Publisher's Synopsis
Frequently in the Old Testament f the Bible, the relationship between God and his people is described in terms of the marriage relationship. God is the bridegroom, tender and loving towards his bride, his people. When his people leave him, seeking other and more convenient gods, Scripture calls their rupture of that relationship adultery. God expresses all the pain and rejection in this situation in terms that a husband would call his wife back to him, so God calls back his unfaithful people. The New Testament sustains this analogy. Christ uses the same imagery, an imagery which is rich with the everyday experience of his listeners. The concept behind the imagery, an imagery which is rich with the everyday experience of his listeners. The concept behind the imagery is that of love, fidelity, and unity, Just as in marriage the two become one flesh forsaking all others, an intimacy that is the closest known to man, so God offers and seeks that faithful love and unity in his relationship with his people. The imagery works both ways; seeing what marriage is, we come to know more clearly the nature of our relationship to God. Knowing-God and his love for us, we come closer to understanding the relationship of marriage.
