“'The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son' (Matthew 22:2), that marriage’s consummation being the definitive aim of our destiny, and all of history constituting the courtship that prepares and anticipates the yet undisclosed hour of its fulfillment. Thus the end of time is announced by the solemn proclamation: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him.” (Matthew 25:6)
This interpretation of history as the preparation for a royal wedding ceremony is so pervasive and obvious in Holy Scripture that we Christians, taking it so much for granted, may actually overlook it or give it little thought. Indeed, in this modern materialistic world there is a distinct danger that we too may forget that the present life is but the preparation for another…
To counter such forgetfulness of our future, therefore, God’s Holy Writ repeatedly reminds us of that coming wedding day of the King’s Son…"
When we pause to look at the story of the Bible, we can all recognize that it’s a love story from beginning to end, and the more I see it through the lens of the Bridegroom God, the more I understand, not only the Scriptures, but also the reasons behind why God does what He does, even when it doesn’t make sense to the natural mind. It helps me understand better why we humans are easily caught in addictions of all sorts – we were made for pleasure and fascination so will do anything to satisfy those desires if our hearts aren’t fascinated with God. This is as true of Christian believers as it is of the world.
S.J. Hill, referring to the battle for Helen of Troy (I’m assuming you know the story), says,
“…like Helen of Troy, we won’t return to an eternal love affair with our Bridegroom King without a battle. Many of us carry baggage into the Christian experience that has never been unpacked. Rejection, insecurity, and fear stand against the divine romance in such stark contrast that it’s hard for us to fully grasp the heart of the Gospel...We’re reluctant to open ourselves fully to God because we don’t want to become too vulnerable.”
Relationship with the Divine Romancer
I so appreciate the author’s taking us further back than Eden in his attempt to help us understand the heart and nature of our God. He points out that the divine romance did not begin in Eden but has been who God is forever in relationship. “…before man was created, the Father was already in relationship with Someone.” (Prov. 8:27-31 gives us a picture of this eternal relationship: “Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” This is referring to Jesus and shows both His delightful relationship with the Father and His delight in mankind.) And in John 14 and John 17 Jesus expresses His desire for us to be with Him forever and to have the same love relationship with humans as He and His Father have.
This all sounds great on paper but I am discovering that the full embracing and receiving of this kind of extravagant and unconditional love is offensive to my flesh because it cuts across the grain of the deeply embedded desire in fallen humans to somehow deserve to be loved.
The book quotes St. Augustine’s eloquent prayer of desire: “I came to love you late, O Beauty so ancient and so new; I came to love you late…You called me, you shouted to me, you broke past my deafness. You bathed me with your light, you wrapped me in your splendor, you sent my blindness reeling. You gave out such a delightful fragrance, and I drew it in and came breathing hard after you. I tasted, and it made me hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned to know your peace.”
The greatest demonstration of the love of God for us is the cross. Referring again to Helen of Troy, he says, “The Father did more than launch a thousand ships to get you back. He gave His unique Son – the One He delighted in – even before time began.”
This chapter tells a story that Soren Kierkegaard told about a king who fell in love with a humble maiden; everyone trembled before his power, but his heart melted with love for this maiden. Being king tied his hands from being able to declare his love for her; he could bring her to the palace and give her all that accompanies such a position and she would not dare resist him; but would she love him freely? He didn’t want a cringing slave but a lover; he wanted her to forget his was king and she a simple maiden and to let shared love bridge the gulf between them.
John Eldridge continues with this story: “The king clothes himself as a beggar and renounces his throne in order to win her hand. The Incarnation, the life and the death of Jesus, answers once and for all the question, ‘What is God’s heart toward me?’”
There is too much more in this chapter to try to get it in this posting, so I’m simply going to list several quotes out of the chapter and make a closing remark.
The Bridal Paradigm in Scripture
* (Speaking of the last days)…She (the Bride) will be empowered by holy romance with her bridegroom God. From her sense of spiritual romance, she will view everything differently. Because this bride is lost in the spiritual pleasure and the delight of lovesickness, she will interpret the events of the last days through the lens of love. As God’s temporal judgments disrupt the human race, the end-time bride will see God’s hand of mercy in them…
* God wants lovers who will submit to Him from their hearts…He longs for a lovesick bride. He is looking for those who will keep themselves unstained by the world and will save themselves for Him.
* Through the poetic, romantic language of Scripture, the Bridegroom God is trying to capture our imagination…He will call us out of immaturity and weakness and correct us with His love. He will remove the areas of sin in our lives so we can enjoy Him as the Husband of our hearts and live with Him forever.
* There is nothing more invigorating to the human spirit than the revelation of a Bridegroom God who has intense, pure, passionate desires for us. Something deeply significant takes place in us when in our weakness and immaturity we feel wanted and pursued.
The Divine Kiss of God
* The dominant theme in the Song of Solomon is the revelation of the passionate affections in God’s personality…The divine kiss is a metaphor for the deepest affections that God can give to the human spirit.
* By its very nature, the divine kiss empower you to share God with others. It enables you to run with God…
* The primary way (God communicates His kiss to us) is through meditating on the Scriptures.
A Jealous Romancer
* Exodus 34:14 It’s interesting that God would name Himself “Jealous.” There is something within the nature of God that burns with jealousy for the undivided love and affections of His people.
* God is also emotional. Within the depths of His being he experiences extraordinary passions, including jealousy…Holy jealousy is an intense passion to protect a love relationship that’s priceless and to avenge it when it’s fractured. God’s holy anger at any threat to this relationship is in direct proportion to the burning fire of His love.
The chapter concludes with thoughts on repentance and on man’s free will to choose love, which God will never violate.
It’s been in recent years that my eyes have been opened to the bridal paradigm in Scriptures; seeing God in this light has changed me deeply. Taking the time to listen to His loving affirmations of me and agreeing with Him has brought wonderful healing and strengthening of my inner being. In this process of experiencing the “divine kiss”, I have gained new confidence and no longer live my life dominated by fear of man and needing people’s approval.
I have always loved Him deeply but now I’m confident in His love for me; now I love Him more than ever and without the insecurity that there was when I attempted to love Him without the ongoing revelation of His unchanging love for me. The freedom and joy and spontaneity that comes when this reality dawns on a person is hard to describe!
Because I know that He loves and likes/enjoys me, I love and enjoy Him and others more and find myself free from judgment of myself and of others (even secret inner judgments that hide deep within).
I encourage you to begin to take regular time simply to listen to the Word of God, especially His expressions of love and affection, and just say “yes” to what He is saying to you and soak in that a long time until it penetrates your heart and spirit. If you are interested in Scriptures that are particularly about the emotions of God towards His own, I would be glad to send you some references.
Holy Spirit, You Who love the Father and Jesus passionately and purely, come and reveal God’s love to us by Your grace and power. Win our hearts so that we may love Him radically and to the death, for the sake of Jesus and those for whom He died. Thank You that You hear and answer our prayer!
Next week’s reading is chapter three, The Wounded Heart. Have a great week enjoying the God who enjoys you!
No comments:
Post a Comment