Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve, the first couple on Earth, had a love that was designed by God and rooted in unity. Genesis 2:24 stated, “Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.”
Eve was born of Adam’s rib, symbolizing a deep connection between them. And, like any couple, Adam and Eve endured hardships together. When Eve was tricked by the serpent in the garden of Eden, Adam took the blame, and sacrificed his innocence to God to protect his wife. The verse explained, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ Cursed be the ground because of you; By hard labor shall you eat of it. All the days of your life.”
The couple faced the consequences of their actions together. Adam did not abandon Eve, and they remained united in their exile out of the garden of Eden.
This love story was not a typical fairy tale. It was a story about mistakes and the endurance of struggles. Adam and Eve’s relationship embodied the beauty of companionship through turmoil and the depth of human love. While Adam and Eve appear to be the beginning of our sins, they also gave us the privilege to be imperfect, and to look for help in others.
Abraham and Sarah
The story of Abraham and Sarah was a story of patience, devotion and faithfulness. Abraham and Sarah’s story begins in Genesis, when God promised Abraham that if he left his home and traveled to Canaan, his offspring would be as abundant as all the stars in the sky. The couple eventually made the journey to Canaan, but despite this promise from God, Sarah did not bear children.
Due to the famine in Canaan, Abraham and Sarah then ventured to Egypt, where Sarah obtained a servant named Hagar, but the Pharaoh later expelled them upon discovering their marriage. Years after they returned home to Canaan, Sarah still did not bear any children, which caused her deep sadness.
Nevertheless, Sarah’s eagerness to help God fulfil his promise to her husband led her to suggest that her husband have a child with her handmaid, Hagar. Hagar later gave birth to Abraham’s son, Ishmael. God’s promise to Abraham wasn’t truly fulfilled until Genesis 17, when Abraham was 99 years old. At that point, God said, “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”
Later, God expressed to Abraham, “I will bless her [Sarah] and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Eventually, when Abraham was 100 years old, Sarah bore a son, Isaac, father of Jacob, the patriarch of Israel.
Abraham and Sarah are the grandparents of Israel. Their story shows faith in God’s promises, and that love will stand the test of time if one can harvest the power of hope.
Ruth and Boaz
The book of Ruth is undoubtedly a story of love, not just between two people, but also between God and His people. Ruth, widowed Moabite woman, was residing with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Heartbroken by the loss of her husband and sons, Naomi chose to return to Israel and discouraged Ruth from following her on the journey.
Ruth persisted, saying, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth’s declaration to stay with Naomi and accept the God of Israel as her own was one of the most compelling exhibits of love, loyalty and dedication in the Book of Ruth.
When the pair arrived in Israel, they met a landowner, Boaz, who supplied grain for Ruth to harvest. Asking for protection, Ruth said to Boaz, “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family”. Naomi suggested that Boaz take Ruth as his wife, and Ruth later bears a son, Obed.
Boaz’s compassion for Ruth displayed God’s love of all humankind. Ruth’s love story with God, Naomi and Boaz was a tale of redemption and loyalty. The story was a testament to the importance of faith in God’s plan even during trying times. Ruth and Boaz’s romance embodied loyalty, kindness and redemption.
Moses and Tzipporah
The intercultural love story between Moses and Tzipporah began in Exodus. It was a story of finding love in unexpected places and sacrificing for loved ones in the midst of struggle.
Moses met Tzipporah when he fled from Egypt to the land of Midian. In Midian, Moses met the daughters of Jethro, a local priest, and defended them so they could water their flock. Jethro was so pleased with Moses that he gave him his daughter Tzipproah as his wife.
Soon after, Tzipporah bore their son, Gershom. When God told Moses that Moses would be the redeemer of the Jewish people, Moses and Tzipporah made their journey to Egypt to free the Israelites.
On their journey, God said to Moses “I have said to you, ‘Let My son go, that he may worship Me,’ yet you refuse to let him go. Now I will slay your first-born son.”
The next verse continued with the actions of Tzipporah. “To save her husband, Tzipporah performed a brit milah on their son, saving Moses. She said, ‘You are truly a bridegroom of blood to me! … A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.’” (Exodus 4:25-26) Moses was a bridegroom of blood because God’s plan to kill him forced Tzipporah to make a grisly sacrifice at her son’s expense, thus reviving his covenant with God.
Tzipporah’s dedication to Moses’ divine mission mirrors how we support our partners’ passions today, and how two different people can combine their passions into one livelihood.
Jacob and Rachel
The story of Jacob and Rachel was a story of steadfast devotion and patience. Their story began in Genesis, where Jacob pledged to work for Rachel’s father, Laban, for seven years to gain Rachel’s hand in marriage.
The verse stated, “Jacob loved Rachel; so he answered, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’” Jacob’s love and devotion to Rachel made the passing years feel short.
After his years of labor, Laban decided to give his eldest daughter Leah to Jacob instead. This betrayal does not make Jacob stray from his love for Rachel, thus he worked another seven years for her hand in marriage.
Though Leah was fertile and bore Jacob six children, Rachel’s womb was barren. Yet, Jacob still remained committed to her.
In Genesis 30:22, God finally remembers Rachel, and she gave birth to a son, Joseph. When Rachel tragically died from giving birth to their second son, he honored her by burying her on the road to Bethlehem. He also placed a pillar there to further honor her memory.
Jacob and Rachel’s story was marked by hardship, betrayal and grief, but it illustrates that true love can endure through anything.
