The chief of a tribe of Arabs, Ahmoud Hassan, living near the Lake Mœris, made a journey to Cairo one day with the purpose of choosing a wife; and he carried with him, on his camel's back, a goodly number of gold pieces for the wedding dowry. In eastern countries wives are not obtained as they are here, but the parents of the young lady consider their daughter a marketable commodity, and it is usually the amount of the dowry, and not the quantity of affection in some particular suitor, which decides the important question as to who shall have her. Ahmoud being a man easily susceptible to the pleasing emotions of love, soon found a lady with whom he could entrust his happiness; and having called together her parents and friends, a marriage-contract was drawn up, the amount of the dowry was settled, and Ahmoud was duly betrothed to the beautiful Bamba, daughter of a respectable Armenian. At first every one thought that the marriage would take place immediately, as was the custom in those parts, but strangely enough Ahmoud was not in such a hurry. No, he must first go back to his tribe by the Lake Mœris, and make the necessary arrangements for Bamba's reception, and not till all was in readiness would he return to conduct her to her new home. When he was gone Bamba became sad and lonely, and sent many sighs after her departed chief, and so the days and weeks crept by. Often she would repair to her little room, on the flat roof of her father's house, to think of the absent one, or mount the watch-tower, that she might gaze, with shaded eyes, over the white housetops in the direction of the far-off lake; but other days and weeks crept by, and still he carne not. He had told her that he had gone to prepare a home for her, but that he would soon return; and, meanwhile, she was to watch and wait for him. But when the weeks had turned to months, and there were still no signs of his coming, she began to lose heart, and sometimes unworthy thoughts about him would rise in her mind, and she would almost think that he had forgotten her. But one day a messenger carne hurriedly into her presence, and the startling words fell upon her ear, "He is coming—he is coming—put on your ornaments, and go out to meet him!" So Bamba put on her ornaments, and went out, and met her lord; and straightway he took her to the home which he had been getting ready for her.
In some respects this is a faint picture of the past, the present, and the future connections of the Lord Jesus Christ with His church. He was the Merchantman who left His home in a distant country, and came to this poor earth seeking goodly pearls. At last He found one pearl of great price, one lovely pearl; and what do you think that was? It was the church. And then we read that He sold all that He had and bought it. Yes, ALL: for He gave His own life's blood for it, and no one could make a greater sacrifice than that. "Christ also loved the church, and gave HIMSELF for it" (Eph. 5:2525Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25)); and each member of that church—each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ—can say, "He loved me, and gave HIMSELF for me." (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).) Oh the love of Jesus! I need scarcely add, that the pearl was washed before it could be fit for Him.
But He has gone away. He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)); and before He went away He said, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself." (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3).) Then He, too, is coming back, you cry. Yes, He is coming back: He may be on His way at this present moment—I cannot tell. But the question is—Are you looking out for Him?
In my chapter on tents, I told you that the young pilgrim through the wilderness should look upon the present time as a waiting and a watching time; and perhaps you wondered what I meant by that. Well, before I tell you what I did mean, I will tell you what I did not mean. I did not mean that a Christian should be waiting or watching for death. The Bible has no such thought as that; at least, no such thought for the believer. A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT KNOW THAT HE WILL EVER BE CALLED UPON TO DIE. Bamba, in the story, was not looking out for death. If the Lord were to come at this very hour—and He might - thousands and tens of thousands of His own people would be caught up in the clouds to meet Him, without ever passing through death. (I Thess. 4.) "We shall not all sleep [for that is the beautiful way the Christian's death is spoken of], but WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump" (1 Cor. 15:51,5251Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑52)); and if that last trump were to sound to-day—and who knows but that it will?—every living Christian in the wide world would be changed in a moment (that is to say, would change his mortal body for an immortal body), and instead of going down to the grave, would go up to be forever with the Lord. Now, if I know that this event may happen at any moment, how can I be watching and waiting for death?
I know that many Christians talk in this way, but the Bible does not; and you will remember that that is the lamp which should guide you in matters of this kind. Instead of telling us to look out for death, when our bodies would only be laid in the grave, and in course of time fall to dust, the Bible tells us to watch and wait for a divine Person from heaven, who will "change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body"—a very different thing, you see. "Oh, but," says the Christian, "the Lord will come to me when I die." No—no, says the Bible, if you die, you will go to be with the Lord. But perhaps you would like to see some of God's "Waitings" and "Watchings.”
