As mentioned before, this song is a retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer.
It's symbolism pertains to the way that God pursues and redeems His church.
"I gave you boundaries to save you from certain death."
It's often a difficult concept for us to grasp, but every pleasure brings with it a responsibility. I always fall back on the cheesecake analogy(though most any analogy will do). I love cheesecake- it's my favorite desert. When I eat a piece of cheesecake, I do it right with blueberries in syrup, and chocolate chips- the real deal. Sometimes when I eat a piece I think to myself, "Gee, I could really just go for another one!" And truthfully, sometimes I just happen to give in and eat another piece. You know the result- I feel stuffed and sick. Eating one piece was a boundary which allowed me to enjoy the pleasure of cheesecake within a limit that in the long run, provided more enjoyment.
This can readily be applied to monogamous sex. Sex is emotionally charged and very compelling...but a lot of us struggle to limit those intense feelings to one person. It feels unnatural! But the truth is, not limiting that experience to one person can leave you burnt out and feeling sick in a way that's more permanent than overindulgence on cheesecake.
Thus, to conclude my overlong treatise on pleasure within limits my point is simply this. It's not condescension, it's a little bit of wisdom that's we all usually learn the hardway- "Too much of a good thing, really isn't that good at all."
It's wonderful news to know that when follow our own compulsions, God is there to redeem us- not because we deserve it...but specifically because we DON'T deserve it. As the book of Matthew says. "If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that."
As mentioned before, this song is a retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer.
It's symbolism pertains to the way that God pursues and redeems His church.
"I gave you boundaries to save you from certain death."
It's often a difficult concept for us to grasp, but every pleasure brings with it a responsibility. I always fall back on the cheesecake analogy(though most any analogy will do). I love cheesecake- it's my favorite desert. When I eat a piece of cheesecake, I do it right with blueberries in syrup, and chocolate chips- the real deal. Sometimes when I eat a piece I think to myself, "Gee, I could really just go for another one!" And truthfully, sometimes I just happen to give in and eat another piece. You know the result- I feel stuffed and sick. Eating one piece was a boundary which allowed me to enjoy the pleasure of cheesecake within a limit that in the long run, provided more enjoyment.
This can readily be applied to monogamous sex. Sex is emotionally charged and very compelling...but a lot of us struggle to limit those intense feelings to one person. It feels unnatural! But the truth is, not limiting that experience to one person can leave you burnt out and feeling sick in a way that's more permanent than overindulgence on cheesecake.
Thus, to conclude my overlong treatise on pleasure within limits my point is simply this. It's not condescension, it's a little bit of wisdom that's we all usually learn the hardway- "Too much of a good thing, really isn't that good at all."
It's wonderful news to know that when follow our own compulsions, God is there to redeem us- not because we deserve it...but specifically because we DON'T deserve it. As the book of Matthew says. "If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that."