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ize what she bad been doing. Sbe
had a total change of beart. It was
like a horrible nightmare bad been
happening.
Was it too late? Would ber once
loving husband be able to forgive
such a wretched and wasted life–
time?
lf
only she could convince
him she was truly, deeply sorry for
all the hurt and pain she bad
caused.
It
was a real and genuine
repentance.
The Commitment
How many would ever be able to
forgive a mate who bad lived such a
life? In tbe course of human his–
tory tbere have not been many.
But this man was unique.
lt
was
what he had patiently hoped for all
those years. For when he had first
married, he was COMMITTED.
Here is the key-the vital ingre–
dient so necessary to all successful
marriages. COMMITMENT.
The man in our story vowed he
would love forever- and he did. He
proved it. The wasted years. The
loneliness. The burt. All passed
when bis beloved bride and love of
bis Jife returned.
A new marriage was then
planned. Perhaps because of what
had happened, this marriage was to
be even more majestic tban the
first time around. Nothing was to
be spared to make this the most
memorable wedding possible.
This time they would live happi–
ly ever after.
To those wbo are married- and
to those who ever will be married–
this example of total !ove and com–
mitment should provide the firm
basis for your comparison.
lt
should serve as a perpetua] exarnple
for both you and your mate to love
with total commitment till death do
you part, in sickness and health, in
poverty and wealth.
With that commitment you can
solve the problems tbat will come
your way. Even the best of mar–
riages will have a few rocky
moments. But if both partners are
committed to love, forgiveness and
solving those problems, you can
bave a happy marriage.
Who Are They?
But back to our story. Tbe charac–
ters in the story are unique. The
loving, caring, forgiving husband is
September
1983
the God of the ancient Israelites.
The forsaken and abandoned girl
who grew up to be so beautiful,
only to depart so far from her car–
ing husband, was the ancient nation
of Israel.
The story is told in the 16th
chapter of Ezekiel. Perhaps you
would like to take this occasion to
read it completely through.
Ancient Israel started her young
life as a slave people in the land of
Egypt. But God, in the days of
Moses, freed her from slavery and
led Israel to the land he had prom–
ised Abraharn. When ancient Israel
settled into the promised land, she
was provided with the best crops,
livestock and natural resources.
From a fledgling start under
Joshua, ancient Israel slowly devel–
oped into one of the leading nations
of the Middle East in the days of
David. Under Solomon sbe reacbed
a zenith. The fabulous Temple and
the wisdom of the king brought
people from distant lands to see the
glory of God's nation.
But as the woman in our story,
ancient Israel began to rely on her
beauty. She lusted after the idols of
the surrounding nations. Even wise
king Solomon spent bis last years
rejecting the God who had given
him everything.
After Solomon, ancient Israel
divided into two nations. The
northern
lO
tribes first · fell into
gross idolatry-immorality as God
viewed it-for he had taken her as
his wife. She rejected her divine
husband and sought ..lovers" (other
nations). God put her away with a
bill of divorcement and sent the
nation into Assyrian captivity more
than 700 years before the birth of
Jesus of Nazareth.
About 100 years later the soutb–
ern two tribes- the Jews- went
into Babylonian captivity. But sorne
of them repented and a remnant
returned to the promised land
under the Persian kings.
Tl'le Husband Was Jesus Christ!
We should briefiy explain here an
all-important doctrine. Most every–
one has assumed-without proof–
that the God of the Hebrews who
was married to ancient Israel was
the one whom people call the
Father.
The one whom we call the
Father was not the one who ..mar–
ried" ancient Israel. The Bible
reveals two personages in the God–
head. The one whom we now call
the Father and the one we now
koow as the Son. We read of both
in John's gospel account, chapter
l.
There we read of the Word. ..In the
beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God. and the Word
was God.... And the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among
us .. ." (Jobo 1:1, 14).
The Greek for ..Word"
is
Logos.
It
means the ..Word" or ..Spokes–
man."
The God who
spoke
to ancient
Israel was the ··word" or ..Spokes–
man" for the Father. He was not
the Father. The God of the ancient
Hebrews was the one who emptied
himself of divinity to become the
physical human being, Jesus Christ
(Phil. 2:6-8). He carne to earth in
human forro as Jesus of Nazareth,
died for the sins of the world and is
now alive in heaven at the Father's
right hand.
The God whom we call the
Father was not known to most of
mankind till Jesus Christ carne to
reveal him. Read it for yourself in
Matthew 11 :27.
It's important to unders tand
whom
ancient Israel married-it
has great meaning for the happy
ending to the story.
The Coming Wedding
When Jesus Christ returns to
restore the govemment of God, one
of the first great events will be the
most exciting wedding of all time.
1t
will paJe into insignificance bis
marriage with ancient Israel at
Mount Sinai.
Tbe story of this coming mar–
riage is told in Revelation 19: ..Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give
honour to him: for the marriage of
the Larnb is come, and bis wife
hath made herself ready" (verse
7).
This time the Church-made up
of repentant Israelites and con–
verted gentiles whom God has spe–
cially called to salvation-·-is ready
for marriage. She has ..made her–
self ready." She has thoroughly
repented. Changed. She is commit–
ted.
Continuing in Revelation 19:
••And to her was granted that she
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