The WATCHINGS:
"WATCH ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH." (Mark 13:35-3735Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Mark 13:35‑37).)
But perhaps you begin to ask, What has all this to do with marriages? Not much, when looked at from one point of view, but a great deal when looked at from another. All true believers, as I have already hinted, form part of the church of God, and the church of God is sometimes spoken of as the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2,9;22. 17); and so when Christians are looking out for the Lord's return, we may say that it is the bride looking out for the Bridegroom. What nearness of love there is in this—is there not? No one can be nearer to the Bridegroom's heart than the bride, and believers are the bride of Christ. We need scarcely wonder, then, that some are watching and waiting for the Bridegroom's return.
In many eastern countries, the night before the coming of the bridegroom is called the "watch-night." "If the bridegroom's residence be at a distance from that of the bride, he usually arrives some time in the course of the night, or very early in the morning. The bridesmaids watch anxiously for his arrival, and as soon as they are apprised of his approach by the joyful shout set up by some of the members of the family, who have been on the look-out to catch the first glimpse of him, 'The bridegroom cometh!' they go forth to meet him." And so should it be with you, dear young believer. You should be looking for the coming of the Bridegroom—the heavenly Bridegroom—or, in other words, for the return of Jesus. This should be your "watch-night," when the eyes of your heart should be looking for the bright and Morning Star, which heralds the approach of day. Jesus Himself says, "I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star;" and if you will refer to your Bible you will notice that the moment He thus speaks of Himself, "the Spirit and the BRIDE say Come." (Rev. 22:16-1716I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16‑17).) Yes, the bride sighing for the return of her Beloved, and cries in spirit like the bride in the song of Solomon "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to roe, or to a young hart, upon the mountains of spices." (Song of Solomon 8:1414Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. (Song of Solomon 8:14).)
I will now give an account of a Jewish marriage festival, which, I think, will please you. "It was late on a summer evening; the sun had long since gone down in golden splendor beyond the blue waves of the Mediterranean, and deep twilight shadows shrouded the earth in semidarkness, illumined fitfully by the glimmering light of the brilliant stars which stud the firmament of the Eastern hemisphere. On the banks of the Lake of Tiberias there stood a small town where, as was usual at this late hour, all was lonely and still, excepting at one house, from the appearance of which it was evident that some, thing more than ordinary was going forward. Only one window could be seen from the narrow street—the house being built round a large open court, into which the other windows looked—but that one was brilliantly illuminated. On the flat roof of the house, which was ornamented with shrubs and plants, and lit up with numerous torches, groups of people, dressed in gay holiday attire, were walking to and fro, enjoying the cool night air, as it blew in gentle zephyrs from the neighboring Sea of Galilee. Occasionally, through the open door, servants might be seen hurrying past, and the cheerful strains of musical instruments could be heard mingling with the soft sweet voices of many singers. Inside the house everything betokened preparation for some festive occasion. The various apartments were hung with many-colored draperies, adorned with richly gilded carvings, and fragrant with the perfume of costly scents; whilst in a large upper chamber, a table was spread with a sumptuous repast. There was not much meat provided, for the natives of the East seldom eat it; but there was an abundant supply of bread, honey, grapes, figs, dates, melons, cheese, parched corn, cucumbers, pomegranates, olives, and dried fruits; whilst upon pegs, in a corner of the room, hung large leathern bottles filled with the juice of the grape, and a favorite drink made from the juice of dates, flavored with spice. In an adjoining room were musicians playing upon the harp, tabret, viol, flute, cymbals, and triangle, who united with a hand of trained singers, in performing, at intervals, lively pieces of music and joyous songs. In the courtyard, which was decorated with beauteous fragrant flowers, there were fountains of water, which not only cooled the air, but their falling drops, sparkling in the rays of the many lamps which hung around, added to the beauty and brilliance of the scene. Here yet other guests walked to and fro in friendly converse, or reclined at length on luxurious divans, lulled to partial slumber by the gentle plashing of the water.
