What is a Ketubah, and how does it relate to a Jewish wedding?

Ketubah is an ancient Jewish custom whose name derives from the Aramaic and Hebrew root, katav, which means “to write.”

Ketubah is a Jewish prenuptial agreement, a document. It is a covenant between both partners, male, and female. This document is part of traditional Jewish marriage. The words outline the rights and responsibilities of the groom in relation to the rights of the bride. This written agreement was prepared in the Tanakh and renewed when perfection came.

So, what does the Jewish custom of Ketubah have to do with you? It’s about your Messiah. The Bible calls him the Groom. The Bible calls the church the Bride. Yahushua, being Jewish, is very personal with His church. The church is the body of the Messiah. Messiah’s expectation of His bride is that she readies herself for the wedding procession. Will you be ready?

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7 RSB).

Messiah tells His disciples that He will not participate in another Passover during the last supper until all believers are with Him. This includes past, present, and future saints who have said yes to the groom. This future Passover Feast has been mentioned in Scripture as the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” what a ceremony this will be. 

What is written in the Ketubah/contract is contained in the Scriptures. It is first found in the Old Covenant and endorsed by our Creator, Yahweh. Jewish custom dictates a price must be paid for the bride. The Father/Yah sets the price. Messiah, His Son, made good on the cost and paid a high price for the Chosen/Jewish people.

Yahushua has also reached out and invited the Gentile nations to become a part of His bridal assembly; they, too, are fitting for the Groom. The written contract is the Brit Hadashah/New Covenant, which is sealed and bought with the Groom’s holy blood! Great news, the New Covenant is in the bride’s favor.

The new covenant in its fullness is first found in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah. Let’s examine.

Prophesied:

Behold, the days come, saith Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith Yahweh: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith Yahweh, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 RSB

Shaul/Paul repeated the exact covenant in Hebrews 8:8-13. The New Covenant holds continued and better promises for His chosen brides. Now read the ancient and updated Ketubah contract quoted in the Brit Hadashah.

Completed:

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold the days come to saith Yahweh when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not saith Yahweh. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Yahweh; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them an Elohim, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying know Yahweh: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayed and waxed old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:8-13 RSB

Now, what is the difference between the old and new covenant?

Answer: The Old Covenant commandments were etched in stone. Was without flexibility and was unbreakable. The penalty was death. The difference, the New Covenant comes from a love relationship between Messiah and His people. We obey His commandments because we love Him. With a passionate heart, we please Him and fill the command to spread His gospel. We follow His commandments because He did. This pleases Him and sets us apart from the world. If you have said yes to Messiah’s proposal, you’ll be pleased to start following the first Ten Commandments as your guide in life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have strength in our spiritual journey. The great news is that when we struggle in life, He is faithful and just forgives our weaknesses. As you repent and learn your lessons about life, our Creator will never remember your sin. The death penalty has been lifted through His resurrection. As Messiah rose, He conquered death for you! Our Groom conquered the grave by being innocent for us. This is the greatest gift for all mankind. What a glorious contract we have. His laws and statements are now written upon our yielding hearts.

The Ketubah contains a clause for the Bride to follow. We challenge ourselves to keep his Word/Torah. The Scriptures give us a remedy when we fall short.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahshua Messiah the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby, we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth, not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him (1 Yochanan/John 2: 1-5 RSB).

Messiah has completed and filled His role in the Ketubah/contract. Yahushua, as a husband, summons His wife (His church) to keep His word till the very end.

A bride must always be in love with the groom. Our way of showing our love is that we keep His Word and live in obedience.                   

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of Yahweh, and the faith of Yahshua” (Revelation 14:12 RSB).

What happens when we stumble and sin? Is this our end? Again, read the remedy.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahshua Messiah the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2 (RSB).

The word advocate is a verb, as in the Hebrew language of action.  An advocate is a person who pleads for a cause; in the bride’s case, we have a lawyer. Our Messiah is He who pleads our case in the highest court in heaven. His blood has erased our sins forever. This includes our past, present, and future sins. This benefit does not give us a license to continue a life filled with unholy activities. We cannot hide behind the grace card and continue a walk with the dark side. Sha’ul/Paul answered the issue of continuing a life of rebellion by saying;

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2 RSB).

Now a contract is not a contract unless it is signed. Our Creator saw fit to lay out the agreement and then graced His name, endorsing the New Covenant promise. The following Scripture follows the old revised in the Brit Hadashah.

“Thus, saith Yahweh, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divided the sea when the waves thereof roar; Yahweh of hosts is his name” (Jeremiah 31:35 RSB).

This Ketubah is signed, sealed and delivered by Messiah Himself.

It is by our actions, living the life of the Torah, based on the commandments, that pleases Elohim. The secrets of how the heavens were placed are as secure as our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yahushua paid a high price for His bride. In eternity, our Messiah will show off His Bride. Our trials by fire on earth will be worth our wait.  

“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:9 RSB).