25
Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself
up for her,26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he
might present the church to himself in splendor,
without
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be
holy and without blemish.
She is lovely to Him, despite what the natural eye
would perceive of the bride. In the natural, she is worn,
weary, her skin is sunburned from the seasons in the
field. Her brow is sweaty from toil. She is worn from
taking care of others, and not tending to her own needs:
Song of Solomon 1
I am very dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6
Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
In the natural, she has been beaten, bruised, abused
and shamed by the world. But she remains lovely in His
eyes because He does not judge by outward appearances, but
He judges by the heart, and she pants to be near to Him:
7
The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they
beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my
veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
8
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
I am sick with love.
Yours in Christ,
Jeff