If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
SEPTEMBER 6
Song of Solomon 1-4
It says of Solomon that he wrote proverbs about everything. In the Song
of Solomon it seems that Solomon wrote a love song or poem regarding the events
just before and just after his wedding. Most couples do photo albums; they did
a song. Some of us might have a problem with this song simply because we know
how Solomon's life ends. Solomon ignored God's Word and had 700 wives and 300
half wives, and they led him into idolatry. But in the beginning of his reign,
like most of the godly kings, he was following the Lord and had a deep faith.
It is thought that this might have been his first wife, an Israelite, whom he
married before his first political marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. Or it might
be that this relationship was the first where Solomon was genuinely in love and
not marrying for what he thought, in his wisdom, would bring stability to the
kingdom.
In the final event, God wanted this love song in the Bible. God created
the union between man and woman and celebrated it in Adam and Eve in the
garden. Every couple since Adam and Eve has experienced the wonder that God
built into the relationship as it moves from the first attraction to marriage.
And every couple has experienced the challenge of keeping that relation both
romantic and healthy after marriage.
On the surface, the Song of Solomon is about raging hormones and poetic
descriptions of bodies. Jewish men were not allowed to read this book until
they were 30 years old. But apart from the raging hormones, you'll also notice
some very significant, recurring themes that are signaled by repeated words and
phrases. As you find them, underline or highlight what you see. They will give
you some structure and there will be some interesting applications. Generally,
we'll look at this song as a poem describing events, not as an allegory meaning
something else. The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT does a good job of
describing what's going on in the Song of Solomon. According to the BKC,
chapters 1-3 are just before the wedding, with Solomon personally taking her to
Jerusalem for the ceremony. Chapter 4 is the wedding night and 5:1 is the
afterglow. Chapters 5-8 are the "maturing" of their marriage, or I
would say, some thoughts during the honeymoon. Who knows?
Song 1
This chapter describes their thoughts during the days leading up to the
wedding and the couple's longing for one another.
Vs. 1-4 This can read as her desire and a request of longing, "Let the king take me to his chambers."
Vs. 5-7 These verses seem to express some of her insecurity marrying a
man like Solomon. Apparently her brothers were protective of her and kept watch
over her, as we'll see later. The vineyard has a double meaning. She kept the
literal, family vineyard, but didn't have time to cultivate her own beauty.
Vs. 8-10 In our culture, better, in my house, this comparison wouldn't
do much for my wife. He apparently is saying that she is so beautiful that she
stands out.
V. 11 The invisible chorus is saying that her beauty will be adorned
richly. These people are being used as some sort of poetic device.
Vs. 12-17 These are lots of rolling hormones waiting for a wedding
night. These thoughts and desires roll into the next chapter.
Song 2
Vs. 1-2 She compares herself to an uncultivated, wildly-growing lily
and he uses the image to say again that her beauty is such that it stands out
and lifts her above the crowd.
Vs. 3-17 This seems to be the bride's premarital musing about her
future husband.
Vs. 3-7 She is feeling so in love with him that she feels overwhelmed,
sick so to speak. You have to have been in love like this to appreciate the
feeling. I think that in v. 6, she is imagining him making love to her. We will
see this same phrase again when he does make love to her after the wedding.
V. 7 We will see this refrain again too, and it comes across as good
godly advice from the Lord. In nature, the mating only takes place at times God
has appointed. Her advice is to allow God to be the one who determines when the
time is right. In our world we push sexual attraction through the media and
create desire in people inappropriately. God and the bride are saying not to
rush things.
If you ask me, if she had been Solomon's only wife and he had been a
focused husband, Solomon might have been a truly great man. Instead, Solomon
started well, like a ball hit hard to right field that looked good, but went
foul.
Vs. 8-14 suggest imagery relating to the waiting, the maturing of their
premarital love, and the strain thereof, that she and Solomon experienced
before the wedding. The ripening fruits are the images of the time arriving.
