Celebrate The Marriage Act - Song of Songs 5-6

Song of Songs 6:1-3 (ESV)

OTHERS

1. Where has your beloved gone,

O most beautiful among women?

Where has your beloved turned,

that we may seek him with you?

Together in the Garden of Love

SHE

2. My beloved has gone down to his garden

to the beds of spices,

to graze in the gardens

and to gather lilies.

3. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;

he grazes among the lilies.

It is so important for the reader of Song of Songs to remember that each time they read the book that this is a Hebrew poem, a song.   Like all songs/poems it can be at times literal and at times metaphorical.   The three verses from the above passage seem to be metaphorical of the married couples consummation of their marriage.    The writer seems to really mix up the imagery.   If we combine it with chapter five, it is actually quite confusing to determine what the poem means.    In verse one we seem to read that the bride is looking for her husband out in the community.  Chapter 5 unfolds that same imagery, as the bride seems to awake and can’t find her husband.  Yet, in verse two of the above verses we read she knows exactly where he is.  She uses a metaphor of a garden to speak to their entanglement of love making.   That is consummated by verse three that they are completely given to each other in love.  He to her and her to him.  They are completely enraptured with each other’s love and each other’s bodies.   God does not hold back His pen in describing their love for each other or love making.   He created man and woman to love each other.  In the confines of this marriage, the couple are finding pleasure in each other.  This is not to be an embarrassment to write about and to praise God about.  God created our sexual feelings and has given them to us as a gift.   We are not sure what the “others” at the beginning of this chapter are all about.   She certainly is not stopping the consummation of their marriage to talk to others in the community about their act of consummation.   It is best understood that she is overflowing with delight and that delight is coming forth in praise to all that would listen.   She is not speaking to her maidens of what happened in her bedroom.  But she is proclaiming the delight she has found in the arms of her man.   God intended the act of marriage to bring joy to our hearts.   It would be wrong to reveal the privacy of the bedroom to the community in the living room.  But it is never wrong to tell how satisfied and committed a couple is to each other.   This is a praise poem to God for His gift of love to their lives.   They proclaim it loudly.   

All Things Are To Praise Him! Psalms 146-148

Psalms 148:7-13 (ESV)

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty is above earth and heaven.

God has made all things to praise Him.   Our worship and praise in church on a Sunday morning is often our “time” to praise Him.  We typically have to have a band, or a song to bring that worship we experience on that morning service.  It is often called the Sunday Morning Worship service.   But as we read the above verses we read that the act of praise and worship can certainly contain Sunday morning, but it is not the highlight of that praise for God. It is a mere moment.   God demands praise from all creatures, at all times.  We are to bring praise to Him.  And we are not alone in that praise.   See creatures are to sing praise to Him.  The fire from lighting, the banging of hail, and the cold and wintery mix of weather are the sounds of creation singing out in praise.   We seldom look at a snow storm as His creation singing out to Him.  Mountains, hills, all types of trees and beasts and birds are all singing His praise.   Kings of the earth and all peoples were created to sing His praise.   We are not to be in worship of self or the creation around us.  We are to sing praise to Him, with creation.   His majesty is to be exalted.  That is our calling.  Sunday morning is nice.  But it is one hour of our obligation.   There are 167 more hours in a week to sing His praises.  Use them all!

Standing Tall in a Slouching Word - Despite Certain Peril - Esther 1-5

Esther 5:9-10 (ESV)

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh.

The story of Esther is the perfect story.  There is a hero, a villain, a maiden, a wise one, a warrior, an evil plot and a great rescue at the end.  All the elements of a great movie production are sown into the fabric of this Biblical story.   However, it is not a story. It is a real historical event that unfolded for the people of God, during their captivity.  Remember, Satan needs Israel to be destroyed. The Messiah is to come from Israel, Jesus Christ.   Satan believes that if he can destroy all the Jews, he can prevent God from sending His Son to die on the cross to defeat sin and his power over mankind.   That is what makes this historical event so compelling.   But how it unfolds is so amazing.   Esther is placed into a beauty pageant and is selected as the next queen for King Ahasuerus.   Ahasuerus had no idea that one of his henchmen, Haman, was working his way up the leadership ladder by any means possible.   Ahasuerus seems to be a good type of king, but controlled by all the people around him.   Haman’s desire for power was getting the best of him.  He wanted the world to bow down to him.   When Esther’s guardian, Mordecai, refused to honor him over and over, Haman plotted a revenge to have all the Jews exterminated.  Haman knew not that Esther was a Jew.   When Esther invites Haman to an exclusive banquet with her and the king, Haman is star-struck.  This is the final step in his claim up the ladder.   He has arrived.   He is overjoyed.  He is elated.   Yet, he leaves the palace only to be dishonored, once again, by Mordecai.   Even though he has permission from the king to kill all the Jews and has been invited to a glorious banquet with the king and the the queen, Haman is angered by Mordecai’s persistent disregard for his honor.    That is the lesson to learn here, however.   Mordecai is a man of character and faith.   He will NOT bow down to Haman.   Even with a death sentence over the Jewish people, Mordecai will not honor a man and bow down to him.   We are not told why.  Of course, the nation of Israel was told not to worship idols.   Yet, they were in captivity because they did worship idols.   Mordecai, like Daniel and Daniel’s three friends, is going to stand for the Law and the teachings God gave them, even in captivity.   With a death sentence over the entire nation hanging in the balance, Mordecai DOES NOT bend the knee to this wicked, self-appointed, despot.   We know how the story unfolds, but Mordecai did not.  He simply stood on the promises of God and had faith that no matter what, God would honor him.   And God does, as we will read further.   The key here is that Mordecai did not bend the knee to a false “god,” even in the worst case scenario.   Those who stand tall in a slouching world must do so by not bending the knee to a slouching world. 

