THE FAITHFUL BRIDEGROOM:

Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In loving-kindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD”.

What a powerful wedding toast from God! He declares by what means He would "betroth her to Himself for ever". God had indeed from the beginning covenanted with the Israelite in a perpetual love; there is nothing disguised or false in His covenant. He said, I betroth you to Me forever, in righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness. How many bridegrooms have these virtues in them? These are the ingredients that makes a bridegroom a complete male who will be a Christ-like husband.

 
Betrothing was the bridegroom's taking the bride into a marriage-covenant. It is not like the modern engagement where a man keep a woman waiting for years without marriage and at the end, might dump her to marry another woman. Betrothal was done publicly before witnesses and infidelity during espousal was reputed and punished as adultery. Whomsoever the bridegroom espoused to himself, he espoused for ever like God in righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness.

 
The word “betroth” from Hebrew “arash” means “a mutual promise or covenant for a future marriage”, which marks a new beginning, with all the freshness of first love that last forever. Betrothal in ancient Israel was much more binding than engagement is in our contemporary society. But the actual marriage took place only when the bridegroom took the bride to his home and the marriage was consummated in the sexual union.

 
The most important instance of betrothal in the Bible is the one between Joseph and Mary (Matt 1:18-19). A Jewish betrothal could be dissolved only by the man's giving the woman a certificate of divorce. 

 
At the time of the betrothal the man would pay a price to seal the agreement. Among the "wedding gifts" will be such blessings as righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness. These qualities will characterize His relationship with His bride, which will never end. He said, “I betroth you to Me forever”. He takes her with the fixed purpose never to put her away while she desires to abide with Him: never indeed to part with her. It is everlasting without expiring, either at death, or at the world's ending.