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From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
Love is “as strong as the grave” and ardor “as hard as Sheol.” Both descriptions are arresting because they attribute a kind of violence to love.
“Strong” describes the driving wind of the exodus (Exodus 14:21), the raging waters of the sea that swallowed up Pharaoh (Nehemiah 9:11). It describes anger (Genesis 49:7), the harshness of a king (Isaiah 19:4), the fierce faces of Gentiles invading Israel (Deuteronomy 28:50).
“Hard” is used to describe Israel’s servitude in Egypt (Exodus 1:14; 6:9), the Egypt-like hardness of Israel’s life under Solomon (1 Kings 12:4), hard hearts (Ezekiel 3:7) and faces (Ezekiel 2:4), violent winds (Isaiah 27:8) and the turmoil of battle (2 Samuel 2:17).
Love is not a soft passion.
But more, love is a match for every difficulty Israel faces. The sea that threatens Israel may be strong, but Yahweh’s love is more than enough. A king may be harsh, and invaders cruel, but love is as strong as death.
Pharaoh subjected Israel to bitter and hard bondage, but love is as hard as Sheol. Israel’s own hearts may be stubborn, stony as flint, and they may set their faces like rock against the Lord, but His love is more stubborn still. The hard wind that drives Israel out of exile is Yahweh’s own wind, and it’s through this exile that Judah will find forgiveness. If the nations are a vehement wind, Yahweh is too, for He is Wind and blows where He wishes.
All opposing “strengths” and “hardnesses” are forms of death, threats to life and limb. But love is as strong as death, Yahweh’s ardor as hard as Sheol.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 5:01 am
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