A Passion for Christ

“Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.”  Song of Solomon 1:4

The Song...the most obscure book of the Old Testament... is a love-poem. Even a cursory reading reveals an erotic, intimate passion that seems out of place in sacred scripture. So, in this poem, the sacred subject matter seemed so obscured by the erotic word pictures that people were forbidden to read it until they were at least 30.  Bernhard of Clairvaux (1153) was so intent on restoring a sense of piety to the poem that he delivered eighty-six sermons on it...and had only reached the end of the second chapter, before he died.

In this regard, Keil and Delitzsch remind us this poem is “Typology.” The characters represent something, or someone, “other” than those named in the poem and from it’s inception, the King represented God and the Shulamite woman represented the Nation of Israel. After the Christ Event, the Types came the represent Christ and His Bride (the Church). With this in mind, the poem takes the form of a dialogue between a husband (the king) and his wife (the Shulamite). We can divide the book into three sections: the courtship (1:1 - 3:5); the wedding (3:6 - 5:1); and the maturing marriage (5:2 - 8:14). (https://www.gotquestions.org/Song-of-Solomon.html)

So, what are we to know? You and I (as believers) are the “Bride of Christ”. Every bit of this poem is intended to reveal the nature or our relationship with Christ; it is intensely personal, it is passionate and emotional, it is life-changing. We should regularly read this poem in order to take the temperature of our relationship with Christ and see if we’re healthy.

To do this I can focus on a single verse... “Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.”

Men will surely have some difficulty appreciating the sentiment here. This is a woman who is offering herself to a man...without reservation or equivocation. I’m reminded of the lump in my throat...the sense of import...when my wife offered herself to me on our wedding night. I tried to get my head around what it meant for a woman to say “I’m yours.” Let’s tell the truth...the sentiment loses some of its existential gravity when a men says it. 

It’s a “Life Lesson“ guys...”

When we evaluate our relationship with Christ we should ask ourselves if we feel the sort of passion toward our Savior that we read in this poem. We should ask ourselves if we still give ourselves to Him completely...without reservation. Most of us will be disappointed with what we learn but, we can aspire to that healthy standard. This is when we begin to see the reciprocal love of Christ bloom in our lives and begin to change us.

Throughout the poem we see the two lovers navigate life together but it’s important to recognize it is she that joins his life...not the other way around.  We Join the Christ who called us and loves us. We don’t expect Him to join us.

Live boldly out there today...

Remember

“Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:6, 7

When the Bill Clinton presidential campaign was pursuing the White House in 1991 they constantly reminded themselves of the core issue with the meme; ITS THE ECONOMY, STUPID! It was an acknowledgement that with so many issues and crises swirling around, it would be easy to forget why they were there. 

“It’s hard to remember you came to drain the swamp when you’re up to your hips in alligators!”

So, after eleven chapters of reminding us how meaningless life is, how does Solomon conclude this dissertation? We can be assured he undertook this entire venture with a sober mind and sincere heart since he reminds us...“he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them...seeking to find just the right words to express truths clearly.” Acknowledging the words of the wise are sometimes  painful, he reminds us they are also helpful. 

So, he continues, “here now is my final conclusion:

1 Remember him in the days of your youth...before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 

2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 

3 Remember him before your legs start to tremble; and your shoulders stoop. Before your teeth stop grinding; and before your eyes see dimly.

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades.

5 Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. For then the body will return to the earth,

Its all we need to know in order to find purpose and meaning in life; “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” 

And then, the spirit will return to God who gave it. That’s the whole story. 

Live boldly out there today...