Song of Solomon 1:1-2:2 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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The First Meeting
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Memory Verse: 1:4
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Introduction
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A MAP OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
ISRAEL'S HISTORY

I. Title (1:1)

* See a wood engraving by Martin Bernigeroth (1670-1733) after the design of Samuel Bottschild (1641-1707) published in a Bible attributed to Martin Luther (1483-1546). Solomon is depicted as the author of the Song of Songs, as two lovers converse with a deer by their side in the garden. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

Song of Solomon

>1. Who wrote this book?

* Song of Songs 1:1 "Solomon's Song of Songs."

* "Solomon" -Solomon was the third king of united Israel. He reigned from 970 to 930 B.C. His father was King David. His mother was Bathsheba. 1 Kings 1:1-10:43 and 2 Chronicles 1:1-9:31 record his rule.

* 1 Kings 4:32 says that Solomon wrote 1,005 songs.

* The Song from the first states Solomon is the author. Some state the title "Solomon's Song of Songs" means the song is either about Solomon, written by Solomon, or both. Solomon is referred to seven times in the Song (1:1,5; 3:7,9,11; 8:11-12). The Song also refers to the Lover as a king and it is clear that this was one of Israel's king. The object of love is a young lady of dark complexion due to her mother's sons anger towards her and made her take care of the vineyards (1:5-6) The virgin's description points the finger to Solomon's Egyptian wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt (1 Kings 3:1).

* Some modern commentators try to prove that either Solomon was not the "Lover" of the Song or it was written at a much later time, after Solomon's death. They call themselves "critical thinkers." Their arguments are weak, lacking in any tangible proof. Either they give no alternative writers, or the ones they present are not documented to have written any song or hymn such as Solomon is in 1 Kings 4:32.

* Psalm 45 is a companion to the Song of Solomon.

>What is it called?

* "Song of Songs" -The repetition here is to emphasize that this is the greatest song every written. Similarly Jesus is called "King of kings and Lord or lords". The titled is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

* Song of Songs is also known as Song of Solomon and Song. The title in the Hebrew text is Solomon's Song of Songs. The meaning behind the title is either the Song is about Solomon, written by Solomon, or both.

Solomon is mentioned several times in the text. Therefore most (including I) believe this long song is about Solomon's courtship and marriage between King Solomon and his Egyptian wife, the daughter of Pharoah, king of Egypt (1 Kings 3:1-3).

The Song is considered one of the best short romances ever written. Because of this reason, some Christians are afraid to read it let alone study it. Romance and love are two aspects of God's nature. One would be wise to not ignore it.

Many have noticed the obvious resemblances between the two main participants in the Song and Jesus and the church. Though Jesus and the apostles did not reference this book in the New Testament Jesus referred to his relationship with the church in many of his parables as that of a bridegroom and a groom. Marriage was the most common theme Jesus used to describe his second coming.

One final important note. When studying this book the best use one can obtain from it is to examine and mimic the romantic love shared between the bride and the bridegroom.

* "Song" -The Hebrew word here is specifically for a joyous triumph love song that is often song with musical instrument accompaniment. The Hebrew word is also used for spiritual worship songs sung by Levitical priestly choirs with musical instrument accompaniment.

* God intends that such love portrayed in the Song (distorted and abused by both anceint and modern society) be a normal part of marital life in his good creation (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:24; Ephesians 3)

II. Exchange Between Beloved, Friends, Beloved (1:2-7)

>2. How does the beloved express her love in verses 2 and 3?

* Song of Songs 1:2-3 "(Beloved) Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-- for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you!"

* "Beloved" -Many English translations present titles to different sections to delineate whose thoughts or words are to follow. Some original manuscripts do not include these sectional titles.

* "Let him -The Beloved thoughts are revealed.

* "kiss" -The Hebrew word "nashaq" is translated "kiss". "Nashaq" literally means "touch" and "fasten up" and is linked to the meaning of "kindle" and "burn".

* "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" -The kisses are not merely the greeting of friends. She is envisioning the king continually kissing her in passionate romantic love.

* "your love is more delightful than wine" -Wine has been through all of human existence. Love throughout the Song is described with references to experiences with food, especially wine.

* "Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes" -Perfumes have been through all of human existence. The Song uses perfumes as an allegory to the Lover's and Beloved's persona.

