SONG OF SOLOMON 5-82007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Song Of Solomon 5-8

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2007. Members of the body of Christ, husbands and wives, we've been learning as we've been studying through this to love one another and the type of love that God desires to have within a marriage relationship.

The book of Song of Solomon is known for the romantic or physical sexual type of relationship that's described in this book. And God is not opposed to those things. He's not opposed to intimacy within a marriage. In fact, he created it. He gave us the capability. He encourages and even commands us as husbands and wives to be involved intimately, physically with one another.

In Hebrews chapter 13, verse 4, it tells us that marriage is honorable among all and the bed is undefiled. It's undefiled within a marriage. Outside of marriage, however, sexual relationship is honorable.

God says that fornicators and adulterers, he will judge there in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 4. And so God has created us with the capability of that physical intimacy between husband and wife. And that is where God has limited that relationship to. Outside of that, it is sinful and God will judge those who live in that lifestyle.

So husbands and wives were to love one another. We also studied two weeks ago as we were continuing on in our study that for those who are unmarried to wait, that it's not for you to stir up and awaken love and chase after love and pursue that relationship, but just to wait and allow God to do that work in his timing. There in Song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 7 says,

It says, 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. Those of you who are unmarried, those of you who are still single, God most likely will

Has someone set aside for you? Not all have been given the gift of celibacy. And so God has that in store for you, but it's not for you to chase after or try to work out on your own. You're to wait. Don't stir up nor awaken love.

Allow God to do that work in you. I always encourage those who are unmarried to wait until it would be an act of disobedience not to date. Don't get involved in relationships until to do so would be disobedience. In other words, God has commanded you, get involved in this relationship. Be involved with this person and prepare yourselves to be married. That is what I believe God would have you to do.

We've also been looking at this book as Christians, as the church is known as the bride of Christ throughout the Bible, that we see a picture here of God's great love for us in various ways. As we see the marriage relationship and the love that they have for one another, we can get highlights and pictures and reminders of how much God loves us and how faithful he is to us and how committed he is to us.

You know, there's many ways that we relate to God as we've looked at throughout the weeks. We relate to God as God and master. He's our Lord and king.

He's our father and savior. He's our friend. But God also gives us this book that we might know the intimacy that he desires with us, the type of loving relationship that he desires. He gave us the picture of marriage so that we might understand the way that he wants to relate to us.

As we go through our portion this evening, we will be following mostly the story that is given just in and of itself. It's worthwhile. It's worth us to study and to know. But as we go, I'll be pointing out some of the things that we can learn about God and his love for us. And as always, I encourage you to spend some time in this book on your own and explore what it means, this type of relationship that God wants to have with you.

Song of Solomon is arranged much like a play.

There's six different scenes or acts. We covered scene one on the first night that we began to study Song of Solomon. Two weeks ago, we covered scenes two and three. And Lord willing, this evening, we'll cover the last three scenes, four, five and six. It starts in chapter five, verse two, which we'll get to in just a second. Quick reminder, the characters of this play are.

The Shulamite is the woman. She is the bride or the wife as we saw them become married last time we studied this together. Another character is the beloved who we believe to be Solomon.

who is also the groom or the husband in this play that takes place. And then we also have the daughters of Jerusalem, which is like a chorus group that chimes in here and there. These we could maybe relate to as the bridesmaids of the wedding ceremony.

There's a couple other different characters mentioned, and we'll look at those this evening. But those three are the main ones. And there's various other interpretations on, you know, which one's which and what they represent. But just looking at some of the basic things that God will show us this evening, we'll get to see what he wants to say and how we can learn about his love for us. When we ended the scene two weeks ago,

The Shulamite, the bride, and the beloved Solomon had just become married. They had consummated the marriage. The wedding feast had begun. And now as we enter in, it's a little bit later. It doesn't specify how long. We don't know how long. But it's a little bit later in their relationship. They are continuing to love one another, as we will see. And so let's start here in Song of Solomon, chapter 5, and look at verses 2 through 5. It says this,

Verse 2.

