Bitter/Sweets: Mysterious Ways

Wives, {be subject} to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself {being} the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives {ought to be} to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also {does} the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. {Ephesians 5:22-32 NAS}

By definition: a mystery is something inexplicable; and that certainly applies unto our Heavenly Father’s ways—especially in regards unto how they look from our own very limited ground-based points-of-view. For they truly are much much higher than our own{1}.

Ephesians 5:22-32 serves as written confirmation of just how true this is. For most (from amongst us) would not really care all that much (if any at all) about the particulars involved: just as long they received what they wanted to out of a relationship. Whereas: the kind of love that our Heavenly Father wants to receive from us is one that is based upon genuine affection—not DNA{2}, nor necessity{3}.

Alas, is this not the reason for why He chose to partially{4} hide Himself from our sight{5}? For who from amongst us would be able to truly love Him as He wants to be loved if we could see Him in all of His most awesome glory as we now are{6}? After all: would not some be motivated by fear{7}; and others: by greed{8}?

No, this is not to deny that we were created to be His children by faith. For it truly is as it is written: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God{9}.

Neither is this meant to take anything away from the kind of a relationship that should exist between a parent and their child. For to honor our parents is as to honor our Heavenly Father{10}; and parents should cherish their children as being precious gifts from Him{11}.

Nonetheless: the relationship between a husband and his wife is meant to reach a level of intimacy that goes far beyond that of a parent and their child. Hence: …but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.{12}

Yes, this is the way that it has always been meant to be{13}. After all: do you think that it is just a matter of something being lost in translation that the children of Israel are referred unto as being adulterous{14}; and if that is not enough: what about the example that was given through Hosea? For it truly is as it is written: When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”{15}

[{1}Isaiah 55:8-9; {2}John 1:12-13; {3}Revelation 20:11-15; {4}Romans 1:18-20; {5}Isaiah 45:15; {6}1 Corinthians 13:9-12; {7}Job 40:1-7; {8}2 Corinthians 2:17; {9}Romans 8:16 NAS; {10}Ephesians 6:1-3; {11}Psalm 127:1-5; {12}Genesis 2:20-24 NAS; {13}Hebrews 13:8; {14}Ezekiel 6:8-10; {15}Hosea 1:2 NIV]