* "your name is like perfume poured out" -She is excited when someone says his name.

* "No wonder the maidens love you!" -She now understands what all the young maidens have been saying about the king. The exclamation point is placed in Bibles when the author pressed down hard as he wrote, a then common means to convey strong emotion.

>Who is her lover? (4a)

* See a wood engraving by Marperger, Bernh. Walther (Bernhard Walther) (1682-1746). A believer ascends to heaven where the king awaits. The engraving is linked to 1:4. The woman has left earth, is passing through the stars. A light shines down and around her. Her long dress is blown up by the wind. She is heading toward the a man with a crown, the king of heaven. Heaven it depicted with people on and in clouds. The king above the woman also has a light shining down on him from a triangle representing God the Father. Angles surrond the king with two at his feet blowing trumpets. This was published is Bibles. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

Rising to Heaven

* Song of Songs 1:4a "Take me away with you--let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers."

* "king" -Probably Solomon wrote this for one of his weddings. The most likely is his wedding with Pharaoh's daughter. (5-6; 1 Kings 3:1)

* 1 Kings 3:1 "Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem."

>How are we lovers of the King of kings? (Rev. 19:16; John 15:9)

* Revelation 19:16 "On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

* John 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

* Jesus is the King of all creation.

* Jesus calls to all to a love relationship with him.

* Many of Jesus' parables use marriage, betrothal, and a wedding ceremony to illustrate his relationship to the church.

* The manuscript, "The Believer's Future - Hope that Inspires" on this web site goes into great detail to God's love for mankind.

>3. Where does she want to go?

* "Take me away with you" -This is not that she blurts this out. Rather, these are her thoughts. The exclamation point is placed in Bibles when the author pressed down hard as he wrote, a then common means to convey strong emotion.

* "Take me away with you--let us hurry!" -The Beloved want to go immediately. She has no inhibition nor reservation.

* "into his chambers" -The king's chamber was his personal and private dwelling. His chamber was a place of rest and seclusion from responsibility and duty. The exclamation point is placed in Bibles when the author pressed down hard as he wrote, a then common means to convey strong emotion.

* The Song is comprised of romantic exchanges. A young maiden is identified as the "Beloved", her heart swooning in passion. She is loved by and in love with the king who is identified as the "Lover", his heart enthralled with the young maiden. The king loves the young maiden who has captured his soul as he tries but is unable to focus on stately business. The third party in the exchange is called "Friends". Most are lifelong friends of the Beloved. Some are also lifelong friends of the Lover. They encourage the couple's blossoming fervor.

The passion-sonnet starts out revealing the hidden thoughts of the young maiden, the Beloved as she sees the king for the first time. Her unfettered impulse is to think of him embracing her, pulling her chest into his, and kissing her on the mouth with many delights (2). She surrenders herself to his desire. His love affects her like delightful wine affects every sense; sight, smell, touch, taste, mind, and heart. She is lifted into pleasant possession. Her breath slows, her pulse strengthens, her focus singular. Love is aroused.

Her ear tickles her heart at the sound of his name (3). His name has the effect of perfume; changing the normal into an exotic fragrance. Her desire is ignited with a spark and consumes all worries and weights. She is light, engaging imagination floating to him. Everything she had heard other maidens giggle and whisper about the king is true. She realized why they too love him.

Inhibition removed, the maiden's secret thoughts are revealed (4). If the king were to approach her to encamp her and lead her away to his personal chambers, she would hurry with him and submit to his fantasies. She silently begs him, moving her tongue and yet not mouthing her breath, "King, bring me to your chambers."

Her maiden friends observe her not-so-hidden heart's dreams and rejoice and delight. They lovingly praise her fascination with the king. They tell her of their excitement for her fresh love for the Lover.

* Where do you want to go with such passion?

>How does this reflect our desire to be with Jesus? (John 14:2-4; and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)

* John 14:2-4 "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

* 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

* 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

* 1 Peter 5:14 "Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ."

* What is a Christian but one who loves, adores, and submits to Jesus?

* Jesus' passion for us is displayed on the cross. Do we have passion for Jesus? Is there emotion for him? Does the thought and meditation of him excite and waken passion? (2 Cor. 11:2; Rom. 8:38-39)

* See a wood engraving by Quarles, Francis (1592-1644). A woman laying on the ground is longing for her beloved who is running away with a torch in his right hand. He looks back at her with a smile. His left hand is holding his garment waist rope. She is holding the other end of the rope. This was published in a book titled Emblems and is liked to the Song chapter 1. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

Woman Chasing Man

>4. How did the friends respond? (4b)

* Song of Songs 1:4b "(Friends) We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. (Beloved) How right they are to adore you!"

