Harlots Bought as Brides

If you could love me as a wife and for my wedding gift, your life Should that be all I'd ever need or is there more I'm looking for and should I read between the lines and look for blessings in disguise To make me handsome, rich, and wise Is that really what you want? I am a whore I do confess, But I put you on just like a wedding dress and I run down the aisle and I run down the aisle. I'm a prodigal with no way home, but I put you on just like a ring of gold, and I run down the aisle to you. So could you love this bastard child Though I don't trust you to provide With one hand in a pot of gold and with the other in your side? I am so easily satisfied by the call of lovers so less wild That I would take a little cash Over your very flesh and blood. Because money cannot buy a husband's jealous eye When you have knowingly deceived his wife. --"Wedding Dress" by Derek Webb When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord." (Hosea 1:2) For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, "I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink." Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!" (Hosea 2:6-9) "I will destroy her vines and fig tress, Of which she said, 'These are my wages Which my lovers have given me.' And I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field will devour them. I will punish her for the days of the Baals When she used to offer sacrifices to them And adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me," declares the Lord. "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Bring her into the wilderness And speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. It will come about in that day," declares the Lord, "That you will call me my husband, And will no longer call me my owner. For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will be mentioned by their names no more. In that day I will also make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, The birds of the sky And the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, And will make them lie down in safety. I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord." (Hosea 2:12-20) Then the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.  So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.  (Hosea 3:1-2) Mercy speaks by Jesus’ blood hear and sing, ye sons of God justice satisfied indeed Christ has full atonement made Jesus’ blood speaks loud and sweet here all Deity can meet and, without a jarring voice welcome Zion to rejoice “all her debts were cast on me, and she must and shall go free” peace of conscience, peace with God we obtain through Jesus’ blood Jesus’ blood speaks solid rest we believe, and we are blest should the law against her roar Jesus’ blood still speaks with power “all her debts were cast on me, and she must and shall go free” --"She Must and Shall Go Free" by Derek Webb