A standard for love, what a thought! The Middle Eastern King from the past who set the Love standard for me was an awesome lover. There he was, an older and mature adult looking for a bride to love. One day when he was passing through a poverty stricken part of his kingdom he came upon an abandoned infant girl in the dirt, still in her birth blood, her umbilical cord not yet cut, and obviously the daugthter of slaves. Her dark skin color showed that she was of the class that was lowly esteemed and thought poorly of , just because of the color of her skin.

He gave her to his servants with the command that they should make sure that she lived and lived loved, though the daughter of slaves. Years passed. He was delighted each time he passed through her region and saw how well she was growing and developing into a remarkable person. Puberty did its magic and changed a remarkable little girl into an awesome and desired woman, a woman with desires. Her developing body and the passion it produced in her admirers became a problem and she let her body be used by some she thought loved her, and she was used and they didn't love her. Neverthe less, when he saw her like that, though now older but not too old to be moved by love, passion, need and desire; he offered marriage and she accepted and he poured out his heart to her in solemn private and public covenants and commitments.

She had difficulty adjusting. It was all so new and incredible to her. She was so overwhelmed and fearful that he couldn't bring her to his land and palace at that time, and had to live with and love her in the region between the area of her birth and his lands---a barren wilderness. Years later she became confident enough to come to his land and live with him in his palaces. He showered her with gifts, feasts, trips and a whole lot of passionate celebration of her beauty and his desire for her. But she didn't adjust well to all of these new places and people. It was all so new and different and overwhelming.

For any number of reasons she found that she was not satisfied and content with her King and lover, though he was always attentive, often with her and showered her with gifts and attention. It was that same aching lack of satisfaction and contentment that she experienced in puberty in her first sexual experiences, yet she knew the King trully loved her and was not just using her. Tempted to selfishness and self indulgence, with great feelings of inadequacy, she believed a lie instead of the truth. Not thinking clearly nor counting the cost, she began to have lovers on the side, breaking her covenants with her husband King.

While with her lovers, thinking she was safe and set for a good time, some of her lovers deceived her and lured her into a trap where they stripped her, beat her, mocked her and abused her as men often abuse and mock old whores who look and act like they've been over used. The King knew about this and he greived deeply, but he was committed to open handed love {not holding someone against their will) as much as he was committed to all the covenants he had made to her, so he let her go her way. His grief was great and he always had some of his servants watching out for her so she would never lack food, clothing or shelter, ready to interevene if she ever called out for him for help. Yet she would not call out for her husband King to take her back as his wife, even when her abusers sold her as a slave to a foreign ruler and she was removed from the King's land. Pride, willfulness and deception or whatever kept her from returning to the abundance and comfort of married life with her husband King.

Her husband, deeply grieved and grieving, hurt and hurting, lonely and in need for a wife upon whom he could pour out his love and affection, finally after many years realized that he would have to remarry. While in disguise andpassing through a region under the control of an adversary of his, he found a slave auction. There on the block for sale was a fully grown woman, half dressed and dirty, broken and scarred by all that she had suffered, yet she reminded him so very much of his absent wife. Not wanting her to be overwhelmed by his position, title and riches, he put aside all of his finery and dressed as his attendants. When he made it known that he wanted to buy her, her eyes locked on him with awe and bewilderment as to why such a fine gentleman would want her. The auctioneer mocked him as a fool and told him he could have her only after he punished her for all the trouble she had been to him. When the king learned that he could buy her only after she had been publicly stripped and flogged repeatedly in public to teach the other slaves a lesson, he was horrified and gravely concerned that the experience would kill her or permanently ruin her as a human being.

He entreated the auctioneer with generous offers, but the auctioneer refused, having his heart set on the sadistic humiliation and abuse of this female slave who failed to be content and satisfied with his treatment of her. Finally, out of desperation, but determined to remain disguised so as not to unduly influence the slave girl he wanted to buy, the disguised King offered to let the auctioneer strip and flog him if he would spare her and let him buy her. It was more important to him that she come to love him not because of his wealth and position, but because of his love and devotion for her. By now the slave woman's eyes and mouth were open wide in amazement, wonder and longing to be loved, and the King's attendants, who were in the crowd in disguise, were equally amazed and bewildered. The slave girl knew by the disguised King's clothing that the custom of his people was that if they bought a slave girl capable of child bearing, he would have to treat her either as a wife (public covenant) or a concubine (private covenant). She could barely believe it was happening to her but she wanted it so badly, to finally belong and have a home. The king had enough armed warrior class attendants in disguise in the crowd that they knew that if the King wanted help, all he had to do was say the word or beckon. He didn't but proceeded as quietly as the lamb to the slaughter. The auctioneer mocked him but found the thought of publicly humiliating and abusing, stripping and flogging, this fine gentleman much more entertaining than abusing the slave girl.

So he let them strip him, tie him down and flog him so badly that the skin on his back and buttocks was torn and bleeding, so badly that a weaker man would have not recovered and would have died. Finally with a sneer, and only because he fearedpossible reprisal by the friends of the man and the mocking of his other customers if he didn't keep his word, the auctioneer released the slave girl to him and cut him loose. His attendants came out of the crowd and cared for him and the girl. It took him days before he felt ready to come out of his recovery to meet the now finely dressed, oiled and beautiful woman who had been the slave girl. While he was recovering, the attendants were telling her all about their master and his personality but only that he was connected to royalty and hoped to be a ruler some day. She bathed until her skin was squeekly clean and lay for hours in warm perfumed oils, soaking her skin and hair into awesome loveliness and beauty-----all the time wondering what would become of her and would her new master-husband be as good to her as the attendants had told her. The same attendants were keeping the King informed on how she was doing, how thankful, kind, humble, gentle, thoughtful, unselfish and generous she was with all she met. Lelah wasn't perfect and she knew it, but her desire to do good and love others worked in her to become a better person on a daily basis. He came to love her profoundly from the depth of his heart while he recovered and learned of her gracious loveliness, seeing her from a distance unknown to her.

