One Year Bible, September 6

SONG OF SOLOMON 1:1 - 4:16                                                                                             Whereas in Ecclesiastes Solomon pursued all things "under the sun", in Song of Solomon, he pursues all things "in the Son".  EMPTINESS versus FULLNESS.  Song of Solomon was written for those who are hungry for God and tells of the progressive development of covenant love and the obstacles we must overcome in order to be truly united with God.

CAST OF CHARACTERS: There are two main characters:
BRIDEGROOM = Jesus, both Shepherd and King, Also called "My Beloved"
BRIDE = Shulamite woman, the Intimate Ones of the Church, also called "My Love"
Virgins = young believers
Daughters of Jerusalem = carnal believers
Concubines = Those in the church who want the blessings without any responsibility.
Queens = Those in the church who are proud and stately
Her Mother - the Church
Her Mother's Children - worldly church members
"The Beloved" of 8:5 - The result of the union, the image of Jesus formed in His church

Eph 5:32 tells us that this story of marriage love is about Jesus and His Church, and the individual members of it.  God is calling us to face-to-face and mouth-to-mouth love, that is "better than wine".    But there is a cost.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE SAVIOR:  The Shulamite catches her first glimpse of the King as He rides into the field to look at His flocks.   "Let Him kiss me continually." (like the Prodigal son - Luke 15:20)  BUT, no one comes to Him "except the Father draw him" (John 6:44), so she says, "Draw me."  Our joy and strength come from being drawn and then running after Him.

SALVATION: (1:4) "The King has brought me into His chambers (bedroom)".   In the King's Presence there is a two-fold revelation: the blackness of the old, unrenewed man, and the beauty of the New Man. The Shulamite is a sunburnt goat herder but Jesus sees her as "fairest among the women".  It is here that the Bride learns that worship is more important than service. (1:7) She realizes that she needs His food and His rest. Jesus sends her into the local church for discipline and training - "go back and learn from the shepherds".  She is to be totally transformed.   Bundle of Myrrh: Myrrh is a burial spice and in embracing this bundle, the maiden is agreeing to follow Him at all costs. (1:13)  She embraces the cross AT NIGHT, yet her faith and love are still selfish, limited to Him loving her.  All He is and all He has is to be hers - - - but first she must be "tutored and governed" in the wilderness because her faith is inadequate and she is unprepared.  The transformation will be accomplished by love.   We aren't brought to His Side to sit as a queen and rule, but to lay down our lives for His people.

PENTECOSTAL SPIRIT-FILLED EXPERIENCE: (2:4)  The banqueting table served the wine of the Holy Spirit.   She fell asleep, believing she had "arrived".   While she slept, her Groom went on without her, drawing her out of her own enclosed life to abandon all to Him.  He gave all to apprehend her; now she must apprehend Him.  "Rise up, My love, my fair one, and come away."   BUT, 2:16, we believe Jesus is OURS, and He will do anything we ask Him to.   We try to ignore His call to come away because of the "Mountain of Bether" - (2:17) place of SEPARATION and death to self.   He did not wait for her, but told her to "turn".  Many times God "hides Himself" from us in order to draw us out of a place of complacency, confidence and comfort.

DEATH TO SELF: (3:4)  I seek the Lord "by night" - night seasons, in His absence.   He isn't in my bed.  It will do no good to go from church to church, or to ask the elders. "But I found Him Whom my soul loveth, I held Him and would not let Him go..."  When I take possession of Him, I find that it was really the other way around!  He has apprehended me! (Phil 3:12)  The wedding parade takes place at MIDNIGHT - announced by pillars of smoke from burning torches. They are "coming out of the wilderness" - and into His Presence.  To prepare for the "midnight parade", being the one on the throne that night, we must PRESS IN.  Jesus has lost His heart to anyone who will press in to know Him. He wants me to share His life. Come up higher.

THE NEW CREATION: Chap 4 describes how Jesus sees us.  These are words of great passion.   We are awesome! (v.6)   Jesus is resolved to go to Gethsemane - "Mountain of Myrrh" - the place of suffering and separation.  We must go there so that the power of the flesh can be broken and Jesus can be seen in us.  Jesus is pleading: "COME WITH ME." (The heights would be wonderful if it weren't for the lions and leopards).  "Thou has ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou has ravished my heart..."  We have UN-hearted (stolen His heart) Jesus.   All the chief spices are in Him.   As I invite Him to release His Life to flow from me, and to come into my garden and eat....He does not hesitate, but He comes in and takes immediate possession. In 5:1 He uses "my" 7 times!

RESPONSE:  This is a good reminder of how much Jesus loves me!  This is a red-hot, jealous love that never burns itself out.  Jesus never gets tired of me.  The King ADORES His bride.  He sees no faults in me.  But....He does want me to share every part of His Life, including the separation and the suffering.

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.." (Phil 3:10) "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" (2 Tim 2:12) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom 8:18)

Of course, there are many, many more Scriptures than those, that speak of "refining, purging, baptism in fire, affliction, cleansing" just a name a few.   And there are the examples of Joseph in Potiphar's pit for 13 years, David in the Caves for 13 years, Apostle Paul in the Arabian wilderness, and so forth.   What is God after?  For sure, He is purging away UNCLEANNESS AND SELF-PRESERVATION.   After that, He can express Himself freely in us. But His real goal is to get us to share His Life with Him - to be One-Spirit.   The King will purify us by loving us.   Transformation and knowing Him face-to-face takes place at the top of that mountain with the lions and leopards.  The "north wind" kills everything but the evergreens, and the "south winds" comfort.  The Holy Spirit brings both into our lives to develop and release new life.   As we share His rejection, His loneliness, His shame, we become just like Him.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-24                                                                                            
TITUS: Of the three men who will prepare the offering, we only know Titus.  What is noteworthy is how easily these men were able to circulate unhindered among the churches.  This shows unity and agreement among the churches, without racial or theological differences.

RESPONSE: Shortly after my husband and I were married, we visited an old uncle and aunt of his in Farragut, Iowa. I had never met them, and when we arrived we were seated in the living room with Uncle Delbert, while Aunt Orpha was still upstairs powdering her face. Soon, we heard her on the stairs, calling to us, "Here I come! Get your hugs and kisses ready!"  This portion of Scripture reminds me of that because these men were sent ahead to get the offering ready before Paul got there. "Here I come! Get your offerings ready!"

PSALM 50:1-23                                                                                                                
THE CALL TO PERFECTION: The perfection I am called to is the perfect relationship with God that produces a longing after God in others - not admiration for me!   I don't pursue holiness - - - I pursue God, Who IS my holiness. "The mighty God has ..called the earth..." He has summoned the whole earth to hear this: that outward forms don't mean much, because it all belongs to Him anyway.   What God wants is that we keep our promises to Him, offer thanksgiving, and call on Him in the Day of Trouble.  If we forget God, hate instruction and discipline, and if we curse and lie, and let vile language stream from our mouths, then quit claiming His promises!

PROVERBS 22:22-23                                                                                                              
Do not be tempted by the helplessness of the poor man, to rob him. When you get caught (and you will), you will deal with God, not the poor man! Oppressors come to ruin.

RESPONSE:  Stop being a hypocrite! We can't be PARTAKERS with thieves and adulterers and expect to have a relationship with God.  Neither can we spew out vile language or deceptive language and then talk about the Scripture promises.  God says, "What right do you have to take my covenant in your mouth?"  "Offer praise (heartfelt adoration and thanks) that glorifies God and live a life that glorifies Him too!"