Read: Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 22:22-23
Song of Solomon is one of Israel’s favorite books. It is a book about God’s perfect covenant love told in a parable of the love between a man and a woman.
Solomon’s kingdom was glorious and a picture of the restoration of the Garden of Eden. The temple and palace he built were to show the truths of the tabernacle and the Promised Land.
The lover in the book personifies Jesus and the beloved personifies the church. It shows how unworthy she feels to be loved, yet how much he wants her to know he loves her. She speaks of her mother’s sons being angry with her and making her take care of the vineyards only to neglect her own. Her lover continues to tell her how beautiful she is and calls her his bride. We read as the dark but lovely bride removes her marks of slavery and finds love in the footsteps of the flock. The lover tells his bride that she is the lily among the thorns. She is a tree that bears fruit. Isn’t this the same thing that God says about us? She describes her lover as a gazelle that leaps across the mountains, bounding over the hills. He is quick to respond and hear our prayers.
He admonishes her to rise up and come away with him. In this poem, there are four charges. The first one is found in 2:7 and it is not to awaken love before it so desires. The next charge is found in 3:5 and is exactly the same. I think that this has to do with Jesus patiently waiting for us to respond to him so he can leap to our side and be our bridegroom.
Paul is happy to send Titus and other men to the church in Corinth to encourage them and give them a gift to help with their needs. Paul is proud of these men who have volunteered to come and encourage the church.
Lord, help us feel the depth of your love for us as we read the Song of Solomon. Let us hear your love sung just to us.
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