The Shulammite shepherdess

Did you finish your reading? (Grin)
I know, right? I'm doing good to read a chapter or two, much less EIGHT!! But I think this was a good assignment . . .
I'm hoping that since this is a passage of much discussion over the years, that we'll have some comments and discussion here. If you don't agree with my take on things, please feel free to chime in and say so! We all learn from each other!

So, why is this the Song of songs? There are many songs that speak in tender terms of the love between a man and a woman, but this particular song was incorporated (at the Spirit's guidance) into the Scriptures. The same One Who created man and woman wanted us to have this Song -- and I think that it reveals the heart of God to us, too.

Let's dive in!

In the Bible, we find the subject of sex is handled very frankly, and very honestly. I believe that is how God intended us to view it. We can see that the Song is a love song, and that it describes frankly, but with purity, the delight of a man and a woman in each other's love, and in each other's bodies. It's not obscene, nor is it pornographic.

These eight chapters are almost like what we would call a musical, in our era. The characters who speak or sing these lines are Solomon, the young king of Israel; the Shulammite shepherdess; and sometimes the chorus ladies -- could be those in the city, or those in Solomon's harem. Yeah, I know, God told him not to get tangled up that way, but it happened. Remember what I said about the Bible being frank and honest? (Grin)

Let's lay the background for this musical, before the players get on the stage, shall we?
Over in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us that he undertook expeditions to find out what life was like on various levels. Instead of hunkering down and never leaving his palace, he went out into the world to see things for himself. Once, it says, he disguised himself as a simple country lad, working as a shepherd or vineyard hand. From my studies, I think this is when he met the shepherdess. They fell in love, and after they had promised themselves to each other, he went away. When he has been gone for some time, she cries out to him in loneliness.

Suddenly, the announcement comes that the king, in all his splendor, is coming to visit the region. The girl may have listened with interest, but it doesn't really distract her, for she is longing for her lover. But then words comes that the king wants to see her -- why? She goes into his presence, and discovers with joy that he is her beloved. He takes her back to the city and they are married in the palace.

Did ya know that the word "Shulammite" is actually the feminine form of Solomon? I guess we could call this lady we are studying Mrs. Solomon!

Did ya know, also, that even in the very poetic and figurative language here, we can always tell who is speaking (or singing)?  The bridegroom always refers to her as "my love," and the bride calls Solomon "my beloved."

And speaking of poetry, this truly is figurative and flowery language, no? If any young man today were to say this:

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes    that have come up from the washing;all of them bear twins;    not one among them has lost its young. (Song of Solomon 6:6)

I kinda think he'd be misunderstood, don't you? (Smile) It's obvious that this is the language of love among the ancient peoples.

Song of Solomon, in its eight chapters, describes married love as God intended for us to enjoy it. The full freedom to share mutual satisfaction, such as is described here, is possible only within the total "one-ness" that marriage permits. Total fulfillment can only happen when there is total commitment to each other. And that is emphasized in the book, when the bride gives her advice to the ladies of Jerusalem . . .

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,    by the gazelles or the does of the field,that you not stir up or awaken love    until it pleases. (Song of Solomon 2:7)

Being able to experience love like this in marriage is the result of not rushing into love. (Remember the song, "You can't hurry love"?) Waiting for love to develop on its own, and not rushing into relationships is the secret to the commitment and delight that is described here.

Set me as a seal upon your heart,    as a seal upon your arm,for love is strong as death,    jealousy is fierce as the grave.Its flashes are flashes of fire,    the very flame of the Lord.7 Many waters cannot quench love,    neither can floods drown it. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7a)

God planned for all of the delights in this passage, to be part of the experience that committed men and women share as a part of marriage. So, this whole book is a plea for purity in life, and chastity in relationships, until the time of marriage comes.

But as scholars have noted, this book is also a beautiful picture of the delight of a committed Christian and the love of a holy God. We'll explore that tomorrow!

Verses that inspire

Are you in a hurry?

Are you rushed?

Frazzled by the cares and conflicts of this world that we live in?

Take a moment. Breathe. And read these verses of inspiration:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:17-19)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Practice the "way" of peace within our own circles of influence.  How do we do that?

Make certain that we leave enough time for each task that we must complete.
Drop conversations that are getting out of hand. Agree to disagree.
Make sure that we are the ones who appear calm, and collected. Instead of getting flustered, and responding quickly (and perhaps sinfully) to insults, let's take a moment to remember that we want to be Christ-like.

Have you some verses to share, that have inspired, comforted, or chastened you recently?

The Shulammite shepherdess

Picture two little boys with an open Bible in front of them, and one is pointing at the page, and they both are giggling. What do you think they are reading?

Yep. You guessed it. The Song of Songs. The Song of Solomon.
I wonder if any passage has been more discussed, more misunderstood, but studied any less than these eight chapters?

