The Pagan Path

Those who wonder are not lost; they are trying to awaken! 'The Sleeper must awaken!'

Monday, June 27, 2016

The Barren Woman ( a Parable for True Israel )

Sing, O barren,
You [ who ] have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You [ who ] have not labored with child!
For more [ are ] the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman.
Isaiah 54:1 

Adam & Rebecca had what might be called the perfect marriage. Even though Rebecca had a fairly rough start in life, having been abandoned & left to die at an early age, she had been found by a very gracious host, nursed back to health & grew into a very lovely young lady indeed! As she continued to thrive, however, she grew more beautiful every day & began to lust after the many young men that surrounded her. These young men lusted after her as well & therefore, before long, Rebecca began to take full advantage of the power she held over these young men, who were all but helpless before her amorous wiles!

As is often the case with these sorts of non-committal dalliances, Rebecca began to run short on funds & seeing how others like her were able to sate their lust & fulfill their needs, monetarily speaking, at the same time, she embarked on a rather illicit venture, selling her body to anyone willing to pay the price! Enter Adam; Adam was a fairly well-to-do bachelor, neither young nor old, who had been waiting for what seemed an eternity for a mate, one with whom he could share the blessings of life. Seeing Rebecca struggling in her own blood, so to speak, Adam determined to make her the perfect wife & soon thereafter, 'took her home to mother' & they were joined in holy matrimony!

For the first few years, Adam & Rebecca lived together in wedded bliss; Rebecca bore Adam a few children & everything seemed to be going swimmingly until one day Adam woke up to an empty house! Adam searched high & low for his wayward wife, but, for whatever reason, she had returned to her old ways, those she was comfortable with. Through no fault of his own, Adam had lost his former lover to the wiles of the world that had previously been her home!

Enter Eve; Eve, like Rebecca, had started life with several counts against her! Although she understood that the world & all that it contained had been formed by the Creator, she did not seek to follow the Laws of the Creator & thus was in the habit of engaging in illicit intercourse with whomever she pleased. As such, not unlike Rebecca, Eve moved from house to house, from realm to realm, staying only till her lust was sated & then moving on to the next willing victim. Unlike Rebecca, though, Eve, not having the advantage of a good & gracious upbringing, was more appreciative of Adam's offer of his hand!

After Adam had rid himself of any evidence of former ties, he & Eve began their marriage on a note of endless joy! Never had either known such love & communion; though Eve had hitherto been unable to bear children, from that time forward she was fruitful & began to multiply exceedingly. Adam had met his match; he was supremely happy with this new life he had found & the wife he had finally married. The Marriage of the Ages had been sealed & Adam knew, through his gracious Host, that this was One that would persevere for all eternity, for at the Heart of this Marriage resided a Resolve that would never perish!

Adam & Eve, though their Marriage was the very height of Perfection, did not not have an easy time of it; their Way was often fraught with danger & difficulties, trials & tribulations! Eve, being a beautiful woman in her own right, was often tempted by the favors & attentions of the useless idols that continued to surround her, but at the end of the day, so to speak, she always returned, unscathed, to her True Love, the One who fulfilled her every need. 

Eve had been born & lived in the most natural way, yet had never experienced the Love she was created to enjoy, till she met Adam. Adam showed her that Love & gave her a heritage much greater than her barrenness had ever dreamed; the Love that Adam & Eve shared was One that transcended all barriers, knowing no bounds. Rather than a temporary satisfaction, all that Eve had ever known & that Rebecca had been doomed to, the Love that blossomed like a Fountain in Adam & Eve's Life was One that would spring for Eternity, bringing Life wherever it flowed!

Charles Haddon Shank

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