Matthew 25:1-13
1. The Bridesmaids represent Israel here. The professors of religion, His holy people set apart for a purpose.
In Jewish culture, 10 was the number of witnesses one would have to have for a synagogue, a circumcision, passover, marriage, etc…Boaz, when he married Ruth, had ten witnesses, Ruth 4:2…this was a common number required for official things.
Israel should have been the shining example. The oil carriers. Instead they became an exclusive club, only looking out for themselves.
2. The Groom is the Messiah. Our Lord Jesus Christ; (he is represented this way also in the Psalms. 45:1-17, Song of Solomon; and often in the New Testament. It represents his love for, and covenant with his people. Israel was meant to be those people!
3. The Bride is His People, who is now the church. Throughout scripture the church is described as the beautiful bride of Jesus. Jesus lays down his life for his bride, just as husbands are meant to lay down their lives for their wives, and wives submit everything to their husbands, just as the Church submits to Christ.
Believers are now betrothed to (or engaged to) Christ (Hos. 2:19); but the solemnizing of the marriage is reserved for the great day, when the bride, the Lamb’s wife, will have made herself completely ready, Rev. 19:7, 9 – the wedding feast of the lamb.
4. The Job - right now, we' are both the bride, and the bridesmaids.
We’re not only meant to be disciples, but discipleMAKERS too!
We’re not only the fish, we’re also the fishermen!
We’re not only the Kingdom, we’re a kingdom of priests!!
We are to wait upon the bridegroom, and to wait for him in the meantime.
Our chief concern should be to have lights in our hands, when Jesus returns or calls us home.
If the heart is the lamp, then grace is the oil.