The road is narrow, that leads to Life, ~ Matthew 7:14
Look for books, websites, or videos on the Song of Songs, and it will overwhelm you. It’s shocking how much is out there! Everything from marriage sex manuals, all the way to more complex, ‘mystical’ interpretations that are hard to wrap one’s head, let alone one’s heart around.
Instantly one realizes that what needs to be sought in earnest is God’s voice about the Song. There is a world of difference between human opinions that come from “earthly wisdom,” and Divine Truth that comes from spiritual revelation, and through spiritual relationship. It is this one and only “Truth”(or “Voice”) that we seek here, together.
I say “together,” because I can only assume (as someone interested in subscribing to this type of website) that you are already in relationship to God, and recognize God’s voice. And as such, you know God’s voice is a “tree of Life” in the midst of all the other voices in the world, and you hunger for it! This instantly connects our hearts together. No one is alone, who seeks to be led and motivated by Truth, with true humility of heart.
But how do we understand God’s Voice in the Song of Solomon – a challenging book that does not even mention God directly? Or “doctrine?” And that is dripping with sexual innuendos?
Ahhh, that is exactly the adventure we are about to embark on!
But as a sneak peek, and to set the table for the feast, you can count on this book (the Song) pointing us toward an intimate, spiritual relationship with our Beloved, and “His body.” Yes – that means all of the individual “body parts” that make up His body!
More about that as we get further down the road. :-)
❤︎ Speaking of a Road…
(a road being a way we transition from one place to another) …
Two men once walked on a road called “Emmaus,” puzzling over the recent crucifixation of Jesus by Roman authorities, and then, the amazing news of His coming back to life. Suddenly Jesus Christ, in His resurrected body, appeared to these two men and did something beautiful. He opened their eyes to recognize Him, by first causing their hearts to burn! How did He do that?
By “expounding to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning Himself,” Luke 24:27.
Have you ever considered that “all” includes the Song of Solomon as well? Jesus may not have directly quoted from the Song, but neither do we read of Him quoting many of the Old Testament books. We only have a very small record of all that Jesus said and did, and even then, many things needed a more mature time before they could be revealed: i.e. like a time when carnal, religious paradigms that blind people to the truth comes to an end. Until this fully happens individually and corporately – we can rest assured that what Jesus said stands true… all the writings “testify of Him,” John 5:39.
So this is the approach we are going to take in the upcoming journey. To humbly seek the Spirit of God about the meaning of this very small, but powerful book. How it points to Christ. And what it means for our lives and relationships.
✦ But be aware. ✦
The road to truly understanding the Song is a much more narrow road than how “mainstream” religious sources present it. It is full of challenges to traditional ideas, and will leave us with many unanswered questions. It is a road that will also awaken longings in us, and for awhile these longings will be uncomfortable. And then, it will break us…. leading to a death of the coddling, immature lusts of the individual “Self” that has, up to this point, been seducing us off the narrow road to begin with!
But although narrow, it is a fruitful road, with delicious food to enjoy along the way – like joy, peace, and self-control. Practical things!
And it is a road that will put us straight into the reality of a loving, intimate Relationship – the Relationship that is the deep desire of every human heart!
It is a road that will lead us … home. ❤︎
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Emmaus— Earnest Longing
On the road to earnest longing, as we speak of Saviors dying,
Talk of all that happened to Him, when we see it we start crying-
Earnestly longing on the road.
There He was the One they spoke of, they did not notice it was He,
Him they spoke of and they wondered, How this happened or could be.
Then when He would act as leaving, going on without them they,
Asked for Him to come and dine there, it had been a long-drawn day.
So He stopped and broke bread with them, then their eyes were open to see
Did our hearts not burn within us, there that day He walked with thee —
On the road to earnest long. Luke 24: 31. Jms. 2/9/15.
Author
That is such a beautiful poem you wrote, Judy! Thank you for sharing it. I did not know the meaning of Emmaus was ‘earnest longing!’ It’s interesting that when I wrote the 2nd paragraph of this post, I actually wrote the word “earnest,” even though I rarely use it in my speaking vocabulary. When I went to finalize the draft, I planned to take the word out, (thinking it was extraneous) but felt the Spirit say “Keep it in.” Now I see why. :-)
Dear Pamela, I know I am responding late to your posts. You know and understand the situation of why. In order for me to respond to your later posts, I must start at the beginning. To help you and others that may read and understand my responses I will be coming from what I believe is the best way for me to study Scriptures. It is based on several Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15:46 – “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual”. (NAS) The next two are in 1 Corinthians 10:6 – “Now these things happened to them (Israel) as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved”. (NAS). And, 1 Corinthians 10:11 – “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come”. (NAS). I know that many miracles occurred in the Old Testament for Israel’s sake, but they were the natural Israel.
This has been my approach to study since being a young Christian and called to preach the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and the good news of the Kingdom now. I was aware that all of what the early writers of the New Testament wrote came from what was taught about Jesus in the Old Testament and what He taught in His earthly ministry. They had no other Scriptures to refer to. I asked the Lord to help me understand the Old Testament (the natural Israel) as the early apostles did in order for me to teach about Jesus and the Kingdom (the spiritual Israel). So my approach is always to see the example of the natural first and then apply it to the spiritual in Christ. As the travelers on the road to Emmaus discovered, scriptures in the Old Testament point to Jesus. And this is where the Song of Songs (Shir haShirim) points us. In the natural, as a love relationship of two individuals; as a love relationship between God and natural Israel; as a love relationship between Jesus and His spiritual body; and lastly, but I believe the most important, a love relationship between Jesus and the individual believer.
Author
I am so glad that you are starting to feel better! Although I know it’s hard for you to carve out time, too, with all that is going on. I appreciate you jumping in with a comment here. Those verses you brought up are so excellent for the subject at hand! It reminds me of another illustration that Jay Ferris used to talk about, of aiming for truth by looking through both a rear and front sight on a rifle. We need both the natural and the spiritual, and when both aren’t aligned there is a chance of missing the mark. I agree that the Song of Songs has application in various ways, (which you mentioned) and especially the love relationship between Christ and an individual believer. Hardly though, is one separated from the whole. Seeing the horizontal oneness of the body in the Song (many members, one body) is something that I’ve sensed largely lacking in mainstream exegesis of the Song, but it’s also challenging, even dangerous (in the flesh) to know how to communicate this except by metaphors. I do know one thing…I’m continually baffled and intrigued at the complexity and depth of this book’s content, and it only enforces my belief that the fullest revelation of its meaning and application does not belong to any one individual person, (myself included) but requires the unity and gifts of the whole body working together in humility and love.
XO! :-) – Pamela