And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare. “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.[ And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.  Ezekiel 16:6-14

The only sermons I have ever heard on this passage from Ezekiel have been as a warning about what is to follow. It ultimately becomes a sad story of a prodigal woman, wasting all that that was given her, and defiling herself and her privileged status.

But I think we should pause a long moment and consider what the Lord did for her in the first place. It is one of the most beautiful pictures of what happens to a person when the Lord comes into their life. He took a foundling that no one else wanted and seemed of no value, and made her into something stunning. He gave her life and caused her to flourish. Then, when she was at the right state of development, He betrothed her to Himself. As His bride he clothed her magnificently and put jewels on her, and fed her with the very finest food, He made her beautiful and gave her His status of a royal.  

I begin to think of this passage in an entirely different light because of a vision I had recently during a quiet time. I saw the Lord putting bracelets on my arm and gold and purple clothing on me. Then I heard these words: “They will look at her and say, ‘What a great man her husband must be.’” 

You have heard of “trophy wives”? This is a negative term meaning men who want a certain type of woman just to make them look good. Well, the Lord does that differently. He takes any woman who will yield to him; the unwanted, the unloveable, the broken, the scared, the scarred, the rejected, the whatever, and makes her into someone who is a fitting companion for Himself. He wants people to see His bride and know that her husband is the most kind, patient and loving man that ever was. Not to mention the richest and most powerful. We are beautiful to Him and he lavishes His love and care on us. We, as individuals, and collectively as the church, are to be a sign and a wonder to the world of the goodness and the greatness of our God.

I’ll conclude with this quote from C. S, Lewis who always seems to say it best!

“For the Church has not beauty but what the Bride-groom gives her; he does not find, but makes her, lovely. “