Bibledoorajar examines redemption which calls for maturation

    Years ago I met a newly married christian couple. One day I was speaking with the husband and asked him about how the couple met. He told me that as he was praying about whom the Lord might wish him to marry, he felt impressed that he would marry a girl younger and less mature than he. It would be his role to love her and to help her mature in the faith. As things turn out sometimes, this is exactly what happened. Years later the couple have five children and administer a large christian ministry in North Carolina.

     The love song we are studying is about a girl who is redeemed from an inadequate lifestyle to one that will be suitable for marriage to the king. She was freed to become a new woman, very different from the immature young girl she was when selected. Many of her attitudes were wrong for one who was to spend her married life with the king. The story is a wonderful story of love that is patient and resolved. The king makes every effort to secure a mature marriage relationship with the young girl.

As the story opens the view is on her current life. She is a solitary figure working in the vineyard in which she was placed by her brothers. She is sunburned and dressed in work clothes. She is really not that good of a worker and her vineyard is not all that productive. Let's put it this way, she is a long way from how Solomon described the productive woman in Proverbs 31.  But when she meets a shepherd out there in the countryside, he/she is entranced. Her whole future, unbeknown to her, will now be hinged on her relationship with this man. She has no idea that "her shepherd" is really King Solomon. You see, he is not in the countryside to care for sheep but rather to see if his people have needs. It does not dawn on her that he is the king until sometime later when she has been taken to his palace in Jerusalem with the intent of marriage to him. Not ready for the demands of palace life, she simply longs for the kiss of the shepherd whom she met in the countryside. We will see that the girl will eventually mature and in the end be happy with a relationship with the king.

                                                                           
The Bible speaks often of maturation. When the Jewish people read this story, I am sure many realized just how much God loved them and understood that He wanted a mature, productive wife. When we Christians read the story, we should reach the same conclusion about our Christ. The bridegroom loves us and desires that we mature beyond our first blush of love (our forgiveness) and become productive with Him. So much so that He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us in every way. And what is our great assurance? In the end, we will be perfect for Him ( 1Corinthians 13: 9-13 ). Thank you Shepherd for loving us and leading us into the paths of righteousness for your Name's sake. And thank you for being patient with us as we mature into the productive bride---your perfect reward.

Bibledoorajar explores more sub-themes from the Song of the Bride

     There are at least three other sub-themes that I know about in the Song that are important to our relationship with Christ. They are: love founded on holy ground; reciprocal praise between the bride and the bridegroom; and, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. In the story, there are many comments by the lovers reflecting their extraordinary praise of each other. From a spiritual point of view one thinks of love that is of the highest nature and that takes place on holy ground. The Holy Spirit gives us a vision of His love; He convinces us it is better than any product this world has to offer. Christ's ointments are wonderful and highly valued by the Bride. He values our desire for Him and loves that we want to dwell with Him in the Secret Place.

     In the story our handsome shepherd falls in love with the girl he met in the countryside. Listen to some of his words of praise.

                    "As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters."  Song 2:2

                    "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold. thou art fair; thou hast dove's eyes within thy
                                      locks."   Song 4 :1

And, lo, and behold, the girl gave her heart to the shepherd. And, here is some of what she had to say.

                    "As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down
                            under his shadow and his fruit was sweet to my taste."   Song 2:3

                    "...he brought me to his banqueting table, and his banner over me is love..."  Song 2:4

                    "...my beloved is mine and I am his: he feedeth among the lillies.."  Song 2:16
   
       One sees what reciprocal praise and what desire there is in these comments. Yes, this level of love and admiration challenges us to evaluate our praise and desire for our bridegroom. But it also causes her to evaluate how we feel about Him showering us with praise and His desiring to be with us forever. I'm reminded of Lanny Wolf's song:

                    "I keep falling in love with Him over and over again. It gets sweeter and sweeter as
                     the years go by, Oh, what a love between my Lord and I! I keep falling in love with Him
                     over and over and over and over again!"

May the sentiment of this song be more true of us today than ever before.

