Loving Jesus

DEVOTION

SONG OF SONGS

LOVING JESUS

Song 2:1-7

2:1I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

2 Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. 3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. 4 He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. 5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. 6 His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. 7 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

NIV

How often have we song those words about Jesus being the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley? Jesus is that lily among the thorns, but who are the thorns, who are the maidens? It has to be the church. For Jesus is that lily and we are certainly not as lovely as he. He is the one of a kind, that singular apple tree among the trees of the forest. There is no one like Jesus within all the church. We sing that song, to be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like him, all through life’s journey from earth to glory, all I ask is to be like him. But the fact is we will not be like him, for he is God. What we can do is delight in his shade, and enjoy the taste of the fruit of the Spirit. If we are not already experiencing the banquet hall, just being in Christ, one day we will be taken into the great banquet hall of the Lord. The other song we have sung, but not very recently, has been the one about his banner over me is love. There is no question that once we became a believer, we have been refreshed by the Lord, reborn actually. We have been strengthen by his fruit, because we love him so dearly. There is the other side of the coin as well. If we do not feel that refreshment of the Lord in our life, maybe we are not so faint with love for him, maybe we are still too concerned about our wants, our desires, our goals and ambitions. Maybe we are not looking for those raisins and apples. However, if we are looking for them and we are faint with love for our Lord, then he sustains us. His arms embrace us and we are kept safe in his everlasting arms.  Oh, how I Love Jesus, There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth, it sounds like music to my ears, the sweetest name on earth, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.

Embraced by God, Embracing God

DEVOTION

SONGS OF SONGS

EMBRACED BY GOD

EMBRACING GOD

Song 1:12-17

12 While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. 13 My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. 14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. 15 How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.

16 How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant.

17 The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.

NIV

These verses are supposed to be part of this conversation between the Shulamite and the beloved, if taken that literal view. But if taken as an allegory then it becomes a conversation between God and his church. Being at the king"s table may well speak of the communion meal, the bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus who bought us, redeemed us from the pit of hell itself. Our praise is this perfume, a fragrance of praise. As a lover of God we are a fragrance like myrrh in his heart. How pleasing our praise is to God. We wonder just what kind of praise he likes the best. We are such a diverse people with a wide variety of personalities. Some of us are so sedate while others are extremely animated. Our styles of worship range from the almost minimal to the extremely zealous. But if we are praising him, singing praises to his name, experiencing worship in our hearts, loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, then as he hears our praise we are like this myrrh, this fine fragrance to his heart. We are like the blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. This is an actual place in Israel near the Jordon River southward from Jerusalem in a dessert like location. En Gedi is an oasis, a respite, a place of rest in a dry and thirsty land. We can see this picture in our minds eye. We the church are this oasis for God in a world embraced by sin, a land dry and thirsty for sin. God finds joy in our praise, he rests in the fragrance of praise, as we sing in our hearts of his beauty, his light, his eyes in which he looks upon us in peace, like a dove. His eyes see us as holy and blameless, as we sing of him. He says to us that we are so handsome  because we love him, how charming is our praise to him and we find rest in his bed, which is verdant. This word means green with grass or other rich vegetation. He is the lily of the valley in which we join with in worship and praise. AH yes, we are pillars in the temple of our God. Beams in his temple, beams of cedar and rafters of firs.

Adorned

DEVOTION

SONG OF SONGS

ADORNED

Song 1:8-11

8 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.

9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. 10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver.

NIV

In answer to the question asked about being behind the veil. How we no longer need to be outside the veil but can come into the Holy of Holies. The Lord answers and says to his most beautiful church to follow the tracks of his sheep and come and graze by the tent of the Great Shepherd. The Lord has left us tracks to follow to be able to find his resting place, heaven, where we can graze in his presence. A path to follow and he has provided light to illuminate the path. Jesus is the light of the world, he is the way, the tracks to follow to the tent of God. If we ever wondered how God sees us, what he thinks about his creation, in fact, the crowning jewel of creation, mankind, we merely have to read this vision he has of us. He likens us to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. What does that mean? First we should understand the mare is the preferred type horse for many reasons. The stallion or gelding neither have the refined beauty of a mare. These mares were in fact used by the Pharaohs and were given as gifts to Solomon. Of course on the modern racing world the male horses win more races then the mares or fillies. But during the time of Solomon it seems the mare was the more desired horse. The church is no doubt the desired filly with cheeks and neck that are adorned with jewelry. Let us think for a moment how the church, how we are compared to this vision of the mare adorned with jewels. What if the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh were seen as this force chasing after the children of Israel at the Red Sea? Then they would represent an opposing force to the children of God. But also they could be seen as horses brought out of Egypt, bought by Solomon for his stable at a great price. Then this mare would look like the Exodus of the people of God. Which also could look like the church, the believers bought at a great price as a great prize to the King. He loves us and adorns us with jewels. As Peter and John told the beggar they did not have silver and gold, but they had the healing power of Jesus, get up and walk. The Lord adorns us in this same sense, as the silver and gold. It is interesting how some would think the “we” is a response of the maidens to the king, but could it not also be the “we” of the trinity? We do not adorned the Lord, he does that for us. At the same time we are that mare harnessed to the chariot of Jesus, his militia, onward Christian soldier, marching as to war. The revelation shows Jesus as the conqueror and the church riding out with him dressed in fine linen and riding upon white horses. Oh to be the army of God, the mare of his chariot, the church, the bride of Christ, Adorned by God, with Christ and the Spirit.  

