Some Questions the World Asks Prt. 2

It's Wed. nights lesson again and we are getting into an introduction on the questions that people have today about Christ and Christianity tonight.  Enjoy but mostly worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

In The Sweet By And By 

Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus

Shout To The Lord

 

 

Some Questions the World Asks Prt. 2

I.                   The First is where did We Come From?

A.   This determines how people lead their lives

1.     If you believe you came from a random process you will live your life with no real purpose and no belief in anything about God

2.     If you believe you are a creation of God you will believe you have a standard set by Him and live your life accountable to Him

3.     In the final analysis plenty of our societies decisions ride on these decisions

a.      Abortion

b.     Euthanasia, etc.

II.                We must be able to defend the central belief that holds everything else in Christianity together, the resurrection

A.   The resurrection isn’t just a piece of Christianity, without the resurrection there is no Christianity

1.     No way to be forgiven of sin

2.     Everyone doomed to eternal judgment

B.    It is the one doctrine that puts Christianity above all other religions

1.     The resurrection keeps Christ out of just a line of religious figures like Abraham, Buddha, or Confucius

2.     Christ had the power to lay down His life and take it up

3.     Paul made it very plain 1 Cor. 15:14 “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”

III.             We need to be able to prove that the Bible is divine and not merely from human hands

A.   If we prove the Bible is from God then we can use Scripture to answer many other questions

1.     If we can’t then the Bible stands in a long line of religious books

2.     If we can prove the Bible comes from God then it is the authority that we should live our lives by

3.     Without the Bible being the cornerstone of society norms then society can do basically what it wants

Conclusion: Remember 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;…”

Love Grows

Hello, good to be able to continue to provide more worship opportunities with music and the Word of God.  I hope everyone is enjoying the studies in the Song of Solomon.  Please leave a comment at the bottom so I can know how this is working, thank you.

Amazing Grace-Special 20-With Extra Feeling

To God Be The Glory 

I Surrender All 

Love Grows

Song of Solomon 2:8-17

Big Idea:  The intensity of the love of Solomon and the Shulamite women is the progressive love couples need today.

Intro.

     Redneck marriage vows can be interesting.  One was, “I will love you more than my best coon dog.”  Of course his friends agreed that that phrase was real romantic; while still keeping it a little manly.  Well the groom really loved the bride even though it was a different way to say it. 

     The setting is the country, near the beloved’s home. She probably lived in Lebanon, north of Israel.   More importantly, however, the intensity of the couples’ longing for each other increased and their sense of intimacy grew.

I.                   The First Lover that Snuck Around a House and Try not to get Caught v. 8-9

A.   As Solomon approached his beloved’s home, she excitedly described him coming as a gazelle or a young stag

1.     This emphasized his attractive appearance, strength, and agility

2.     He approached the wall around her parents’ home and then peered through the lattice. He was anxious to see her

II.                Solomon comes to Her House to take Her on a Date v. 10-13

A.   Solomon, her lover, asked his darling to go for a walk in the countryside

1.     The elaborate description of spring was probably meant to do more than simply emphasize the beauty of the setting

2.     It is likely that he was also describing their relationship. In a sense when one falls in love the feeling is like spring for everything seems fresh and new

3.     The world is seen from a different perspective, which is how Solomon felt when he was with his beloved

B.    The lovers celebrated their joy in the creation and in their love

1.     God created the world, the beauty we see, the joy of love and sex, within marriage, and gave us senses to enjoy them

2.     Never let problems, conflicts, or the ravages of time ruin your ability to enjoy God's gifts. Take time to enjoy the world God has created

III.             Another characteristic of genuine love is the desire to be alone with one’s lover v. 14

A.   This desire seems to be easily experienced during courtship, but unfortunately it often fades in marriage

1.     Yet if love is to grow a couple must find time to be alone

a.      Doves hide in rock crevices, reluctant to leave

b.     The lover likened his beloved to such a dove, hesitant to join him in the countryside

c.     So he urged her to leave her home and join him so he could enjoy her sweet-sounding voice and lovely face

