Through the Bible - Song of Solomon

Lord, we do thank You for just a wonderful time of worship that we've just had. Thinking about You, the one who is the giver of life, we call upon Your name tonight. We thank You that You are in this place. We ask, Lord, that You'd speak to us as we go through this passage of Scripture tonight, that You'd teach us by Your Spirit, and that we would see You in the pages of this book. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Well, we are going through every book of the Bible on Saturday nights, taking one book a week. There are books that we come to sometimes, and the first time you read it, you might think, "Boy, I don't know about this one." The Song of Solomon is a very great book. How many of you took the time to read it this last week? Many of you have. Many of you have read it in the past. Some of you have probably wondered, "Why is this in the Bible?" as you're reading it. I can understand why you might ask that question.

If you start to study the book of Song of Solomon and look at the different commentaries that are out there, or read the various outlines on it, you will find hundreds, probably thousands, of different views on this book. Everybody has a different perspective and understanding of it. There are dozens of different outlines on how to approach it. In fact, it's one of those books that's fairly difficult to outline. Most of the poetic books in the Bible are challenging to outline because one thought progresses into the next, making them not real easy to structure.

However, everyone I have looked at or listened to over the years regarding this book agrees that it is a beautiful, poetic love story. It is a powerful passage of Scripture. Some differ in their ideas about its application—why it is in our Bibles. In reality, the reason this book is included in our Bibles is because of its allegorical context, how it speaks to us about the love of Christ for the bride, the church. The early church, when they first started to compile all the books of the Bible together, recognized this as the main reason why this book found its way into the Bible that we have today.

Talmudic rabbis back in ancient Jewish times looked at this book in the same way, recognizing God's love for His people. That's why they held it so dearly. It's not just called the Song of Solomon; it typically goes by the name the Song of Songs, which Solomon wrote. There is a reason for that, and we'll look at it in just a moment.

Solomon, in his great wisdom, set out to apply his heart to wisdom and seek the Lord. He wrote many different things. In fact, in 1 Kings chapter 4, we saw this a couple of weeks ago. 1 Kings chapter 4, verse 32, states that Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. We looked at his proverbs a couple of weeks ago and examined the book of Ecclesiastes last week.

When you come to Song of Solomon, chapter 1, verse 1, it says, "The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's." Of all the 1,005 songs that he wrote, this is the Song of Songs. This was the best one he wrote, in his own estimation, but also in the estimation of the people of Israel. They loved this song that he wrote. In his wisdom, he crafted this poetic song, which consists of eight chapters of beautiful, metaphorical, poetic language.

Different people speak throughout the text, and it almost reads like a play, presenting a narrative. You have Solomon speaking, then the Shulamite, one of the brides, who is the most loved by Solomon, and the Daughters of Jerusalem, a choir of voices, also contributing. It creates a concert of different elements, filled with rich imagery and powerful passages.

The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, in 2 Timothy chapter 3, shares a verse that many of you probably know very well. In verse 16, he states that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Everything in Scripture is inspired by God and is useful. I want you to look at this: 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable.

Paul outlines four things that the Word of God is profitable for. The first is teaching, or doctrine. Then, it is for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. If you're there, I encourage you to highlight "instruction in righteousness." The Word of God that we have before us tonight is useful to instruct us in righteousness.

Now, I think a good way to say that in our own layman's terms here in the year 2008 is that it's good to instruct us in the right way to live. God's Word has been given to show us the right way to live. Not only the Apostle Paul, but also the Apostle Peter emphasizes this. If you turn over to his second letter, 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter says in verse 3 that by God's divine power, He has given us everything that we need for life and godliness. In other words, He has given us everything that we need to live a godly life.

If we believe that God is the Creator, that's the very first thing we learn about Him when we read Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning, God created. The first thing we know about this God is that He is the Creator. He is the one who made us. Therefore, we should hope that He would provide us with an instruction manual on how to use the equipment He has given us in the right way.

