Love: The Many Splendored Thing

Day 42: Joshua 11–15; Song of Songs 5–8; Romans 4–6

Love is a many splendored thing, the old standard says, sung by crooners for decades. The song has been recorded by the Four Aces, Sinatra, Andy Williams, Barry Manilow and even Ringo Starr!  The title says what I think is on my heart as I write.

When we talked about love, we often think of warm and romantic feelings, caring and compassionate actions and generally good things.  Rarely do we think of love in terms of war, except perhaps for love of country.  In the case of religious fanatics we could think of love in terms of terrorism who destroy innocent noncombatants out of devotion to their beliefs about God and their cause.

When I read Joshua, I see a love story coming into fulfillment.  God courted her through Abraham and waited patiently through all the years she was in another country growing up (Egypt).  Even though it was hard for God to watch His beloved suffer as she did in those years, He waited until she has grown into a multitude ready to move into His promised land.  He rescued her from Pharaoh and they were wed with vows to be faithful to one another at Mount Sinai.  They honeymooned there for a year and then moved on toward their home together in Canaan. On the way there they quarreled at times, but He was always willing to reconcile when she came to her senses and His anger cooled.  Yahweh picked a feisty gal who complains and argues.  She is high maintenance! But He loves her.  What can He do?  He loves her.

They begin moving into their new home together, but there are roaches and other pests in the home they have to drive out.  The land has to be cleansed and rid of these filthy pests if they are going to be able to settle in together and enjoy their marriage.

Forgive me for romanticizing the bloodshed and horrors contained in the wars of Yahweh against the Amorites, Canaanites, Hivites, Gergashites, Perrizites, Hitties, Jebusites and others.  Among them were giants, the unholy spawn of disobedient angels (demons) and human women.  Joshua and the Israelites crushed them all, just like you would step on a bug and squish it without mercy (Josh 11:20).

Next God started choosing which of their children would get which room.  The land was parceled out.  The inheritance to the sons of Jacob was now to be possessed.  Caleb got Hebron. Judah got southern Canaan with its crown Jerusalem.  Unfortunately Jerusalem had a persistent infestation he couldn't clear out yet...the Jebusites where Melchizedek was once high priest for God Most High. Remember how Melchizedek blessed Abram (Gen 14:18-20)?  Reuben, Gad and Manasseh's boy Machir get the areas in the east wing across the Jordon. 

God loves Israel and love has many faces.  If my family, my wife were threatened, I would lash out with violence to protect her.  Like a mother bear protecting her cub, God protects His beloved Israel and beats down the threat both outside enemies and the enemy within her.

For love is as strong as death;
    ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.
    Love's flames are fiery flames —
    the fiercest of all.
Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away. (Song 8:6b-7a)

God's jealousy is fierce.  His love for His bride cannot be quenched and He will fight for her and fight her, if necessary, to keep her the spotless beauty He knows she is and can be.

And so love can cause craziness and dangerous acts in order to preserve the bonds of the heart.  The Apostle Paul urges Rome in His letter to trust in God's love through the gift of His Son, Jesus (Rom 6:23).  We cannot work for this love. We are unable to earn so great a gift.  We can only receive it and by doing so we are made right in His eyes (Rom. 4:5).  To reject His love through Christ would spurn His jealous anger.

To receive the love God offers through Christ, our hearts must open to Him.  We invite Him into the bedroom, so to speak, like the lover of Song of Songs (Song 5:4-5).  And God pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).  Though we have behaved as a harlot at times, unfaithful and untamed, God still did what He had to do to gain our hearts by giving up His Son to conquer sin and eradicate Death (Rom. 5:8,10; 6:8-9). 

This love changes us. We are enabled to become like the One who loves us. We die to our old life or running around and now live faithfully in the love of God and live for Him (Rom. 6:11).  This love rescues us and sets us free from our spiritual enemies of sin, fear and weakness.  Now through Christ we are strong and free and unafraid!

Yes, indeed, love is a many splendored thing!