[Linux4christians] Friday - Song of Songs 7

[dcolburn at bibleseven.com]

    Friday


      Song of Songs 7



7:1 /*The Lover to His Beloved:*/

How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O nobleman's daughter!

The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a 
master craftsman.

7:2 Your navel is a round mixing bowl -- may it never lack mixed wine!

Your belly is a mound of wheat, encircled by lilies.

7:3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.

7:4 Your neck is like a tower made of ivory.

Your eyes are the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.

7:5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.

The locks of your hair are like royal tapestries -- the king is held 
captive in its tresses!

7:6 How beautiful you are! How lovely, O love, with your delights!



The Palm Tree and the Palm Tree Climber

7:7 /*The Lover to His Beloved:*/

Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like clusters of 
grapes.

7:8 I want to climb the palm tree, and take hold of its fruit stalks.

May your breasts be like the clusters of grapes, and may the fragrance 
of your breath be like apricots!

7:9 May your mouth be like the best wine, flowing smoothly for my 
beloved, gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.



Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession

7:10 /*The Beloved about Her Lover:*/

I am my beloved's, and he desires me!



The Journey to the Countryside

7:11 /*The Beloved to Her Lover:*/

Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside; let us spend the night 
in the villages.

7:12 Let us rise early to go to the vineyards, to see if the vines have 
budded, to see if their blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in 
bloom -- there I will give you my love.

7:13 The mandrakes send out their fragrance; over our door is every 
delicacy, both new and old, which I have stored up for you, my lover.




      Prayer


Lord, You have often declared Your love for us, Jesus said "How I have 
longed to gather you to Myself." May I be certain of Your love and 
respond in-kind.


      Commentary


Solomon, like his father, David was given to pen reams of flowery 
phraseology -- in this case complimentary -- in much of the Psalms 
(David) and Ecclesiastes (Solomon) -- considerably more negative.


Here Solomon described the physical details of his young wife's body 
using comparative images which could defy the ability of a reader to 
comprehend. [What do twin 4-legged gazelles and a woman's breasts have 
in common, other than the numeric similarity?]


He returned to the reference to intoxication, perhaps explaining his 
poetic excesses, describing kissing her lips as like wine to his senses.


After her prior expression of concern for his commitment, followed by 
her hopeful declaration that his love would bring him back to her, she 
hears his praise and declares again her certainty of his commitment "I 
am my beloved's, and he desires me!"


Solomon concludes by inviting her to the countryside, saying that if 
things are in bloom he would make love to her in the gardens.



      Interaction

Consider

The woman emphasizes relationship, though she echoes Solomon's emphasis 
upon physical attributes, which Solomon mostly speaks of the physical.


        Discuss

Might Solomon have been trying to assure the woman with his flowery 
language, given his growing bevy of young and beautiful wives and 
concubines from across the known world?



        Reflect

Solomon seemed to have a need to seek-out unusual experiences in unusual 
locations.


        Share

When have you read a poem or story wherein which the language was so 
extreme and flowery that it became difficult to follow?



      Faith in Action

Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a place when He likes to meet you. Some 
place where you break away from the world and where you are the least 
distracted by the things of the world.



        Action:

Today I will make time to be where the Lord God most effectively touches 
my heart and mind. It may be a certain room in your home at a certain 
time of day, it may be a place in your back yard or a park, it may be in 
a place where believers gather, or somewhere else. The key is to try and 
find a place that makes intimate communion with Him most-possible.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday's text will be:


      Song of Songs 8



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! Startpage.com
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