Consider how we buy different things throughout the years. For example, you might buy a DVD player. You bring it home, plug it into the TV, and there is a manual that comes with it. To know what to put in there and the right way to use it, you might want to look at the manual. Most of us can look at it and think it makes sense, so we just kind of make it work. But what happens when it doesn't work the right way? We have to go back and look at the manual to figure out how to use it correctly.

God has given us these bodies; He has created us. There is a right and a wrong way to use these bodies. Paul tells us that God has given us His Word as the manual to speak to us, to instruct us in right living, and to show us the right way to live. Peter reiterates that by God's divine power, He has given us everything we need to live a godly life, to live life in the right way—the way that the God who created us would prescribe. This is the best way to use the equipment that God has given us.

Now, back in the book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, in chapter 2, God prescribes something very interesting. In Genesis chapter 2, verse 24, He prescribes that a man should leave his father and his mother, and he shall cleave unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Now, why did God prescribe this? It started because there was a problem. In Genesis chapter 1, over and over again, it says, "And God saw that it was good." In chapter 2, you hear it again. God saw what He had created, and it was good. However, when you come to chapter 2, verses 17 and 18, God looks at man and says, "It's not good." It's not good that man should be alone, as stated in verse 18. So, God says, "I will make him a helper comparable to him."

After God creates this helper, He commands that the man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. The last verse says they were both naked and unashamed. They were both naked together and unashamed as husband and wife. Therefore, God is the one who created marriage.

When you look at the different views from the scientific community about marriage, they often conclude that it is just a social contract that people came up with. If that's the case, then why does every single civilization and culture practice some form of marriage? They may have different ceremonies by which they bind two together, but in every culture, there is this idea of marriage. Why is it there? Because God prescribed it. He is the one who ordained it and created it, and it is the foundation upon which all community and society is built.

It is built upon the idea of a man leaving his father and mother and cleaving unto his wife. It is important to note that it says a man, not a boy, leaves his father and mother. His parents are to prepare him for that, to raise him up to be a man so that he can go and take a wife, and the two become one flesh. The result of that coming together as one flesh is procreation. It is an opportunity for man to do something that only God has the power to do because God has given him that power in marriage to procreate. It is an awesome and powerful thing that God has done.

Now, this powerful idea of marriage, this foundation upon which society and culture are built, do you think that God would give us some sort of divine instruction on how to do it? You would hope that He would. If man is left to his own imaginations regarding marriage and sexual relations, just look around and see what happens in the world. If man is left to his own imagination, it can lead to chaos. It is interesting because after the first-century church...

After the church fathers, the apostles, and everyone else died off, a new group of people came into leadership. Immediately, the enemy began to get a grip on the church. You can read about this in church history. In fact, we are going to do a church history class here at the church, probably at the end of the year.

As you go through and follow what happened in that early church after the first century, one of the first heresies that started to creep in, as paganism began to invade and influx into the church, was the idea of dualism. Dualism is the view that there is a good and an evil, a light and a dark. Everything that is spiritual is considered good, while all that is physical is deemed evil and wicked. When this idea was introduced into the church, people began to view sex as something wicked and evil. The church started to repress it, declaring that it was not something good. It was seen as a necessary evil; we must procreate and bring forth more children, but that was all it was good for.

Interestingly, when you read the Song of Solomon, which speaks about the intimate act of sex within marriage, it says nothing about bearing children. Clearly, God created it not only for procreation but also for a husband and wife to come together as one flesh. This is the way by which a man is joined to his wife through the consummation of marriage.

As you follow the history of the church and observe how it began to repress this whole aspect of life, you can see what happened as the Catholic Church emerged in the third century. They declared that those who were truly holy would live a monastic life, separating themselves from any sort of pleasures. They would remain celibate.

