How do you view God -- as master, or husband?
Think about the difference between "husband" and "master" and all the images that these words bring to mind. God wants us to relate to him with an obedience fueled by love and intimacy, not by self-motivated fear, and with a loyalty to a divine-human relationship, not a blind adherence to "principles". A husband harbors a passion toward his wife that is absent in a master toward his slave.
This image of marriage being used to symbolize the relationship between us and God is seen many times throughout scripture. Hosea teaches us that God views his people as a husband views his wife.
"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.... I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. (Hosea 2:16, 19)
Isaiah uses this metaphor to stress how God rejoices in his people.
As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)
God delights in us. We make his heart swell.
Christ also uses this imagery placing himself as the groom and us (the church) as the bride. This has to be difficult for men. Women know what it is to be a bride. Most spend their girl-hood dreaming about the day they will walk down the aisle to be joined with their husband. But men only know how to be a groom. I don't know but I can imagine that it must be difficult to mentally go into that mindset for a man. Christ calls us all to be his bride. To join his side in loving submission for eternity.
**Source: Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
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