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Song of Solomon Who is our glory?
Week 14 Day 1
Reading: Song of Solomon 1:10-11 - “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.” ESV
Thought: The glory of Christ is His church because the church is the bride of Christ. He adorns us with many gifts, including His own spirit. The same was seen with Israel, Ezekiel 16:7-14 speaks of the way God clothed and adorned Israel with jewellery. The church is the true Israel, with Christ as the head. We are not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify others. As the church we are to glorify Christ, as such in our relationships we are to glorify others, especially in marriage. Marriage breakdown occurs when one person begins to glorify themselves, instead of glorifying the other. Ultimately the pursuit of self-glorification comes up against the intentions and feelings of the other person, leading to breakdown.
Prayer: Lord, let not my glory of myself, but rather let my glory be those I love, my friends, my partners, my Christ. Lead me Lord from self-glorification, that I should not become conceited. Turn my eyes Lord ever from myself to others that my relationships would be fruitful.
When love pleases
Day 2
Reading: Song of Solomon 2:7 – “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” ESV
Thought: Contrary to popular belief neither sex nor the act of marriage are the ultimate expression of love. Rather the journey of marriage which starts at the ceremony and ends when death does part, is the ultimate expression. Sex is the stirring up of love, and is only to be practiced within the expression of love in the journey of marriage. This is what is meant by "until it pleases" that is when commitment has been made before God to be a joined united, "one flesh". As the church the ultimate expression of the love of Christ is the journey, being able to live in Him, and with Him. It is a miracle that we can receive His love, mercy and grace. The ceremony was the cross, and there will be no death to part.
Prayer: Thank You Lord that Your love reigned to commit us into a marriage relationship with. How great a ceremony and confirmation of the marriage the cross was, and how great
that You have defeated death that we will be together forever! You Lord are love.
Faithfulness
Day 3
Reading: Song of Solomon 3:1-4 – “On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not... Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.” ESV
Thought: Here we see the longing of the heart of the Shulammite woman who Solomon loved most. She is desperately searching for Solomon and when she finds Solomon who had probably just left the company of another she accepts him without a second thought, taking him into her bed chamber. This passages mirrors greatly the way in which the church should follow Christ, ever searching for Him, and when finding Him, holding tightly to Him, as Mary did when she first saw Him after He rose (John 20:16-17). Christ will stay forever faithful; we must do the same, both with Him and with other people, that we should not cause distress for those who love us.
Prayer: Lord, my faith is a gift from You, therefore Lord let it be eternally bound to You, and acting upon those I love and who love me. Let grace abound for us that our faith should be strengthened, remaining forever as Christ is faithful to the church.
Covenant Marriage
Day 4
Reading: Song of Solomon 4:12 – “A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.” ESV
Thought: Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3-4), this was not how God intended covenant marriage to be, and we could speculate that it was precisely because of ignoring the covenant marriage law that Solomon's heart was turned away from God. But in this portion of the book Solomon does speak of characteristics of a true covenant marriage. The use of locked and sealed is intended to identify that each of them were only meant for each other, and that they did not betray each other through other relationships. Once again this same view can be seen of the marriage of Christ and the church. If we are married to Christ we cannot be adulterous; pursuing after sin and the ways of the flesh. Doing so would give good enough reason within the context of the Law for Christ to divorce us (Matthew 5:32), but He does not; pouring on grace at every occasion.
Prayer: Thank You Lord that even though I continue to sin and follow the ways of the flesh that You do not give up on me, but are constantly patient with me. Help me Lord to put to death all of the sin in my life, that I would indeed be faithful to You, not causing You any shame.
After the Honeymoon
Day 5
Reading: Song of Solomon 5:16 – “This is my beloved and this is my friend.” ESV Thought: Often we can get caught up in the "Honeymoon" period of the relationships with our friends, with our partners and with our God. We can have a wonderful time when we are in their embrace, and all feels right with the world. But eventually that "Honeymoon" will end, and when it does how do we strive to ensure that our relationships are stabilized, fruitful and growing? "Getting "married" is easy, and 50 years of joy is hard" (Mark Driscoll). The Shulammite woman gives us two important messages; those in "marriages" are to treat their partner as their beloved and their very best friend. How then are we to treat our marriage to Christ?
Prayer: Lord, help me daily to love you, and my friends. To establish relationships which are stabilized, fruitful and growing in love. May each day be a blessing that our relationships will blossom further. Lord teach me to love, as You love the church and let that be a model for how I should love.
Who are we hurting?
Day 6
Reading: Song of Solomon 8:1 – “Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother's breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me.”
Thought: How are people hurt when we pursue impure relationships? The Shulammite woman expresses her desire to be the brother of Solomon, so that she would not be hurt and hated by onlookers; namely Solomon's other wives. Had Solomon followed the Law, keeping a covenant marriage, she would not have been hurt because of his extra affairs. How often when dealing with people, whether it be in love, business or daily life do we consider the consequences of our own actions and how others will interpret them? How often do we consider these things from the perspective of the person we are dealing with also? Solomon sought only his own satisfaction, but he should have been seeking her's.
Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom, understanding and a heart of love to consider fully the consequences of my actions before they occur, that I would pursue methods which are loving to all involved. Aid me Lord to seek the satisfaction of others over my own, to Your glory.
Love
Day 7
Reading: Song of Solomon 8:6-7 – “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If
a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.� ESV
Thought: What can conquer the love of the Lord? Nothing. What can separate us from it? Nothing. What is greater than it? Nothing. How much have we paid for it? Nothing. What then is its worth? Infinite. How much then must we be willing to give/change for it? Everything. If then this is the model of love for all, how well are we expressing it with others. Is the love we prescribe to our friends, our partners, our children, is it the same as the love we receive from the Lord?
Prayer: Lord, Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging. Your love is mountain firm beneath my feet. Your love is a mystery, how You gently lift me. When I am surrounded, Your love carries me. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing! (Vineyard Songs)