Now, we see the consequences of that repression in our day. There is a pendulum that swings between two extremes. On one side, there is complete repression, where sex is viewed as wicked and evil, only acceptable for the purpose of procreation. On the other side, people in the church, rejecting this repression, turn back to the world. They abandon the repression and embrace the open expression of sexuality.

Secular history shows us that as people turn away from the church, which began to repress these desires, they go out into the world and adopt the mindset of "eat, drink, and be merry."

Why? Tomorrow we die. You might as well live it up and have pleasurable experiences with as many partners as you want. This hedonistic practice has been evident throughout history. If you follow this trend down through the ages, you arrive at the Renaissance, which embraced a hedonistic view of sex, promoting the idea of free sex with any partner at any time. You might think this is something new from the 1960s, but it is not. A look through history reveals that it goes all the way back.

However, around the same time, at the end of the Renaissance, was the Victorian period in England. This era was characterized by a staunch view that intimate relationships within marriage were something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Many women held this perspective. Consequently, during that time in London, there was rampant prostitution. Historical accounts from that period highlight this issue, which arose as a result of the prevailing attitudes toward intimacy.

When man removes God from the equation and disregards what He has to say about relationships, the consequences are significant. God has powerful and profound insights on this matter. Without His guidance, people either repress their desires, viewing them as wicked and wrong, or they express them openly, leading to a situation where intimacy becomes indiscriminate—whoever, whenever, wherever, and however. This progression can lead to relationships that deviate from the traditional man-woman dynamic, including same-sex relationships and even relationships with animals, which God condemns as an abomination.

This illustrates the critical importance of marriage and the intimate relationship between a husband and a wife, where they become one. This union is God-ordained and God-created. When people do not adhere to God's teachings, they either push intimacy into a realm of wickedness and disgust or flaunt it in every possible way.

Did God have something to say about this vital act that He has given to a husband and wife? Yes, He did, and it is found in the book of Song of Solomon. This book, also known as the Song of Songs, was written by Solomon. We will examine this book tonight from three different angles. As I mentioned, you can listen to various Bible teachers, and everyone has a different view on the Song of Solomon. However, the fact remains that it speaks openly and frankly about sex within the context of marriage—only within marriage. That is the way God ordained it, and it addresses the topic candidly.

However, it speaks about it in a poetic way that, if you're at all honest, a child would probably not understand it. If a child were to read this book, the fact is, it's written in such a way that it's not pornographic; it's not disgusting in any way. It's written in a beautiful and poetic manner that, if a child under the age of 12 read through it, they would probably have no clue what is being spoken of. Occasionally, the word "breasts" comes up, and they might think, "Oh my goodness, what's going on? I don't want to read this."

There is, however, an interesting explanation to that verse. As you go through this book, you see that it speaks very openly and frankly about these topics. The first thing we want to consider is that it is a necessary exhortation. The Song of Songs is a necessary exhortation to those who are single. It is an important exhortation that should be heard, especially in 2008.

Three times in this book, the first instance being in Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verse 7, the Shulamite, the woman in the story, says, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awake my love till he pleases." Essentially, she is saying, "Do not stir up love until the right time." This comes immediately after the intimate act described in verse 6, where it states, "His left hand is under my head and his right hand does embrace me."

What does she immediately say after speaking about something so intimate with Solomon? She reiterates, "Do not stir up love before the right time." Then, a second time in chapter 3, verse 5, she again says, "Do not stir up love until the right time." Finally, in the last chapter, chapter 8, verse 4, she emphasizes this point once more. Notice what is in verse 3: "His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me."

What's taking place there? Poetically, the sex act is going on between this husband and wife. In verse 4, it states, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up nor awake love until it pleases," until the right time. The first thing we consider about the Song of Solomon is that it is a necessary and important exhortation for those who are single. This is what people who are single need to hear: there is a right time and a right place for sexual intimacy, and it is in the context of marriage.