IV.            There is Always Going to be Problems in a Marriage and They All Start Small v. 15

A.   Foxes were noted for their destructive tendencies in crop fields, so the  reference to those animals probably suggested metaphorically some problems in their relationship

B.    The lovers wanted anything that could potentially cause problems between them to be removed

1.     It is often the "little foxes" that cause the biggest problems in marriage

2.     These irritations must not be minimized or ignored, but identified so that, together, the couple can deal with them

V.               Though they may of had some problems in their relationship, the beloved knew that her lover belonged to her and she belonged to him

A.   She could rest in the shepherd-like quality of his love despite the struggles they shared.  

1.     She said he browses or  “he pastures” his flock among the lilies

2.     Speaking to herself in 2:16, it is likely that verse 17 is also not literal but thinking Solomon

3.     Her thoughts of their mutual possession of each other naturally led to her desire for physical intimacy

a.      So in her mind she invited him to turn, to her, with the strength and agility of a gazelle or . . . young stag

b.     Rugged hills is literally, “hills or mountains of separation or cleavage.”

c.     It seems preferable to take this as a subtle reference to her breasts as in 4:6, thus an inner longing that they consummate their marriage

4.     If that is the meaning, then she wanted that intimacy to last during the night till the day breaks (lit., “breathes”) at dawn and the night shadows vanish.

a.      When their marriage was consummated they did this in 4:5-6

B.    As already stated, in expressing their love in their courtship, the beloved and her lover used restraint

1.     Yet because of their deep love and commitment to each other they longed for their wedding day to come

Conclusion: The intensity of the love of Solomon and the Shulamite women is the progressive love couples need today.

Some Questions the World Asks Prt. 1

I hope everyone is having a good week and this mid-week worship and lesson is about questions Christians need to be able to answer.  This will be what we are doing in our mid-week service for a little while.  Now we will have some music to sing along with.
                        Holy Holy Holy 
                        In Christ Alone
                        You are God
                                              Some Questions the World Asks Prt. 1

I.                   First the Importance of Christians Answering Questions

A.   The reality is that we live in a Post-Christian America

1.     We need to know what we believe and why

2.     Peter wrote in 1 Pet.3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

3.     The word defense in the Greek language is “apologia” and means to give “a reasoned defense”. We call it today Apologetics but we aren’t apologizing for anything.

4.     Basically like a good defense attorney gives a good defense in court, so do we need to be able to give a good defense of true Christianity to anyone

B.    We need to remember that apologetics can lead into evangelism

1.     Being able to answer a couple of questions may be all someone needs to accept Christ as their Savior

2.     The Christian faith is not a blind leap but a decision rooted in history and evidence

C.   Also apologetics needs to be taught after a person becomes a Christian

1.     There can be a lot of ideas that pull at a new Christian

2.     They need to be grounded in some basic beliefs

a.      God created this universe

b.     Jesus Christ proved He is God through the resurrection

c.     The Bible is from God and not just written by men, etc.

D.   Christians need to be able to answer questions that the world has so that we can see people come to have eternal life with Christ in heaven

1.     This is the most rewarding experience to a Christian

2.     There are plenty of people with questions

II.                Should We Try to Argue Someone into the Kingdom of God?

A.   Often motivated but misguided Christians will try to argue a person into salvation

1.     We have the command of 1 Pet. 3:15 to give an apologetic answer to others questions

2.     At the same time no matter how many questions you answer it is still the Holy Spirit’s business to work on the heart of people

B.    Remember it isn’t that a person can’t believe but it is that they won’t believe

1.     Once you reasonably answer their questions they have to make a decision that is between them and the Holy Spirit

2.     John 3:19 (NKJV) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

3.     The Christian faith is reasonable but reason will not take a person fully to accept Christ as Savior

4.     As Christians we need to prepare ourselves to be able to give the answers we need and then trust the Lord in prayer that He will guide us to the people that He has prepared already

True Loves Grows with Time

Thank you for coming back for this Sunday's worship and we are going to be in the Song of Solomon for awhile.  Let's start with some worship in song.

