February 15, 2009
Sermon #771
The Ring of the Covenant
Introduction: In the marriage, ceremony there is always the giving of a ring, or two. “With this ring I thee wed.” Why the ring? What does it mean? In the movie, Fireproof, the couple who were about to dissolve their marriage the ring played an important part. The wife – Catherine Holt – if you remember removed her wedding ring. The husband, Caleb Holt, though injured in a fire would not remove his. The sleazy doctor – Gavin Keller – was pursuing a married woman did not wear his although he was a married man. What does the ring represent?
The promise of restoration
Luke 15:11 - 24 (NKJV) 11Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
ILL: The Ring on his had indicated restoration!
Esther 8:1 - 2 (NKJV) 1On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Esther 8:7 - 11 (NKJV) 7Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.” 9So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. 11By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions.
ILL: In the book of Esther when King Ahasuerus placed the ring of the finger of Mordecai all of the Jews were restored!
ILL: Sir Walter Scotts ballad The Noble Moringer, The knight returns from the Holy Land to the wedding of his enticed wife, he appears unrecognized at the feast and drops a gold ring into the wedding wine. “A bridal ring of burning gold so costly and so fine; Now listen, gentles to my song, it tells you but the sooth, twas with that very ring of gold he pledged his bridal truth:” Moringer though thought to be dead is instantly restored!
That wedding band means that no matter what changes, no matter what the other does, you pledge by blood covenant to restoration of love.
Promise of second in command
Genesis 41:42 - 44 (NKJV) 42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
Jesus gave the church authority in his name
Matthew 16:16 - 19 (NKJV) 16Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 18:18 - 20 (NKJV) 18“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
A Husband is to treat his wife as Christ treats His church
Ephesians 5:22 - 33 (NKJV) 22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
ILL: Sovereignper annulum means “By the Ring” The Archbishop of Canterbury puts the Wedding Ring of England on the finger of the ruler symbolizing the covenant union of the people and the ruler – only the death of the ruler breaks the covenant!
From the time of ancient Egypt it was believed that a nerve ran from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart. A ring on that finger signified a blood covenant that was never to be broken.
ILL: Look at your wedding ring a picture a vein that runs from that ring to your heart. If that ring (covenant) is broken you will bleed to death!
Wife of the covenant
Malachi 2:14 - 16 (NKJV) 14Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. 15But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16“For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
Christ has a covenant with us that He will not break!
Matthew 26:26 - 29 (NKJV) 26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
ILL: This is beside the point but do you know where Judas’ ring finger was when the new covenant was pledged?
Luke 22:20 - 21 (NKJV) 20Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 21But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.
The Christian has the better covenant
Hebrews 7:18 - 22 (NKJV) 18For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21(for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek’”), 22by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
ILL: God had an engagement ring of law on one hand, now I am speaking allegorically, but on the other hand Jesus is wearing a wedding ring – of the covenant.
ILL: The Super Bowl team each were given a ring, they alone can wear it. Each Pope is given a ring, when they die it is destroyed. I have a diamond ring, it is the Masters of Divinity, and there is not another one like it on earth. It is the symbol of my wedding to the ministry – when I die it will go to my minister son! To me both the ministry and my marriage is a covenant – 56 six years of marriage (to the same woman) and 48 years in the ministry.
Conclusion: There are a number of couples present who would like to recommit their marriage vows, some have been through the “Fire Proof” seminar program. At this time I am going to give you the opportunity to do so:
Marriage recommitted vows.