When they finally came together, they were so finely dressed and looking so wonderful that it could have been a wedding, but he wanted them to have their public wedding when the two of them returned to his land. In the meantime, he covenanted his love to her and covenanted his care for her and she accepted his covenants and agreed to be his wife. Their relationship was a lovefeast, a classic honeymoon, and all made merry and celebrated the joy and beauty of true love between a man and his woman. She let him shower her with his love, affection and attention to the point that in the depth of her heart she knew that her man loved her, loved her enough to suffer terribly for her, that she was safe with him, and she came to rest in and rejoice in their love. Everytime Lelah saw or felt the horrible scars on his back, she was reminded of how much he loved her and how precious her love was to him. The more love he poured on her the more she poured back on him, seeking as many ways as possible to show her love and joy in him. Unselfish and compassionate cherishing became the norm for their behavior and all those around them rejoiced and celebrated the beauty and joy of their love and loving. They spent years there in the province of Tirzah, happy years filled with wonderful memories.

In the meantime, his first wife, Ohola, had been found by his disguised attendants and they had brought her back to the King's land, but not to the palace or city. They were caring for her body and soul, helping her in the recovery that she now desperately wanted. In fact she daily expressed her remorse and regret at having been so foolish and so unfaithful to her husband King, often inquiring if it were possible he would still be willing to at least keep his covenants and commitments he had made to her if he couldn't bring himself to be husband to her again. Bathed in oils, fragrances and perfumes and clothed in finery her former beauty began to appear again, but even more impressive was her change of heart. Her ordeal had taught her gratitude for kindness and love, taught her humility and compassion for the needy, and she had learned the wonder ful value of human cherishing when it is unselfish and compassionate. She was now lovely inside and out, and she had become precious to those who attended to her needs.

While the King and Lelah were in Tirzah, pouring out their hearts to each other, they learned much of each other's past and what had brought them together, how their past seemed to have prepared them for each other. Lelah learned about Ohola and came to share his grief and sense of loss of her. Her heart was set to love whoever he loved, to do good to all to whom he did good, to care for all those dear to him. Their hearts and love had become one heart and one love, and all who loved them rejoiced in their love. Her union with him moved her care deeply about and seek the good of Oholah, even though she knew her husband was such a man of integrity that he would believe he was still committed to keep his covenants with Oholah even though he loved her, Lelah, so much and so dearly. When the King learned that Oholah had been found and brought back to his lands, that she was doing well and that she was a whole new person, a loving and gracious person, he could not help but share his joy with Lelah. Lelah loved him so much that she could not help but share his joy and find ways that she could help her "sister" Oholah be fully restored. What the King didn't think of for Oholah, Lelah thought of and between the two of them Oholah was marvelously cared for and helped in her recovery.

Years had passed in Tirzah for the King and Lelah, but now it was time to return to his palace and throne. There was a triumphal entry and a wedding feast that lasted for days. Their joy and love of their kingdom made Camelot look like a nightmare. After all had settled down to daily living, Lelah daily supervised the care for Oholah in the neighboring town, and often attended Oholah herself, but in disguise so that Oholah would not know that she was the King's new wife. Lelah made herself a loving and devoted servant to Oholah, washing her feet and hair while they talked on and on, becoming friends. She massaged Oholah old wounds and bruises and saw to it that Oholah had the best of everything to be fully recovered and restored. In their times together, Oholah would often share her memories of her husband king and her regret for her foolish abuse of his love for her. Lelah rejoiced in hearing Oholah's version of the memories her husband King had shared with her in Tirzah, and she rejoiced that his word was confirmed by Oholah. Oholah became even more and lovely and gracious in the care of Lelah and the attendants, thriving on and in their obvious and devoted love for her. The souls of Oholah and Lelah became knit together, closer than sisters. The King and Lelah knew it was now time for Oholah to return to the palace as the wife and queen that she was and had become.

The crowds went crazy with joy when Oholah was brought to the palace. The realm declared days of feasting and celebration for the recoronation of Queen Oholah. When she was finally brought into the palace and entered the room where the King awaited her, it was Lelah who greeted her and brought her to their husband King. The three of them melted together and held each other , with Lelah embracing Oholah and the King as they embraced each other. They wept andlaughed and hugged and kissed and rejoiced. Finally after their emotions had calmed enough, the King introduced Lelah to Oholah as his wife and second queen. Oholah almost fainted but Lelah embraced her and they both laughed and cried and rejoiced that they could be together and friends, sharing so much intimacy, love and rejoicing.

Though the king was old, he lacked no energy in passionately and attentively loving and caring for his wives, to their delight. Oholah and Lelah became one in joy, love, rejoicing and the unselfishly compassionate cherishing of the King and the King's subjects, overseeing his benevolent plans for the people of his realm. The circle of their love became so legendary that a book-poem was written of their exceptional love and their many kind and generous acts for the poor and the needy. Not all shared in this joy and loving, the heartsof some being bound in greed, pride, selfishness and evil, but the King and his servants were able to hold their evil in check for the accomplishing of his good will. There was literally peace on earth and good will towards men. Not all of this parable of the Love King has come to pass, because allegorically he is still in Tirzah with Lelah, but we can count on him to make the rest come to pass just as he has in the past, because he is able. Older than time, born and revealed in Bethlehem, tortured on Golgotha, alive today-----this King of Love will fulfill allof his good Word and reign in Jerusalem with both Lelah and Oholah at his side forever. Please let him be your King , let him love you, and be there with him forever.