                                                            Here I am to Worship    
                                                           How Great is our God 
                                                           All to Jesus I surrender

Song of Solomon 1:12-2-6

Big Idea: True love between a man and a woman should have a growing intensity in desire, praise, and security.

Intro.

    The year was 1925. Calvin Coolidge was president, Adolf Hitler released the first part of his book, “Mein Kampf,” Charlie Chaplin’s big movie was “The Gold Rush,” flappers were singing and dancing to “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “I’m Sitting on Top of the World,” the Scopes Trial played out in Tennessee, the first television images were broadcast, Al Capone ruled the streets of Chicago, flagpole sitters were all the rage, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were the newest recording artists, the price of a first-class stamp hit 2 cents.

And in Hugo, Minn., an 18-year-old man named Clarence Vail married his 16-year-old sweetheart, Mayme. They had met in the eighth grade, and marriages at such young ages were more the norm than the exception back then. Unremarkable at the time, that union, now 83 years old and still as strong as ever, has finally claimed a place among the historic events of the year.

NBC’s Kevin Tibbles reported for TODAY on Monday that Clarence and Mayme Vail are going into “Guinness World Records” for being married longer than any other living couple on earth.

They don’t have a magic formula to explain the success of their marriage. They just took seriously what they said to each other when they stood at the altar.

“You take your vows, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer,” Mayme said. “I guess you just stick to it, come what may.”

I.                   The Beloved Praised the King for His Pleasing and Attractive Characteristics v. 12-14

A.   These characteristics were like perfume, just as in verse 3

1.     He was constantly in her thoughts just as the smell of the myrrh (in her sachet around her neck) was constantly in her nostrils

a.     Myrrh was a pleasant-smelling gum that exudes from small trees in Arabia. It is mentioned frequently in the Song of Songs

2.     All other men, compared with him,  were like the desert. Among them he stood out like a beautiful cluster of flowers in a desert oasis

a.     Henna (cf. 4:13) blossoms were white, and En Gedi was an oasis on the west coast of the Dead Sea

b.     Earlier David had fled to En Gedi while running away from Saul (1 Sam. 23)

II.                The Lover Returned Her Praise v. 15

A.   He started commending not only her beauty but also her tranquil character

1.     In these times doves were noted for their cleanliness and tranquility

2.     One quote says, “According to Rabbinic teaching, a bride who has beautiful eyes possesses a beautiful character; they are an index to her character” (S.M. Lehrman, “The Song of Songs, ” in The Five Megilloth, p. 4)

III.             She recognized his physical good looks but she was more taken by the charm of his personality

A.   The word “charming” means “pleasant” or “lovely” and the combination, handsome and pleasant, was as rare then as it is now

B.   This is the first of about two dozen times she referred to him as my lover

C.   The beams of cedars and the rafters made of firs probably do not refer to a literal building but figuratively to the setting in which they first met

1.     This is also suggested by the verdant bed or couch

2.     The field where they fell in love and sat talking was green

IV.            Here the beloved spoke of herself as a rose of Sharon, the fertile coastal region of Israel from Caesarea to Joppa v. 1

A. In Isaiah 35:1, its only other occurrence in the Old Testament, it is translated “crocus, ” which may be the meaning here

1.     It was a common meadow flower. The lily too was a common flower mentioned often in the Song of Songs

2.     In her humility she likened herself to common flowers of the field but this statement shows a change in how she sees herself from earlier (1:5-6)

3.     Her improvement probably was because of her lover’s praising her (1:9-10, 15)

V.               The lover echoed his beloved’s newfound sense of worth by comparing her to a lily and all other women to thorns v. 2

