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SEPTEMBER 7
Song of Solomon 5-8
I have to admit, I'm happy this book doesn't have 40 chapters. I doubt
that many of us are going to get to heaven, run up to the Lord and say,
"What were they doing in that
verse?"
One thing to keep in mind is that all of the real events had to have
taken place, before Solomon and his wife could sit down, compile thoughts, and
put them in poetic form. So, in other words, the events here are not "real
time," and artistic decisions are being made now to present their wedding
and honeymoon. It is interesting in this to think that they included two very
anxious dreams she had. Not only did this bride have anxieties, but she seems
to have had some fears where things (foxes) were present that could ruin their
relationship. Since Solomon wrote this, he must have known about the foxes too.
Knowing truth doesn't make you immune to ruin. This is a very different Solomon
than the one we just heard from in Ecclesiastes. I would say the deciding
factor is that Solomon didn't write his own copy of the law and didn’t read it
every day as God had commanded. Had he done so, he would have avoided having
1000 wives; and maybe, if he had read in the law about Abe and Sarah every
month, he would have understood this woman as the only one God had intended for
him.
Song 5
V. 1 This (supposedly) is the consummation of their relationship.
Vs. 2-9 This is her second bad dream. Who knows when this happened? It
could be this was her dream after they made love and fell asleep. Maybe it was
sometime later on the honeymoon. There apparently was a lot on her mind that
made her insecure. This entire reading today will be a kind of plea from her to
Solomon.
Vs. 2-6 In her dream she is waiting and ready for him. I have heard
this portrayed allegorically as Jesus calling to the church, but the church is
too lazy to respond. Holy Moly! If you understand here, she is telling him
through the door that she is naked and anointed, ready and willing. In those
days, the doors had a hole so that a person from the outside could let
themselves in. He was playing with her and she with him. Then she couldn't wait
any longer and ran to the door.
V. 7-9 The fact that she searches for him again, but this time is
beaten by the watchmen, signals an escalation in her fears. These daughters of
Jerusalem are possibly the competition, or they are being used as a poetic
device to move the poem along.
Vs. 10-16 Who knows what's happening here. Maybe she awoke and saw him
lying next to her.
Song 6
Vs. 1-3 I don't know, maybe she woke him up and he's rolling over into
the garden.
Vs. 4-10 I think he likes her. Verses 7-9 are interesting with the
mention of queens and concubines. Since we don't really have much detail I
wonder if this is a recollection of the wedding guests and these were queens
and concubines of other kings, or if this was Solomon's current tally. Solomon
would eventually have 700 queens and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3).
Vs.. 11-13 Somewhere in all of this it is suggested that during a day,
on some day, they take a walk in a real garden. I find some of that hard to
grasp, because his descriptions of her are not exactly what you'd see if she
were clothed. It could be that he took her some place like a pavilion in the
garden itself. I'm sure Solomon must have had places where he could relax and
entertain guests in the vineyards and gardens he had made. Or maybe it is all
poetic imagery and they never left the honeymoon suite.
Song 7
Vs. 1-9 Apparently she was briefly wearing sandals. This might suggest
they went some place.
Vs. 9-13 It seems that she suggested taking a walk and having a roll in
the pomegranates.
Song 8
V. 1 I think the idea here is that in her insecurity, she wished the
bond was stronger than marriage or the sexual. It isn't a wish for something
perverse, rather, for a very permanent, unbreakable relational bond. Solomon
had a lot of other women, many of royal descent, vying for his attention.
Somehow I don't think this girl lasted long.
Vs. 2-4 These verses give me the idea that they are still in the
honeymoon suite or in some enclosed garden pavilion and she is lying in his
arms. Here again she is telling of the wisdom of waiting for the Lord's
appointed time to fan the flame of sexual passion. Apparently she was glad she
had waited.
V. 5 This could be those daughters of Jerusalem asking the question and
Solomon saying where he first noticed her, in the apple orchard.
Vs. 6-7 This is a very bold appeal from her to Solomon to make this a
very strong relationship. She wishes to be a seal on his arm and to be loved in
a very loyal and fierce way.
Vs. 8-10 On the other hand, she had determined to wait for love and to
be loyal to her husband, even before she met him. Her brothers watched over
her. Would she be a tower, firm in her convictions, or would she be a door?
They would take appropriate action. She was a moral girl, and so, she would
bring her husband peace knowing she would remain faithful. Too bad Solomon
wasn't that faithful.