Within these chapters we find poetry that some have frowned on, some have labeled "erotic," and others just ignore, because they aren't sure what to make of it.

Some scholars have said it's a picture of Christ's love for his church. Some have said, no, it's a picture of God's love for Israel. And still others have said it's Solomon's love for a shepherdess that became his bride, and that it can be seen as an illustration of Christ's love.

Hmmmmmm.

The Pulpit Commentary says this: "There is no book of scripture on which more commentaries have been written and diversity of opinion expressed that this short poem of eight chapters. Despite these voluminous writings, it is a book about which very little is know generally by students of the Bible."

I once heard a historian tell this tale: In early America, Benjamin Franklin published the Song of Solomon in installments - little sections for people to read. It stirred up an awful lot of interest, and he was inundated with requests from people who wanted to know where a complete copy of the poetry could be purchased. Finally, on the last installment, he told them it was right there in the pages of their own Bibles!

Here is your reading assignment!

Are you ready? I know, right? I don't usually give out assignments! (Grin)

I hope you will take some time to read the eight chapters of the Song of Solomon.
We will try to study and make some applications for our own lives.

No fair asking me which picture I think it is . . . .

Friday slowdown

The story of Herodias reminds us that we need a close relationship with our Father; He forgives our sins and covers them with His grace. We have assurance that we will be with Him forever.

Herodias (unless something happened later in her life) didn't know that sweet fellowship with God, and the hope of heaven must have seemed like foolishness to her. She felt her troubles were over when she accomplished John the Baptist's death.

I hope that you enjoy this song. The lyrics are especially moving to me. Blessings to all, and have a wonderful weekend.

Worse than Jezebel

I tell you what -- I'm going to be glad to leave Herodias behind. She was awful! What a distinction to have: one of history's most wicked women. That problem heart of hers, full of ambition and sin, proved to be the undoing of Herodias and all those around her.

Her counterpart in the Old Testament was Jezebel, and in our title this week, we noted that Herodias was even worse than her. We saw that she exceeded Jezebel in her hatred of God's servant -- she managed to kill him. Elijah outlived Jezebel -- she was thrown from the balcony by one of her servants.

There's a positive note here: The historians tell us that when Antipas was charged with treason, the Emperor exiled him to France, and offered to free Herodias to a life of luxury in Agrippa's palace. Instead, she went with Herod Antipas to France, and lived with her husband and his shame (that she helped to create).

So, Herodias' final legacy is one of vengeance, wickedness, and sin.

What will our legacies be?

What are the things that will determine how we are remembered? What will be said at our eulogies? The principles that we embrace, the priorities that we establish, and our philosophy for living will be what determine how people remember us. Personally, I hope that people remember me for what I did with God's help, and the things that I did for Him.

Whether single or married, a woman can take great pride in the home she creates. We know in our hearts that the home is more than the physical house; it's more than the lumber and shingles and furnishings inside.
As Christian women, our homes should be places of love, encouragement, safety, and inspiration. Herodias missed the mark on that, didn't she? She threw aside her first husband, and then she threw her daughter to the wolves.
Are our homes where young people are prepared for tomorrow's world?
Are they places where older people can find comfort?
Are they places where unwise ones can receive guidance, and where hurt ones can be encouraged and healed?
Are our homes places where family and friends can be assured that they will find love?

Maybe the saddest thing of all about Herodias, is that she faced eternity without knowing God's forgiveness and grace.
If she had only listened to John when he talked about Jesus . . .

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Revelation 22:12-15)

Oh, how I pray that all of us will be inside those gates with Jesus!

Worse than Jezebel

This week we are studying Herodias - a truly wicked person. What can we learn from her? She came from a family with LOTS of problems, but that can be overcome. Her problem was a heart full of ambition and sin.
Let's dive in again!

We saw last time that Herodias had dumped her husband and gone off with his half-brother. Marrying Herod Antipas was a scandalous thing, but probably no one was courageous enough to say that to their faces when Antipas, Herodias, and Salome arrived at their palace.

Except for John.  John was recognized as God's prophet and his words carried a great deal of weight. Not legally, of course, but morally and spiritually. John was outspoken in his criticism of the marriage and the fact that it was not permitted. He spoke God's words to the newlyweds.

We must admire the courage of John the Baptist. He must have known the fate that could be his, for calling out these two and exposing their sin to all.  He spoke boldly, and he spoke the truth.

Needless to say, these words were not well-received. Herodias hated John and all that he stood for. She was determined to shut him up! I'm sure that she pushed Herod Antipas to throw John in jail. We can read between the lines where it talks about Herod being interested in what John said -- it was probably Antipas who prevented John from being killed right then. "Let's just throw him in the palace dungeon, you know, the one with the most rats," is probably what he told his angry wife. (Grin)

So, here you have John in prison, Antipas puzzled but drawn to John's message, and Herodias breathing fire and wanting John dead. Wonder if John began to look more and more like a martyr to those outside the palace? It wasn't making the problem go away; in fact, it was drawing attention to it. After all, if John's words had not been true, why get upset about them?  His words must have been bothering their consciences.