* "Friends" -They are friends, most-likely life long maidens who accompanied the maiden.

* "We rejoice and delight in you" -Her friends have a sincere desire to see her enjoy passion and love. They encouraged and chaperoned.

* "wine" -Wine delights many senses and affects the mood to a heightened state when drunk in moderation.

* Psalm 104:15; 1 Timothy 5:23; Ephesians 5:18.

>How did John the Baptist claim the role of the friend of the bridegroom? (John 3:27-29)

* John 3:27-29 "To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."

* Friends of brides and bridegrooms are often depicted in the Bible as chaperons who love the couple and look out for their best interest. They ensure that each stays true to godly love and passion.

* The New Testament has very prominent themes of Jesus, the bridegroom; his followers, the bride; and John the Baptist, the friend of the bridegroom.

* John the Baptist ensured the bride was ready for her bridegroom. He was strong and passionate. He loved both.

>How did Jesus claim the role of the bridegroom to John's disciples? (Matthew 9:14-15)

* Matthew 9:14-15 "Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast."

* Also in Mark 2:19-20 and Luke 5:34-35.

* Matthew 25:1-5 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep."

* Jesus' use of marriage, with him as the bridegroom clearly reflects the romantic love and passion of the Father for mankind.

* The visual picture of courtship defines the state of church until Jesus comes again.

* The bridegroom decides who he desires to be his suitable helper. God presents the bride perfect for the bridegroom. They court to decide for themselves. They purposely arrange and set aside time to get to know each other.

* Divine attraction: Jeremiah 31:3.

>5. How is the bride described? (5-6)

* Song of Songs 1:5-6 "(Beloved) Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. My mother's sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I have neglected."

* "Dark" -"Dark" is "shahor" in Hebrew. Shahor can also be translated as "black". She is deeply browned by the sun; not considered desirable because it depicts a common laborer.

* The beloved is Egyptian, of the house of Pharaoh. Her dark complection is not natural, but created by to much exposure to sun. The author is not prejudice.

* "yet lovely" -The young lady has in her body, though stained by the harsh sun, a lovely form.

* "O daughters of Jerusalem" -The couple are in Jerusalem. She is visiting King Solomon with her father, Pharaoh.

* "tents of Kadar" -Kedar is the second son of Ishmael and a grandson of Abraham (Gen. 25:13; 1 Chron. 1:29). They are referenced to a tribe that took its name from Kedar. Little concrete information is known about the group, however. Apparently the descendants of Kedar occupied the area south of Palestine and east of Egypt (Gen. 25:18). They may best be described as nomadic, living in tents (Ps. 120:5; Song of Sol. 1:5) and raising sheep and goats (Isa. 60:7; Jer. 49:28-29,32), as well as camels, which they sold as far away as Tyre (Ezek. 27:21).

* "my mother's sons" -She does not call them her father's sons emphasizing the share the same parents. They were direct kin, but not good brothers. Her family did not treat her well. She as neglected.

* "my own vineyard" -She describes her body as a vineyard, though not becoming. Vineyard is an apt metaphor since it yields wine, and the excitements of love are compared with those produced by wine in the Song.

* The young Beloved maiden's thoughts shift from her lover to herself; excitement withers heated emotions. She is humble and perhaps even has low self-esteem. She draws into her unappreciated complexion. She believes that her skin has been blemished by constant over-exposure to the harsh Egyptian sun (5,6).

The unpretentious Bastet's mother's sons forced her to work in the family's vineyards under the radiant sun (5). The hot labor caused neglect of her physical fruit. "My own vineyard I have neglected." She sees her complexion as a curtain that keeps her from her lover, casting a cool shadow over passion's heat (5).

She reigns in fantasy with dignity. She is not the sort of young woman that veils her face in the late evening as they sell their feminine form to any shepherd (7). She is a lady of the day. She asks to visit him where he rests from midday labor.

The couple's friends ensure that she is the most beautiful of women (8). Her Lover has his attention on her. She should bring her goats to his sheep presenting a valid reason for shared movements.

