Submitted by: Achaicus | View Member Profile | View Other Posts
Created: 2/26/2010
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One theme I have often thought on since 1997 is the idea that the character of Jesus' relationship with the church, and thus with each of us, is glimpsed in the earthly marriage relationship. When I began to study this idea I knew that my experiences had given me a warped idea of what a healthy marriage relationship looked like. I desired better for a new relationship than what I knew. I also wanted to know God more fully.
Ephesians 5:22-25 contains the most direct statement of this connection. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"
I began by systematically going through the references to marriage in the bible with a concordance's help. Two texts gave me trouble, because what I found didn't fit the cultural norms I knew. The first was in Matthew 1:28, 29 with a couple versions of the bible using the word divorce to indicate Joseph's intentions to end his engagement or betrothal to Mary. The second is more plain: Jeremiah 3:14 "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion."
Revelation infers that the wedding of the Lamb and his bride is still yet to come, so these were my questions: Married to the Lord before the wedding? To break an engagement requires divorce? It was obvious that even the best of the culture that I grew up with didn't have all the answers.
At one point (Matthew 13:36) the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable wheat and the tares. They desired to understand what was not familiar to them since many of them were fishermen and did not have experience working the fields. I also needed an explanation but none is directly given because every person Paul is writing to knew. Solomon, Isaiah, Hosea and others had already used the imagery of the marriage relationship to attempt to explain the depth of the relationship God desires with us. And thus it is in the history of Jewish culture and tradition that I got the answers to my questions.
Jewish culture was patriarchal, with the father of the household playing the chief role in society. It was the father's responsibility to guide, provide for and arrange things in a way that will complete the happiness of any sons he may have. This included a tentative arrangement for a life partner. For his daughters the father's role was more limited but no less important, for she must be free to choose whom she would.
I will admit I got a little more than I bargained for when I began to study this. There is more to the idea than just Jesus and the church, nothing would have been without the heavenly Father. For it was He that set in motion things that would be for the happiness of His Son. Let us begin the study of relationships with the role of the Heavenly Father.
Proverbs 8 (I, Wisdom verse 12)
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
The most precious part is where He says "my delights were with the sons of men." We are His happiness. These next three verses show that it wasn't just the perfect creation that He finds delight in. Notice the common theme in these verses; "before the world", "foreordained before the foundation of the world", "chosen us in him before the foundation of the world". The heavenly Father has chosen you and me for his Son. Wisdom, who is Jesus, was, is, and will be for us.
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
What of our freedom to choose? Has our Heavenly Father ensured this freedom for us? Let us consider what the bible says about us. In Genesis God placed a tree in the midst of the garden that he commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of, for in the day they ate of it death would be their end. Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one Romans 3:10, and the end of the wicked is to be ashes under the soles of the feet Malachi 4. Abraham, when he spoke to the Lord about saving Sodom, said “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord", recognized his condition.
Isaiah 41 contains one of the most beautiful promises in verses 10, 13 and 14, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Insignificant though we are, we are not an afterthought because the Father has chosen us for his Son. Isaiah 42 continues "Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles"" Verses 5,6.
Let this sink in. Our heavenly Father has promised to give the same help to us as he promised for His own Son. What a wonderful picture of a father who says of his Son, "I will hold thy hand, and keep thee" who also says to us, "I the LORD thy God, will hold thy right hand".
Isaiah was inspired to write of the Promised Deliverer, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
We are all captives headed for the prison of death, but the heavenly Father has shown mercy unto thousands of generations of those that love him(Exodus 20:6). The first thing Jesus, who said "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father"(John 14:9), offers in the last supper is the bread of life and thus, the freedom to choose.
