finisher of my faith.
• He’s my Beloved. 
• He’s the Bread of Life. 
• He’s the Bright and Morning Star. 
• He’s the Captain of my salvation. 
• He’s the Chief Cornerstone. 
• He’s my Counselor. 
• He’s the Door. 
• He’s Emmanuel.
• He’s the Faithful and True One.

What is my Beloved more than another beloved? I would tell you:
 

• He’s my Fortress. 
• He’s a Friend of sinners—oh, how thankful I am for that! 
• He’s my Good Shepherd.
• He’s my Great Shepherd.
• He’s the Chief Shepherd. 
• He’s my Great High Priest.
• He’s the Head over all things. 
• He’s the Holy One of God. 

And then I would tell you that: 

• He’s the Lamb of God and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. 
• He’s the Life and the Light of the World.
• He’s the Lord of Glory. 
• He’s the Lover of my soul 
• My Beloved is a Man of Sorrows.
• He’s my Master. 
• He’s the Messiah. 
• He’s the Mighty God! 

What is my Beloved more than another beloved? 

• He’s the Prince of Peace.
• He’s my Redeemer.
• He’s my refuge in times of trouble. 
• He’s the Resurrection and the Life. 
• He is my Righteousness.
• He’s my Rock.
• He’s my Savior. 
• He’s the Son of God.
• He’s the Son of Man. 
• He’s my Strength, my Shield, my Strong Tower. 
• He’s the Sun of Righteousness, risen with healing in His wings. 

What is my Beloved more than other beloved? Well, there’s no one else like Him. 

• He is God’s great eternal I AM! 
• He’s the King of kings. 
• He’s the Lord of lords whose Kingdom is forever, and His reign will never, ever end! 

This is my Beloved. This is my Friend. This is my Bridegroom! 

According to God’s Word He’s gone to prepare a place for me. Soon He’s coming back to consummate the marriage and take me—and take you—as His Bride, to live with Him forever!

O Lord, how beautiful You are. You are more precious than silver, more costly than gold, more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing we desire compares with You! There is none else like You! We love You; we worship You; we magnify You our Beloved. Amen!

Dannah: That’s Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth inviting you to fall in love with Jesus all over again! She’s been reminding us about the wonder that God chose us—and loved us—when we didn’t deserve it. Did you know the Bible is full of wedding imagery from the opening chapter until the end?

When Nancy got married to Robert Wolgemuth, they began their ceremony with some of these meaningful Scriptures of the love of Christ for His people. To put an exclamation point on what we just heard, I’d like to play you the recording that began Robert and Nancy’s wedding. Would you pause whatever you’re doing, and just focus on how much God loves you? Let’s listen.

Robert Wolgemuth: I have loved you with an everlasting love. (Jer. 31:3)

Nancy: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. (Psalm 63:3)

Robert: I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. (Hosea 2:19)

Nancy: For your Maker is your Husband. The Lord of Hosts is His Name and the Holy One of Israel is Your Redeemer: the God of the Whole Earth, He is called! (Isa. 54:5)

Robert: As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you! (Isa. 62:5)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)

Nancy: Be imitators of God as beloved children . . .

Robert: . . . and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. (Eph. 5:1–2)

Nancy: We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Robert: God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

Nancy: Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)

Robert: Love one another earnestly from a pure heart. (1 Pet. 1:22)

Nancy: The voice of my Beloved! Behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills! My Beloved speaks and says to me . . .

Robert: Arise my love, my beautiful one and come away! For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come. Arise my love, my beautiful one and come away! (Song of Songs 2:8–13)

Nancy: My beloved is mine and I am his. He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love! (Song of Songs 2:16)

Robert: You are altogether beautiful, my love, and there is no flaw in you. (Song of Songs 4:7)

Nancy: Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful! (Song of Songs 1:16)

Robert: You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride. You have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes. (Song of Songs 4:9)

Nancy: I am my Beloved’s, and his desire is for me. (Song of Songs 7:10)

Robert: This mystery is profound, and I’m saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.

Nancy: The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body and is Himself its Savior. Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Robert: Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Let each one of you love his wife as himself. 

Nancy: And let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:22–33)

Robert: Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like a roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder shouting, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!”

Nancy: For the wedding of the Lamb has come and His Bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.

Robert: Then the angel said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” (Rev. 19:6–9)

Nancy: Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (Rev. 21:1–2)

Robert: One of the seven angels came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.

Nancy: It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper clear as crystal. (Rev. 21:9–11)

Robert: Behold, I am coming soon! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:12–14)

Nancy: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” . . .

Robert: And let him who hears say, “Come!”

Nancy: Whoever is thirsty, let him come!

Robert: And whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev. 22:17)

Nancy: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes! I am coming soon!” 

Robert: Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20–21)

Nancy: Make haste, my Beloved! (Song of Songs 8:14)

Robert: To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen! (Rev 1:5–6)

Robert and Nancy in unison: Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus with love incorruptible, amen!

Dannah: Those are the Scriptures that opened the wedding between Robert and Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth in 2015. To see that entire wedding ceremony, you can visit ReviveOurHearts.com. We’ll put a link in today’s transcript.

The video of Nancy’s wedding is one of our most-watched on YouTube, and I’m not surprised. When you watch it, you’ll hear from a lot of wise pastors. 

Pastor: So all I can say to you is, keep the Lord Jesus at the center of your relationship. Walk with Him, let everything be bathed in prayer in His Name.

Dannah: You’ll hear beautiful music, including music from the Gettys. 

Kristyn Getty: 

“My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him Who bore my pain.” 

Dannah: But most importantly, you’ll be reminded that Jesus loves His Bride, His People! That message comes through powerfully.

Pastor 2: Every time a man and woman stand and take their vows, they are re-enacting the gospel love story, whether they realize it or not.

Dannah: Maybe that’s why so many people love watching the video. Now, all the videos at ReviveOurHearts.com—the teaching, the panel discussions, Bible studies, the powerful stories—they’re all made possible thanks to people who appreciate this ministry and want to partner in our mission to call women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

When you support Revive Our Hearts with a gift of any amount, we’ll send you a thank-you gift. It’s a notepad with a quote from Nancy. It says, “Anything that makes me need God is a blessing.” So, anytime you jot something down on this notepad, you’ll be reminded of God’s goodness in the middle of all your details.

Make your donation of any size by visiting ReviveOurHearts.com. You’ll find a place online to say, “Yes, send me the notepad!” or call 1-800-569-5959. 

On Monday, Nancy will continue the series “Here Comes the Bridegroom.” She’ll talk about how the love Jesus has for us affects earthly marriage. Please be back for Revive Our Hearts. 

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is calling you to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

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