He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22
It is critical when we read the word of God that we do so with a spiritual mind. When Jesus spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He made an important statement along with that thought: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (Joh 6:63) He wasn’t talking about literally eating His flesh. He said the flesh profits nothing! He was talking about the fact that those with eternal life are being sustained daily by the Lord. It’s not our physical meals that sustain us. Rather, we hunger and thirst for righteousness! (Mat 5:6) This type of spiritually-minded teaching was often misunderstood by those with carnal minds as in Joh 2:19 where Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews thought He spoke of the building they called the temple, but v. 21 reveals “He was speaking of the temple of His body.”
Another spiritual truth that the word of God makes clear to us concerns marriage. In Eph 5:22-31, we have a long list of marital instructions. The responsibility of husbands and wives are set before us, but the reason for all of this structure in the marriage is made plain in v. 32. Why should a wife submit to her husband and a husband love his wife and give himself for her? Because our earthly marriages are to reveal the spiritual union between the Lord and His people! “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” In light of this spiritual truth, I’d like to consider our text today: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” That verse was precious to me in my natural marriage, but in recent weeks, the Lord has made it even more endearing as He instructed me to consider it from a spiritual standpoint, namely, from the standpoint of our heavenly Husband finding His heavenly bride!
The Lord’s pursuit for His wife is tireless. He entered the world for that reason. Before Zacchaeus ever determined to look for Jesus on that fateful day, the Savior had planned to go through Jericho in order to cross his path! Jesus said in Luk 9:9-10 that salvation had paid Zacchaeus a visit that day because “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus purposely sought and found him! Before a woman determined to visit a well to fill her waterpot, her Lord had determined “He needed to go through Samaria”. (Joh 4:4) No effort is too great when it comes to His bride. When Jesus said in Mar 4:35, “Let us cross over to the other side,” it wasn’t because He needed a change of scenery. He had a demon-filled soul on the far side of that sea that He had determined to set free! He crossed the turbulent waters, freed the demoniac, and then got right back in the boat and returned. (Mar 4:35-5:21) Why? Because that one soul was worth it! He is relentless in the pursuit for His bride. He is the Shepherd that will seek that one straying sheep even if ninety-nine are already safely in the fold! (Mat 18:11-14)
Jesus entered this world on purpose to rescue a people, to find them hidden in a fallen world, and to purify them in order to wed them to Himself. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. (1Ti 1:15) And remember, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing…” He considers you “good”, o bride of Christ! When the Husband speaks of His wife in Son 4:7, He says: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” In 7:10, the bride replies: “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.” You see, Christ’s passion is for His church, and He calls her good, fair, and without spot! But, how does she get to be that way? “Husbands, love your wives, just 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 thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” His bride is that way because He made her that way! As we sing in the old hymn, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe!”
Church, there’s never been a people loved like we are! NEVER!! The Lord chose us “in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”. (Eph 1:4) we must not let this world distract us from who we are in Christ. Fix your eyes upon the One Who “loved the church and gave Himself for her”. (Eph 5:25) Why should we fret in light of such love as this? “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:29-32) Bride of Christ, you are a people sought out by your heavenly Husband, a people most loved!
Jamie