SONG OF SOLOMON 2-52007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Song Of Solomon 2-5

Well, we're in Song of Solomon.

This evening, an interesting book to say the least, especially when you're studying to share with a mixed audience or mixed congregation. We'll be covering some things a little bit deeper and some things hardly at all. But looking at the book of Song of Solomon, we understand and recognize, first of all, primarily, it is a love story between Solomon, who is known as the beloved throughout the songs,

And the Shulamites, who is the bride or the bride to be his true love. And it's this scene, these different scenes and this different situations and dialogues that they go back and forth expressing their love for one another and situations that they face. And basically, it's just a love story between these two people and.

And in and of itself, just with that, just being a love story, it is appropriate to be included in the word of God as we studied last week or shared last week, because we are bombarded by the world's perverted view of love. Everywhere we go with all of the advertising and the commercials and the billboards and the music and the TV shows and the movies and the philosophies that friends and coworkers share and so on and so forth, we're just flooded with the

The world's opinion of love, which is completely contrary to what God has to say about love. And so it's completely appropriate for God to include in his word for us an example of the appropriate way to love, the appropriate way to express love and enjoy relationship and the way that God has designed that.

He is not opposed to romantic relationships or sexual relationships. He created those things and those capabilities within us.

But he created them to be experienced in a very particular place, and that is within a marriage relationship. And so we see in the book of Song of Solomon a wonderful example for us. And primarily we'll be following the story, looking at what is taking place. And as we go, we'll talk about some of the other ways that we can look at the story.

the book of Song of Solomon as a picture of God's love for Israel, as the Jews have always interpreted it. But also now in the New Testament with you and I as part of the body of Christ or the bride of Christ, we also can see very clearly in many ways pictures of Jesus Christ and his love for us individually and for us corporately as the church.

As I shared last week, I want to continue to share with you. We have many ways that we relate to the Lord. We talk about him as our God and master. And the book of Ecclesiastes was a lot about that. As we continually emphasized what Solomon came to in conclusion at the end, fear God and keep his commandments. He is our God and master. And we have that relationship with him.

It's appropriate, it's important for us to have that type of relationship with God. We have a relationship to Him as King in that we are His servants, His subjects, and He is our King. But we also can relate to Him in that He is our Father and we're His children.

in a very general sense that he is the father of all, he is the creator. But also, Paul talks about the fact that we've received the spirit of sonship by which we cry, Abba, Father. It's a very intimate and personal father and child relationship.

We relate to God as Savior. He is the one who took our place and died for us. We relate to God as our friend. God calls his disciples friends. Jesus called his disciples friends because he shared with them the things that he was going to do.

But here in the book of Song of Solomon, we have another picture or another way that we relate to God. He gives us this picture so that we can understand the type of love and relationship that he wants to have with us. And that is the intimate relationship, the in love relationship.

And that's the kind of relationship that God wants to have with us as well. And so we relate to the Lord in many different ways. And I would encourage you to spend some time in this book exploring and understanding the idea of falling in love with Jesus Christ because he is in love with you. He is passionate about you. He is excited about who you are and what he is going to do in your life.

This book is arranged much like a play. Last week we covered chapter 1, verse 1, through chapter 2, verse 7, and it was scene 1, or act 1, and as we go on today, starting in chapter 2, verse 8, we'll be covering scenes 2 and 3 this evening, going from 2, 8, all the way through 5, chapter 5, verse 1.

We ended the scene last week, the Shulamites, that's the bride and the beloved Solomon were expressing their admiration for one another, their desire to be together. And so now we pick it up in chapter two, Song of Solomon, chapter two, verses eight and nine says this.

The Shulamite, the voice of my beloved. Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall. He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice.

As we pick it up now in this new scene, Act 2, the Shulamite, the bride is so excited because she has heard his voice. Now, do you remember those days for some of you who have been married for a while and how exciting it was at the beginning stages to hear their voice, the voice of the one that you love, and you would stay on the phone for hours and fall asleep on the phone because you didn't want to say goodbye, and the excitement that comes from hearing the voice of the one that you love.

This is what she is experiencing and expressing. She hears his voice and she gets excited. He comes leaping up on the mountains, skipping upon the hills. He's like a gazelle or a young stag.

A young stag. That was before the word stud was popular, so they used the word stag. He's a young stag. She's excited to hear his voice. And again, looking just briefly at the picture of Jesus Christ and us as the bride, I would encourage you, I would challenge you, do you get this excited? Do you just really get elated when you hear God's voice, when God speaks to you?

