Wednesday, October 15, 2008

She Must and Shall Go Free Part VI: Wedding Dress

Sorry it's taken so long to get to this post...crazy past couple of weeks!

Here are the lyrics to "Wedding Dress" by Derek Webb

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
Should that be all I’d ever need
or is there more I’m looking for?

and should I read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that really what you want?

I am a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I run down the aisle,
and I run down the aisle.
I’m a prodigal with no way home
but I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I run down the aisle to you.

So could you love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side?

I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood.

Because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife.

The chorus of this song refers to the writer, and the listener, as whores in the eyes of our husband. As the church, we are the bride of Christ, but we often whore ourselves around showing desire and seeking satisfaction in "lovers less wild". I realize the word "whore" may be a little strong for some of you, but take in what God says to the nation of Israel in Hosea 1:2 and 4:12:

Hosea 1:2-When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great woredom by forsaking the Lord."

Hosea 4:12-For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.

If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that we also have "played the whore" when it comes to our relationship with God.

In "Wedding Dress" we see 4 characteristics of whoredom that may be in our lives. Remember that this in in context of the church (Christians) as the bride of Christ. The following points are based on that imagery.

1. No Satisfaction in the gift our husband gives. ("Is there more I'm looking for", "to make me handsome")

2. Lack of Trust
towards our husband. ("should I read between the lines")

3. Splitting of Affections
between our husband and other lovers ("one hand in a pot of gold and the other in your side")

4. More Appreciation over lesser gifts given by other lovers ("take a little cash over your very flesh and blood")

Despite all of this Jesus cries out for us to throw on the wedding dress and the ring of gold and come running down the aisle to him. Will we admit the "less-wild" lovers and run down the aisle toward Chirst?

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