* See a wood engraving depicting the lover with her friends. This was published in Bible, now in public domain.

Woman With Friends

>How is this a description of our state before Jesus comes again? (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 50-51; and 1 John 3:2)

* 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."

* 1 Corinthians 15:50-51 "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed"

* 1 John 3:2 "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

* Sin is compared to a changing in appearance, like cancer in the Bible, which spreads and disfigures. Cancer in incurable.

>Since she left her family where is she and where does she want to be? (7)

* Song of Songs 1:7 "Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?"

* "whom I love" -The maiden has immediately falling in love. This love is passion and personal.

* "Where you graze your flock" -The lover is portrayed as a shepherd who cares for others and protects them. She wants to be near him, even as he conducts his daily affairs.

* "rest your sheep at midday" -He protects his own from the hot sun, something her mother's brothers did not do. She sees in him compassion that she did not know among her family.

* "a veiled woman" -a prostitute. The beloved does not wish to be seen by her lover as a woman seeking any man as a prostitute does. She has self dignity. She has integrity. She has valure.

* The woman displays commitment to her lover. Commitment is important in a relationship. Commitment is deciding and expressing a desire to remain no matter what happens and where they are at. Beauty is fleeting. Prosperity comes and goes. Commitment is perhaps more important than physical and sexual attraction. The maiden is physically and sexually attracted to the king, but she here is saying she is committed to be with him no matter what he is doing nor as his appearance changes with age.

* Psalm 23:1-2.

III. Exchange Between Beloved and Lover (1:8-2:2)

>6. How does the bridegroom tell his bride to get to him and what does he promise her? (8-11)

* Song of Songs 1:8-11 "If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds. I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver."

* "most beautiful of women... my darling" -The king ensures her that he finds your beautiful and has great personal affection for her.

* "follow" -The maiden is to learn where he is. He does not doubt her intelligence.

* "mare... Pharaoh" -Pharaoh's mares were white Arabians. White Arabian horses stand out in a herb of the common brown horses. They are beautiful, powerful, and easy to spot. They draw our attention from other horses.

* "the chariots of Pharaoh" -A mark that this is about King Solomon and Pharaoh's daughter.

* "your cheeks... your neck" -His praise of her beauty starts with her face and works down her body.

* Ezekiel 16:10-13; Isaiah 61:10-11.

* See a wood engraving by Martin Luther (1483-1546) depicting Solomon looking to his lover. The engraving appeared in Bibles. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

Solomon Looks Upon His Lover

>Who are his sheep?

* Ezekiel 34:22-24 "I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken."

* John 10:14-18 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

* John 10:26-30 "but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

* "sheep... goats" -Both the Old Testament and the New Testament use the picture of sheep and shepherd to describe the relationship between God and those he loves.

* "mare harnessed" -A mare is a young female of a horse or other equine animal. Stating she is harnessed means she is refined, in control, and not wild.

* The best use of sheep and shepherd in the Bible is David's psalms and Jesus' teachings. The prophets often use the analogy.

>7. What plant products are used to describe the lover in verses 12-14?

* Song of Songs 1:12-14 "While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi."

* "the king" -Another reference pointing to Solomon.

* "at his table" -Reclining on his couch at the table after a meal. In those days they did not use chairs. They reclined on pillows and the person next to them. The scene is one of peace and contentment.

* "my perfume spread its fragrance" -The lady sees herself with the king.

* "my lover" -The maiden knows she is loved. Love from a man is a woman's most desired emotion and action.

* "sachet" - A sachet is a small bag, case, or pad containing perfuming powder or the like, placed among handkerchiefs, lingerie, etc., to impart a pleasant scent.

* "myrrh" -Myrrh is an aromatic resinous exudation from certain plants of the genus Myrrhis, a small spiny tree. It has been and still is used for incense and perfume for the living and dead. Mryyh in Israel was known as the gift for a prophet.

* "henna" -Henna is an Asian shrub or small tree, Lawsonia inermis, of the loosestrife family, having elliptic leaves and fragrant flowers. Its leaves are used to make a reddish-orange dye or cosmetic.

* "En Gedi" -En Gedi means place of the young goat." En Gedi (Hazazon-tamar) a major oasis along the western side of the Dead Sea about 35 miles southeast of Jerusalem on a major trade route. The springs of Engedi are full, and the vegetation is semitropical. Both biblical and extra-biblical sources describe Engedi as a source of fine dates, aromatic plants used in perfumes, and medicinal plants.

