RunawayBride

By David M. Virkler

Recently, a top news story was runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks, Seldom has a broken romance story so gripped the country. Uncertain love and shaky wedding principals are nothing new, but this story was incredible. Surprisingly, it also has all the ingredients of a fantastic Biblical illustration.

Biblical salvation is all about marriage. Marriage and family is the very fundamental building block of all society, and when something goes bad with that, everything is jeopardized. Marriage is to reflect the unique relationship between God and men.

God performed the first marriage ceremony between Adam, whose body was taken from the soil, and Eve, whose body was formed from Adam. Modern marriage ceremonies often use the verses from the account in Genesis. “And Adam 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.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23, 24). A wedding is like a time machine whisking us back to Eden.

The theme of marriage runs through the Bible. There is not nearly as much romantic love, at least as we think of it, in the Old Testament. The usual word for sexual union is “knew,” which may not include romantic love. It’s an expression speaking of total knowledge. Strangely, the word “love” as applied to a man loving a woman in marriage is not found until Genesis 24:67 in the story of Isaac and Rebekah. “Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her….” Most marriages were arranged, and it may be that this is the first time Scripture records that a man actually loved his wife in an arranged marriage.

God’s love in this same sense of tender affection is used throughout Deuteronomy as He shows how He delivered Israel from Egypt, and it is the word for Israel loving God back. Jeremiah 31:32, Hosea 2:2 and Joel 1:8 all refer to Jehovah God as Israel’s husband. If God had not loved with an everlasting love, Israel would have been forsaken completely, but God made a permanent covenant that cannot be broken. In fact, Israel was really a runaway wife, but God loved her anyway.

Marriage is also a reflection of Christ’s love for the Church. Paul makes the comparison in Ephesians 5:23-32. “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such this, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

The groom represents Christ, the bride represents the Church, and their love reflects Christ’s love for the church and vice versa. That’s why when something goes terribly wrong in a marriage, especially with a wedding in a Christian church, the greatest Scriptural truth of salvation is tragically damaged.

In this recent event, we learn that there cannot be a marriage without a willing bride. Likewise, with the conversion of a sinner to Jesus Christ, there cannot be regeneration unless the sinner comes to Him willingly. What Miss Wilbanks did to her potential husband, millions of people have done to Jesus Christ—and many are doing this right now—by refusing Him as Savior.

Christ lovingly calls out, “Come to Me…” He promises eternal union with Himself forever. He offers His unsearchable riches eternally. He extends Heavenly mansions for an eternal home. He waits at the altar of salvation. Jesus Christ paid all the wedding costs by shedding His precious blood on Calvary. He is willing to forgive any previous misdeeds. People come so close, and then they run away in pride, fear or disbelief!

John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Greek word for love here is “agapao.” It is the most objective type of love. In fact, it is love for its own sake, not necessarily having any emotional affection. “We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19). Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Two thousand years ago, Christ died for people sinning today, and He died for all men everywhere for all time. That’s real love!

Another great text in on the spiritual marriage aspects of receiving Christ is in 2 Corinthians 11:2. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” The word betrothed is tantamount to “woo.” Paul says he wooed the sinful Corinthians to Christ. That’s what John Mason is still doing toward his runaway bride. When she returned home in shame, he met her as soon as possible and put the engagement ring back on her finger and said he still loved her. He has said that the wedding is still on, just postponed.

Many great songs have been written about God’s boundless love, but “The Love of God” stands out. The third verse of the song was written by someone who may have never known human love. It was found written on the wall of an insane asylum.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry,

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

I hope that one of these days, when all the issues are resolved and the questions answered, Miss Wilbanks and Mr. Mason will be married, and this agonizing matter will be resolved. I also hope that every person who learns of the unconditional love of God in Christ will truly receive Jesus and, forsaking all others, take Him only as personal Savior. Someday, we who know Christ as Savior will all meet at the wonderful Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

Scripture verses are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version * 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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