A.   He agreed that she was a lily but not just any lily!

1.     She was as unique among all others as a single lily would be among many thorns

B.   We need to treasure our mate like they were the only ones left in the world

VI.            The beloved’s reciprocal praise of her lover was as an apple tree would be a delightful surprise in a forest v. 3-6

A.   She felt Solomon was a delightful and rare “find” among all the other men

1.     He was unique, sweet, and fragrant

VII.         The beloved’s praise of her lover reveals three aspects of romantic love that are important to women

A.   First, she felt protected by him. Sitting in his shade was a metaphor for protection, not only in the Bible but also in the literature of the ancient Near East

1.     She had worked in the sun (1:6) but now she enjoyed resting under his protection.

B.   Second, they cultivated the kind of relationship that allowed them to know each other intimately

1.     The word taste expressed a knowledge of someone through intimate personal experience (cf. Ps. 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”)

C.   Third, the beloved appreciated the fact that Solomon let others see his love for her

1.     As a banner (a military standard) was easily seen by the troops as they marched, so Solomon’s love for his beloved was easily seen by anyone who observed their relationship

2.     He was not ashamed of her; instead he delighted in her and it was evident to others

3.     One way he showed this was by taking her to his banquet hall (cf. “table” in 1:12) that was in the palace

D.   These three things—protection by her lover, intimacy with him, and obvious displays and expressions of love from him—are crucial factors that enable a woman to develop a sense of security and self-worth and thereby to enjoy a stable marriage

Conclusion: True love between a man and a woman should have a growing intensity in desire, praise, and security.

Prayer Guide for your Church and Pastor!

  Bro. Wes again with an article I received awhile back that was written by Dr. R.J. Krejcir.  I sincerely hope that it is something that can help our churches and pastors.  First praise God in some singing. This is the day the lord has made 

One day at a time By Linda Randle

    The best way to build your church and fire up your pastor is to be involved and pray for them constantly and continually! If you really what to put your faith where it is needed the most, commit yourself to support your Church and Pastoral Staff, and realize that God loves us all, and we are still in His Hands. Our pastors and leaders are here to serve, but they need our prayers and support to make this work! When we pray and come together tighter, we will have no need to fear or stress or remain in our hurts. We can come together triumphantly as a caring, loving community powerfully for His glory impacting our community (Isa. 6:1-12; Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Pet. 3:12)!

Praying for your church is like filling a balloon with helium, the more it is filled, the more it will soar and not sore! For us to grow not just numerically, but in what is much more important, spiritually and in community to one another, requires our discipline and passion to pursue Christ more and ourselves less. We have to grow in Christ in a cherished, intimate growing relationship with Him as LORD over all and LORD over us. We are called to become purpose driven with His purpose at our helm of leadership and lives so that our trust and intimacy is rooted in Him and not in our personal ideas or distractions (1 Chron. 16:11; John 3:30; Eph. 6:16; Col. 2:6-8).

Use this prayer guide to pray daily for your church. Take one point each day of every month, and as you grow more in your discipline of prayer, double up by taking two or more.

First, praise God and thank Him for His blessings and goodness in all He has bestowed, even if you do not feel or see them. Remember your walk with Christ is all about Him working in and through us so your faith and love flourishes!

Day 1.    Pray that we realize that our inheritance and hope as a church family is in God’s incomparable and incredible great power which is available to us (Gal. 1:12; Eph. 1:18-19; Phil. 3:10).

Day 2.    Pray that our Church, Leadership and Pastoral Staff becomes more surrendered and poured out to Christ, so they can have spiritual breakthroughs by seeking the fear of God and the mind of Christ and the Spirit’s leading (1 Cor. 2:16; Gal. 2:20-21).

Day 3.    Pray that your Church and Pastor have and continue to take hold a growing, consistent walk with Christ with a devotional life and prayer that is steadfast. Pray that they realize and allow Christ to work and use them as they grow closer in their faith, spiritual formation, maturity and love (Psalm 16:8-11; 73:28; Rom. 8:31; 2 Pet. 1:5-7). 