Do you listen intently for his voice to hear it with such excitement, with such fervency and love? She hears his voice and she describes him as looking through the windows or gazing through the lattice. There's separation between them. They're not actually able to be together at this point. They're not able to go off together, but they're

But he's there. She hears his voice and she can catch glimpses of him. If you can picture a lattice, you know, it's kind of like that crisscross wood stuff. And so you can kind of see through it, but you can't see completely. And so she can see the form. She can see a silhouette. She can see glimpses here and there, but but not completely. They they wanted to be together, but it was not time for them yet. They were still separated.

And what a beautiful picture it is for us that right now we can have relationship with God. We get to hear his voice and we get to catch glimpses of him and see his silhouette and different parts of him and his working. But it's only later when we enter into eternity when we'll get to experience the fullness of

Of being with him. And that's something we'll be talking about throughout this evening. First Corinthians chapter 13 verse 12. The apostle Paul says. For now we see in a mirror dimly.

Just like she could only see a little bit of him through the lattice, she could only catch pieces here and there of him. Paul says, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And so we look forward to that day, just as the bride does here, to where there will be the face to face relationship that we will get to have with God.

Going on in verses 10 through 14, the Shulamite is still speaking. She's speaking about her beloved and what her beloved said. Verse 10 says, My beloved spoke and said to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come.

And the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Oh, my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff. Let me see your face. Let me hear your voice for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely. Here the Shulamite is singing.

Recounting for us the words of the beloved. This is what he has expressed to her there as he was on the other side of the wall, desiring to be with her, desiring to be together, wanting to spend some time with her. And he longs for the time that they will have the face to face relationship again.

He desires to be with her. Now, it's springtime, as you can tell by the descriptions. In verse 11, it says, for lo, the winter is past. And so the spring is in the air. The love is in the air, as spring often brings in that picture.

Last week we saw lots of imagery in the use of fragrances and spices. And here we see imagery from the idea of spring and what's taking place. He talks about the flowers and the singing that's going on and the birds and the green figs that are being produced and the tender grapes that are budding on the vine.

When we went to Israel, I don't know how long ago it was anymore. I think it was two years ago. We went in March in the springtime and man, it was just...

Not exactly like this. There was no, you know, young stags leaping on the mountaintops or anything. But everything was green. It was so beautiful, especially in northern Israel, which they're in Lebanon, which is just north of Israel. And so you can picture this just lush green valley and all of this life coming together there in the middle of the springtime. And the

They're using that to describe, hey, it's time, it's springtime, it's time for us to be together. You hear the beloved say, let me see your face in verse 14. Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely. He desires greatly, you know, things are happening, there's new growth, new life, love's in the air. I want to see you, I want to be with you, I want to hear your voice.

Now, at this point in the story, as we are continuing our study here, they are not yet married. They are anxious, anxiously awaiting. They're madly in love. They desire to spend time together, but their marriage will come a little bit later. We'll see that towards the end of this evening.

And so they desire to be together. And then verse 15 says, catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. This verse is attributed to...

Her brothers or the brothers of the Shulamite. And the reason why it's attributed to them is because of chapter one, verse six, when she says that her mother's sons were angry with her and they made her the keeper of the vineyards as she was explaining why she was so dark.

she was out in the fields working. And so her brothers are saying to her, hey, catch us the foxes because they spoil the vines. And in that day, they would have walls around their vineyards, but it would keep out the bigger animals. But you know how it is. Little animals have a way of just getting to where you don't want them to be. And so the little foxes would be able to squeeze through to burrow through and make their way into the vineyards. And so they would have to raise up

the vines and protect them from the little foxes so that they would not be destroyed here the shulamites and the beloved are not married yet they desire to spend time together but here her brothers interfere and tell her hey now is not the time for that you need to take care of your responsibilities you need to take care of the vineyards so that the little foxes do not spoil the fruit

I thought this was interesting as I was meditating on this in preparation for this evening. A parallel began to stand out in my mind from Luke chapter 19. And you can spend some time looking at that later. Jesus tells a parable there in Luke chapter 19 verses 11 and following. And he tells a parable because it says, "...because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately."

They thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right then, right there. They're waiting for it to be established immediately. And so he tells the parable of the the miners, or you might also know it as the talents from Matthew chapter 25. And it's the story of the parable of the king who goes away and he gives his servants particular amounts of money. And he says, do business until I come or

Or you might have heard it this way, occupy until I come. And in that same way, this is what's taking place between the beloved and the Shulamite. She is occupying until he comes, until it's time for them to be together, for them to be united in matrimony. She is to occupy, she is to do business and continue her responsibilities until he comes.

