The Ten Cow Wife

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself." (Ephesians 5:25-28)  

Once upon a time, there was a man who fell in love with a woman from a nearby tribe.  She captured his heart from the first, and he decided she was the woman he must marry.  He was a man of fair means, and had the ability to purchase a bride of great value, as he had a dowry of an entire ten cows at his disposal.

The woman he had chosen, was a woman of good character, but it would be kindness to call her plain. She was little and skinny with no--ah--endowments.  She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head ducked, as if she was trying to hide behind herself.

Definitely not worth ten cows, as considered by the community. She was, perhaps, a three cow wife.  The young man went to her parents to bargain for the woman his heart had settled upon, and much to the surprise of the community he insisted on paying a ten cow dowry to the woman’s family.

Sometime later the man and his wife came back to the tribe for a visit.  As the people saw the woman walk by they were amazed.  Was this not the plain, three cow woman?  What had changed?  She was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen.  The dew-fresh flowers with which she'd pinned back her lustrous black hair accented the glow of her cheeks.  The lift of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin, and the sparkle of her eyes all spelled a pride to which no one could deny her the right.

And as she turned to leave she moved with grace that made her look like a queen.  From the day the man willingly paid the ten cow dowry this woman’s value changed, she was now looked upon as a truly treasured wife, a woman of great value.  From that day on, she became a ten cow wife.

When we treat our husbands and wives with great reverence and respect, when we honor them above ourselves, when we favor them, they become favored ones.  The story of the ten cow wife, reminds me of God’s description of His people, us!  We are described as His bride, and, He paid a high price for us, a huge dowry, His son’s life.

"But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:8-9)

God enters into a covenant relationship with us, similar to the marriage covenant, a covenant of promise, that He will give us His faithful love forever.   God not only gives us His promise of faithfulness, He rejoices over us, "As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5)

What a picture of the covenant of marriage and of our relationship with our Creator.  A treasure of great worth. A gift of great joy!

Can God change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.

Discover how you can find peace with God.