Meandering - Heaven's Knife

It’s that time of year when many weddings and anniversaries are celebrating God’s holy covenant of marriage. 

One of my college professors, Dr. Wheatley, was the first one I heard tell that old funny about Adam’s reaction when God first brought Eve to him. Adam, waking up from a deep sleep, opened his eyes to behold such beauty in her that he did not even notice any soreness from his side, exclaimed, “Whoaoooooooo Man!” That was how, said the good professor, she became known as a wo-man! 

On Josh Garrel’s album, entitled Home (I mentioned some weeks ago), one of my favourite songs on it is called, Heaven’s Knife. Sadly today, our culture seems to regard, with some disdain, the blessed terms of ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. Perhaps that’s why, in part, I love hearing Josh devotedly and passionately croon about his beloved, referring to her sweetly and unapologetically as his… wife. 

Take my hand
I won't let go
We've waited so long

And all my life
I walked alone
To you, my heart, my home

Like the first man
I was cut so deep by heaven's knife
When I awoke from my sleep
Oh my Lord, she's beautiful
She's a part of me
She's my wife

Bound by love
One flesh to be
An unbroken ring

And I lay down
My life for thee
In love we are free

Like the first man
I was cut so deep by heaven's knife
When I awoke from my sleep
Oh my Lord, she' s beautiful
Walking up to me
Oh she's wonderful, standing next to me
Oh she's all
All that I could need, yeah
She's beautiful, she's a part of me
She's my wife

The deep sleep and cutting from heaven’s knife of the first Adam, foreshadowed the coming of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, and his deep sleep of death on the cross. It was then that he, in giving his life for us, was cut by a spear in his side. From Adam’s side he received his wife. From the wounded side of Christ, through the blood and water that flowed, we were redeemed, washed, cleansed, baptized, and formed to be his bride. In the light of this sacrifice of love, we see the mystery and glory of marriage. 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless… This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:25-27, 32  

Happy Weddings to all the brides and grooms to be this spring! Happy Anniversary to my own beloved wife, and, as well, to all the wives and husbands celebrating that most holy day so many springs ago!

Thanks for meandering along with me.