* The stately king and the alluring damsel exchange exotic adulation for the other. The king, the lover compares the maiden's allure to an Egyptian mare so curvature elegant that she is given the honor to be tied to the Pharaoh's chariot (9). All the stallions draw their steady attention to her forming prance.

The Lover starts his praise with her facial balanced grace; her perky cheeks, slender long neck, and dainty ears. She is the feminine charm displaying strings of jewels and earrings studded with gold and silver (10,11).

The mademoiselle reciprocates her attraction to her lover. The perfume between her breasts is like the king resting his head between her breasts (12,13). The aromatic clustered henna blossoms she compares him to excite senses of smell, taste, and sight. She equates him to the desert En Gedi oasis (14).

The Lover twice exclaims his love for his Beloved, his darling (15). She is twice the beauty. He confesses her eyes are like doves; pure brilliant and clear.

The Beloved confesses her lover is handsome and charming (16). Their bed is verdant; under and over the green foliage of the oasis. The Lover lies with her there under the stiff sturdy cedars and firs. they make a home.

* Mark 14:3

>8. How is declaring our spouses beauty important to a relationship? (15-17)

* Song of Songs 1:15-17 "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs."

* "how beautiful... how beautiful" -Twice the king exclaims her beauty. The exclamation point is placed in Bibles when the author pressed down hard as he wrote, a then common means to convey strong emotion.

* "how handsome" -Women must also verbally express their belief that their bridgegroom and husband are handsome"

* "my lover" -Again the beloved expresses that she knows he loves her. Appriciate for a man who verbalizes love in word and action is needed.

* "verdant" -"Verdant" is "raanan" in Hebrew. "Raanan" is also translated "flesh" and "flourishing". Raanan means, "green with new grass or other rich vegetation."

>Does God declare his love for us?

* "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:13-14)

* "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:6-11)

* Jesus' submitting himself to arrest, harassment, torture, crucifixion, and death is the ailment expression of God's love for mankind.

* Love is not merely an emotion. Love compels one to action. Many types (levels) of love exist. The greatest is self-sacrifice for another benefit.

* The underline theme of the Bible is God's love for mankind is not diminished though we have rejected his love. Over and over again God displays his love. God's love is not passive nor invasive. God's love is persistent.

>How can we declare our love for God?

* "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1)

* "and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2 )

Rose Lily

>9. What flowers are used to describe the bride?

* Song of Songs 2:1 "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys."

* Isaiah 35:1-2.

* "rose" -A rose is a prickly bush or shrub that typically bears red, pink, yellow, or white fragrant flowers, native to north temperate regions. Numerous hybrids and cultivars have been developed and are widely grown as ornamentals.

* "Sharon" -The most fertile Israel plain. It is located between Mount Herman the the Mediterranean Sea.

* "lily of the valleys" -A lily is a bulbous plant with large trumpet-shaped, typically fragrant, flowers on a tall, slender stem. Lilies have long been cultivated, some kinds being of symbolic importance and some used in perfumery.

>What does the bridegroom add to that description? (2)

* Song of Songs 2:2 "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens."

* The lady's self-awareness has been turned about by her lover and friends. She accepts their encouragement. She appreciates their sincere compliments. She values that they see her like two appealing flowers; a rose and a lily (1).

Sharon is a fertile coastal plain south of Mount Carmel, a valley leading to the Mediterranean Sea. Her lover's verbal admiration nourishes her as Sharon sustains a rose and a lily.

The king continues the extolling. She is a lily among thorns. His beloved's glory surpasses other maidens (2). She is his darling. She is his favorite. She alone is his heart's desire.

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." (Proverbs 12:25) "But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81:16) "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)

A wise husband will be a king to his wife when he builds up her confidence with choice words. A woman, a man's bride who is always expressing low self-opinions is desiring her bridegroom's verbal enrichments.

"Treat her like a lady" is a line from The Temptations sonnet. It continues, "Now I'm the kinda guy who don't believe that chivalry is dead, no, 'Cause I believe a woman should be treated with the utmost respect."

>What can we learn about the reciprocal love relationship we have with Jesus from this study?

* Love is fine. Reciprocated love is greater.