Tag: daughters of Jerusalem
Jay Ferris had a striking analogy that was not always understood at first.
“The Kingdom of God is like a drop dead gorgeous woman
who walks into a room full of women….gender neutral.”
The point was not this woman is beautiful, or that she is confident in her beauty, but rather the reaction she gets from the other women. Jay went on to explain the “gender neutral” part:
“A man generally has to either say something or do something to get the same effect. And if a man either says something or does something that is prettier than what the other men in the room are saying or doing, it’s the same dynamic that goes on. It’s seen best when Jesus came to Jerusalem.All the experts who were experts before He got there, wanted to kill Him.”
What a poignant image this is, considering there was a houseful of women in …
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A brief pause here, to share a lesson I learned this week. As it often happens, it’s related to where we are in the Song of Songs. It is:
Telling others too much, too soon.
Doing so may feel good in the moment, but the results do not!
Think about it. Declaring “he brought me into his chambers” (1:4) was a true statement for the Shulamite, but it brought out the immaturity and hidden jealousy of the young women who heard her.
They immediately scanned her for faults. They judged her unworthy of a high calling. And they were closed off from rejoicing with her.
In the next post we’ll look at the stunning way she responded. (Sorry, I don’t mean to keep dangling that!) :-)
But meanwhile I got to thinking…
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/pausing-to-think-about-friends/
I believe we can assume self-consciousness was a temptation for the Shulamite at some point in her life, perhaps as soon as she came out of the chamber room of the King for the first time.
It’s not that Solomon made her feel that way. In his gaze she felt vulnerable, yes, but loved. He was ever so kind in how he dealt with her. A “consummate gentleman,” as the old saying goes. :-)
Rather, as soon as she came out of the King’s chamber she found herself suddenly under the judging eyes of her very own friends. At first they seemed to be encouraging to her, but now they are finding fault with her suntanned skin, which was an undesirable trait in those days. It was most likely because it looked even darker now, in contrast to the “glow” she was wearing on her face from being in the Beloved’s bed!
How did she respond to her friends? What can we learn?
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/being-gazed-upon-2/
“…Therefore the virgins love you”, Song 1:3
The Song of Songs is arranged like scenes in a drama, with three main speakers. It’s hard to know who is speaking at times, but there are clues within the text that can help. Mostly we hear from King Solomon and the Shulamite Bride, but there is also a “chorus” group that occasionally shows up, called the “Daughters of Jerusalem.” They are the same as the “young virgins.” (or young women in some translations)
Here is a breakdown of the first 4 verses, where they first appear in the story:
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/the-wooing-of-the-virgin-daughters/
What do I mean by saying the characters in the Song of Songs are “shadows?” It means that the two main people in the Song, although historically real, were living out a prophetic purpose bigger than themselves. Certain details of their lives were unfolding to become signposts to represent and reveal a spiritual reality that was to follow in Christ. To this day, we can read their creative expression of passionate love in the Song, but when divine light is cast upon it, we can suddenly see! We see the Lover who has loved us from before time, fully embodying all that the mere shadow can only vaguely convey.
So let’s get into a brief introduction to these characters in the Song. It might not be necessary for those who are already familiar with the book, but right now it will help establish consistent names that we’ll use in the upcoming study.
Here goes…
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Finally! Solomon sends back an answer to the Shulamite about how she can find him. I hope it arrived faster than it took for me to return here. :-) Now the only question remaining is, “Will she venture out?”
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/pathway-love-song-18/
Those who have “the mark” know that it is deeply painful, deeply personal, and one of the most profound honors imaginable. The Shulamite woman in the Song of Songs was one such woman. What little information she does reveal is very intentional. Consider the following:
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/gods-stigma/
I once spent several years in my 20’s in a very bad slump. I wore a plain brown dress and didn’t wear makeup or put jam on my toast. I walked around feeling the weight of the whole world was on my shoulders, and if I didn’t warn literally everyone that passed me on the street they would all be doomed forever.
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Permanent link to this article: https://intimatekingdom.com/great-com-passion-song-13/
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