Topical Bible: The Sun: Compared to a Bridegroom Coming Forth from his Chamber

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In the Holy Scriptures, the sun is often used as a powerful symbol to convey the majesty and glory of God's creation. One of the most vivid and poetic comparisons is found in Psalm 19:5, where the sun is likened to a bridegroom emerging from his chamber: "which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course" . This imagery captures the splendor, joy, and strength associated with both the sun and a bridegroom, offering a rich tapestry of meaning for believers.

Symbolism and Imagery

The comparison of the sun to a bridegroom highlights several key attributes:

1. Joy and Celebration: Just as a bridegroom emerges with joy and anticipation on his wedding day, the sun rises each morning with a sense of renewal and celebration. This daily event is a reminder of God's faithfulness and the new mercies He provides with each dawn.

2. Strength and Vitality: The bridegroom is often seen as a figure of strength and vigor, ready to embrace the responsibilities and joys of marriage. Similarly, the sun is a source of life and energy, sustaining creation with its warmth and light. This parallel underscores the sustaining power of God, who upholds the universe by His might.

3. Glory and Splendor: The bridegroom, adorned for his wedding, is a picture of beauty and honor. The sun, in its brilliance, reflects the glory of God, declaring His handiwork to all the earth. As Psalm 19:1 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" .

Theological Significance

The sun's comparison to a bridegroom also carries theological implications. In the New Testament, Christ is often depicted as the Bridegroom, with the Church as His bride. This metaphor is seen in passages such as Matthew 25:1-13 and Revelation 19:7-9. The rising sun, therefore, can be seen as a daily reminder of Christ's promised return and the consummation of His relationship with the Church.

Furthermore, the sun's consistent and faithful rising each day serves as a metaphor for God's unwavering faithfulness to His people. Just as the sun rises without fail, so too does God's love and mercy endure forever.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the sun was often revered as a deity or a symbol of divine power. However, the biblical portrayal of the sun as a created entity under God's sovereign control sets the Hebrew Scriptures apart from surrounding pagan beliefs. By comparing the sun to a bridegroom, the psalmist emphasizes that the sun, while magnificent, is merely a part of God's creation, subject to His will and purpose.

Practical Application

For believers, the imagery of the sun as a bridegroom can inspire a sense of awe and worship. Each sunrise is an opportunity to reflect on God's glory, faithfulness, and the hope of Christ's return. It encourages Christians to live with joy and anticipation, much like a bridegroom eagerly awaiting his wedding day.

In summary, the comparison of the sun to a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber in Psalm 19:5 is a rich and multifaceted image that speaks to the joy, strength, and glory of God's creation, while also pointing to deeper theological truths about Christ and His relationship with the Church.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 19:5
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"The Sun of Righteousness"
... he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of ... from the
simple fact that he is so frequently compared to the sun; and especially in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the sun of righteousness.htm

Commendation of those who came to Hear after Taking a Meal. ...
... For even as a bridegroom when he appears from some ... present time are not worthy to
be compared with the ... And again the prophet Isaiah made the sun to retrace his ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily x commendation of those.htm

The Christian Rejoicing in the views of Death and Judgment.
... appear a low, unprofitable thing, when compared with what ... and shall "shine forth
like the sun" arising in ... clear heaven, "which is as a bridegroom coming out of ...
/.../chapter xxix the christian rejoicing.htm

Psalm XLV.
... the brightness of the constellations; the light of sun and moon? ... what he was writing;
and therefore to have compared his tongue to ... For the Bridegroom was coming ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xlv.htm

Canticles 4:12 the Lord's Garden.
... is gone, they have no name but that of their Bridegroom. ... The Lord's flowers all need
the light of the sun. ... rudeness and want of sympathy when compared to many ...
/.../chapter xv canticles 4 12 the.htm

The Royal Pair in their Glorious Chariot
... red canopy which shelters thee from the sun by day ... an immutable and unchangeable
decree, be compared to much ... here, for both the bride and bridegroom find rest ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/the royal pair in their.htm

The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his ...
... traces of a temple to the Syrian Sun-God, broken ... between God and Israel was not only
compared to a ... the institution of friends of the bridegroom' prevailed in ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxviii the story of.htm

A Bundle of Myrrh
... permit them to commune in conjugal love with the great Bridegroom. ... as the small dust
of the balance compared with the ... by the root; a sky without a sun; a night ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a bundle of myrrh.htm

The Feast of the Lord
... "The governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith ... God hath a sun without
a spot, a sky without a ... we have had here, is as nothing compared with what ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the feast of the lord.htm

Satan's Banquet
... the governor of the feast said to the bridegroom, "Thou hast ... wast once my shield,
but thou art now my sun. ... I ever had before was as nothing compared with this ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/satans banquet.htm