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!"

Bibledoorajar studies the three main divisions of the book, The Song of the Bride

    This week my minister spoke to our congregation about securing our salvation--realizing the need to be trained and disciplined to fully accept the grace the Lord  so willingly gives us. This idea of training and making progress can be seen in the three main divisions or themes of the Song of the Bride. There is that first stage. The bride is attracted to the King, but still is so into herself. Her position is 'what's in it for me?'  Every Christian is either at this stage or can remember being there. The Spirit woos the believer to pursue Him, to think of Him, but most days are spent not doing so. It is so easy to dismiss Him and there are so many questions not yet settled. Frances Havergal explores this theme in the hymn, "Is it for Me?":
               "Is it for me, dear Savior, Thy glory and Thy rest--For me, so weak and sinful? O shall I be so blest?"
     Entranced, the bride wonders. Like us, she had questions. For her and us, in time, many of them are answered. We find ourselves asking not just what's in it for me, but now, what's in it for Him? Suddenly we realize He thinks of us and has desires that only we can fulfill. E.B. Lorenz wrote:
       "Amid the trials which I meet, Amid the thorns which pierce my feet, One thought remains supremely sweet, Thou thinkest Lord of me!"
     It becomes gratifying to know that He will not be dismissed so easily. The bride's old self did not suit the needs of the king. Like her, the Christian has to be willing to be changed. We begin to see what He wants as His reward and we are willing to pursue just that.
     The third theme is one of the bride's love maturing into a beautifully transformed love. She is ready to be at home with him. Like the bride, Christians must become ready for their eternal home with our King. Now the question is not just, what's in it for me, or what's in it for Him, but rather, what's in it for us? What will we share together? And, we begin to see what our glory will be. As N.H. Lines penned:
       "When in His glory the Savior I see, And in His likeness forever shall be; There from the trials of earth to be free, that will be glory for me, be glory for me."
     There are sub-themes in the book and we will explore them, but these three are the primary themes: learning to love sacrificially, learning to love more dearly, and longing to live forever with Him in His kingdom. Vana Raye expressed it this way:
      "In the kingdom of the Lord there is grace for for every heart; In the kingdom of the Lord blessings come and sins depart. In the kingdom, there alone, are the saved, the good, the blest; Here the Savior knows His own, Here is joy and peace and rest. In the kingdom of the Lord, Christ abides-He is the King! It is ours to love His word, To submit in everything; Oh glorious Kingdom! Bride of the Savior! Living forever, God's purpose to fulfill."
      It is a thrilling and fulfilling journey that the Lord's bride is on. The important thing is to keep on seeking, keep on looking for the One we love, keep on pleasing Him.  The door of the kingdom is fully ajar for such people. God is good!!

Bibledoorajar looks at a Cinderella Story

     The Song of the Bride and her groom is a sacred story. For those of us who wish to be loved by the Lord it is personal. The book is usually referred to in the Bible as the Song of Solomon. Solomon, as you may recall, means "peaceful". He was the son of David, so the song is also referred to as the Song of the Son. Sometimes it is called the Song of the Bride because of its' focus on the bride. The bride is characterized as the "Schulamite" woman which means " peace is hers". From these meanings we learn that the son "Peaceful" desires to give his peace to "peace is hers". The song is also referred to as the Song of Songs because it is felt to be the apex of all love melodies that one could sing. Scholars often compare its focus on love to 1 Cor. 13 in the New Testament. For every sinner who desires love through redemption, it is a Cinderella story come true.
     We know that the song was composed by Solomon, a man who was called to be a lover of God. He wrote the song during his reign of peace and during the time he wanted to be close to God and to share His wisdom with all who came near. The setting of the story takes place in the main in the beautiful palace of Solomon, but there are some flashbacks to previous settings. It is dramatic with dialogue going back and forth between the lovers. But there is definitely a spiritual message for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. The story announces what is to come for the spiritually minded. The bride is to be the groom's perfect reward. The groom is to be the bride's perfect reward. There is an engagement period and a wedding day. In the song, much happens to the bride as she prepares for the wedding. The message of the song is just the opposite of Solomon's Ecclesiastes. In that book, Solomon writes of a life of wandering and pursuit of things under the sun. He finds no satisfaction in knowledge alone and realizes that often wrong things are sought in wrong ways. The result: MISERY. But in the Song, Solomon writes of a life resting from wandering and of the realization that satisfaction comes only through love. If right things are pursued in right ways the result: BLESSEDNESS.
    The theme of the book is excellent love--a thrilling and fulfilling love relationship. He is the beloved; she is the beloved. Such fragile love requires the delicate handling seen in the story. Who can deny that the Lord deals with us so delicately as He prepares the wedding feast? He is so patient and kind--the perfect manifestation of 1 Cor 13. How He gently woos us. Surely He is worthy of all our praises! How blessed we are to be loved  and pursued by Him. How blessed we are to return His love.

Bibledoorajar opens for the Song of the Bride

     As we have learned so much about our King via the Queen's visit with King Solomon, I thought it might be fun to spend some time looking at King Solomon's Song of the Bride. God has made it clear that He will rejoice over His people as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. In Isaiah 62:5, we read:

         "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."
      In Revelation we read of Christ returning as a bridegroom for His bride. We read:

         "Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give Him the glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself---fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear"--Revelation 19 ff).

Part of Christ's glory will be His bride dressed in fine linen --the righteous deeds of His people--the ones who are blessed to be invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. These are God's own words concerning the feast and are the ones that the angel instructed John to write down. The words are a testimony of Jesus--the Spirit of Prophecy and constitute a reassuring promise that will indeed come true. One day the faithful bride will see her faithful bridegroom and, therefore, we must realize the wisdom of our righteous deeds. Since it is in righteousness that He will judge the world, He will surely recognize our efforts. It will be wonderful to be included in this wedding feast and to be with our bridegroom -- the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is sad to think of those who will not experience the wonderful things of God at the wedding feast. They can expect to experience Him treading the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of God. I, for one, prefer the wedding feast and eternal bliss. How about you? Next week we will begin the story of Solomon and the Schulamite bride. Have a great week!

Bibledoorajar says farewell to the queen.

     Today we say our farewells to the queen and to king Solomon. They have had a great story to tell and we thank them for all the lessons we have learned from this period of Jewish history. But we have come to know, and to know unequivocally, that "a greater than Solomon is here." There is even a greater story to tell! It is about the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Lord Jesus Christ. He reigns. He desires to manifest the fullness of the wisdom of God. In so doing, many of the world will abandon their spiritual ignorance and behold the glory and wisdom and knowledge of God and see Him in the midst of His people. People will become convinced of divine things and choose to love His kingdom as they invest time in seeking Him.

     Are we helping to spread the fame of God abroad? Are we seeking the wisdom of the Lord in our churches so that the principalities and powers in the heavenly places see its' evidence in our lives? Do we desire to be a valued vessel cleansed and dedicated to honorable and noble purposes? The church is hallowed for His Name sake and is to be the pillar and bulwark of the truth, each member sharing a heavenly calling to esteem Jesus as the builder of the most honorable house, the one that is over all others. We strive to have good food on our church tables and to lead others in tasting the heavenly gifts. All over the world, churches are positioned to show forth the resources of His grace and to show how great is His kindness. We stand in His presence befitting the King. We are clothed in appropriate dress--the beautiful white linen of His righteousness. So dressed, we can confidently "go up to the house of the Lord". May all our visitors see the wisdom of the Lord in His church. Jesus, what a wonder you are!
                   "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything"
                                                                                                         Hebrews 3:4