I have taken off my robe. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. How can I defile them? My beloved put his hand by the latch of the door and my heart yearned for him. I arose to open for my beloved and my hands dripped with my fingers with liquid on the handles of the lock. Here it begins this next act, this next scene where

The Shulamite is speaking, and this is believed to be a dream that she is having because she says there in verse one, I sleep, but my heart is awake. And you've experienced that before as you're sleeping. But but there's still things processing in your mind and in your heart and everything.

This appears to be a dream that she's having. And at this time, you know, probably the harpist did the normal dream sequence. You know, the got all watery and wavy. And then, you know, she sees her and she has this picture. Now she's she's in her room and her beloved, the man, he's he's there at the door. He's he's wanting to to be with her to to for her to let him inside. And and she finally goes to the door.

And He is not there as we see.

In verses six and following, he says, she says, I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer. The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me and they wounded me. The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved that you tell him I am lovesick.

Here she is in this dream and and she's yearning to to be with him. In verse four, it says my heart yearned for him. She describes this myrrh, which was this perfume. And and it would be this intoxicating type of of perfume. And and it's this liquid perfume. She's talking about the intense desire that that she has to be with her husband. But when she opens the door in her dream, he is not there.

It's one of those nightmares perhaps you can relate to. She's trying to find him and she can't find him. There's this conflict that's going on within her. She says that she is lovesick.

Now, it may be at this time that they actually were separated, that he was away on business or away doing something else. And perhaps that's why she has the dream. We have no idea. But here in the dream, she's yearning for him and she's looking for him. She desires to be with him. And she says, oh, daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell him I'm lovesick. Tell him I miss him. Tell him I really want to be with him. I'm yearning for him.

And so the daughters of Jerusalem, this chorus responds in verse nine. They say, what is your beloved more than another beloved? Oh, fairest among women. What is your beloved more than another beloved that you so charge us? So she is yearning for him. She tells the daughters, hey, if you see him, tell him I'm lovesick. I can't wait to see him. I really miss him.

And they respond saying, well, what's so great about this man that you love? What makes him different than anyone else? What makes him so special? And so she begins to tell him in verses 10 through 16. She says, my beloved is white and ruddy, chief among 10,000.

His head is like the finest gold. His locks are wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are like a bed of spices, banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies dripping liquid myrrh.

His hands are rods of gold set with barrel. His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet. Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. Here she begins now to describe Jesus.

Solomon, or this man that she has married. Now, last time we saw his description of her, and he'll repeat that in the following chapters, but here she is describing him. And from this we can learn, well, it seems that the descriptions of a man are more transferable than the descriptions of a woman, right?

The descriptions that Solomon gave of woman, well, of the Shulamite, if you shared that with your wife or your significant other, she would probably be offended if you told her those things. But, you know, if Kim were to tell me these things, I don't think I would have a problem if you described me this way, honey. I really like the, his body is carved ivory. You know, you just get this picture. He's, you know, he's...

He's a good-looking stud, right? I mean, he's got it all going on. He's good-looking. He's got the physique. And she's just in love with him. Now, if my wife was using these to describe me, she'd probably say he's like carved jello. You know, he's got the shapes, you know. Just kidding. Oh, my God.

She says in verse 10 that he is the chief among 10,000. That among 10,000 men, he stands out. He's like the one and only, the best of the bunch, the cream of the crop. He is the best of the best. She ends by saying he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend.

She has this relationship with him. It's not just she likes his body, but she's in love with him. And this is her beloved. This is her friend. They have this appropriate and right relationship and friendship within their marriage. She's talking clearly about the man that she loves. And she describes him as altogether lovely. I would like to challenge our hearts for just a moment on this.

How would you respond if the daughters of Jerusalem, the virgins, or let's put it this way, those who do not have relationship with God, how would you respond if they asked you, what is so great about your beloved? What is so great about this Jesus? What is your God more than another? What would be your response?