I don't know if you saw the news report a couple of weeks ago, but it appears from the data that in 2007, abortions are on the downturn. It was similar in 2006 as well. We are seeing a steady progression downward of abortions in the United States. Of course, both sides of the debate exist. On one side, you have those who support Roe v. Wade and advocate for a woman's right to choose. On the other side, there are those who argue that this is a child, this is a life, and you are taking life. Both sides claim that the changes are due to what we are doing. One side argues that it is because we are providing proper training and the contraceptives that are needed. The other side contends that since George Bush became president, there has been a push to teach abstinence until marriage, and during his term, we have seen a downturn in abortion. This is a blessing to see.

Hopefully, that message is getting out: people should not stir up love until it is the right time, until it pleases. Sadly, the fact is that many do not heed this advice. In fact, most of those who reach their junior year in college—70% of juniors—have already had sex outside of marriage because they have not received the proper counsel. Remember, the world looks at the church and says, "Oh, you're just a bunch of prudes. You want to repress it. You don't want us to have these thoughts, these feelings." That is not what Scripture says.

When the church turned to a dualistic view that everything physical is evil and that sex is bad, they pushed it aside and said it is not a good thing. As a result, the world swung to the other side, advocating for open expression. However, there is the Word of God and the counsel that is true and right. If man would take heed to it, he would live a good life. Why? Because this is the right way to use the body that God has given us.

This is a good exhortation for those who are single. For parents with children under 18, this is the time to teach them: do not stir up love until it pleases.

Why? Because if you do, dark days will come. It will affect your life. Many people have made a decision very quickly that they did not realize would affect them for the rest of their lives. Sometimes it is because they become pregnant, and sometimes it is because they contract a sexually transmitted disease. But even more than that, it is the emotional scars that it leaves on people. It's very clear.

So, what does God say? He wants to protect you from this. When God tells His people in Deuteronomy to be holy, for I am holy, it is not just to be separate and set apart so that you can flaunt how great and spiritual you are. If you are holy, you will be whole. Just like we saw in Ecclesiastes, the last chapter last week, let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man. This is what makes man whole.

There have been many people that I have counseled over the years, and many of the pastors here have counseled as well. They went into marriage having not saved themselves, and because of that, they weren't whole. They felt as if they had given a part of themselves to other people. However, if we take heed to the word of God, it is good and right to do so.

This is a necessary exhortation for singles, but it is also important counsel for couples. Those who are married should take heed to it, as well as those who are courting or in a dating relationship moving towards marriage. There are practical principles about not being alone together before marriage in this book, which, if you study it verse by verse, you will see. We won't be able to do that tonight because of the time we have, but this book provides important counsel for those who are married.

You know, there are probably hundreds, maybe even thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of books on how to be intimate in marriage. I don't encourage you to go search for them, but if you go to a Christian bookstore, you will find many resources on how to be intimate in marriage. Some of those things might be helpful, but it is important to go to the word of God first and foremost because God has some important things to say to us.

A brief outline of the book: Chapter 1 begins with a time of love celebration. This chapter speaks very clearly about the wedding night, as it talks about Solomon bringing her into his banqueting house in chapter 2, verse 4.

From chapter 1 to chapter 2, verse 7, is this first celebration of love. It says in verse 4 of chapter 1, "Draw me, and we will run after thee. The king has brought me into his chambers." The king has brought her into his inner chamber, and this is the wedding night being spoken of. Some Bible teachers and commentators get mixed up about this. They wonder, "What's going on here? It starts with the wedding night and then talks about the courtship. How is this? It seems backwards. Maybe they experienced this before they were married."

No, it's not because this is a flashback. She is experiencing the wedding night in chapter 1 through chapter 2, verse 7. Then, in chapter 2, verse 8, we come to the time of courtship. She flashes back to the courtship and all the way up through the marriage.

