05/04/2026
When I was a child, my main association with Shavuot (Pentecost) was through the eyes of Cecil B. DeMille’s movie, The Ten Commandments. I was blown away by the special effects, thinking, “Wow! This stuff REALLY happened? Why didn’t those Israelites get it through their heads that God was trying to help them?” With my limited frame of reference, I determined that THAT’S why He had to make the Ten Commandments for them—so they would know how to behave and understand that God really did love them.
I’ve realized since then that there was a lot more going on than God being angry and making rules for the Israelites to follow to keep them in line. Not only was God giving His chosen people His Torah, but Mt. Sinai represented a “chuppah,” and that on that mountain the Torah itself represented a marriage contract (a ketubah) between God and His people—a binding covenant rooted in love and shared responsibility, transforming Israel from freed slaves into a holy nation dedicated to God.
When I think of what His bride is to embody, some of the imagery reminds me of crystals or jewels—clear and without blemish. When light shines upon a clear crystal, something called refraction, or dispersion of light, takes place, causing a rainbow of colors to emanate from it. We are His bride, and as His bride, we are to reflect His light. We are to be set apart. Our thoughts and goals, need to always be focused on our Groom. How can I serve Him today? What can I do to make myself look more like the bride He is seeking? Have I clothed myself in His righteousness today?
There will be others in attendance at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb one day. There will be guests, companions, other saints, and friends of the Bridegroom there, rejoicing with Him. All of these people have special places, but though these people have responded to His invitation to the ceremony, I don’t want to simply be a guest. I don’t want to simply linger in the outer courts or even the inner courts. I want to dwell where only those who are worthy to be called “Bride” reside. When the veil is removed, I want to look upon Him in that Most Holy Place, face-to-face.
The time is now. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