He comes until that day that they are to be married. And you and I as believers are the same. That parable is to you and I until he comes, until Jesus returns. We're to occupy. We're to do business. We're to take care of our responsibilities and do the things that God has called us to do.

Let's go on to verses 16 and 17. Now the Shulamite is speaking. She says, My beloved is mine and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. Addressing her beloved, she says, Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of Bether. So the brothers say, Hey, sister, you need to go into the vineyards to protect them. The little foxes are going to destroy them.

And she responds saying, my beloved is mine and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. My beloved is mine and I am his.

They're separated for now, but she has full confidence in their relationship. She has full confidence that they will be together when the time is right. They'll be together. He's mine. I am his. Even though there's this wall between us, even though there's this time of separation, this time that we cannot be together, he is mine and I am his. There's this complete confidence that she has in that. And I think that's so important for those who are separated.

dating or in a relationship, the couples that are not yet married, there's a danger of neglecting responsibility because of the attention that they give one another. And it's very common and natural. But but we need to guard against that as well, that we need to occupy until that time and not run ahead of the Lord, not run ahead of what God is, because if it's of the Lord, I am my beloved and he is mine. And you can't change that.

And so you need to continue to occupy until the Lord says it's time. Going on in chapter 3, verses 1 through 5, the Shulamite is speaking again. She says, by night on my bed, I sought the one I love. And just a quick pause there. Because of that phrase, by night on my bed, most scholars believe, and I agree, that this is probably a dream that she is referring to, a dream that she had. She

She says, by night on my bed, I sought the one I love. I sought him, but I did not find him. I will rise now, I said, and go about the city in the streets and in the squares. I will seek the one I love. I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me. I said, have you seen the one I love?

Scarcely had I passed by them when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him to the house of my mother and into the chamber of her who conceived me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.

We continue with the poetic language as she describes for us probably a dream that has taken place. Now, they're separated for this time and there's this desire they want to be together. They're looking forward to the day that they will be married. But until then, they are separated. They are not together yet. And so at night she has this dream of him. She's

searching for him. She longs to be with him and to the point that she even is dreaming about him and desiring to be there with him and find him. And she goes around. She can't find him. Then she talks to the watchman of the city. And then it was soon after that that she found him and she would not let him go. But then she closes that that area or that paragraph with verse five and

Quoting the same thing she said in chapter 2, verse 7. I think this is so important for those of you who are single. This is a valuable lesson if you will heed it.

Don't stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. Don't get caught up in chasing after a relationship. Don't get freaked out because you're not in a relationship. Don't stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.

From 1 Corinthians chapter 7, we learn from the Apostle Paul that some have the gift of celibacy and that they are not called to marriage. They're not called to have a spouse. God has given them a gift in order to be able to live that lifestyle. But the understanding is that for the majority, for most, that is not the case. That if you are single, that God...

Probably does have someone set aside for you. But you need to wait for his timing and don't rush things. As the Shulamite says, she's in love. She wants to be with this man that that she is in love with. But she warns those who are not.

Those who are not married, those who are not on that path, they're not engaged, they're not heading in that direction with the relationship. She says, don't stir it up. Don't get caught up in that. Don't rush things. Don't stir it up on your own. But wait, I shared and I will continue to share with the youth that, you know, hey, I believe if you want to pursue a dating relationship, that's fine. You have the freedom to do so.

But I would encourage you, don't. Don't until not pursuing that relationship would be in disobedience to God. And what I mean by that is wait until you hear clearly that you know this is of the Lord. This is a step he wants you to take.

And then move forward in that relationship and what he wants to do. But until then, until it's disobedience not to have that relationship, I would counsel, I would encourage, I would say, don't stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. Wait until God tells you specifically. Let him do that work in you. Well, we go on now, verses 6 through 8.

Again, the Shulamite is speaking. She says,

Here the Shulamite looks up and you can kind of get the picture. There's this cloud coming towards her city, towards her home where she's at. And she sees this entourage that's coming and

She's asking, who is this? And she realizes it's Solomon as he's coming in the wilderness. It's Solomon's couch with 60 valiant men all around it. He's being carried as he sits there on the throne or the seat that's carried by his men. And he's being brought to the place that she is at. Now, this is something very important and significant here.