I want you to notice a few things in chapters 1 and 2. At this point in time, when the king and his queen are coming together to consummate the marriage for the very first time, she has a low self-image. In verse 6, she expresses this. This woman appears to be a worker out in the field, and her complexion is very dark. Culturally speaking, a fair complexion was more desirable. She says, "Now, those of you that are married, you understand this."

Guys, you understand that sometimes your wife may go through a phase where she has a poor self-image. As you read through this chapter, up until the point where they actually consummate the marriage in chapter 2, you see Solomon speaking to her with lovely words, encouraging her, and building her up. This is something I will admit I have to learn, and maybe you guys can agree with me. We have to learn how to use our words.

Guys are visually stimulated, while for women, it is communication that stimulates them. Here she comes, and she says, "This is their wedding night," but she expresses, "No, don't look upon me because I have a dark complexion." She has a low self-image, but he speaks to her and builds her up in a very poetic way.

Now, sometimes we read these things and think, "Your teeth are like well-shorn sheep." What is this? You have to understand it was a different time, a different culture. But he speaks to her to build up her image.

Notice what happens in Chapter 2, verse 1. Her image is built up. What does she say? "I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys." Her view changes, but it is still a humble view. She sees herself as just a lily of the valleys, like any other lily. But notice what he says to her: "As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the other daughters." He says that if she is just a lily of the field, then every other woman is like a thorn. You see, he builds her up, and she, in turn, speaks back to him.

In Chapter 3, she speaks about how great he is: "Like a tree among the trees of the wood is my beloved." Among the sons, she sits under his shadow. She feels secure with him. Why? Because of the way that he speaks to her. After he speaks to her with such loving communication, she rests in that security. She says, "You are like an apple tree, and I sit underneath that apple tree in safety and security."

Then she says in verse 4, "He brought me into his banqueting house, and his banner over me is love." His banner over her is love. In verse 6, she continues, "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand does embrace me." Then the charge comes to the women there: "Do not stir up love before it's time," to the young ladies of Jerusalem.

In Chapter 1 through Chapter 2, verse 7, you have this time of love celebration. But then there's a flashback in Chapter 2, verse 8, all the way through Chapter 5, verse 1. She flashes back to the courtship, the time that she met Solomon. It would appear, as she expresses this time of courtship, that he had gone to the northern part of the nation of Israel. He came just like a shepherd, like any other person there. Remember, his father, David, was a shepherd as well.

So he was up there, and she beheld him. She wanted to get to know him, and there is this whole idea of courtship going on, with her inquiring about, "Who is he? Who is this one?" When she inquires, she finds out that he is of good report. It is important for you to teach your children that when you begin to look for a spouse, you should look for someone who is of good report among those around you. Because, let's be honest, we can be blinded by love, can't we? It is important to receive the counsel of others.

Who have an objective view are able to look upon it and say, "I don't know if this person is just quite the right fit for you." This whole thing begins to build. As she flashes back, in Chapter 3, verse 6, the wedding procession begins.

"Who is this that comes out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all powders of the merchant? Behold, his bed, which is Solomon's. Threescore valiant men, sixty men, are about it, and the valiant of Israel. They hold swords, being experts in war. Every man has his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night."

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, and the bottom thereof of gold. The covering of it is purple, and the midst thereof is paved. We have this whole idea of the king coming to receive her, and the wedding procession begins.

Chapter 4, verse 1, though, begins again the wedding night. We return to the wedding night and see his description. He speaks to her. He uses his words, which is an important thing to take note of. Who is the initiator here? At this point, Solomon is the initiator of this wedding night. He speaks to her about her eyes, her hair, her teeth, and her lips. He speaks to her about her speech, her face, and her neck. He mentions some other parts as well.

He says, "Thou art all fair, my love. Every part about you is beautiful." He tells her there is no spot in her. He expresses how she has ravished his heart with just one look of her eyes, as stated in verse 9. "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse. How much better is thy love than wine, and the smell of your ointments, and all the spices that she had."

