Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Our Holy Husband

...the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there... (Ezek 8:3-4)


John Calvin aptly described the faithful jealousy of our God and how it speaks of His love for His people:
The more holy and chaste a husband is, the more wrathful he becomes if he sees his wife inclining her heart to a rival.

In like manner, the Lord, who has wedded us to himself in truth, manifests the most burning jealousy whenever we, neglecting the purity and his holy marriage, become polluted with wicked lusts.

- Institutes of the Christian Religion, I.VIII.18.
Any husband who met his bride's adultery with indifference would be unloving and rightly described as unfaithful himself! And our Lord is the holiest of husbands. His jealousy is His holiness, faithfulness, and love expressed against the sin of His bride.

It is in glory that He is provoked to jealousy in faithfulness and in love for His bride - redeemed by Him, called by His name, and covenanted to Him in love. We are His Temple, "bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). We are His Bride, for whom He died in His love "that He might sanctify here... that she would be holy and blameless" (Eph 5:25-27).

So wedded to the Lord by the blood of Jesus His Son and by the bond of the New Covenant, we are instructed to flee immorality. Our husband loves us faithfully. Let us seek His glory in purity until we recline at His side forever at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

3 comments:

  1. Yes, the cross really isn't about "the wrongs done to us" at all. (sigh)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, it could be worse - you could be singing, "Above All" by ol' Michael W. Smith. I've never gotten that one - how do you read the New Testament and then write a song about how Jesus thought about you, "above all"?! You praise Jesus by making Him an idolater?

    Of course, this is what happens when we create a "worship leader" caste in the church that's more style than substance. For example, see Ted Kluck's recent article, "Where Rock Stars Go to Die": http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/09/07/where-rock-stars-go-to-die/.

    It's like taking a tour with Ezekiel! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, I saw that TGC post...

    Thanks for bringing the Word from Ez - looking forward to the next installment!

    ReplyDelete