Some Thoughts on The Song of Solomon

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-- for your love is better than wine....Behold, you are fair, my love!...You have dove's eyes....Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!...Yes, he is altogether lovely.  This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!"  (From Song of Solomon)

Now I know that most have heard and read that the Song of Solomon is a type of Christ and the Church; it may very well be.  Some of the statements in this Book are great descriptions of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is indeed a great "love story."

One thing about this Book to realize, however, is that Solomon had hundreds and hundreds of wives.  1 Kings 11:1a and 3 tells us, "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh....And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart."  There is much speculation as to which of all of these wives is the "beloved" of The Song of Solomon.   

I know, as well, that there are debates on the timeline of his writings, viz., Proverbs, Song, and Ecclesiastes, but if The Song is the first, it would explain so much of Proverbs as well as Ecclesiastes.

I come now to a possibility.  What if, among the traditional interpretations, the Song of Solomon is our Lord Jesus Christ saying to humanity, "Love and romance are okay; just keep everything where I intended?  'Follow Me.'"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I see Your "Instructing" Hand in this.  Amen.

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Even though the shoulder has been keeping me from some of my travels, I am still committed to much prayer daily for the nations.  Last night's Democratic Presidential Debate revealed to me that some of my prayers are really being answered!

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Ecclesiastes

"That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun."  (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Ecclesiastes begins with the Words, "Vanity," or, "vapor, breath."  It can also mean, "emptiness, delusion, fleeting."  Simply stated, This is life "outside" Jesus Christ.

A social worker in the infamous Haight Ashbury section of San Francisco was once asked what was his biggest problem in working in that area.  His response, "The turtleneck fundy."  Okay, so he was a secularist appraising the Church.  But I can say that there are "turtlenecks" today who are not dissimilar to those in the late 60s.  They are people who believe that if you become or are more like "them," music, dress, even "doing church, etc., you will more likely lead them to Jesus Christ.  "Vapor, breath, fleeting."

Our text tells me that we should be vary wary of always attempting to come up with "new."  It can too often be motivated by, The "old" is inferior to the "new."  What would the Church be like if we referred to "The New Testament," as the "Fulfilled Testament?" (Rhetorical)  Jesus says that He did not come to destroy the "old," rather, "I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  I see this as a way the 21st Century Church should look at its "past."  Bring it along rather than abandon it altogether.

Much of the modern Church believes that the "old" music is irrelevant for "today."  It is a not-so-subtle judgment on past generations of those who Followed Jesus.  Songs today are no "better" than songs of yesterday.  Nothing I have ever heard can replace, "Be, Thou, My Vision," or, "Fairest Lord Jesus," or, "Holy, Holy, Holy."  So my "thought for the day" is, Get over the infatuation with "new."  After all, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You so much, "For all the saints who from their labor rest, who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.  Alleluia, Alleluia."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Well, It's Job Time Again

"Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or by speeches with which he can do no good?"  (Job 15:3)

Eliphaz should have taken his own, ...."talk-speeches," advice.  My question today of the Job Discourse is: What good did 36 and one half chapters of, "talk-speeches," do any of them?

"Talk-speeches."  Sundays for many is a, "talk-speeches," day.  Even the humanists increase talk traffic on television and radio on Sundays.  As Followers of Jesus Christ, we talk our faith; we talk encouragement, we talk teaching, as indeed we should.  Bible faith, however, is not primarily a talk faith; it is a do faith.  If our talk is, "speech[] with which he can do no good", it is just, "noisy gong or a clanging symbol." 

Hebrews 11:1, in the Interlinear Greek says, "Now faith is...the proof."  Notice that, "Proof," is not faith.  "Faith is...the proof."  Thomas said, "Unless I see..."  But Biblical Faith is not found in a test tube.  It is acceptance.  One of the dictionary's definitions of "accept" is, "To endure without protest or reaction."  This is what is referred to in the Bible as, "the Faith of Jesus."  Perhaps the greatest "proof" of Job's faith is found in Job 2 after his wife said that he should just give up, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks." 

You may be surrounded today with such people at work, school, even family.  Just remember; when they rail on you, as Jobs accusers railed on him, they are speaking only as, "one of the foolish...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, may my talk be only that which produces doing.  Amen.   

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Condition of the Walls and Gates

"And I went out by night...and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire."  (Nehemiah 2:13)

There have been times in "Church History" when this was needed, maybe more often than most would suspect.

Church history is full of, "....walls...broken down and...gates...burned with fire."  By the time Wycliffe came along, the Church was, in a very real sense, experiencing a "Babylonian Captivity."  Yes, there were others before him, but Wycliffe called the Church back to the Scriptures in such anointing that he greatly influenced Hus and Luther to follow in his steps, hence, The Reformation.

We need today to go, "....out by night through the Valley Gate...and...view[] the walls...."  This is not just a "pastoral call."  It is for all of us.  I am praying with Solomon, "Give me a hearing heart," an observing heart as Nehemiah, who loved His "walls" and "gates."

Father, in Jesus' Name, may I always have a heart for the "walls" and the "gates."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2