
As our desktop's screen saver randomly scrolled through the Chaney family pictures the other day, Jack noticed a picture of me showing off our first package of diapers when I was newly pregnant with Anna Grace. It was only four years ago, but Jack quickly pointed out how young I looked. Thanks, a lot, I thought. And what exactly does that mean???
At thirty, I guess you kind of start to feel like you're getting old, but at the same time, thirty is kind of the prime of your life. Sometimes I kind of wish I could just cruise through the rest of my life in this condition- I feel good, have no major health issues, and I generally have enough energy to tackle a full week of taking care of two children under age four, working part-time, taking care of all the household stuff, maintaining a healthy marriage, staying in an exercise routine, serving as an active church member, and finding some time for play in spite of it all. I'm kind of in a groove.
There must have been wisdom and significance of Jesus beginning his ministry at age thirty. It seems to be a time in which you've gained enough life experience to have some discernment and yet not too much to be set in your ways or have significant degrees of cynicism.
Some of the mystery of this is, I think, hidden in the Song of Songs. Chapter 5, verse 11b describes the Bridegroom's hair as wavy, black as a raven. Kind of weird at first glance. What do you do with that? In Revelation 1:14, it talks about Jesus' hair being white and shining which kind of makes intuitive sense and goes along with his
radiance, his
divinity. But here we're talking about dark hair that is wavy or in other translations, bushy. It's like when Jack was talking about how young I looked. What does that mean?
In searching this out, I found
James Durham's old school Puritan commentary to be a bit over my head, but helpful nonetheless. He points out that this expendable but embellishing part of one's body, the hair, is described here in a way to denote youth and vigor. The hair is only wavy or bushy (implying thick or full) and dark in one's younger days. As one ages, the hair thins and the color fades. His hair is neither thinning nor graying. He is perpetually youthful in his zeal and love. As Durham states, "his love is always green...he is a beloved that never decays, that never waxeth sick, weak, nor old; but is ever in youth, with his hair black, although he be eternal, and the Ancient of Days..." He is the beginning and the end and as the refrain of Psalm 136 repeats over and over, "His love endures forever." At the creation of the world, His love endures forever. At the cross, His love endures forever. As He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us until the day He returns to make all things new, His love endures forever. As we go through the joys and trials of this short life, His love endures forever.
He is ever pursuing us with undying energy and fervent devotion.
"... his hair is wavy and black as a raven." Song of Songs 5:11b
What a thought. Lord, teach me the reality of your eternally youthful pursuit of my heart.
See also Psalm 102:27; Psalm 89:2; Psalm 103:17; Psalm 121; Hebrews 1:11-12; Hebrews 13:8
PS- The picture is of a newly married Jack and Candace without even a twinkle in the eye of Anna Grace or Zeke...