V. 15 This is a verse of warning. Here and elsewhere, the vineyard is
an image of a relationship or marriage. These little foxes are issues or problems that destroy the marriage and
relationship. Apparently she saw things in Solomon's busy life and/or
personality that gave her a sense of worry and insecurity. Every marriage has
these; but two people, who are each independently in love with Christ and
following Him, can kill the vermin and make the vineyard "foxproof."
Vs. 16-17 We'll see this again. Here, it is the declaration of her love
and submission to him. Now, it is just longing. Later, it will be the prelude
to a kiss (and more).
Song 3
Vs. 1-5 This is one of her two dreams of worry. Apparently she worried
about losing him, and when she found him, she took him to the safest place she
knew. A bedroom? Where she was conceived? I'd say she was ready to be married.
Notice v. 5, and the advice again about not stirring sexual desire before its
time. I think she was feeling the stirrings.
Vs. 6-11 This is Solomon collecting his bride and taking her to
Jerusalem in a procession for the wedding.
Song 4
This is the wedding night. Notice that it is all Solomon. There are
lots of comparisons, images, poetic descriptions, veiled requests, and, of
course, hormones. The description of this night should also include 5:1.
According to the BKC, her words at the end of chapter 4, his first words of
chapter 5, and the words of the "others" (some say God) mark the
consummation of their relationship (they make love).
In your discipleship group you might want to discuss how to keep
romance alive in marriage. In today's climate this is a worthwhile thing to
talk about. Christian marriages do fall apart; and for guys, even devoted
disciples, the sexual temptations have multiplied with the media and internet.
The sad reality is that as long as we've been on this planet, we still don't
understand "sex;" and so it keeps harming us. People following Christ
are just as liable to make mistakes that hurt themselves and their
relationships.
Regarding the romance and health of the relationship, sex is never the
issue; and the climax is often the enemy of real fulfillment. Generally
speaking, for 98% of mankind, when the God-ordained time comes in marriage, God
made the sexual side of being one flesh just as vital and irresistible to us,
particularly to a man, as breathing, eating and sleeping. The goal is
completion and connection, not desire and a climax. This is why Solomon was
such a poor man. He was sexually saturated, but had no real completion. It was
like drinking water and dying of thirst. Any man who has fallen into the rut of
the typical "end of the night, for a few minutes," snuggle with his
wife is primed to stay unsatisfied and liable to fall into sin. It is like
drinking and still being thirsty and always needing something more.
I think that God has meant the event to take a long time, for her and
for him. The husband needs to make sure it goes as long as possible and focuses
on her, and he'll be surprised that the ending is actually anticlimactic in
comparison to the fulfillment found in the entire process. And for both, the
depth will go to the soul.
I've known couples that tried to read the Song of Solomon to
one another and were seriously hurt when they both fell off the couch laughing
at Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus (Song 7:4). So, look for love songs. You can find
them on YouTube and buy them on iTunes or somewhere. Here are some suggestions:
"I Could Not Ask For More" and "A Real Fine Place to
Start," by Sara Evans; "Now and Forever," by Richard Marx;
"My Valentine," by M. McBride; "Looking in the Eyes of
Love," by Alison Krauss; "Longer," by Dan Fogelberg; "We
are Man and Wife," by Michelle Featherstone; "When the Stars Go
Blue," The Corrs and Bono (studio version); "Then," by Brad
Paisley; lots of stuff by Alabama; lots of country….just for starters.
Vs. 1-8 This could be Solomon describing her on the wedding night,
seeing her naked for the first time.
Vs. 9-15 This sounds highly hormonal. Now she's a good smelling garden.
Notice in v. 12 that there is a reference to her virginity. She was a locked
garden until this night.
V. 16 I'm not sure what Solomon was saying here. I think his senses
were completely overwhelmed by what he was feeling and saw and smelled. It
almost sounds like, "Hi Ho, Silver, away!"
On the other hand, without a lot of interpretive energy, we can grasp what
she was saying. She was unlocking the door to the garden. Read v. 1 of the next
chapter to see the rest of the story.