Vs. 11-14 Somewhere in all of this I think she's inviting him for a
rendezvous in the garden. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if they never left the
room.
It is sad to
realize that her insecurities proved to be right. Solomon was a hedonistic
workaholic. His harem became his pleasure garden as he spiritually,
relationally, emotionally, and personally died. Was the love expressed here
genuine? I'll bet it was. Almost all marriages begin with an intense love. So,
the lesson would be that what is genuine today could be dead tomorrow, if we
allow it to happen. It is no accident that in Genesis and in Paul's recounting
of the fall in Romans 1:18ff, after the breaking of the relationship with God
came the fracture in the relationship between man and wife. I think any married
disciple who is serious about following Christ in the harvest will work hard to
protect and grow the "garden" God has given to him/her. Particularly
for a man, his relationship and love to Christ is "tested" in his
love for his wife. Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
(Eph. 5:25).
If we really had it right, we
would love the Lord our God with all our hearts and soul and mind and strength,
and then make sure our marriage reflects the devotion, blessing and pleasure of
God. Marriage should add a fulfillment to us that is second only to our fulfillment
in Christ.
2 Corinthians 9
Vs. 1-5 The occasion of this gift was a big deal. As a result of this
conflict, we get some great verses and we see Paul gently encouraging the
people to grow spiritually.
V. 2 Corinth had been an example to other churches. Now they were in
danger of becoming a negative example of what division and infighting can do
for you. The point here is not Paul's boasting or their reputation. The reality
is that if they did not see this through, it would signify a step backward in
maturity and growth in the church, probably leading to further disappointment
and disunity in Corinth. If indeed they were healing from whatever malfunction
they had had, finishing this project would be evidence of that healing.
Vs. 6-11 It is only through real faith that real giving occurs. We give
for many reasons, but on the spiritual level it is because of our gratefulness
to God and our total trust in Him. For the church in Corinth not to give, this
would signify their disunity and then, too, their lack of gratefulness and
their lack of trust.
V. 10 I think this
is a reference to Isaiah 55:10, For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and
sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread
to the eater.
Vs. 12-15 They would also be a blessing to others and bring glory to
God.
There is a level of "material abandonment" that Jesus demands
of His disciples. When Jesus told a man to sell all he had and give it away and
follow Him, Jesus meant it. The man failed to respond because he was actually a
slave to what he owned. Jesus also taught freedom from stuff when He told His
disciples not to be anxious about food or drink or clothing, but to seek first
the kingdom of heaven. Jesus doesn't demand every disciple to sell everything,
but on the spiritual level He really does. Our home is in heaven not on earth,
so our stuff and our money can go to the harvest and to all those people our
Lord puts in our path who need His money.
Psalm 51
Reflecting on this psalm, what if it was still sung by David long after
Ahithophel, Absalom, and the others were dead? What if David still labored
under the guilt of what he had done? What if all the apologies had been made,
but the memories remained? I wonder if this was a daily prayer for David. I
wonder if Paul had this kind of prayer in those dark nights when he could close
his eyes and see the faces of those he had beaten, those women screaming for
their husbands, pleading for the mercy of Christ after Paul had them thrown in
jail and had assented to their deaths.
Our guilt has a hard time dying, and many of us have prayers like this
that we regularly bring before the Lord. Our hearts keep accusing us, but He is
greater than our hearts. We are wholly accepted and forgiven in the blood of
Christ.
Vs. 1-3 The desperate acknowledgement here is that David's sin was ever
before him.
Vs. 4-6 Even after all the people were dead who could have been
apologized too, David still had to deal with his heart before God. The effect
of his sin had been devastating to his family and to his nation. More than
that, it had to have made a deep mark on his heart. Only God could soothe his
heart. Only God's truth could give him the confidence to follow every day.
Vs. 7-12 Notice all of the things David begs for here. Look at all the
things that had been lost. David prayed for restoration.
Vs. 13-17 David vowed not only to give testimony of God's deliverance,
but now he would be a teacher of transgressors, leading them back to the truth
of God and to obedience. Verse 17 would be the greatest lesson he could give,
and it was the deepest lesson he had learned.
Vs. 18-19 Maybe David had seen the damage he had done to Israel. This
prayer was not for him or for the city per se. It was for the glory of God, God
being exalted in His city and in the worship He received.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Amen, and beware of men who are given too easily to "righteous
anger." God isn't fooled, but we are.
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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