Bibledoorajar loves the quest for the kiss

We have been looking at our relationship with our King, through the eyes of the country girl and King Solomon. For the girl, a kiss from her shepherd became a quest from her heart. It was her starting point and the basis for all her future experiences with the king. She found that a true and thrilling melody began to flow from her heart. Everything about his nature became highly prized and considered to be of great value. We see her desires beginning to take on a certain strength of purpose. She praised him repeatedly and promoted his name: "all the virgins love you". She ran after him individually, but acknowledged that all (corporately) were running after him too. It is as if she is saying, "I am---we are, impressed with you and how much you love me---us"."

Have you ever noticed two people genuinely in love? Those around them may wish that certain behaviors were different in one or the other, but for the two, it's all about mutual praise and getting to know each other all the more. Love is a wonderful thing. God says it is the most important thing. According to Peter (1 Peter 4:8) love can cover a multitude of sins. Solomon wrote: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates friends." (Proverbs 17: 9) So, many shortcomings can be overlooked in the presence of love. When we first receive the gift of life from our Shepherd, our love and gratitude for His overlooking our sin is paramount in our thinking. How wonderful it is that He can overlook our shortcomings and love us still. But as our love grows, a deeper mutuality which calls for our giving Him more righteousness occurs. We want that kiss! The Bible gives no time line for when a believer develops a deeper love for the king nor does it give the time line that the Holy Spirit follows to bring about the more mature love. But, even not knowing these things, the truly called pursue such depth of relationship. More. It's all about more. How can I know Him more and how can I express my love to Him more? And, so we sing with Eliza Hewitt:

        "More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern. Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.

         More about Jesus on His throne, riches in glory all His own. More of His kingdom's sure increase, More of His coming Prince of Peace."

Bibledoorajarcontinues to examine "the kiss"

Last week, Bibledoorajar observed that the country girl desired an intimate kiss from her newly found shepherd. She longed for that personal relationship that allows for such personal kisses. But, as you may recall, we also observed that such intimacy comes with a maturing mutual relationship. The king, himself, is also pursuing the kiss and very much wants to give it, but the timing must be perfect. It will come after the couple experience many blessed things together. The king is waiting until the girl appreciates that her shepherd is also the king and that therefore such a kiss cannot be taken lightly. The king has no desire to give the kiss to one who may continue to pursue kisses from another.

Our Christ has told us in the written Word when His bride gets the "kiss". It is a part of our maturing relationship with Him. As we mature in Him, our every righteous effort is met with the kiss. According to Ephesians 2:14, JESUS HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE. And, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Father "made HIM who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in HIM".

These verses make it clear that in our beloved, God perceives us a righteous and provides the help we need to live out a righteous point of view complete with righteous acts. Praise God, it is the kiss! In Psalms 85:10 we find that RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE kiss each other! The Father's criteria has been met; the relationship is blessed.

This is a freeing truth and the beginning of real spiritual progress. As the bride believes deeply within her spirit that the bridegroom will never leave her or forsake her, she is poised to live righteously. She  believes that any pain and tears she experiences as He helps us learn righteousness are worth everything. The bride gets the kisses because He is a rewarder of them that diligently (earnestly) seek Him and His gifts.

Thank you Father for our pathway to righteousness. And thank you for the King of Glory who showers us with kisses and will bring us all the way home to the palace. Lord, come quickly!

Bibledoorajar examines "the kiss"

     Bibledoorajar sends all its' readers "love and kisses". That's what we are examining this week. In our love story, the country girl has given her heart to her shepherd, but he then tells her that he must go away but she must know that he will surely return. So the girl waited and the days passed by. Her friends and family ridiculed her, saying that she had been hoodwinked by the shepherd. But she loves him and trusts him. She thinks about him all the time. One night she was sure she smelled his fragrance. She just knew  that he was near by. He had not forgotten her!!! As she was working in her vineyard one day, the girl sees dust flying like smoke. But she is busy and does not pay much attention to just who might be passing by. Perhaps another merchant in a very big hurry. Finally, someone comes and tells her that Solomon, the king, is asking for her. The girl is astonished that the king would be asking for her, a simple country girl. She demurely says, "me, why I have never even met the king. He can't be asking for me!"

But the king was and he said:

     "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away"--Song 2: 8-10

It was true. The king, himself, wanted to take her to his palace. When the girl gets to the palace she is in no wise ready for marriage to the king. She speaks often with the other ladies of court and tells them of her shepherd and how often he spoke with desire for her. She tells them she is very interested in the shepherd and wants to know him more fully. And, she says she knows that he is interested in her for the long haul, not just some fly by night experience.

     Meanwhile the king continues his plans to marry the girl and he provides her with vital communication and instructions. With these, she can become productive and worthy of marriage to him. The king has riches to share as well as authority. His abundant resources will help the girl. But what the girl is wondering is when can she get back to her shepherd and when will her shepherd KISS her? She longs for the kiss that accompanies a very personal relationship. The kind of kiss that reflects an intense need to be close and to be involved in a very personal pursuit. She wants the kiss NOW, but the suitor is holding off for some reason. She asks why?

In the beginning, we all desire a relationship with the Shepherd and we can honestly say, "I was glad when they said, let us go up to the house of the Lord". We love experiencing the grace and mercy and have an interest in getting to know our bridegroom more fully. And, we soon learn that Jesus, too, has a great desire for us and that his interest in us is for the long haul. He, in His wisdom, knows just what kind of bride he wants. In the long run, she must be mature and so He provides vital communication and instructions in order that we may grow spiritually. He provides many spiritual gifts which become great assets in our lives. We must learn how to rule and reign with Him, and He has sent His Holy Spirit to assist. He is well qualified to bring us into maturity. We are like the girl, wondering when He will kiss us. If we have experienced the kiss on the neck (forgiveness--see the story of the prodigal son) then we long for the kiss of intimacy. Forgiveness, as wonderful as it is, is no longer enough. We must have a personal relationship with Him. But just when does the written word say we will get that kind of kiss? We will take a look at that next week. In the meantime, we ask the Holy Spirit for His help--"Come, Holy Spirit, breathe on us and help us learn the etiquette of the King's court".

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!"