God Commissions Us and Equips Us - Deuteronomy 30-31

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (ESV)

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Moses is coming to the end of his life.   God is wanting him to commission Joshua to become the next leader of Israel.  God gives Joshua some initial instructions that He will repeat several times.   In fact, the book of Joshua starts out with something similar: 

Joshua 1:6-8 (ESV)

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God gives Joshua several things to hold on to in this charge:

1. Be strong and courageous.   Joshua is to not be fearful or cowardice.   He is to know that God has called him and therefore he can be strong.   

1. Go with this people into the land.  Joshua is to lead.  He is to be out front.  He is not really the only one out front, however. We will read that God is going before him.  He is to follow God, the real leader, and then lead the people behind him.   God’s leaders are never upfront.   God’s leaders are always fourth in line behind the Trinity.  God will shortly say in these above verses, “It is the LORD who goes before you.” 

1. You shall take possession.  This is the interesting point of the commission.   Joshua will be successful in securing the land.  The land will eventually turn them away from God, but Joshua will be successful.   God even tells Moses, later in this chapter, that the people will turn away from God.  But Joshua is told he will be successful in securing the land. 

1. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.  Because God is for him, Joshua is not to fear anything.   God will protect him and guard him.   

When God commissions us for His service He gives us these same promises via the provision of Christ and the ministry of the Spirit.   God wants us to accomplish the good works He has prepared for us and wants us to trust Him that He will provide us strength, wisdom and boldness to do so.   

Walk In Truth - 2 John

2 John 1:4

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

Subject:  Walking in Truth

In the above verse the word "truth" is used for the fifth time already in this little letter to the church.   The context of the letter is that some false teachers (non-truth) were entering the church and abusing the natural hospitality of Christian believers and love to preach their false teachings.  John is writing to correct this.   Hence the emphasis on the "truth" in the opening remarks.   He wants this church to act in truth (faithful obedience to the teaching of Christ expressed in love for fellow believers).  He actually was pleased that some of them were "walking" in truth.   Note what MacArthur says about this term "walking" when referred to in the context of believers:

Walking is a frequent New Testament metaphor for the Christian life. Believers “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7), “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25), “walk in good works” (Eph. 2:10), “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [they] have been called” (Eph. 4:1), “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2), “walk as children of Light” (Eph. 5:8), “walk in wisdom” (Eph. 5:15), “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects” (Col. 1:10), “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls [them] into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12), “walk in the same manner as [Jesus] walked” (1 John 2:6), and “walk according to His commandments” (2 John 6).

John doesn't simply want these believers to "believe" in the truth.  He wants them to "walk" in it ... practice it at all cost.  However, that does not mean assisting those who are anti-truth.   The letter is clear:  Truth should begat truth.  We are not to assist false teachers under the guise of "love and truth."   Those who hold to the truth they have in Christ must do everything to promote that truth.  That is what walking in the truth is all about.  But we are NOT to assist, promote or be hospitable with those who teach false doctrine; non-truth.   Our walk in truth must promote more truth.

Turn Persecution Into Preaching - Acts 23-24

Acts 24:24-26 (ESV)

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.

Paul has been accused, by the Jews, of violating the Temple and harming the Jewish traditions.  He was brought before a council of the Jews in the previous chapter.  They hoped to do harm to him but the Roman leadership, instead, rescued him and brought him to trial before the governor of the Roman’s, for the region, Felix.    Felix, to his credit, had already known some things about the Christian way:

Acts 24:22 (ESV)

But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”

In the process of wanting to know more about the case, however, Felix really wanted money from Paul to set him free.   Felix, like many noble leaders in that day (and maybe in our day, as well) was driven by power and wealth, and not truth.  Paul did not offer him any money.  Instead Paul took this time to teach Felix about righteousness, self-control and judgment to come.   These are not things a money and power hungry guy wants to hear.   Felix is so alarmed and taken-a-back that he sends Paul away.   Here you have a guy who wanted to make a temporal buck, but was, instead, confronted with eternal truths.   If this type of thing happened today we would see someone trying to get a book deal out of the ordeal.  But Paul simply sees it has a chance to spread the Gospel.    When we are confronted with bias, ignorance and aggression concerning our faith, what is our response?  Do we, like Paul, turn these situations into a way to speak the truth of the Gospel.   Paul took every opportunity, good or bad, to speak of the resurrection of Christ.   The best way to defeat the falsehoods of the enemy is to preach the truth about the Savior.  

Worship Loud or Worship Quiet - Revelation 6-11

Revelation 8:1 (ESV)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

We are not told why the silence in heaven, it this section of The Revelation begins some of the worst punishments on mankind.  God is pouring His wrath out on mankind for their rejection of Him.  The silence last, per John, for about one-half hour.   Notice what comes after the silence:

Revelation 8:5 (ESV)

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The silence John experienced is in stark contrast to what he had experienced so far, in this visit.  Note:

1. God’s throne was full of noise:

Revelation 4:5 (ESV)

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,

2.  The Elders around the throne were full of noise:

Revelation 4:11 (ESV)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

3. The four living creatures made noise:

Revelation 5:8 (ESV)

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

4. More angles made noise:

Revelation 5:11-12 (ESV)

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 

saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

5. There was noise when the seals were open:

Revelation 6:1 (ESV)

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”

6. The riders on the horses made noise:

Revelation 6:2-3 (ESV)

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

Heaven, at this point, was not quiet.  That is why John records this silence.   This pause is to create the suspense that as the seventh seal is open more noise and destruction and vengeance by God is coming.   It is assuring to know that we, as believers, are a witness to all this and we hear it all.   In heaven, there seems to be a time of great worship with noise and a time for great worship in silence.