Day 4.    Pray that all of the leadership exhibit good Christian character and integrity with all of their relationships and dealings in life (Micah 6:8).

Day 5.    Pray that your Church leaders and Pastors families will be cared for and respected and receive good consideration, so they can to grow too, as they are usually misunderstood, under-appreciated, and ignored or overworked. Pray that all the staff be committed to their families with authentic love and care, that they will be strong and learn in the midst of trials, their homes a refuge and haven of rest and not be condescending or withdrawing from their own families (Psalm 91:9-15; Phil. 4:19; 1 Peter 2:23). 

Day 6.    Pray for discernment in exposing any plans of the enemy against our Church or attacking our pastors and staff. Ask Christ to protect us as we wage spiritual warfare against the enemy on behalf of our Church (Eph. 6:11-12, 16; Col. 2:6-8; 1 Pet. 3:12).

Day 7.    Pray for an increase of vitality, renewal and vision that is from God for the pastors and leaders personally and collectively so that the church can be galvanized then take a hold of, and then be revitalized as a caring committed community for His Kingdom and purpose (Isa. 61:3; Rom. 12).

Day 8.    Pray for the willingness and ability to authentically confess and repent of any wrong doing, false dependencies, misplaced ideas and loss of spiritual passion (Luke 13:1-3; Acts 2:38-39; Rev. 2:5-6).

Day 9.    Pray that you and your church commits to follow the biblical mandate to support and encourage the leadership of the church (Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 Pet. 5:1-2).

Day 10.  Pray against gossip, negative criticism, false expectations, unhealthy burdens, strife and weariness that will seek to invade our church family (Psalm 91:5-6, 11; Luke 10:19; Eph. 4: 17, 32-5:1).

Day 11.  Pray that your church be a community of grace and forgiveness. That your church has an atmosphere of encouragement by being grateful for Christ’s work in them that enables the congregation to be inspired to give genuine hospitality to all who comes though your doors (Rom. 15:4-6; 2 Thess. 2:16-17).

Day 12.  Pray that your church commits to a healthy understanding, wisdom and accounting and handling of its stewardship and Finances to better receive God’s blessings (Prov. 3:9-10; 1 Cor. 9:15-18).

Day 13.  Pray that your Church and Pastor will have the strength and endurance that they need to serve with excellence by the power of the Spirit and the support of the congregation (Philippians 4:13).

Day 14.  Pray for healing, forgiveness and reconciliation for any misplaced expectations, criticism, ungrateful attitudes, flawed thinking, grief, hurts, and abuse (Isa. 61:3; Mark 11:22-24, 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 4:32-5:1; Phil. 4:19).

Day 15.  Pray that your church would receive God’s direction and vision. That the congregation gets nourished from the substance of His Word and the needs of the congregation are met (Psalm 119:9-12; Matt. 18:20).

Day 16.  Pray that our church becomes real authentic disciples of Christ who are learning, growing and making Fruit and in turn making more disciples (Prov. 19:23; Mal. 3:11; Matt. 28:18-20; John. 15:16; Gal. 5:22-23)

Day 17.  Pray that the spirit and practice of Humility is utilized and practiced in and outside of your church, and that false humility does not take root (1 Pet. 5:5-7).

Day 18.  Pray that pride does not set in with our Leadership and Pastoral Staff (Psalm 10:4; Prov. 8:13).

Day 19.  Pray that our church commits to place our focus on the Supremacy of Christ and be dependant upon Him (Gal. 6:14; Col. 1: 15-17)!

Day 20.  Pray that our Church and Pastor give real biblical help and Counseling from God’s wisdom and Word to those in need (Isaiah 61:3).

Day 21.  Pray that our church family will give Christ real authentic adoration, praise, impassioned worship and glory in private and collectively as a Church. That worship is never to be a show, entertainment or talent focused, rather God is the audience to our praise (Gal. 6:14).