He speaks about her lips, saying, "Oh, my spouse, your lips drop as the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under thy tongue." They are initiating this through a kiss. This carries on into Chapter 5, where the marriage is once again consummated.

Now we are back to the wedding night. Chapters 1 through 2, verse 7, cover that passage of love celebration, speaking about the wedding night. Then, the flashback in Chapter 2, verse 8, through Chapter 5, verse 1, gives you the rest of the story, building up to this. This brings us to Chapter 5, verse 2.

The next section, which you might call problem-solving in marriage, is important because this book is honest about marriage. It doesn't just say that they lived happily ever after. Some secular stories would probably end with chapter 5, verse 1, stating, "And they lived happily ever after." However, there are problems that arise in marriage. Of course, not in any of your marriages, right? But there are difficulties that come.

This difficulty is very interesting. As you study through it and read through the passage, it starts here in chapter 2. It seems that she has a nightmare. Even psychologists have said that nightmares generally spring from things we ourselves are going through. A lot of times, your mind, just like your body, is rebuilding itself when you're sleeping. Your muscles are rejuvenated, and your mind lets go of all the stress and everything that's been going on throughout the day. That's why dream sleep is so important. When people are going through difficult situations and they don't sleep very well, the stress keeps building and building because they're not able to get into REM sleep, where the mind gets rid of all that stress.

In chapter 5, she has this nightmare. The nightmare involves her beloved coming to the door, but she rejects him. She says, "No, I don't want you to come right now." She gives him excuses in verse 3: "I have put off my coat. How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?" She expresses that she has already gotten ready for bed and is tired. These are the excuses she gives him. He lovingly leaves and doesn't pressure her. However, in this dream, he leaves, and she realizes he is gone.

Finally, she gets up in the dream and goes to the door, but he is no longer there. She then goes searching for him, unable to find the one she loves, and she feels fearful. She wakes up from this nightmare. What do you think she does right when she wakes up the next day? She goes to look for Solomon, trying to find him. She seeks out her love once again.

When she finally finds him, it's interesting to see as you go through chapter 6, from chapter 5, verse 2, to chapter 6, verse 12. When she finds him, he is not rude to her. In fact, he speaks to her lovingly, just as he did before. His words are very important. It's interesting to consider what the Proverbs say: "A soft answer turns away wrath." Boy, do I constantly have to learn that! A soft answer turns away wrath. So, she finds him, and he continues to give her this unconditional love and praise.

This book, I guarantee you, I would not have even considered; I probably would have skipped it if it hadn't been for Dr. TV. I've been meeting with him for a long time, and he's very well-studied in the book of Song of Solomon. He taught through Song of Solomon on Wednesday nights here at the church, and he understands, because of his culture—he comes from India—the Eastern and Middle Eastern view of a lot of this poetry. He was able to explain a lot of this to me.

One of the things he said to me while we were discussing this very passage is that love cannot be restored by anger and forcing one's will. That's important to consider. When she returns to Solomon to restore love, he said, "You know, love cannot be restored with anger or forcing one's will. It just needs to be love that is reciprocated."

At chapter 6, verse 13, we come to the fourth division of the book, which takes us into reaching new heights of intimacy, from chapter 6, verse 13 through chapter 7, verse 10. It is very interesting to read, and it’s a powerful passage. Notice what it says in verse 1 of chapter 7: "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes." Now, this is Solomon speaking to her. When you read the word "thy feet" in the original language, it speaks of a dance.

At this point, Solomon is not the one initiating; she is the one initiating. Within marriage, it is initiated on both sides at different times. She initiates by doing this dance, and it's not out in the open for everybody. It's important to understand that intimacy within marriage is private but not secret. Here, it is something that takes place privately between Solomon and his bride. She comes dancing for him, and notice he is speaking to her about what he likes about her body. He uses his words to say, "I love this about you."