On your way out this evening, they will have available in the back a little two page kind of booklet that talks about the wedding traditions of ancient Israel. And it goes through different portions, the wedding traditions, and then shows how Jesus Christ is a fulfillment of those things. And so they'll be handing those to you as you walk out. You can spend a little bit more time digging into that. But.

The Hebrew traditions of that time for a wedding were very interesting. I'm not going to get into all the details, but there would be an arrangement that is made.

When a couple was to be married, usually the parents would be involved. Sometimes it would involve the children as well. But there would be this agreement that's made, this covenant that is made. And they would enter into a betrothal period, which would actually be consummated.

considered marriage. You would have to receive a divorce to break this. But the betrothal period was a time of waiting where the man would tell the woman, I go and I'm going to prepare a place for you. I intend to marry you. I'll be back, but I'm going to go and make things ready, make a place for you. And as soon as I'm done with that, then I'm going to come back and we will have our wedding ceremony. And

And this betrothal period would last sometimes up to two years as the groom was preparing his place. And the father of the groom would be overseeing this whole process. And when he sees that, OK, the room is ready or the place is ready that he's preparing, then he would tell his son,

OK, now's the time. It was really in the father's command. If you ask the son, it said, you know, hey, when are you going to get married or when's it going to be done? He says, hey, the father knows he'll tell me when when it's ready and and he'll tell me. And so then I'll go and I'll I'll receive her unto this place that I have prepared.

And so part of the wedding ceremony or part of the wedding would be this procession of the bridegroom. Now, we do things a little bit differently. We get everybody seated down and the groom is up here already. And then there's a procession of the bridesmaids and then the bridegroom.

But it was a little bit different. And what she is describing here in verses 6 through 8 is this bridegroom procession when the groom is coming to claim his bride. He's coming to pick her up and take her back to this place that he has prepared for her. It's the beginning of their marriage relationship.

And as they would go back to the place that he has prepared, they would have a wedding feast, which would last sometimes seven days or even longer.

Now, as I talk about all these things, I'm sure you can kind of think and begin to piece things together. Matthew chapter 25, the parable of the virgins and the importance of being ready because she didn't know when the groom was going to come. In fact, when they were on their way, when they were getting close to where the bride was, they would be blowing horns and making noise so that she would know and she would quickly get ready. And then they would come and pick her up and take her back and begin the wedding ceremony.

You might be thinking of John chapter 14 as Jesus told his disciples, hey, I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll come and receive you. I'll come back and get you so that you may be where I am. It was a romantic type language that Jesus was speaking that the same way that they would propose in those times that, hey, I'm going to prepare a place and I'm going to come and receive you as my bride.

That's a beautiful picture that we see of Jesus Christ and the church. And we see it here in the book of Song of Solomon as he is now coming to pick up his bride. Going on verses 9 through 11, it says of the wood of Lebanon, Solomon, the king, made himself a palanquin.

He made its pillars of silver, its support of gold, its seat of purple, its interior paved with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart. Up to this point,

We've been reading about this love that they have for one another, and it's somewhat of a courtship that we've been seeing. But now this is the big day. This is the wedding day. This is the time that they will be united in marriage. It's the day of the wedding, verse 11 says. And so we see a grand picture of Solomon with his entourage coming and this beautiful...

I don't know exactly how to pronounce it, but this beautiful, it's an enclosed chair, right? Is what the text note says. And so they would pick her up and it would be enclosed. You've seen the movies. You know what I'm talking about. And so they're describing what it's made out of. And it's this incredible entourage. It's exciting day. It's the day that they're getting married. And so he comes to pick her up and he takes her away. And so we continue on now in chapter four.

Starting in verse one, it says, behold, you are fair, my love. Behold, you are fair. You have dove's eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep, which have come up from the washing. Every one of which bears twins and none is barren among them. That just makes me crack up every time I read it.

Verse three, your lips are like a strand of scarlet and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate. Your neck is like the Tower of David built for an armory on which hang thousands of bucklers or shields, all shields of mighty men. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.

So now there's this grand reunion as Solomon comes to claim his bride and to take her back to the place that he is prepared. And he says, behold, you are fair, my love. Behold, you are fair. Now, as I shared with you last week, the word fair, not the Kelly Blue Book definition, you know, with some mechanical or cosmetic defects, but it means excellent or beautiful, right?

He is captivated by her, attracted to her. He is in love with this woman. It's the day of their wedding and you can imagine the excitement, the zeal that is in the air. And he begins now to describe her.

