Betrothal, Bride and Bridegroom

The betrothal of Joseph and Mary as portrayed in Savior of the World.  Micham is Joseph's uncle who has arranged with Mary's father and now Joseph comes to offer the contract:

JOSEPH: Mary, I will betroth you to myself forever, betroth you in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness. I will betroth you in faithfulness. And you will know the Lord.⁸

MICHAM: The drink.

(Joseph pours from a pitcher into a cup and places the cup on the table before Mary. Silence.)

FATHER: Now, Mary, it is time for you to choose. Joseph is a good man. If you pledge faithfulness to him, he will provide for you and care for you forever, as a wife and mother in Israel. (Pause) Drink, and you have a covenant. Put it away, and all is forgotten.

MICHAM: You won’t regret it!

WOMEN (Mary’s aunt and cousins): Shhh!

FATHER: As you choose.

(Mary takes the cup and drinks. All erupt into joyous congratulations.)

MICHAM: Wonderful! Wonderful!

JOSEPH: It is done. You are set apart for me according to the law of Moses and Israel. And one day we’ll be married.

Having attended Savior of the World I have been thinking more about how the betrothal of Joseph and Mary could apply also to us today and our relationship with Jesus.  He is the bridegroom.  We as a church are the bride.  He comes to us and offers himself.   He makes us promises/covenants to provide, protect, and care for us.  He presents the contract.  Our part is simple and we are free to choose to accept this contract (gift).  Like a bride, as we accept the contract we take His name upon us.  We become His.  We are bought with a price (a bride price) and the tokens of that price are in his hands.  Each Sunday in sacrament meeting we renew our commitment to him and our acceptance of his offer.  We do this by partaking of the bread and the water.  We literally take into ourselves the symbols of the covenant.  That covenant then becomes a part of us both physically and spiritually.  And if we are wise it becomes a part of us mentally as well as we put our thoughts of Him and pleasing Him in the forefronts of our minds.  As a good bride we trust Him, care for him and his household, love his family, seek to be wise stewards of those things he offers us.  We grow and flourish under his tender care and we become more than we ever could alone. . . and one day we will be with him again.