It began on the wedding night, starting from the head down, but now he starts from the feet up: "Thy feet, thy thighs, thy navel, thy belly, your neck." Well, we won't say the other one, but he describes what is lovely to him and what he thinks about how wonderful she is. As he does this, it builds her up and begins to stimulate her through communication. Therefore, that communication in marriage is so very important.

Now, let's be very, very honest.

The world portrays or projects the idea of intimacy as being something that is just very on again, off again. For guys, that is very true. Generally, they are the ones who write and direct all these movies, so it is just very on again, off again.

In fact, right before I got married, my best man, Mark, did this PowerPoint presentation for my bachelor’s party. It was pretty cool; you have to see it. One of the pictures he had was a simple switch that said, "Men, On, Off." The rest of the picture showed office equipment and lab equipment with all these dials, buttons, and things flashing all over it, labeled "Women." It is true; it's just the way it is. Guys are on and off, while women are more complex.

One of the things Dr. TV says is that a guy is like a light bulb, while a woman is like an iron. It takes a while to heat up. Solomon, knowing this, uses his words. He speaks to her about how lovely she is and everything that stands out to him about her beauty. Men are stimulated by sight, and a wife would do well to understand this. Men are stimulated by sight, but women are stimulated by speech and communication. We, as men, would do well to understand that as well.

This book explains these dynamics, and it is something that I am learning. Many of you are much further along in this whole thing of marriage than I am. You probably could sit here and teach me a lot more than I am teaching you. All I know is what the Bible says, and we should use this as our foundation. If we are going to live right and use our bodies in a right way, then we should look to what the Scriptures have to say. It is important.

It is a sad fact that the church has kind of pushed this topic away and said, "No, we don't talk about that." However, the Bible talks about it. Unfortunately, this book often gets skipped over. I would have never taught this when I was a junior high pastor, nor would I have taught it before I was married. You have to use wisdom about where and how you teach it. There are certain things from this book that you can teach to a young child, such as "Do not stir up love until it pleases" or until it is the right time.

We have this seductive, intimate dance taking place here. Notice one of the things that Solomon says at the end of verse 5: "The king is held in the galleries." As he speaks about her, he says, "You have all of my attention. You've captivated me. How fair, how pleasant are you, O love for delights."

He says, "You are so fair and so delightful." Then she responds in verse 10, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me." She recognizes that his desire is for her. It would seem that as this ends, it ultimately culminates in the same act of intimacy; they come together and are joined as one once again.

This brings us to the next passage, or the last passage, which is Chapter 7, verses 11 through the end of Chapter 8. We might call this "Forever My Love," as she dedicates herself completely to him and asks to be the number one in his life. Interestingly, they seem to go on a journey. She takes him up to her home in the north of Israel, and there is a very interesting and unique passage of Scripture here. This is the one that my mom mentioned earlier, which I remember discussing with my friend Charles in high school. We looked at this and wondered, "What in the world is this verse all about?"

In verse 8 of Chapter 8, notice verse 9. What is going on here? This is the brothers of the Shulammite speaking. They look upon their sister, who has not yet gone through puberty, and they say to her, "She hasn't come of age yet. What are we going to do with her?" They consider, "If she be a wall," meaning if she sets herself up as someone who will not be loose and allow just anyone to come to her, it is not saying she is a wall in a flat sense. It is saying she is coming of age. They ask, "What shall we do when she is spoken for?"

They say, "If she is chaste and she is a wall, and she doesn't allow just anybody to come to her, then we will build upon her silver and gold. We will lift her up as a prized possession." However, they add, "If she be a door," now you can use your imagination about what that means. What do they say? "We will enclose her with boards of cedar. We will keep this girl locked up." If she chooses to be chaste, they want everyone to know.

To see how wonderful our sister is! But if she's just going to be a door and anybody can come and go, man, we are going to lock her up.

But notice what she says: "I am a wall." She made the decision; she made the choice that she was going to remain chaste and that chastity was a good thing, wasn't it? Why? Well, because when Solomon came in calling, she was ready to go with nothing hindering, nothing holding on to these other parts of this world. It's a powerful passage.