Remember that this wasn't written "real time," as it
happened. That would have been funny if it had been. "Hey, wait a minute,
let me write that down." What this means is that the first days of the
marriage were so extraordinary that they realized they had been deeply blessed
by God. Too bad that Solomon didn't understand the true blessing of that
relationship and that he would have to deny all others in order to keep it.
2 Corinthians 8:16-24
Vs. 16-17 Notice that Paul is telling the Corinthians that the heart of
working for the Lord comes from the heart of God Himself. And in all of this
conflict and distress for Paul & Co., God is the one who is creating that
desire. Ministry is primarily not a work of man and the carrying out of plans.
In all of these instructions you see God's heart in Paul's ministry.
Notice that Paul excluded himself from the carriers of the gift. In
these verses Paul showed that Titus was the lead person who, himself, had a
genuine love for the Corinthians. This would disarm the critics who were so
focused on Paul. It is sad that an act of love like this gift had taken on such
a political and controversial tone.
Vs. 18-21 Now Paul mentioned the brother who was a very good preacher.
No one knows who this is. If it had been Apollos, Paul would have used his
name. Notice that this person was not appointed by Paul, but by the other
churches who were contributing. Even a man like Paul came under intense
suspicion and was willing to step back and humble himself and submit to other
authorities and opinions. This is an example of what he mentioned in 1
Corinthians 9:19ff.
V. 22 And to boot, they are sending that other "brother."
Notice how this is all being done because of the immaturity of the Corinthian
church and the critics.
Vs. 23-24 And again, Titus would be leading the organization around the
collection and the group that would carry it to Jerusalem. Since Paul and others
had taken this much care to insure that everything was done well under the
scrutiny of the critics, Paul urged the Corinthians to finish well in
completing what they had begun.
As disciples in the harvest, we need to be able to work with the
immaturity of those who are not fully devoted to the Lord and are not totally
willing to follow Him in the harvest. There is a sense of making disciples of
the resistant, while we are working with the willing to reach the lost and make
disciples, who make disciples. This is what we see Paul doing.
Psalm 50
This is an easy psalm to break into sections, so give it a try before
you read below.
Notice the silence
of God that is mentioned in vs. 3 and 21. People think God is silent today too.
Interestingly, I once talked to a neighbor who missed driving through an
accident the previous night on his way to work, because his motorcycle wasn't
running right and he had to come back and get his truck. He's the one who
mentioned God’s help. God isn't as silent as we think.
Vs. 1-2 God summons the entire earth to judgment and His throne is in
the beauty of Zion. This sounds like the judgment of the nations after Jesus
returns as the Son of Man and begins His millennial reign in Jerusalem.
Vs. 3-6 This is very "end of the age" imagery. God is no
longer silent. He commands all of creation to come together, judging the
nations and His people. In all of this, He calls His faithful followers to
gather to Him. Jesus spoke of stuff like this.
Vs. 7-13 This is
really interesting to think about. "Doing something for God" was
never the purpose of sacrifice. It was a sign of faith that men understood they
were lost, under judgment and needed to have their sins covered. God Himself
never needed animals. He owned them all. I was reading this morning in Romans
11:33-36, O the depth of the riches and
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable
his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his
counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be
repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be
glory forever. Amen.
Vs. 14-15 This is all that God really wants. God asks us to praise Him
in thankfulness and to make Him our only hope. I was reading this morning in
John 14, “If anyone loves me, he will
keep my word.” It begins with love and flows into obedience.
Vs. 16-21 You understand that the wicked here are the religiously
wicked. These are those who use the name, but do not know Him. Verse 21 is a
great indictment. God's silence doesn't mean He approves of our religion. How
many people worship every week, totally in vain.
Vs. 21-23 This is interesting. Inherent in what God is saying here is
that the sacrifice and worship should be according to His Word and in
thankfulness to Him. The sacrifice of
thanksgiving is giving testimony to
God for His salvation and mercy. The ordering of our way in Christ involves
taking a cross and following Him into the harvest. That is obedience to the
Word and thanksgiving in action.
Proverbs 22:22-23
This really fits well to the psalm.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His harvest.
My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing,
after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as
disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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