Now it's time to make party plans . . . as she played the part of loving wife, Herodias probably chose the party guests very carefully, and arranged the seating of the revelers herself. She paid special attention to the ambience and lighting, and may even have suggested topics of conversation to the guests, who would have been only too happy to cooperate with this powerful woman. I expect that she chose the wines and made certain that they flowed very freely, too. And then she thought about how to spring the trap. She knew that Herod would be flattered by all of this attention, and she also knew that he would drink deeply and too much . . .

Salome, her daughter, must have been a beautiful girl, and we know from historians' accounts of the time that dancing girls were routinely included in entertainment. When the crowd appreciated their efforts, they would be tossed flowers or coins, or chosen to be part of the household (kind of like a promotion). Apparently, Salome's dance was provacative, perhaps even what we would call a "striptease."   Her drunken step-dad was so taken with it that he vowed to give her whatever she wanted for her prize -- all the way up to half of what he owned! Yep, he fell for Herodias' plan, hook-line-and-sinker.

(Personal note here: as a mom, I can't fathom allowing a daughter to dance in front of drunken, leering men. Herodias is as vile and wicked as they come, no? Not just ambitious, not just jumping into her brother-in-law's bed, not just wanting to kill John the Baptist, but encouraging men to view and lust after her daughter, too. Ugggh.)

Salome ran to her mom, and asked her "what shall I say?" Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Salome rushed back to the banquet hall and made her demand -- she embellished it somewhat, adding that it should be placed on a silver platter.

Wonder what Herod's thoughts were, then. The Bible passage noted that Herod had protected John. He realized on some level that John was God's man. He was intrigued by his sermons. Now he had been tricked into killing him. John wouldn't get a trial this way. If Herod backed away from his drunken promise, he would "lose face." His birthday party guests would all ridicule him, and reject him.

Herod Antipas gave the order, knowing it was wrong. John was beheaded, and the gory trophy was presented to Salome, who took it to her mother. No justice here. Just the vengeance of a wicked woman.  And possibly a change in the way Herod was viewed by others -- no doubt some saw him as a puppet of his wife after this incident.

When he sobered up, he regretted what he'd done. And later, Mark tells us, he was haunted by the thoughts of John -- when he heard of Jesus and His miracles, he thought that John had come back from the dead. If he'd not been drunk, perhaps things would have been different. But Herodias manipulated him expertly -- he dropped his guard, since he was in his own home and drinking, he was relaxed. He not only dropped his guard and was vulnerable, but he was surrounded by his peers, too. And she gave him no opportunity to wait or reconsider.  He had to make his decision then, or face the mocking and ridicule of his wealthy, powerful friends.

Does the devil use these tricks on Christians? You bet he does! He puts temptations in front of us, sometimes when we are in our own homes, or somewhere else that we feel safe. We've let our guard down, and we're relaxed. The devil points us toward the temptation and reminds us that the people around us may not accept us, in fact they may ridicule us, if we don't say or do this thing. Why be a "straight-laced" person? Why be perceived as "traditional" or as a "stick in the mud"?  We humans are so desirous of other people's respect . . .

Maybe we need to be more like John. John the Baptist did not want to die, but he was more afraid of defying God, or letting Him down, than he was of defying man. Isn't this what Jesus wants from all of us? Total allegiance to Him, and living our lives without compromising Him or His Word?

We'll finish our study of Herodias tomorrow.

Prayer requests

It's time once again for our special day of prayer for the requests that we know about. It is an honor to spend time in prayer and meditation each day, especially when we can bring others' petitions with us to our Father.

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Up there, where I said "and meditation" . . . don't get hung up on that, OK? I'm not talking about the same thing that non-Christians mean, when they say "meditation." That practice has a stated purpose of "emptying the mind."  Our meditation seeks to engage the mind in purposeful thought, prayer to God, and deepening our relationship with Him.

How do we do this? We use our times of meditation and prayer as times of fellowship with God. Read a passage slowly, savoring each word. Worship Him in our spirits, as we quote His Word back to Him. Purpose in our hearts to "do according to all that is written there." (Joshua 1:8)

We can also personalize the verse. I don't believe that it grieves the Spirit for us to do this. Here is an example: Colossians 3:16 could be said, "Let the word of Christ dwell in me richly . . ." It then becomes a more personal verse, and will stick with us even better!

As we ponder our verses and are attentive to the Spirit, He will reveal new insights to us and help us to understand more fully.
To put it simply, our purpose in prayer and meditation is to seek His face, and to ask, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

Let's give special attention to our prayer time today. Meditate on His Word as we pray for each other. If you would like for us to pray with you about a matter, please leave a comment for all of us.