As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride

"As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62:5).

The message of the whole Bible could be distilled to this one phrase: 'God is love.' But how much the better for us that it contains story, poetry, metaphor, parable, symbol and allegory. Few instances of human experience are as broadly resonant as that of the bridegroom whose ardor, earnestness and persistence is about to erupt into unmitigated delight in the claiming of his bride. This vivid simile helps us appreciate how passionate God is in his pursuit of us; in his desire to envelop us in his love.