A Bride for God

One of the greatest wonders in the world is falling in love with somebody. This is unbelievably special and changes one’s entire life. It is one of those inexplicable mysteries of the world. This is especially true when you consider God falling in love with His people. Moses puts it very succinctly in Deuteronomy 7, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

It was the pure and mysterious love of God that caused Him to embrace the people of Israel and bring them out of Egypt. He took them first to Mt. Sinai, where a covenant was made between them. It was oh so similar to a Jewish wedding, even today. God and his people stood under a hupah (cloud) to say their vows. God promised to love, protect and provide for his bride, and His bride was to promise to be forever faithful.

What a shock then that before the ceremony is even finished Israel has created another god—a golden calf! The idea for a calf was not original at all. Hathor, the goddess of fertility and consort of Ra, was well known in Egypt, having many temples dedicated to her. She is the calf-god of Egypt. It was almost as if the people took themselves out of the marriage ceremony and placed Hathor in their place. But God wanted to wed a people made in His image, not an idol that is unable to love.


Unfortunately, the situation did not change much as God’s bride entered into Canaan. Here they were presented with Asherah, the fertility goddess of the Canaanites. She is said to have been the consort of the god Baal. She is depicted as a pole with the figure of a woman and is placed next to the altar of Baal in the pagan temples and high places. This summer we visited a high place. There we saw the altar for sacrifices made to their god, and right next to it was a platform that would quite possibly be used for the image of the god’s consort.


In a terrible offence to the God who loves and cares for His people, Israel continued to substitute their position as God’s bride with an idol which was incapable of affection. Even the evil king Manasseh made an Asherah pole and placed it in the Temple, probably next to the altar of God.

But God is not interested in dating a pole! He is looking for living, loving people. And though we are COMPLETELY unworthy of being His, he loves us and gave his Son for us. Now we are the bride of Christ. Could there be anything greater?! So let’s get rid of any and every thing that would keep us from placing all of our affection on the One who loves, protects, provides, and even died for us.

Living Water

One amazing thing about our trip to the Middle East was that we traveled through several deserts—the Sahara, Sinai, Negev, Judean, and Arabian. But at the same time, we swam or waded in some wonderful waters—the Nile River, Red Sea, Gulf of Aquaba, Dead Sea, Arnon River, Ein Gedi, Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, and Mediterranean Sea. I think the favorite dunking I took was in the Arnon River. Hiking up the river gorge in the river was challenging and refreshing at the same time. Working together we were able to climb over huge rocks, slippery boulders, and negotiate water falls. Everybody made it to the 30 foot water falls which stopped our progress up the gorge. However, we all were able to squeeze into a cave behind the water falls where Pastor George talked to us about the overwhelming love of God, like the water that was plunging over us.


We also learned about the difference between living water and water that comes from a cistern. Living water is water that is clean, cool and refreshing. It is running water and a great thirst quencher. Cistern water might be ok for bathing, but is not the best for drinking. It probably has some microbes in it that you would not want in your body, and it is not that refreshing.


The source of the Jordan River is living water. It runs out of several springs at the base of Mt. Hermon. It is cool, clear and very refreshing. It also gives life to everything around its banks. There are abundant plants and an amazing amount of birds that make the upper Jordan River their home.


We also got to walk Hezekiah’s tunnel, which he built in about 700 BC to secure the water supply to the old city of Jerusalem. He tunneled 1,700 feet from the Gehon spring to the pool of Siloam. Today you can walk this tunnel as cool water rushes around your knees.


This is all simply background for the time that Jesus was in the temple on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Just when the priests would have taken some clean, fresh water from the pool of Siloam and poured it around the altar in the temple, Jesus says in John 7:37 & 38, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

As believers in Jesus, we are the ones who should be gushing living water everywhere we go. There should be life springing up all around us because of the living water flowing from us. So just a simple question: do we bring life to people, do we help people come alive in Christ? I really hope we who believe in Jesus are life givers.