The Shulamite here is describing his appearance. But as a marriage is a picture of the relationship that God wants to have with us, we have a picture here of how we as the bride are to think of Jesus. Coming to the conclusion that

He is altogether lovely. You know what's different about the God I worship? You know what's different about the relationship that I have with him? Is that it's real and it's not lifeless. He is altogether lovely. He is my beloved and he is my friend. Christianity is not a lifeless religion.

Christianity is different than any other religion because we worship the true and living God and we have a real relationship with him and that he died upon the cross for us to pave the way that we might have right standing with him and have intimate fellowship with him.

It's not a set of rules and regulations. It's not a cold ritual that must be performed. But it's a real and living relationship with Jesus. And if you have that real and living relationship with Jesus, you know what I'm talking about. And if you don't have that relationship, then you're probably a little bit confused. Well, what do you mean real relationship? I don't understand. Well, let me just put it this way. If you don't have...

a relationship with Jesus in a way that compares to the best marriage that you've ever seen, you're missing out. Jesus wants to have that closeness with you, that intimacy, that daily communication, that time with him and you where he speaks to your heart and you share with him, where there's that friendship, where you can say, my Jesus, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved.

He's not just this God that I read about in the Bible or that Pastor Jerry talks about or that, you know, so-and-so said this or this happened. But he's my beloved. He loves me. He's told me so. He shared that with me and I love him. This is my beloved. This is my friend. What's so great about Jesus? Well, let me tell you, he is altogether lovely. He's my beloved and he's my friend.

We continue on going into chapter six. The daughters of Jerusalem in verse one, they respond again. They say, where is your beloved gone? Oh, fairest among women. Where is your beloved turned aside that we may seek him with you? Here's the thing, brothers and sisters, as we have this loving relationship with Jesus and as people ask, hey, what's so special about

About this God you worship. What's so special about Christianity? About your religion? When you share about Jesus, some will say, like the daughters of Jerusalem, hey, where is he? We want to seek him with you. We want some of that. We want that type of relationship. We want to know that he's altogether lovely. We want him to be our beloved and our friend. I encourage you, spend time with Jesus Christ.

Draw close with him. Fall passionately and madly in love with him. And when people ask, share with them what is so great about Jesus. That the thirst might be brought up in them. That they might seek after him and desire to know this Jesus as you know him. Going on in verses 2 and 3, the Shulamite now says, My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.

Here she gives a statement of confidence in their relationship. Even though he is not there at the moment, she knows, I am his and he is mine. And that's not going to change. Even though he's there and I'm here, I'm not going to change.

He's mine and I am his. She's confident in this relationship. And in the same way, we have this type of relationship with Jesus for now. He has gone away to prepare a place for us. And he is not here at the moment. We do not get to be with him physically in that sense. But the relationship that we have is sure. I am my beloved's and he is mine.

The relationship that we have with Jesus will ultimately be fulfilled when we're caught up to be with him or when we go to be with him by leaving this earth, leaving this life. And then we will get to experience the fullness of the relationship with Jesus, the reunion really of our relationship with Jesus. In the meantime, I'm his. He's mine. I don't see him physically. I don't hear him audibly physically.

But I have this real relationship, this intimacy, this closeness with him that he offers to us. Again, if you don't have this type of relationship, if you're not close and intimate and confident of your relationship with Jesus, you're missing out. God has so much more for you. As we go on now in verses four and seven, we're beginning the next act, the next scene.

The beloved enters and he says in verse 4,

Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing. Everyone bears twins and none is barren among them. Like a piece of pomegranate are your temples behind your veil.

Now Solomon responds by describing her beauty again. We saw this two weeks ago as we studied much of these things and we'll see them yet again in chapter 7. Solomon begins to describe her and again says,

These are not things necessarily that transfer today. Honey, you're as lovely as Corona. You're as beautiful as Riverside. You know, it just doesn't work equating your wife or your significant other to a city. But he's speaking this romantic language to her. Look at verse 5. Turn your eyes away from me for they have overcome me. He's describing again just this overwhelming love that they have for one another. This real passion that exists between them.