Now, it's poetic language of ancient Hebrews. I don't know that you would want to do this. If you quote this to your wife, she may melt in your arms or you may become the definition of fair by Kelly Blue Book. You'll end up with some mechanical and cosmetic defects as she gives you a good one. Your eyes are like dove's eyes, he says. The picture of tranquility and peace.

You're here like the flock of goats. Now, he's not saying that she has goat's hair. No.

It says, coming down from Mount Gilead. So you can picture, if you can picture a hill, like we have the foothills around, and a whole flock of goats winding down the hill, seeing it from afar off. And you see all the black of the goats as they wind down the mountain. That's what he's saying. The locks of her hair as it winds down from her head. That's kind of the picture that he's painting there. Again, still not perfect in our eyes, but good enough.

He says, your teeth, I just love this one. They're white and they're matching, right? They've just been cleaned and everyone has twins. You know, they got all matching ones. He goes on to describe her in this poetic language. He's in love with her. This is the day of their wedding. And now he takes her away. They begin now the trip back to the place that he has prepared for.

Let's go on now in verses six through eight. It says, until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of Myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amarna, from the top of Seneir and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

They begin now their trip back to the place that he has prepared. He takes her away. Again, it was part of that wedding ceremony of that time or the tradition of that time. He says in verse 7, there is no spot in you. He's captivated by her. She's pure and perfect. She's a pure, spotless bride. Does that ring any bells? In Ephesians chapter 5, it says,

Paul says of Jesus that he loved the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word. Verse 27, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. See, it's so interesting the way that God sees us.

We see him describing her and it's somewhat humorous because, well, we didn't live in that day and it's not as romantic to us as it was then. We don't understand the pictures as much as they would have in that time. But we get the point. She's beautiful to behold. He gets excited by looking at her and seeing how perfect she is. There's no spot in you. You're fair. You're excellent.

And Jesus Christ became sin that we might have his righteousness, that we might be the pure, spotless bride. So that when Jesus looks at us, he doesn't see the things that we perhaps imagine that he sees and all of the filth that we know that we have in our hearts and in our flesh. But he looks at us and he says, oh, I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you. Your teeth, they're...

They're matching. They got twins and they're clean and white. And then your hair, it's like a flock of goats. And he sees you. And this is the language that he would use of you, that he's just so excited about who you are. He created you individually, perfectly. He knows you through and through your personality, your physical appearance, everything about you. And he's excited about you. He's in love with you.

Just as Solomon describes this woman as the pure spotless bride, Jesus is doing that work in us, bringing it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. He's taking her away, we understand from verse 8. He says, come away or come with me from Lebanon. That's where she was, that's where she lived. So he's taking her from Lebanon, heading into the area of Israel as he takes her to the place that he has prepared.

Verse six is referring to the wedding night when they will consummate the marriage, talking about the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. Again, poetic picture language. The next few verses now will go on to describe marriage.

The wedding night and what takes place versus 9 through 11. He says, you have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse. You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. How fair is your love, my sister, my spouse? How much better than wine is your love and the scent of your perfumes than all spices?

Again, he's describing the love that they share, the love that they have as they are participating now in the marriage ceremony. They're going away. They're being united again.

Going on, verses 12 and following, it says,

fragrant henna with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes with all the chief spices, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. Here he is describing again, really the wedding night. Now, as I shared at the beginning, God is not opposed to physical intimacy between a husband and wife.

He created it. He intended for that to take place. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 makes it very clear. Hebrews chapter 13 makes it very clear that the marriage bed is undefiled. And so here they're beginning their marriage relationship, the intimacy physically between them.

He says in verse 12, a garden enclosed, which is a reference to the Shulamite, the bride being a virgin, that she is enclosed. In those days, the gardens that they would have were enclosed for privacy, for protection from the animals and those outside. And he's speaking of this again, talking about the pure spotless bride. And this is the way...

That God desires within a man and a wife. That there would be not sexual relationship before the wedding night. Before marriage. Before the union of matrimony. The world says otherwise. I know we're flooded with an assault on God's principles. Hebrews 13, 4. Marriage is honorable among all. And the bed undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Here they're experiencing what God has intended and becoming an example and model for us that sex is to be reserved. It's to be saved, participated in only within a marriage relationship. But outside of that, it's called fornication and adultery. And he says fornicators and adulterers, God will judge. It's contrary to his word, his principles, and he will judge those who live in sin.

Going on, verse 16, the Shulamite is speaking now. The beloved has been speaking for a while, but now she speaks and says, awake, oh, north wind and come, oh, south blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits.