The Search

DEVOTION

SONG OF SONGS

THE SEARCH

Song 1:5-7

5 Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon.   6 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. 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?

NIV

If we look at this as this love story, this drama played out between the man and the woman, these are supposed to be the words of the beloved, or some translations label her a Shulamite because they were a darker people. The next several verses are the lover’s response. Could this not also be the words of God spoken to Israel, O daughters of Jerusalem? Yet it could be the words of mankind toward God. We can be the ones who are dark, who have been darken by the sun, living within the world. This is not darkened, as in our skin, but in our heart. Why would God be mad at us because we were raised in a darkened home, with parents that did not shine with the light of Jesus? Why would he stare at us with anger because we were trained to chase after the things are parents did? We did not have the chose at that time, we had to live as they did. But now it is different. We can ask him where he grazes his people, the sheep of his pasture. We can now ask him why should we remained veiled, hidden from his flock, his sheep, the sheep of his pasture, the community of believers. No we do not have to live behind the veil, away from the Holy of Holies. Because of Jesus the veil was torn in two and we have full access to God, and can be encompassed into his flock. No longer do we stand outside, beside the flock of his friends. We live inside the flock with the friends of God. These friends could be seen as the believing community or seen as Jesus and the Spirit. But we no longer have this darken heart, yet let us allow this dialog to play out and see how this statement is answered. It will start out with telling how to find him. For now it was the search.   

Rejoice, Delight and Adore

DEVOTION

SONG OF SOLOMON

OR SONG OF SONGS

REJOICE, DELIGHT AND ADORE

Song 1:1-4

1:1 Solomon's Song of Songs.

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — for your love is more delightful than wine. 3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you! 4 Take me away with you — let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you!

NIV

There is much debate over this Song of Songs in regard to it meaning. Some of our scholars believe it is all about a love affair between a man and a woman. That is this God directive as to how this human relationship should proceed and look at his Song of Songs in a sexual view. There are those who want it to be a play, with various characters, each having a part. Others of our scholars of old have taken the view that this is about the relationship of the church with God, or Jesus. He being the bridegroom and the church being the bride of Christ. The actual language Solomon used many times could be seen both ways. If taken from the historical literal perspective it can be seen as the wooing and wedding of a shepherdess by Solomon, with the joys and headaches of wedded love. If seen or taken allegorically, it is seen as Israel as God’s espoused bride, and the church as the bride of Christ. It can be confusing and we have heard both views. Those who want to see it in that sexual context believe God is instructing us in our relationships. But could that be in light of all the rest of scripture which gives us all we need in how to treat one another in both the community of believers as well as in our families with spouses and children, this is not about human relationships, but the relationship of God with his people. Even in Genesis, God gives the relationship he established in the family, but throughout the whole of scripture he gives us the insight into his relationship with us and ours with him. With that in mind, we believe this to be about God and his people, the love he has for us and how we are to live loving him. It is true that human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of a man and a woman, so spiritual life finds it highest fulfillment in the love of for his people and Christ for his church.  In essence the Bible is the story of God wooing his people, trying to bring them to himself. The Bible is a witness of who God is and how he loves his creation. This Song of Songs should be no different than all the rest of his word in that sense. So we will endeavor to find the truth about his love for us and our love for him within this song. What could be sweeter, more delightful than wine, then the kiss of God upon our mouth and his love? When our mouth has the kiss of God, then we speak of him, we praise his name, and we lift up his lordship in our lives. Is there more pleasant fragrance, a sweeter name then the name of Jesus?

Ps 19:9-11

The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

NIV

Is it any wonder the church loves the Lord? Hurry Lord Jesus, take us away with you, and take us to your chamber, the place you dwell. You have told us that where you are we shall be also. Lord, O King bring us into your presence, your chamber, the realm of your love. We rejoice in you Lord, we delight in you. We will praise your love more the wine. Why would we not adore you? It is our purpose, our reason for living, to adore and praise you because of your great love for us. How right it is for us to adore you.

