May 18th

King Solomon

·        Son of King David and Bathsheba – a rather unique love story of their own

·         Wisdom was his strongest virtue – he prayed for wisdom and God granted his request

·         (I Kings 3-11:12)

·         Writer – author of over 1,005 songs and 3,000 Proverbs; books of  Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and song of Solomon

•  Proverbs - collection of fables and wisdom of life
• Ecclesiastes - book of contemplation and his self-reflection.
• Song of songs – Solomon – an unusual collection of poetry interspersed with verse, whose interpretation is either literal (i.e. a romantic and sexual relationship between a man and a woman) or metaphorical (a relationship between God and his people).

·        Final king of Israel before they split into two regions – North and South

·        Builder of the first temple in Israel

·        700 wives and 300 concubines – men – wisdom-how wise was this??   women - what did he actually know about romance??

 

Today’s focus is on Righteous Romance

Ø  Solomon wrote 1,005 songs but this was “The Song of Songs, implies it surpassed all of the other songs, was more excellent  - Song of Solomon, a series of seven poems that focuses on  his meeting with a peasant woman, their engagement, their wedding, their wedding night, and the growth of their marriage after the wedding

Ø  Some scholars have suggested that it should not have been included In the Bible due to its content of love, romance and emphasis on a sexual relationship and because it does not proclaim any divine truth, or does it??  Hold that thought….

Ø  The song is a love poem set to music, and filled with physical attraction , terms of endearment, romance and passion between Solomon and the Shulamite woman

Ø  We know a lot about Solomon but not so much about the Shulamite woman – the way she is addressed could suggest that she was from a town or region of Shulam or Shunam; or the book suggests that Shulamite could have possibly been the feminine name of Solomon -  (me  - the Geraldine woman)??

Ø  Solomon frequently visited various parts of his kingdom and one day he saw this woman in the vineyards tending to the vines; Later he disguises himself as a shepherd and returns to the vineyards to win her love

Ø  We do know that Solomon appeared to be very much in love with her

 

1:1 – 2-7 – Love’s anticipation – begins with a conversation between Solomon, his bride-to-be, and a chorus of maidens.  They compliment each other and express their love.

Here is where we see the culture of the times obviously differs from ours –

Solomon:  1:9 – I liken you, my darling, to mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh; 15 Your eyes are doves – doves messengers of love (did he really call her a horse and say she had beady eyes?)

Woman:  2:1 describes herself as a rose of Sharon and lily of valleys – she was not complimenting herself.  Sharon refers to a coastal plain where common wild flowers flourished.  In verse 1:5 seems to be a little insecure about herself; refers to the darkness of her skin and could not tend to her own vineyard; but Solomon did not care

 

2:8 – 3:5 Love’s frustration – the man invites his bride-to-be to spend the day with him.  On their night before their wedding, she awakes in loneliness and goes out to find her groom.

Caution about foxes in the vineyard – making a promise to drive away anything that would threaten their marriage – little foxes can destroy any relationship – a need to commit time together and make a conscious decision (not based on emotions) to love and cherish each other

 

3:6 – 5:1  Love’s Consummation – on their wedding night, they consummate their love.

9:1 “you have capture my heart, my sister, my bride.  – sister team of endearment – Jerry’s dad called his mother, “Sis” – which I always thought was strange – but low and behold, Solomon used it too!

 

Back to the thought of no divine truth

-          Our relationship with Christ, the King of Kings – God loves us perfectly and is faithful and loyal (Solomon could not have been 100% loyal and faithful – too many other distractions and obligations)

-          Our decision to become part of his church, His bride, is a conscious decision of obedience – not an emotion; sometimes we are insecure about who we are, just like the Shulamite woman, but we need to remember who we are in Christ – bought by his love; redeemed with a price, and given a promise of eternal life.

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-          Christ will return for His bride, the church, someday; while we wait we need to cautiously guard against the little foxes that can attack our  Christian faith and walk; we need to spend time together with Him in worship, prayer, and meditation

-          Our Song of Songs – the greatest and most excellent – is the fact that we belong to Him and nothing can pluck us from His hand!

 

“Funnies” about Love and Romance in Marriage

An archeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her.  Agatha Christie

Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards. Benjamin Franklin

A married man should forget his mistakes; no use in two people remembering the same thing. – Duane Dewel