MY BELOVED
Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 7-8
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Sheltered from the sun, a lady sitting in a tree keeps watch over her donkey at Nazareth Village. The Shulamite maiden in our readings was such a farm girl.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Song of Solomon 7:10, 8:6
I am my beloved’s and his desire is toward me…Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.
For the culture of 3,000 years ago, the imagery used to describe the bride’s beauty was understood. For example, “Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon” may seem humorous to us, but to them it meant,”exquisitely sculptured and well formed.” Solomon considered her entire body to be beautiful from her feet up to he hair on her head. For us, we can learn that complimenting our spouse is good for a happy life. Our first key verse is a wonderful statement which describes a relationship of true wedded love, and it is also true in our love for God and His love for us. He loves us with an everlasting love, and may we do the same toward Him. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
In much of middle-eastern culture, a brother and sister may kiss in public, but never a married couple (8:1). Our second key verse can be understood to be as an engagement and wedding rings in our culture today. A mark, perhaps a tattoo, was placed on the arm of the bride. A tattoo is there for one’s entire life; unfortunately a wedding ring can be removed. May God help us to keep our vows “until death do us part.” In 8:8-10 our reading takes us from the Shulamite’s childhood to her maturity as a woman. Her brothers protected her purity as a “wall” around about her. May our families form a shield of protection, particularly around our youth.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Lord, I love You with all my heart. I have loved ones for whom I care most deeply. May I be as a wall of wisdom, love, and protection around them and not an over protection, which would hinder their development into all that they can be. I pray this in the Name of the One who made His own decision at 12 to stay behind in the Temple, a Boy (young Man) who “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men,” Jesus, Himself (Luke 2:52). Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
The verse, “increased in wisdom…,” is the motto of our Circle Square Ranches, which are located across Canada. Crossroads gave them as a gift to “Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship,” which has operated Christian summer camps since 1928. They are doing a great job in reaching more and more children and teens for Christ. An excellent Christmas gift for children would be a week at camp next summer. Check out “Pioneer Camps” and “Circle Square Ranches.” Click here for information on purchasing a week at camp as a surprise gift. Good suggestion!
Tomorrow, God willing, we move back to the New Testament and start the book of Hebrews. Hebrews ties together the two Covenants (Testaments) of God with His human family in a powerful way that shows clearly that in Messiah (Hebrew), or Christ (Greek), Jesus is the absolutely essential bridge over which all must cross in order to embrace the eternal plan of redemption and everlasting life available to all humanity. Acts 4:5-12 is an excellent reading for our consideration as we move into Hebrews.
Yours because we can say, “My Beloved is mine and I am His” (Song of Songs 2:16a),
David
Songs of Solomon…affirms God’s great love for us…thank you Pastor David for shedding more light and understanding of it.
Looking forward to the study of Hebrews.
Bless you and thank you for this early morning spiritual food.
Amen! Irene Ochotta.
Amen–happy to be moving into the book of Hebrews, tomorrow. I appreciate your suggestions, David, but I have not enjoyed Solomon’s erotic descriptions of women, knowing how many wives and concubines he had–something that is completely unacceptable in today’s standards and disrespectful of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman as God defined. Today’s scripture about the mark on the arm: “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm”; suggesting a tattoo, would be in total contradiction with other scripture. ““Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28). So, even though believers today are not under the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15), the fact that there was a command against tattoos should raise some questions. The New Testament does not say anything about whether or not a believer should get a tattoo.” Regardless, of the last sentence in this quote, marking and defiling the body is not acceptable to God. Again, a sign of disrespect. It is all a matter of interpretation, but we have to stand true in being righteous as Christians, don’t we? Blessings, today, dearest saints, in the precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Without His shed blood, we would not be forgiven and saved. Amen!
Everlasting Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfkNYusl50k
I didn’t enjoy reading Song of Solomon either . I totally agree I thought it was just me Beverlee.
Amen, Deane!
Thank you for saying that about the erotic descriptions. The Virgin Mary must have pondered about her infant Jesus knowing that He would be greater than David and greater than Solomon. How many concubines would He have? How many daughters-in-law would she be getting? But He stayed a virgin and showed men how to be holy and how to talk to women and how to include women as God intended.
Amen! Well said, Karen, and indeed a perspective many need consider–from the shoes Jesus’ mother would walk in. God bless you dear sister-in-Christ!
Thank you Beverlee for your kind words. I wonder if Mary had to become homeless toward the end of Jesus’s ministry in order for Jesus to be truly homeless. We see Jesus entrusting His mother to John, as he was not to be martyred. Mary was not asking for anything. How proud Jesus must have been of His mother. God Bless You Dear Sister-In-Christ!!
Also appreciate your suggestions David. Also instructed someone to not get a tattoo(markings) recently using the same verse of Leviticus 19:28 and it associates one with evil. Love the photo today and the song, Beverlee.
I always enjoy Song of Songs! My husband and I used 6:3 on our wedding bulletin, and we are still each others’ beloved 35 years later, thanks to God! I see the seal on the heart and arm as a promise that the heart and arms belong only to them, and will never be for anyone else! The whole book is a wonderful picture of our God’s love for us! Isn’t He amazing?
Our God is divine, Karin, amen!!!
tattos and piercing seem to be the big thing and not only over the body but all over the face! it seems odd but food preparers need to waer gloves and need to know Food Safety Rules but there is rings and studs on their faces, eye lids, lips, nose, tongue……I don’t understand…..it is very odd….