By Rev. Jovie Galaraga
Whoever invented the brilliant idea of Valentine’s Day must be a genius. One day a year the whole world exalts the most powerful and passionate of all emotions that defies apt description in all languages – LOVE. I’m sure the amount of revenue generated every February 14 all over the globe from sales of Valentine’s-related products and services (flowers, chocolates, restos, hotels, phone calls, deliveries, name it) would be more than enough to rescue the sinking economies of several countries.
I planned to write about famous love stories in the Bible, the Word of God, but as many of us know, wala naman talagang mga real love stories sa Bible as Pinoys know love stories are –umpisa sa crush-crush, text-text, tawagan pag merong Unli, ligawan, dates, holding hands, etc. etc. – then hopefully progresses till wedding day.
So let’s look at some famous couples in the Bible and lessons they can teach us bilang mga marrieds or singles na may balak mag-asawa. Because of space limits, I can only cite two examples.
ABRAHAM and SARAH (Genesis chapters 12 to 25):
This couple whom God called to be fore-parents of the Jewish race had endured personal struggles, family conflicts, and literal battles but in the end enjoyed the fruits of their faith, perseverance and they received an overflow of God’s blessings. They became wealthy, powerful and influential. Abraham was the head of a big agricultural and livestock business.
There was only one irritant to their happy relationship: Sarah was barren and can’t give what every Hebrew husband deeply desires – a son to be his heir or inheritor. So she persuaded Abraham to have a child by her maidservant, Hagar, a culturally-accepted practice in those times. Isaac, his son by Sarah was born in due time, as promised by the Lord.
Two lessons we can pick up from this story:
1. Love is the willingness to sacrifice for the joy of your spouse. We see this in Sarah’s gesture of “consenting to give” her own husband to Hagar if only to make Abraham happy and fulfilled. Sinong Pinay wife ang makakagawa ng ganitong sacrifice?
2. Love is being true to the marital union “Till death do us part.” Abraham and Sarah lived joyfully ever after until Sarah’s death.
ISAAC and REBEKAH (Genesis 24):
In Bible times, marriage was arranged by the parents or guardians of the bride and groom. When I was a growing-up boy in Alcala, Pangasinan, uso yung mga marriages na ang nag-usap lang ay mga parents. Kaya ang kasabihan noon ay “ligawan mo muna ang mga parents.” Merong mga pinaguusapang dowry (ilang hectares of farmland, ilang kalabaw?), anong klaseng kasal – ang mother ng bride ay laging ipipilit na “dapat engrande ang kasal kasi isang beses lang mangyari ‘yan!”
Inutusan ni Abraham ang isa niyang servant to find a wife for Isaac among Abraham’s relatives in faraway Haran (south part of Turkey today). In answer to the servant’s prayer, the Lord guided him to the right woman (Rebekah) whom he brought home to Isaac after traveling by donkey for over 30 days.
It was love at first sight para kay Isaac – I’m sure ganun din kay Rebekah nung finally nag-meet sila. The Bible relates it this way: “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife and he loved her. . . .” (Genesis 24:67) They had a successful union that produced two sons Esau and Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel and continued the line of Abraham.
One important lesson from this story: A marriage founded on the rock of prayer and guided by the hand of God is built to last. God is the author of marriage and family and He knows exactly the man that’s His will for the woman or the woman for the man.
Let me conclude by citing the Bible definition of Love as given by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 13:4-8:
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
BELATED HAPPY LOVE DAY!
IF YOU’VE COMMENTS OR PRAYER REQUESTS, be free to email me: jovie@galaraga.com