Day 22.  Pray that our Church and Pastor take accountability seriously and each be protected and have people they are accountable too. Also, that each would cultivate and pursue healthy relationships (Gal. 6: 1-10; Eph. 5:21).

Day 23.  Pray that the Word of God will never be compromised, cheapened or dumped down; rather be delivered in confidence with power, conviction, clarity, boldness, with love and in truth (Acts 6:4; Col. 1:28; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15).

Day 24.  Pray for discernment to seek God’s leading and direction for the leaders and pastoral staff, that they seek His ways and not trends, traditions, personal agendas or anything that is not from the Spirit and Word. Pray that they can discern and prioritize what is important and precious and what is not (Isa. 6; 2 Cor. 11:14; 2 Tim. 3:5; 1 John. 4:1; Rev. 4).

Day 25.  Pray that God protects our Church, Leadership and Pastoral Staff from sin and misdirection and they have the wiliness and boldness to flee and confront sin (Prov. 19:23; 1 Pet. 1:16).

Day 26.  Pray we all draw near to Christ and seek holiness and His presence with more prayer (Acts 1:14; 1 Thess. 5:17; Jas. 4:7-8).

Day 27.  Pray that we as a church family remain faithful and good stewards, so the financial needs are met (Psalm. 91:15-16; Phil. 4:19).

Day 28.  Pray that negative thinking, stress, being overwhelmed, the ways of the world, the tyranny of the urgent, being overcommitted, over busyness, fatigue, compromise, pressures, overworked, under-appreciated, misunderstandings, and stress to not get in our Spiritual Home and take over (John 14:1; Acts 6:2-4; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 4:17).

Day 29.  Pray that Unity infuses your church so that your congregation is binding to Christ in love so the work of the Kingdom is promoted (2 Chron. 30:12; Psalm 133:1; Rom. 15:5).

Day 30.  Pray that congregation is willing and able to come and support the church and staff with grateful hands and words. That you all realize that the pastors and leadership are necessary and called and accountable to God (Matt. 9:37; Acts 14; 1 Tim. 3:1-7, 10-15; 5:22-23).

Day 31.  Pray that our church community commits to pray for our church, pastors, staff, missionaries, those in need, community and issues powerfully every day (Acts 1:14; 16:16; 1 Thess. 5:17).

It is God’s call for all of us to Pray for our Church and Pastor! Print this out and pass it to those in your congregation and watch your church grow closer to Christ!

 

Romantic Example for Christians

Romantic Example for Christians

Song of Solomon 1:1-11

Big Idea: The Song of Solomon sets before its readers a pattern of example for romantic love in courtship and marriage.

Intro.

                There are 190,000 hits for “Christian Singles Dating Sites” when I put it into the search engine.  People are desperate for real love and most of it has to do with knowing how to treat a person in a relationship once you have one.

I.                   Intro. to the Book of Love v. 1

A.   This verse identifies the author of the Song as Solomon

1.     As Israel’s third king Solomon was perhaps more gifted with literary skill than any other king of Israel for he wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32)

2.     Of the more than 1,000 songs Solomon wrote, only this one was designed by God to be included in the biblical canon

B.    The title Song of Songs offers a clue to the interpretation of the work

1.     We don’t need to view the work as a collection of songs but rather as one unified song

2.     The words “Song of Songs” suggests the song as “most holy”

3.     The title may mean that this is the best of Solomon’s 1,005 songs or, more likely, that this is the best of all songs

II.                There was a Theme of Longing v. 2-4

A.   The Song begins with a soliloquy by the beloved in which she first expressed her strong desire for her lover’s (Solomon’s) physical affection (kisses)

1.     When she spoke of his love (v. 2b) she was referring to the physical expressions of his love

2.     The statement your love is more delightful than wine means that his physical affections were exhilarating, refreshing, and a great source of joy

B.    The pleasing aroma of his perfumes made him even more attractive to her

1.     Mention of perfumes led her to compare his name to perfume

2.     A person’s name represented his character or reputation

3.     So comparing Solomon’s name to perfume meant that his character was pleasing and attractive to the beloved

4.     For this reason, she said, many were attracted to him

C.   The statement the king has brought me into his chambers may be rendered as a request: “May the king bring me into his chambers.”