Again, he describes her hair like a flock of goats, and that does not mean that she has goat's hair. That doesn't sound very pleasant. But looking off in the distance on the hill of Gilead as the flock of goats winds down and comes down, and you'd be able to see this black line of goats as they came down. He's describing her hair in that way that he sees the locks just winding down, the wavy hair as it comes down.

He says, your teeth are like sheep, washed, clean white sheep. And everyone has its twin. Matching teeth, there's none that's missing. And he goes on to describe her. He goes on in verses 8 through 10.

To say, there are 60 queens and 80 concubines and virgins without number. My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?

Solomon now says, this woman is so wonderful and so beautiful. She stands out among the rest. There's virgins without number, but she stands out. There's these queens and these concubines, but she stands out. This is the one, the fairest of them all. Everyone agrees. Everyone blesses her and praises her. Everyone agrees that she is beautiful. Going on in verses 11 through 13, it says...

The Shulamite says, I went down to the Garden of Nuts to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed. Before I was even aware, my soul had made me as the chariots of my noble people. The beloved and his friends say, return, return, O Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon you.

The Shulamite says, what would you see in the Shulamite? As it were, the dance of the two camps. So here's this kind of cat and mouse game going on. She's going for a walk. They're saying, come back. She says, why? What would you see? And so now Solomon again says, hey, this is why we want to see you. This is why we want you to come back. This is Shulamite.

How beautiful you are. Chapter 7, verse 1, the beloved says, How beautiful are your feet and sandals, O prince's daughter. The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman. Your navel is a rounded goblet. It lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathraben. Your nose is like the Tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus. Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple. A king is held captive by your tresses."

Here she says, or here he says of her, she is captivating. She's absolutely beautiful. He's attracted to her as he describes different parts of her. You can sense, you can know, it's pretty clear. He is very attracted to this woman. And I think it's really important for us.

To remember that God has designed us. He's planned it that way. That we would be attracted to members of the opposite sex. It's God's design. And since it's God's design, it's good and it's right within the boundaries that God has placed. I want to encourage you married couples to learn from this and follow these examples. Cultivate and express your love for one another. This is...

The place that God has designed for us to express those things, have those feelings, and to be able to enjoy them freely. Since we've been studying Song of Solomon, very often my wife will look at me and she'll say, what are my eyes like? Oh, you have dove's eyes. Oh, and what else? And then she puts me on the spot because that's all I remember. But it's been a good challenge to...

To try to learn. And it's an area that I believe God wants us to grow as married couples. To express our love for one another. Our attraction to one another. The passion and the love that we have for one another. And so he expresses now his love for her. His desire for her. And he continues on in chapter 7, verse 6. It says...

How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights. This stature of yours is like a palm tree and your breast like its clusters. I said I will go up to the palm tree and take hold of its branches. Let now your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, and the roof of your mouth like the best wine. Clearly Solomon is describing something that we don't want to get into, right? Right?

He's describing his desire for physical intimacy with his bride. Now, again...

If it's only for this reason, this is valuable enough to be included in the word. There's if there's no other meaning, if there's no other reason, this in and of itself is enough because we are surrounded by the world that tells us all kinds of things about love, all kinds of things about sex, all kinds of things that are contrary to the ways of God and the things of God. And there's a need for us to know the truth.

God has designed this relationship between husband and wife. He has created it and he desires for husband and wife to have this relationship, to enjoy this relationship. It's by God's design. And since it's by God's design, it's good and it's right within the boundaries that God has placed. The marriage bed is undefiled.

But fornicators and adulterers, God will judge. Within the boundaries, within the marriage relationship, God blesses and commands for a man and a woman to have this relationship. Sex within a marriage should take place. And it should be enjoyed. In 1 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul tells us,

To be careful in this area. He says, let the husband render to his wife the affection that's due her. And likewise, the wife to her husband.