Bibledoorajar thinks about a sub-theme: two-way communication

      There are several sub-themes that can be found in the song. The one that we will be discussing today is the two-way communication that lovers seek. He says; she says. One might say that in terms of a lasting relationship such communication is a vital link. And amid the tensions of life, it requires much. To be important to each other requires boldness and concentration. But most importantly it requires honesty and loyalty. Expressing love in a meaningful way is no small task, but when you read the Song of the Bride you find that communication of love is of utmost importance. Because it must be communicated under very trying conditions. The Shulamite girl has been discovered by Solomon and brought into his summer courts out in the country. Though a traveling court, the setting is nevertheless, one fraught with all the trappings of palace life. Some academicians say that the girl had already been brought to the king's court with the intentions of marriage, but she opposed doing so because of her steadfast love of another. She has already acknowledged the interest of another suitor and has been caught up in the wonder of it all. You see, a handsome shepherd had already appeared on the scene. Ah Hah! Now, we have a situation where she loves the one (the shepherd), but is being pursued by another (the king).
     How will the young woman react? Will she go for the simplicity of her first love or be convinced by the king and his courtiers that she should forget the shepherd and "buy in" to being one of Solomon's wives? How will she handle a situation that has turned out entirely different than she expected? Can we understand that she might be feeling a little inadequate ESPECIALLY since it seems the shepherd has gone away?  All she has are the memories of his love words. Can she believe that her shepherd will return to her or should she settle for a lesser life emotionally even though it would be filled with the great and wonderful treasures of the court?
     Let's meet the bride. She is described in the story as a country girl, a Shulamite. It is interesting that Solomon, whose name means peaceful, wrote of a Shulamite girl. Shulamite also means peaceful. As a country girl, she has been busy working in her family's vineyards. She explains that by having to work in the fields she has become sunburned and feels inadequate compared to the women she has met in the courts. Because of her life's circumstances, she has not been able to enhance her beauty or groom herself. She had worked along a caravan route in the rugged hill country of Israel and had seen the passing caravans loaded with riches. Now she has been brought into the palace. She can smell the rich spices in use. She can see the beautiful ladies of the court. How can she possibly compare? But amazingly, she finds her voice.
     Jesus spoke of leaving the many safe ones and pursuing the one that was lost amid life's circumstances. You know, the ones of us that get caught up in making our way in the world. He even refers to Himself as the Shepherd, the one who wants to love us and care for us. Most of us know the experience of believing Him and even loving Him, but nevertheless, allowing the glitzy things and/or people of the world to enthrall us. We speak lovingly of our Shepherd and our "other world" relationship, all the while we are being bombarded to accept an earthly life. One hymn writer (Palmer Hartsough),  discussed the dilemma and his resolution this way:

                                     "I am resolved, no longer to linger, charmed by the world's delights.                        
                                     Things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight.                                  
                                     I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free. Jesus, greatest highest, I will come                        
                                     to Thee."

     In the end, may we all leave behind a beautiful song, the apex of songs, one set with care and performed from the heart lauding our Shepherd who loves us so. Praise Jesus!

Bibledoorajar focuses on blessedness versus happiness

     We have been looking at the relationship of the bride and the king as described in the Song of Solomon. Last week we spoke of a progression in the relationship that would ultimately lead to a state of mutual devotion. The focus of the book is on the pursuit and how the pursuing is handled. Everyone who has pursued a goal understands the ramifications of the pursuit. Sometimes there is happiness and sometimes there is difficulty. But the goal, if cherished, is still pursued. Many have the mistaken impression that if a relationship is pursued with Christ the result will always be happiness. But the truth is, it does not always bring happiness. And, Christ never promised happiness; He promised blessedness.
     As Christians, we pursue blessedness for us and for our Lord. As we start our days, hopefully, we ask the Lord to bless everything we do. We know there are many things we cannot do by ourselves and we need His help in accomplishing His purposes in our endeavors. This reflects our mutual relationship of blessedness. We speak well of Him when we acknowledge His giving nature and when we allow Him to have His way. He speaks well of us when we trust Him to bring about whatever is best in our lives. Our blessedness does not depend on the circumstances in our lives, but rather upon our relationship with our King and our faith in how He will sustain us.

 I know a bride of Christ who has had a relationship with Him for 53 years. She will tell you that she has not always been happy, but rather that she has always been blessed. Her three children were a source of happiness for her, but one day lightning struck one of her sons. As he lay dying, she fell to her knees and said, "Thy will be done". She was able to speak well of her King even under very unhappy circumstances because grace was present in her heart. Her testimony through the years has been how His strength has blessed her even when unhappy memories overwhelm her. Such is the state of blessedness. We speak well of our groom; He speaks well of us. Jesus put it this way: "Whoever acknowledges me (speaks well of me) in the presence of others I will also acknowledge (speak well of) in the presence of my father in heaven" (Matt. 10:32).  Such conversation on our part, speaks of the emptiness we have allowed Him to fulfill. For our part we have this great reassurance--when Christ speaks, energy is present in our lives ("LET there BE"). Christ has promised us many things, only the first of which is to turn us away from our sins. The apostle Paul says we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heaven through Christ. We beseech Him to bless us by being active in our lives knowing that whatever comes, the ultimate promise is to be with Him FOREVER in a state of mutual devotion. That's what's in it for the both of us. And so we sing:

"When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be!"