So, it's an important counsel for couples. It's an exhortation to those that are single, but it is also a comfort and an encouragement to believers. It has been a comfort and an encouragement to believers throughout the ages. Why? Because it speaks about the love that God has for us.

It is interesting when you look at the very last verse of the Song of Solomon, Chapter 8, Verse 14. What's the call? "Make haste, my beloved. Come quickly, my love." What's the very last verse of the Bible say, or the last five verses of the Book of Revelation tell us? "Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Come." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Even so, Lord Jesus, come. Come quickly!

In the church throughout the ages, especially in difficult times, they have looked to this book as a great comfort and encouragement because it speaks about that great love with which God loves us. He loves us; He has us as His prized possession. We are His jewel. He looks upon us longingly.

I want you to consider something. In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, right? And He took what? He took a rib. But the Scripture actually says He took from his side. And what did God make from his side? A bride, right? He made a bride.

Now, that's the first Adam. There is a second Adam, isn't there? And God the Father caused a deep sleep to fall upon Him and took from His side. Blood and water flowed, and from it came what? A bride—You and I. And He hasn't had a chance to be with us. We have never seen Him, but we cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." We look forward to that day when the wedding procession begins.

Just as we saw there in Chapter Six, I believe it was, now Chapter Seven—I don't remember; it's in there somewhere—where the wedding procession began and the king comes for his bride to take her back to have the wedding feast.

The Jewish wedding feast was a lot different than our wedding feasts. We go to weddings, and we're there for maybe, hopefully, the ceremony that doesn't go for too long. Especially when it's like my wedding, 114 degrees outside, and you're standing there thinking you're going to pass out. Our wedding feasts may last a few hours, but during this time, the wedding feast would often begin in the middle of the night.

There would be a betrothal where the man would know this is the one he is going to marry. He would return to his father's house and prepare for his bride by building his own house. At a certain time, when that house was made ready, the father would come and tell the son to go and get his bride. A lot of times, this would take place in the middle of the night. The son would go with a great procession, and everybody would make all kinds of noise. This great parade would come, and he would receive the bride, taking her and all of her ladies-in-waiting back to the house of the groom. They would have a seven-day feast, this great celebration, and at the end of that seven-day feast, they would consummate the marriage.

Now, it's interesting because Jesus told us in John Chapter 14, "I go to prepare a place for you, my bride." He has been there preparing that place for us. This world only took six days to create, and He has been preparing for a long time. I can't even imagine how wonderful it is going to be. There is coming a day when the Father will say to the Son, "Go get your bride," and He will come like a thief in the night to take the bride to have this seven-year feast with the Lord. We look forward to that day.

So we, like the Shulamite at the end of this passage in Song of Solomon Chapter 8, Verse 14, say, "Make haste, my love, make haste, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices." She says, "Like a deer running upon the mountains."

Come quickly! In our day, the bride of Christ looks to the heavens, and the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. This is a powerful passage. You do well to read it and study it, considering what it has to say to us, especially those who are married and those who are young and single. God will honor you if you honor Him in these things.

Let's stand and pray. Lord, we do cry out tonight, "Come quickly." We look forward to that day when You shall come and take us away. But until that time, Lord, I pray that You would help us to be bright, shining examples in our marriages and in our lives. Lord, may people see a difference. It is a sad thing that even within the church, the divorce rate is just like it is in the world now.

Lord, we pray that You would change that as we take careful heed to Your word, at least in this small fellowship on Saturday night or here as a whole at Calvary Chapel. I pray that we would take careful heed to Your word and that we would see our lives and our marriages transformed.

We thank You that You have given us instruction about how to rightly use our lives, even in the context of marriage. You've left nothing out, and we praise You for that, Lord. We ask that You would continue to teach us these things as we go from here. In Jesus' name, Amen.