He goes on to explain they don't have authority over their own body, but each one has authority over the other. And he says, don't deprive one another. The reason why he's telling them this, to have this relationship within their marriage. He says, don't deprive one another, except with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and then come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Paul says, hey, husbands and wives, this is an important part of your marriage. You're to have this relationship within your marriage. You're to render to each other the affection that's due to each other so that Satan does not tempt you, so that there doesn't create an opportunity for that division or separation or that sin to enter into the relationship.

And so Solomon here is expressing himself to his wife and it's good and right within this relationship. They are a married couple. Outside of that, this is sinful and God will judge those who live in sin. We need to be careful. We need to know what God's word says. God's not against the physical intimate relationship between husband and wife, but he commands it. And it's something that we should be obedient in.

Continuing on in verses, the next part of verse 9 through 13, the Shulamite responds and she says, The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of sleepers. I am my beloved's and his desire is toward me.

Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field. Let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards. Let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes give off a fragrance. And at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

Here the Shulamite now responds. The beloved Solomon was propositioning her and she receives the proposition. She says, let's go. Let's go away.

Let's go here to this place and let's see if the grape blossoms are open, if the pomegranates are in bloom. Let's see if it's in season. There I will give you my love. She's receiving. She's agreeing. She's saying, yes, let's take part. And again, it's something that is to be enjoyed. She says, hey, there's pleasant fruits at our gates.

This is a relationship that God intends for husband and wife to enjoy, to participate in, to give and to receive, to give to one another within a marriage. There I will give you my love, she says, and at our gates are pleasant fruits. The physical relationship within a marriage is to be enjoyed by the husband and wife, each giving themselves to the other.

Going on in chapter eight, verses one and two, the Shulamite says, Oh, that you were like my brother who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I should find you outside, I would kiss you. I would not be despised. I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother. She who used to instruct me, I would cause you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. I know it sounds a little bit weird, but

All this love and romantic talk, and then she says, oh, if you were just like my brother. It doesn't make sense. Well, you need to understand the culture and really the situation that they're in. In those days, especially in that culture, husbands and wives would not show affection publicly.

It would be taboo for that to take place, for there to be any type of hugging or kissing or or any type of affection showed between husband and wife in a public setting. But there was a relationship that could show that type of affection. And that was a relationship of brothers and sisters in that time.

And that's why she says there in verse one, if I should find you outside, I would kiss you. I would not be despised. Currently, as his wife, if she found him outside and kissed him, she would be despised. It would be again, taboo. It'd be something that would be frowned upon and forbidden within their culture. But she says, oh, I wish.

I wish you were like my brother, that I could show affection to you wherever we're at. Public displays of affection or wherever we happen to be, that we wouldn't be hindered by those types of things with our relationship. She wants to express herself, not just when they're alone, but wherever they go. She wants to express her love to him. She's saying, I love you so much. I want to show you all the time. I don't want to have to restrain myself in public places.

Going on in verses 3 and 4, she says to the daughters of Jerusalem, his left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. Here now she directs her attention away from the beloved and begins to address the daughters of Jerusalem.

These are the daughters of Jerusalem or the bridesmaids. We could kind of relate them to that. These were the virgins that were there. And she describes to them their embrace. She says, his left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me. This intimate embrace that she describes for them. But then she goes on to say, do not stir up nor awaken love.

I think it's so important and let's just reflect on this for a moment. Again, for those who are unmarried, for those who are single, it's easy to become misled. It's easy to see that embrace and to have the longing and the desire for that type of relationship. God created us with those desires.

And so longing to be loved, longing to express love in those ways, it's easy to become misled as the whole world is to think that that embrace is love. We have this desire to be loved. We see this embrace and we think that's it. That's love. That's what I'm looking for. That's what I'm missing. So a person goes out and begins to to broaden their relationships with others or with a specific person.

