Christ and His Beloved
Hope McGovern
Surrounding mountains of Tai O Fishing Village, Ayisha Jackson ‘18
“And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough
for love. So, I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your
nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant
with you… and you became mine.” (Ezekiel 16:8, NLT)
The entire narrative of the Bible is encapsulated
in the story of two marriages: God the Father to
the nation of Israel and Jesus Christ to the Church.
From Genesis to Revelation, matrimonial imagery is
woven throughout scripture. It lives in the declarations of the prophets, in the poetry of Solomon, in
\PMLM[KZQX\QWVWN \PM:IX\]ZM#M^MV\PM4I[\;]Xper is awash with matrimonial language and ritual.
10 Fall 2016
In the Old Testament, God pledged Himself to
Israel, but she proved an unfaithful bride. In her
idolatry and sin, she played the harlot. Israel sought
other gods, refused to obey the law, and turned
away from the God who promised to be her protector. God used Hosea’s life to illustrate the broken
marriage of the Lord to His people. Under His direction, Hosea married a promiscuous woman, put
her away by divorce for the adultery she committed,
then restored their union and became her husband
once more. In the same way, the Lord has given
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