1.     This sense she was expressing her desire for intimacy and marriage with the lover

2.     This matches the first part of 1:4, Take me away with you

3.     This opening suggests that physical desire (sex) is a characteristic of romantic love and that properly channeled the desire is good, not evil

4.     One ought to be “intoxicated” with love for one’s own mate rather than with wine, drugs, or other people

5.     The choice of a marriage partner should be based on far more, the beloved’s speech indicates that the character (“name”) of a person is vitally important

D.   The beloved’s “daughters of Jerusalem” and “daughters of Zion” (3:11), spoke v. 4b

1.     Many suggestions have been given concerning the identity of the “daughters of Jerusalem, ” most likely they refer to the female inhabitants of Jerusalem

2.     That city is frequently referred to as the “mother” of its inhabitants

E.    The chorus is a literary device in the Song whereby the beloved and her lover express their emotions and thoughts more fully

1.     By praising Solomon in Song of Songs 1:4 the “daughters” seemed to be agreeing with one another that the couple had an ideal romance

2.     The last few words were by the Shulamite women

III.             There was the Theme of Insecurity v. 5-8

A.   The beloved’s suntanned appearance (dark am I) revealed that she worked in the fields

1.     This made her feel insecure (do not stare at me) among the  city dwellers and in particular the women of Jerusalem

a.      She compared her dark skin to the tents of Kedar, which were made of black goats’ hair

b.     The people of Kedar were known for their archery and flocks

c.     Apparently the tent curtains of Solomon were also black

2.     Her explanation for her dark appearance was almost an apology

a.      Because of hard outdoor work in the vineyards, required of her by her brothers

b.     She was forced to neglect the cultivation of her own vineyard, that is, herself and her appearance (cf. Song 8:12)

B.    The beloved’s feelings of insecurity helped arouse in her a desire for her lover’s presence

1.     She addressed him as though he were a shepherd (a common epithet for a man in ancient Near Eastern love poetry)

2.     If she could not be with him she said she would be like a veiled woman

3.     That without Solomon she would be as sad as a person in mourning

C.   The reply in this verse is usually credited to the lover since he was addressed in the preceding question

1.     If Solomon is the speaker then the verse is probably a playful or teasing response

2.     It seems like something that could be taken the wrong way but Solomon only wants to uplift the Shulamite he is in love with

IV.            Now We Come to the Theme of Praise v. 9-11

A.   The answer to the beloved’s feelings of insecurity was the praise of her lover

1.     Frequently he called her his darling (vv. 9, 15 etc. )

2.     In ancient Arabic poetry, women were sometimes compared to horses as objects of beauty, but the reference in 1:9 is probably more specific

a.      The words a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh is literally, “a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.”

b.     Stallions, not mares, were used to pull chariots

c.     The point of the comparison is that in Solomon’s opinion she was as beautiful and sought after as if she were the only woman in a world full of men

3.     When he further stated that she was beautiful with jewelry (earrings and necklaces, v. 10), the daughters of Jerusalem (we, v. 11) were forced to change their attitude of disdain

a.      They even agreed to make her earrings

b.     Verse 10 includes the first of numerous times in the book where he said she is beautiful

c.     In summary, since the beloved had felt self-conscious about her appearance, the lover praised her physical beauty so that her detractors were forced to agree with him

d.     Solomon basically says, “Her beauty is worth all the earrings and gold chains we can get, isn’t she ladies!”

B.    The attitude today by many men and women is “I said I love them before and I will let them know when it changes.”

1.     This is absolutely lazy if there really is a true love between the 2

2.     True love needs cultivation just as a garden needs tending

Conclusion: The Song of Solomon sets before its readers a pattern of example for romantic love in courtship and marriage.