The Marriage Imagery, Again

A couple of weeks ago we were reading Romans in our Come Follow Me.  I have been super busy but I wanted to comment on one thing I read.  In Romans 7:1-6 we see Paul address the Jewish saints using the marriage imagery once again.  Back in Jeremiah (e. g. chapters 3 and 5) God condemned the Israelites of "playing the harlot" because they were worshiping other gods. This was one the the main reasons, or justifications the LORD gave for allowing Israel to be conquered by their enemies. The imagery of infidelity was so vivid and negative, that you can imagine it left an indelible mark on the psyche of Jews in Paul's time.  They could have thought something like, "We can't worship Jesus. If we did we would be unfaithful to the God of Israel."  This would be a frightening idea to some because they were already overshadowed by Roman and they might fear that if they were untrue, they would be ripe for destruction.  

In Roman's 7, Paul attempts to explain why following Jesus is not spiritual "adulteries" like worshiping idols had been.  His argument is that when Israel were under the Mosaic Law, they were in a binding marriage covenant with the LORD similar to a marriage bond.  When Jesus came, It was is Israel's first wife, the LAW, had died, leaving Israel unattached, and ready to attach to the worship of Jesus without impunity. 

Of course, after saying such a heretical thing, (that the Law was dead) he back steps and goes into a whole discourse about how Jesus didn't destroy the law, but fulfilled the law.  I just think it is interesting to see the strong Old Testament themes coming out in the New Testament as well.