Longing to be loved, wanting to be loved, wanting to express love. Well, we'll hug and that embrace, that's love. Or begin to kiss or begin to be involved sexually and say, this is love. Very often, the sexual relationship is referred to as making love. But don't be misled. Here she describes her embrace to the daughters of Jerusalem.

Recognizing, hey, this is desirable. I know you have a desire for this type of relationship, for this type of embrace, but don't stir up nor awaken love. Don't seek after, don't pursue that type of relationship. Yes, you want to love and you want to be loved, but you cannot create love by hugging, by kissing or by having sex.

You don't create love by doing the physical things and then say, well, that's love. But rather, those things are the expressions of love and specifically within a marriage relationship. Those are the demonstrations of love between two people who have been committed to one another. Again, for those who are unmarried, I know it's tempting.

And it's misleading. The world says all kinds of different things. It's okay. Be involved in relationship. Chase after. Hey, you're 14. How come you don't have a girlfriend by now? You know, they have a distorted view. But I would encourage you. Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. Wait for God to do that work. Wait to date until it's out of obedience to God. And for any of you who are unmarried, if you...

didn't listen to or take part in the dating series we did, it's on the back table. I would encourage you to pick up the CD for 5, 6, 7, date or check it out on the website. You need to know what God says about relationships and how he wants you to proceed in those. Finishing up now, we go on in chapter 8, looking at verse 5. This is the beginning of the final act. Song 6, verse 5 says...

This is a relative speaking. Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth. There she who bore you brought you forth. This is a relative speaking. We don't know who it is.

In fact, many of these closing verses are difficult to place and to understand who is speaking and even exactly what they are speaking about. But this third person is looking upon and seeing this couple coming from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved. There's this tightness, this closeness, this relationship that's observable to the world around them.

Going on in verses 6 and 7, the Shulamite says to her beloved, set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave. Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.

Love cannot be created by physical means, by hugging, by kissing, nor can it be created by wealth or by money. It can't be bought. If a man were to give all the wealth for love, it would be utterly despised. Don't stir up nor awaken love until it pleases, until God does that work.

Here the Shulamite is saying in verses 6 and 7, marriage is a lifelong covenant. She says to her beloved, set me as a seal upon your heart, upon your arm. Love is as strong as death. Jealousy is cruel as a grave. This is to be a commitment that is lasting, that is forever, that continues on there to be faithful to one another.

She goes on to say that many waters cannot quench love. Floods can't drown it. The real love that God will give and his timing in your life can't be quenched, can't be stopped. It can't be removed or taken away. It will last. It will endure.

And so wait, you can't create that love. You can't buy that love. Wait for God to bring that love. She tells her beloved these things. And again, it's a picture for us of the type of love that God has for us. He has this type of love for us. Many waters can't quench it. Paul tells us in Romans 8, verses 38 and 39.

Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God has this type of love for us. And if you will wait, he will give you this type of love in a marriage relationship as well. Going on, verses 8 and 9 says,

This is the Shulamites brothers speaking. They say,

Here the brothers are speaking and this may be speaking of the Shulamite, the character that we've been reading about. And this may be looking back to before she was married, as she was growing up. This is what they said and this is the conversation that she had. Or it could be another sister that she has that they are referring to. Either way, they're speaking and they say, we have this little sister here.

She's young. She's just growing up. What will we do in the day that she has spoken for? What would we do in the day that she is betrothed? And they say, well, here's what we're going to do. If she's a wall.

Then we'll build upon her. We'll decorate her with silver. The idea here is that if she is strong, if she shows good judgment and character, if she's protective and guarded against immorality, then we will bless her. We will protect her. We will decorate her. But if she is a door...

