SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/18/2013
6:20 AM
My Worship Time Focus: True Love is
like a Banquet PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation
Reference: Song of Solomon 1:2-7)
Message of the
verses: Let’s begin with an end note
on the word love that Warren Wiersbe writes at the end of his commentary: “The word ‘love’ is in the plural in 1:2 and
4, 4:10, and 7:12, and can be translated ‘love-making,’ the king’s actions and
not just his feelings toward her.
However, the Shulamite and the king do not consummate their love until
after they are married (4:12-5:1).
Premarital sex was not acceptable in Israel. If the bride was accused of premarital sin,
she and her parents had to provide public proof of her virginity (Deut.
22:13-21).”
We are going to look at the first sub-section under the
first main section of this book in which Dr. Wiersbe entitles “Anticipation: The Courtship.” We spoke of premarital sex as being a sin in
the endnote above, and Dr. Wiersbe has another endnote that goes along with
this sin of premarital sexual relationship.
“This repeated admonition to the unmarried daughters of Jerusalem is a
warning against premarital sex. The Shulamite
wants them to remain pure in mind and body so they will enter into the full joy
of married love at the right time and with the right person. No matter what society does and the law permits,
the Bible knows nothing of unmarried couples living together as though
married. Some things are legal that may
not be biblical.”
We see in this first section, verses 1:2-2:7 a part of
the courtship between the Shulamite woman and Solomon: “2 ¶
"May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is
better than wine. 3 “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like
purified oil; Therefore the maidens love you. 4 “Draw me after you and let us
run together! The king has brought me into his chambers." "We will
rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do
they love you." 5 “I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like
the tents of Kadar, Like the curtains of Solomon. 6 “Do not stare at me because
I am swarthy, For the sun has burned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards, But I have not taken care of my own
vineyard.
7 ¶ “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,
Where do you pasture your flock, Where do you make it lie down at noon? For why
should I be like one who veils herself Beside the flocks of your
companions?" 8 “If you yourself do not know, Most beautiful among women,
Go forth on the trail of the flock And pasture your young goats By the tents of
the shepherds. 9 “To me, my darling, you are like My mare among the chariots of
Pharaoh. 10 “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with strings of
beads." 11 “We will make for you ornaments of gold With beads of
silver."
12 ¶ “While the king was at his table, My
perfume gave forth its fragrance. 13 “My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts. 14 “My beloved is to me a cluster of
henna blossoms In the vineyards of Engedi." 15 “How beautiful you are, my
darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves." 16 “How
handsome you are, my beloved, And so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant! 17
“The beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters, cypresses.
1 ¶ “I am the rose of Sharon, The lily of
the valleys." 2 “Like a lily among the thorns, So is my darling among the
maidens."
3 ¶ “Like an apple tree among the trees of
the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great
delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 “He has brought me
to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love. 5 “Sustain me with raisin
cakes, Refresh me with apples, Because I am lovesick. 6 “Let his left hand be
under my head And his right hand embrace me." 7 “I adjure you, O daughters
of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you do not
arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases.’”
At the end of his commentary Dr. Wiersbe writes that this
book is probably a book that is not preached on from its entirety, but a book
that should be taught to men and women who are engaged, more like a course on
marriage before they are married. As I
make my way through the Bible, trying to comment on all of the verses in it
this book was the next one that I am studying and so I will do my best to write
truthfully about is as I endure to do this in all the things that I write about
the Scriptures that I am studying each day.
I must admit that this book is a little out of my comfort zone, but
because it is a part of the Word of God it is worth studying.
As we look at this rather long section of Scripture there
are some phrases in it that are rather foreign to many, to which I will do my
best to try and make more understandable.
We see at first in this section that the Shulamite is speaking to
Solomon, telling him of her love for him, and tells him that his love is better
than wine. Wine will have a short lived
effect on a person where as love is to last for a lifetime. We see in verse four that she desires for him
to take her with him, and in earlier verses that she speaks of expressions of
his love which include kisses. Next we
see that Solomon will take her to his chambers for a great banquet that has
been prepared for her, and we see that the women of Jerusalem approve of
this. Dr. Wiersbe writes “There are four
parties involved in marriage: the bride,
the groom, society, and the Lord. Other
people don’t choose our mates for us, but the approval of godly friends is a
great encouragement. The women express
their approval of the king and run after them as they go to the banquet in the
king’s chambers.”
The Shulamite seems to be embarrassed because she had to
work out in the fields of her brothers and did not take care of herself as she
should of. She mentions her being black,
but she is talking about being tanned because of all her work out in the
sun. The tents of Kedar were made out of
the black hair of goats, and the woman though she looked like them, which embarrassed
her, but Solomon continues to speak of her beauty. The way that Solomon speaks of her beauty was
surely a way that was understood in that time, but I don’t think that men will
use these same words to women today and get the same response that he got from
the Shulamite. Solomon speaks of her
beauty as a mare pulling a chariot. Dr.
Wiersbe writes “No sensible charioteer would ever put a mare among
stallions! But Solomon was only saying, ‘You
are unique—one among many, unique, very special.’” We know that Solomon knew about horses as he
had many, which a matter of fact was
against the Law for kings to have a lot of horses, because they were used for
battle, and the Lord wanted His people to rely on Him, and not horses.
We will pick up on the company arriving at the banquet in
the next SD.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: As I begin to
study the Song of Solomon I am thankful to the Lord that He has included this
book in His Holy Word to give instructions to the young people before they
engage in marriage.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to study God’s Word each day, and
trust His Spirit to be my teacher.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 46:1-2
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in
trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of
the sea;
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Luke.”
Today’s Bible
Question: “During the plague of flies in
Egypt, what area had no flies?
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
6/18/2013 7:20 AM
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