Florence First

🕯️ Keeping Oil in Your Lamp

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five were wise because they brought extra oil for their lamps, and five were foolish because they ran out. When the midnight cry rang out—"Behold, the bridegroom comes!"—only those with burning lamps could enter the wedding feast.
To truly understand this urgency, we have to look at ancient Jewish wedding customs and see how beautifully they align with Christ and His Church.

1. The Betrothal and the Separation
In ancient Israel, a wedding began with the Betrothal (Erusin). The groom would pay a price for his bride, establish a covenant, and then do something painful: he would leave.
He would return to his father’s estate to build a new room—a bridal chamber—attached to his father’s house. During this time of separation, the bride remained at home, setting herself apart, wearing a veil, and preparing her wedding garments.
• The Alignment: Jesus paid the ultimate price for His Church on the cross. Before He left, He gave us a promise in John 14:3: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself." Right now, the Church is in the waiting period, setting herself apart for her Groom.

2. The Unpredictable Nighttime Arrival:
The ancient bride knew her groom was coming back, but she did not know the exact day or hour. Only the groom’s father could look at the building progress and give the final approval: "Go, fetch your bride."
Because of this, the groom almost always arrived unexpectedly, at night. The bride had to sleep with her wedding clothes ready and her handheld oil lamp immediately beside her bed.
• The Alignment: Jesus explicitly told us that "no one knows the day or the hour" of His return (Matthew 24:36). He will return at a time when the world is in spiritual darkness.

3. The Midnight Cry and the Oil Lamps
When the father finally gave the word, the groom and his friends would march through the dark streets toward the bride’s house. They didn't knock quietly. Someone at the front of the procession would blow a shofar (ram's horn) and shout into the night sky: "Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him!"
The bride and her attendants had seconds to react. They had to light their flax-wick pottery lamps instantly to join the procession back to the father's house.
- The Alignment: Paul writes in Thessalonians 4 about Jesus coming down from heaven with a loud command, and with the trumpet call of God, (the Second Coming) and in Thessalonians 5 how Jesus will come like a thief in the night, (The Rapture of The Church.)

When you understand the origin of the parable in relation to ancient Jewish weddings, the story mirroring the return of Christ for His Church takes on so much more depth. Let us not be unprepared and always keep oil in our lamps ready for our Bridegroom.

Next week is our Jump Back To School event! This will be from 1-2:30 at sky zone and is free to the kids in our ministry! I hope to see all of our kiddos there!