"All these preparations were making for the celebration of a wedding feast. The marriage ceremony had been performed some six days previously, at the house of the bride's parents in an adjacent village; the six following days had been spent in feasting and merriment there, and on the evening of this, the seventh day, the bridegroom was expected to bring borne the bride to this his own house, giving on the occasion a grand entertainment, the last of the series. (See Gen. 29:2727Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. (Genesis 29:27); Judg. 14:17,1817And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Judges 14:17‑18).)
“It was known that many friends would accompany the newly-married pair in the procession from one house to the other; but as it was customary for others to go and meet them on the road, with songs of welcome and expressions of good wishes, on this occasion a panty of young women went for this purpose, clothed in flowing white robes, and carrying lamps in their hands, not only to light them on the road, but also to increase the splendor of the procession. These lamps were simply sticks of baked clay, fixed to wooden handles; linen rags were wrapped round the clay, and then saturated with oil. They gave a brilliant light, but burnt away very rapidly.
“It was a joyous, happy group which thus started from this house, full of life and spirits; and as they went they laughed and chatted merrily of pleasures past and the feast to come, pausing now and again to peer through the darkness for some signs of the expected procession; but pone appeared, and at length they agreed to sit down by the road-side and await its arrival. Seated thus, the conversation soon flagged, and shortly ceased. Wearied with the day's fatigue, prolonged beyond their usual hour of rest, first one, and then another, and at length all of them, fell fast asleep. They had not slumbered long, when a passer-by aroused them with the cry that the bridegroom and his friends were close at hand. Instantly they sprang to their feet, and saw, at no great distance, the flickering lights of the long-expected party. Their first thought was to trim their lamps, for these had been burning whilst they slept, and now some had gone quite out, and the rest nearly so. This was unfortunate, for it would have been considered very rude and disrespectful of them to join the procession without their lamps; such a step was not to be thought of. Some of the young women, it appeared, anticipating such a contingency, had brought little vessels of oil with them, and emptying these over the rags, their lamps were soon trimmed and burning as brightly as ever. The others, who had not been so thoughtful, would have borrowed of their oil too, but there was none to spare, they had only just sufficient for themselves; and instead of going to meet the bridegroom, these young women were obliged to hasten back into the town to purchase some oil, in the hope of overtaking their friends before they reached the house. Meanwhile the procession drew near; those who were ready advanced to meet it, singing a song of welcome, to the music of which they kept time with their feet, and thus dancing and tripping along they proceeded to the house; the bride and bridegroom entered, followed by their friends, and the door was shut. After exchanging salutations with their friends, they all ascended to the upper chamber, the musicians tuned their instruments afresh, the singers sang their liveliest songs, and the assembled guests surrounded the festive board. Scarce had the banquet begun, when a loud knocking was heard at the outer door. The other young women who had returned to purchase oil for their lamps, hindered and delayed by the fact that all the shops were closed and the owners asleep, had at length obtained a supply, and now demanded admission; but the door being closed, the bridegroom, as they had not entered at the proper time, refused to open it, and they were obliged to go away, sad, miserable, and disappointed. The feast they had been so eagerly anticipating was then in fruition; they could hear the merry voices of their friends and the cheerful music. They knew that inside all was brightness, and happiness, and joy; but they, alas! through their own fault, were shut out in darkness and disappointment.
“The sumptuous entertainment, diversified by the performances of dancing girls, was continued through the night, and the first rays of the rising sun were gilding the summits of the mountains of Moab ere the last guest departed homewards.”
If all this light, and joy, and splendor attend the marriage of two poor, failing mortals in this world of ours, what will it be by-and-by, when the marriage of the Lamb is celebrated in heaven! God has not left us any prophetic pictures of that wonderful moment, save that the bride will "be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:" the fine linen being figurative of the righteousness of saints, just as the white robe which the prodigal receives is figurative of the righteousness of God. This I have explained to you elsewhere. But you may be sure of this, that the musicians will have no need to tune their instruments afresh, as they did at the marriage feast of which you have been reading; that there will be no going out of lamps through sleepiness or lack of oil, for the glory of God will lighten the scene, and the Lamb will be the lamp thereof (Rev. 21:2323And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Revelation 21:23)); and further, that the song which will then be sung will far excel the sweetest and liveliest of earthly songs, for it will be a song which God Himself will put into our mouths. Perhaps it will be that new song, "UNTO HIM THAT LOVETH US, AND WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD, AND HATH MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD AND HIS FATHER; TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION Forever AND EVER. AMEN.”