Chapter 5, verse 1, the beloved responds, I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. And to his friends, he says, eat, O friends. Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones. Here we see the final parts of the wedding night scene.

As it describes for us the openness and intimacy of the marriage relationship, the inviting and accepting that takes place between the husband and wife as they consummate the marriage. It's pure and undefiled. It's the way that God intended. And it's the way that you and I should live. At the end of verse 1, something a little bit curious, he says, "'Eat, O friends. Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones.'"

This also was part of the traditional marriage or wedding ceremony. There was someone known as the friend of the groom who would be there near the room as the husband and wife were now together.

And the wedding guests would be told it would be announced when the wedding or when the marriage was consummated. And they would celebrate because it was a it was a big, important time. If if at that time they found out, hey, she's not a virgin, then there would be some big issues. There would be some complications and some trouble because they failed to deliver the pure, spotless bride.

But when it was discovered, no, everything went the way that it's supposed to, the way that God designed. There would be much celebration there at the wedding feast. They would go back to the place that was prepared. They would be together as husband and wife while the guests celebrated. And then as they heard that it had been consummated, then they would rejoice even more.

And so we find here in the book of Song of Solomon, the courtship, we studied a little bit last week, continuing on this week, leading up now to their marriage, the wedding, this great love story that's taking place.

And we see here, there's so much that we could get into. And I would encourage you, pick up that little booklet as you walk out and spend some time considering. I would encourage you. A lot of these things are too intimate for me to share in the setting as this. But you can experience and you can enjoy as God reveals it to you as you spend time with him. The pictures that are painted here and the ways that God wants to speak to us.

Those who are here, those who are listening to this, you're young, you're not involved in a relationship at this point. We learned this evening, do not stir up nor awaken love. Wait, just wait. Let God do that work. It's wonderful. What we see is described. It's marvelous. But don't stir up and awaken love until it pleases, until God gives that direction.

and then you'll get to enjoy the fullness of what god has designed in his plan if you're listening to this you're involved with someone but you're not married abstain from sexual relationship it's not god's design fornicators and adulterers god will judge abstain from sex also do not neglect your responsibilities in the meantime until god brings you together

Continue the things that he has called you to do. Sometimes for some of you, that's school or maybe some other things that are upon your heart that God has called you to do. You need to be obedient and do the things that are before you. Husbands and wives within the marriage covenant.

We can learn from the Song of Solomon, enjoy the relationship that God allows you. It's undefiled. It's commanded. Paul says, do not neglect one another. The affection, or do not hold back the affection that's due one another. It's blessed. God designed it for us as the bride of Christ. I would encourage you, as you see the Shulamites and the beloved going back and forth,

The intimacy that they share, the love that they have for one another. If you don't have this type of intimate relationship with Jesus, you're missing out. Yes, He's our Lord and Master and King and Savior. But He loves you passionately, fervently. And He wants to have this type of relationship with you closer than anything else. The best marriage doesn't come close. It's a good picture, but the relationship that God desires with you...

is even better than the best marriage that you can imagine. Do you spend time with him? Are you close to him? Do you get excited to hear his voice? Can you not wait until you get to hear him again or see him again or watch him work? Do you look forward to your time with him? Do you make time to spend with him? Are you involved in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ? We can see the picture of the bride of Christ here in

the book of Song of Solomon and the tradition of that day, the betrothal period, it was finalized by the giving of wine from the groom to the bride-to-be. And if she drank of the wine, then that was her sign of agreement. Just as we partake of communion, just as we receive His blood that was shed for us, it's our agreement, it's our receiving His covenant, His proposal.

And he is away preparing a place for us. And one day, we don't know the day or the hour, but he's going to come again. And just as they would sound a horn as they drew close, the trumpet will sound. And we'll be caught up together to be with the Lord in the air. We'll spend seven years with him in the marriage supper of the Lamb as the feast would go on for seven days. It's a beautiful picture for us.

of who we are in Christ and the relationship that he desires with us. The worship team is going to come up and close us in that last song again. And I would encourage you, just as I did last week, fall in love with Jesus Christ. As they sing, cry out to the Lord. Cry out for this relationship. He desires to be close to you, to be intimate with you, but he doesn't force himself. Just as the groom does not force himself,

It must be received by the bride. And you and I as the bride of Christ, let's receive what God has for us this evening. Let's receive the closeness and the intimacy. Seek his voice. Invite him to speak to you, to draw close to you, to make you his pure spotless bride. Let's worship the Lord.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.