In or Out

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

IN OR OUT

Eccl 12:6-14

6 Remember him — before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!"

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails — given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

NIV

Well, these verses six thru eight should have been with the preceding verses about the young and the aged, life and death or just waiting for death. However, it does sort of end with the truth that our body returns to the ground, but our spirit departs and returns to God who gave it. This gives us the truth that he created our spirit, not just our body in the womb. That which science cannot determine how we were formed. They had the physical part understood, but not the individual person, the mind, the personality, our spirit. That is the work of God and man just will never understand that. Oh they are even working on understanding how our brain works, but do not understand how each of us are someone different. If all our brains are alike, then we all would be alike, but we are not. However, Solomon says it is all vanity, all meaningless. It just is the way God did what he did and continues to do. But let us finish this up now as we are at the end of all these sayings. The teacher has spoken and his words are wise because they are from God, who inspired all that Solomon wrote. All the proverbs, which we went through, and all these sayings in the collection which is called Ecclesiastes. Just as a side note, we never investigated what this word Ecclesiastes means. How that slipped by is a mystery. In the Septuagint, which is the Old Testament translated into Greek, it finds that Greek word rooted in the Latin word which means preacher or speaking before the assembly. So Solomon was preaching the word. He concludes it all with the statement of the matter. Fear God and keep his commands. This is the whole of man, the reason we are hear. Life is not about life as we make it. It is about life as God intends it. The fact he will judge all mankind, all life. He will bring all to account, every deed, even the hidden ones. Now does that mean the secret sins we commit in the closet? That could mean the closet of our heart, or the actually closet in our homes. Who of us can say we have never had an evil thought, or action. Are we doing anything that is opposed to God? If we say, no, they are we being prideful and lying to ourselves and God, which is an evil deed. If we say, yes, then are we doing that willfully or is it just because we are a fallen people, imperfect, unable to attain perfection? The harder we try to be good, the more frustrated we become because we cannot be completely good. What are we to do? Will God judge our every little fault, failure, willful or not? Who then can stand in his presence? We will not, every knee will bow, but who then gets to go in and who is cast out? If we all have sin, then he judges us all guilty, no matter the degree of amount of sin. Sin is sin and we are sinful so how do we get to go in, instead of being cast out? The answer is Jesus. He took our sin upon himself and that is that. If we are in Christ, then God has already judged us holy and blameless in his sight. Should we just go on sinning in whatever way we can imagine, no, of course not, as Paul says, “God forbid”. But the fact is we are going to falter, we are going to give in to some temptation sometime in the course of our daily life. Even when we know better, when we know it is not right, we still give in on occasion. So then we need Jesus. We try to be good, but it just does not work all the time. God knows that and it is why he sent Jesus, it is why he came to earth as a human to take our sin and to give us a way into heaven. The real judgment of deeds is whether we are in Christ or we have refused his offer of salvation, whether we say yes or no to God. If Jesus in our heart, then our deed is good, if Jesus is not in our heart, then our deed is evil.

Just Waiting

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

JUST WAITING

Eccl 12:1-5

12:1

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"— 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; 5 when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.

NIV

The Story of growing old and of the final breathe before death. Things just work like they did on our youth. Hearing goes bad, eyesight fades, and it even looks like Solomon was describing cataracts. How much of a daredevil we were in our youth, not afraid of jumping out of an airplane, with a chute of course, or driving at the speed of sound, in a manner of speaking. What didn’t we want to try to do? But did we remember our creator in our youth? Not so much, we just wanted to get going, experience life to its fullest. But age has a way of creeping up, it is so sly, we don’t even notice it and then suddenly it is there and we are looking at an old person in the mirror. We could even get like that grasshopper who drags himself along and our desire is no longer stirred. We could just accept this age thing, quit work, and sit back and wait for death. Then those who knew us, loved us, would gather for a night, some taking a trip down the street to the grave site, and mourn for a moment, but then go back and get on with life, maybe we might be just a memory. How sad to think like that. Life is a precious gift from God, every day of life is his gift to us, and he also gave himself for us, so we could continue on in eternal life, our eternal home. But in the meantime, let us not allow age to dim our sight, or hamper our hearing. Let us always see the Lord high and lifted up. Let us always be able to hear his voice. Let us never stop grinding, stop praising him, nor stop working both in the world and in his kingdom. Let us not be afraid of the high places or the dangers in the streets, hiding in our homes or our churches, just waiting to die. Let us get out there, living life large and out loud, as if we were still in our youth. Death will come soon enough even if we are not waiting for it, so why sit around like an old person and wait, there are things to do, places to go and people to see. We cannot be someone who is just waiting.