In verse 9 there, the idea being if she's vulnerable or easily moved, if she's prone to immorality, well, then we're going to board her up with cedars. So, hey, if she's involved in a relationship and she's prone to, well, be involved physically when she shouldn't be,

Well, what we're going to do is we're going to set some boundaries. We're going to set some things in place so that that doesn't happen. We're going to protect her from that type of relationship. But if she's a wall, if she's guarded, if she's strong and will not be involved in those types of things before the marriage has actually taken place, the wedding takes place, well, then we'll decorate her with silver. She'll have more freedom as a result. And so it's good wisdom for parents. If she's a wall...

If she's a door, board up a room. Cedar boards. Verses 10 through 12, the Shulamite goes on to say,

This seems to be the Shulamite recounting how her and the beloved met.

Solomon, it seems, had a vineyard in this place, which was probably in the northern area of Israel or near Lebanon, where she was from. And it's possible that her brothers were involved in tending the vineyard. They were workers within the vineyard and they were to produce a thousand silver coins for the fruit that they brought forth, that they reaped from the harvest. And so she's recounting Solomon.

Very likely how they met and how they began their relationship. And then it closes in verses 13 and 14. You who dwell in the gardens, the companions, listen for your voice. Let me hear it. Verse 14, the Shulamite says, Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

I think it's interesting that closing, it's very similar to what she had said to him back when they were what we might call courting or dating. They were betrothed to one another and she tells him to be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains. She's telling him, you had this intensity, this fervor. You were this way when we were dating.

Continue to be this way. Be the young stag on the mountains of spices as we are married, as we continue our relationship. This evening as we conclude the book of Song of Solomon, for those who are unmarried, I challenge you, I exhort you, do not stir up nor awaken love. Abstain from physical relationships. Abstain from the sexual relationship. Don't chase after that relationship. Wait.

wait and let god do that work when he does many waters cannot quench it it will not be removed it cannot be shaken for those who are married husbands and wives within the marriage covenant enjoy your relationship learn from song of solomon spend time in it on your own and ask god to show you how to express your love verbally and physically to one another

Let God do this type of work within your marriage. And for all of us as Christians, as the bride of Christ, let's remember, God has this great, intimate, personal relationship that he desires to have with us.

Like the best marriage that we can imagine, that's the type of relationship that he desires with us. That's the closeness that he wants with us. That's the communication that he desires to take place between us and him. So let's draw close to him and allow him to do that work in our hearts. If you don't have this intimate relationship with Jesus, you're missing out. He loves you. He wants to be close to you. Will you receive? Will you respond?

And draw close to him. Let's pray. God, we thank you for this wonderful example in this incredible book. Lord, in that you desire to teach us your truth and your ways, your design for love, for intimacy within a marriage. God, I pray for the marriages of this body. Lord, for the marriages of this nation. Lord, that you would strengthen them from the attacks of the enemy.

Strengthen them, God, from the attacks from within the flesh. Strengthen them, Lord, from the attacks of the world and the bombardment of lies about marriage and love that the world gives to us continually. God, I pray for us, Lord, that our marriages would be centered around you. And God, that you would draw us close together. Lord, that you would give us the fullness of intimacy, the fullness of what you have in store for us.

Develop us and grow us in these areas, God, we pray. Lord, that we might better represent you to the world and represent the relationship that you desire to have with each and every one of us. God, I pray for those who are unmarried, the single. Lord, that you would protect their hearts. Lord, that you would help them to take these things seriously. Lord, that you would pierce through, that they would not stir up nor awaken love. But God, that they would wait for you to do that work. Lord, that they would live their lives in obedience to you.

And God, I pray for all of us as the bride of Christ. Lord, you express in that picture of marriage, what in the example we have here in this book, you express your amazing love for us, your faithfulness to us. God, we thank you for your incredible love with which you have loved us. And Lord, we want to draw close to you. Lord, we want to be able to say you are altogether lovely. You're my beloved. You're my friend.

Lord, draw us that we might have those relationships with you. Not just as God, as King, as Creator, as Father, as Savior. Lord, those are all so important. But God, may we also have this passionate love for you. An intimate relationship with you. Draw us close to you, we pray. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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.