When Love Declares War

1) Reading the Song of Solomon

a) We don’t normally talk about Song of Solomon at church.

i) It’s sort of the black sheep of the Bible. It can be embarrassing to read, you know.

ii) You see, this seems to be a beautiful love poem written from a man to a woman

(1) From Solomon to his wife

iii) It’s pretty intense and specific about their love and intimacy.

iv) But that is only on the surface of the text

2) What is Song of Solomon truly about?

a) A Love Song about Christ and His bride

b) The reference to the church (and the believer) being the bride carries across scripture.

i) The Bridal Paradigm (attachment if necessary)

(1) Many of the prophets used this symbol

(2) The Gospels use this symbol

(a) (both Jesus and John the Baptist speak of Jesus as the groom and believers as the bride)

(3) Paul and the other Apostles uses this symbol in their letters

(4) There is an amazing scene in Revelation with the Wedding Feast of the Lamb

c) Song of Solomon is the truest, deepest Worship

i) This is the love song that celebrates an intimate relationship between

(1) you and the lover of your soul

(2) The one that know you best and loves you most sings His love over you

ii) This a poem about how much God loves you

(1) It celebrates His love and the joy of the bride being joined with the groom

(2) In this book you can begin to feel the joy of the wedding of the Lamb

d) When speaking of the Song of Solomon Charles Spurgeon said: (read slowly)

If I must prefer one book above another, I would prefer some books of the Bible for doctrine, some for experience, some for example, some for teaching, but let me prefer this book above all others for fellowship and communion [with Christ]. When the Christian is nearest to heaven, this is the book he takes with him. There are times when he would leave even the Psalms behind, when standing on the borders of Canaan, when he is in the land of Beulah, and he is just crossing the stream, and can almost see his Beloved through the rifts of the storm-cloud, then it is he can begin to sing Solomon's Song. This is about the only book he could sing in heaven … praising him who is his everlasting lover and friend. – C.H. Spurgeon

3) As I read this, hear Jesus speaking over you:

Song of Solomon 4:7-10 You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. 9 You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. 10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!

4) If I asked you, “Do you know God loves you?” You would say yes.

a) If it were only a test of knowledge we would all pass.

i) If it were a true/false question you would all check true and be correct.

ii) You can barely walk through those double doors without someone telling you that God loves you.

iii) It’s the main message of our outreach and ministries at TMC: God loves you.

b) But do you get it? Really get it?

i) It’s one thing to understand that God loves the world

ii) That God loves the sinner

iii) That God loves children

iv) That God loves the people you are praying for

v) But YOU? Do you get that He actually loves you?

5) Let’s work our way back through this passage understanding that Jesus is speaking to each of us

a) You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. (v7)

i) One sin is all it would take, a single flaw. That’s all that is required to separate you from God.

ii) He is Holy, righteous, perfect and I’m none of those things.

(1) The first step to you coming to salvation was conviction of your sins

(2) You must come to terms with how short you fall before you understand that you need a Savior

(3) I’m not Holy, righteous, or perfect; Not on my own

iii) When he looks at you, Christian, he doesn’t see the flaws and mistakes.

(1) Those have been washed away by His blood.

(2) Jesus sees His own holiness, righteousness, and perfection.