The Wife of the Lord and The Bride of Christ - Congregation Yeshuat ...

The SeparationA one hundred year period ofseparation began with Isaiah's prophecyof 50:1,"Thus says the LORD, 'Where is thecertificate of divorce by which I havesent your mother away? Or to whom ofMy creditors did I sell you? Behold, youwere sold for your iniquities, and foryour transgressions your mother wassent away.'“In order for a husband to divorce his wifeunder the Mosaic law, he had to write outa certificate of divorce in longhand andgive it to his wife. The divorce was thenfinal (Deut. 24:1).Through Isaiah God states that he had notgiven Israel a certificate of divorce, He hadmerely sent her away.This period of separation was a period ofwithholding His blessings from her.The DivorceOne hundred years of separation did not producethe needed repentance in Israel, so the certificateof divorce was issued through the prophetJeremiah.The entire book of Jeremiah could be viewed as acertificate of divorce, the key verses are found inJeremiah 3:6-10:Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiahthe king, "Have you seen what faithless Israeldid? She went up on every high hill and underevery green tree, and she was a harlot there.I thought, 'After she has done all these thingsshe will return to Me'; but she did not return, andher treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I sawthat for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I hadsent her away and given her a writ of divorce,yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; butshe went and was a harlot also. Because of thelightness of her harlotry, she polluted the landand committed adultery with stones and trees.Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sisterJudah did not return to Me with all her heart, butrather in deception," declares the LORD.The Remarriage with Restored BlessingsAccording to Ezekiel, God will enter into a newmarriage contract with Israel in the future:Ezekiel 16:60-63"Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant withyou in the days of your youth, and I will establishan everlasting covenant with you. Then you willremember your ways and be ashamed when youreceive your sisters, [both] your older and youryounger; and I will give them to you asdaughters, but not because of your covenant.Thus I will establish My covenant with you, andyou shall know that I am the Lord, so that youmay remember and be ashamed and never openyour mouth anymore because of yourhumiliation, when I have forgiven you for all thatyou have done," the Lord God declares.Ezekiel 16:60-634