I just love these two chapters. So much passion and desire is seen here between a man and his wife. This is symbolic of Christ’s love for us. Hallelujah.
Song of Solomon 5:
1 [He ] I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk.[Others ] Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love!
The Bride Searches for Her Beloved
2 [She] I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night."
3 I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me.
5 I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.
7 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls.
8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.
9 [Others ] What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
The Bride Praises Her Beloved
10 [She ] My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires.
15 His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 6:
1 [Others ] Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?
Together in the Garden of Love
2 [She ] My beloved has gone down to his garden to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies.
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
4 [He ] You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.
5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me--- Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
6 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.
7 Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.
8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, pure to her who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.
10 "Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?"
11 [She ] I went down to the nut orchard to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
12 Before I was aware, my desire set me among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince.
13 [Others ] Return, return, O Shulammite, return, return, that we may look upon you.[He ] Why should you look upon the Shulammite, as upon a dance before two armies?
Things to think about…
1. Sex is the most amazing gift God has given to men. Song of Solomon 5:1 says that the beloved came into his garden and ate the honeycomb with the honey, and drank wine and milk. He ate and drank and was drunk with love. Hallelujah! What a picture. Be drunk with love with your wives men of God. Long for your dear wife, chase her and enjoy her. This is God’s counsel for a godly marriage. What are the things that get in the way of this happening? Destroy those things. Our Lord Jesus wants better for you.
2. S of S 5:2-9 shows the longing the bride has for her new husband. She wants him to be with her, but he is gone. She goes searching for him and is beaten in the process by the watchmen of all people. What can we learn from this? Sometimes our faith knows dry, lonely places. We seek after Christ, our beloved, but he does not answer, He is distant. We are abused, sometimes even by the church. Like the watchmen, they may think they are helping us, but are not. What should we do? The young bride keeps seeking, even after the horrible night. Have you had these lonely, dry, difficult periods in your walk. We all have. Press on – He is conforming you into His likeness, not your own. As the young Shulamite kept seeking after her husband, keep seeking after Christ until you find Him. This should be the desire of the bride for her husband. The church should long to be with her beloved, Jesus.
3. This woman is totally distracted by her man. Look at how she describes him, S of S 5:10-16. Women of the Lord, how do you see your husbands? Are you captivated by them? Without replacing Christ, do you see your husbands as being your all in all. Do you respect and admire them? If not, realign your heart. God wants you to see your husbands in a far better light. You say your husband is not worthy, true, but neither are you of being loved as Christ loved the church, yet Jesus makes it so. In the same way you need to respect and admire your husband the way our Lord requires of you. These verses are symbolic of who Christ is for us as His bride. This should also be reflected in our marriages. Stop making excuses and grieving the Spirit and love to the full. This brings glory to our Lord through a faithful witness to a world by showing what true and pure love looks like.
4. Where is her beloved? He is tending to his own garden S of S 6:1-3. He has his own work and ministry. This is where a husband needs the support and help of his wife. This picture is also symbolic of Christ. He is building His church. We are to labour with Him in His vineyard. We are not to look out just for our own interests, but to our Husband’s interests. We are called to make disciples and go where He is leading and labouring.
5. Look at Solomon, though he has 60 wives and 80 concubines, vs 8 (he has only just started here, he ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines). But his distraction is towards this young Shulammite woman. Christ, unlike Solomon is wholly distracted by His bride, the church, and will remain faithful to her alone. Are you assured of Christ’s love and devotion to you today? My prayer is that He will bless you with assurance, peace and an overwhelming sense of His presence. Do not rest until it is yours.
6. In S of S 6:10-13 the young wife tends to her duties – she looks for fruitfulness in the field, vs 11. Her heart is distracted and led away, vs 12 as she remembers her prince. Sometimes our lives can be distracted with legitimate worldly affairs, and we can be as it were, dancing before 2 armies, vs 13. It is all for Christ, our beloved. Our heart is His.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “Give it a shot, nothing to lose” – Reading Eccles 11.
1. Solomon had tried everything in life. He had 700 wives, 300 concubines and many building projects and an abundance of wealth. He wanted for nothing, yet his testimony was “all is vanity”. What did he mean?
2. How is a baby who has been still born better than one who has lived a full life yet does not know God. There is encouragement here. Can we be certain all babies go to heaven, what are your thoughts?
3. Christ alone gives us abundance in this life and certainty in the next. Can we be certain? Discuss Eccl 12:13
4. Pray for each other and the outreach of the gospel
Prayer Points
1. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023.
2. Some away through sickness.
3. Ministry leaders within the church.
4. Sunday’s members meeting.
5. Peace to rest over Ukraine.
6. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
7. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Sunday’s members’ meeting. Pray for site development and the leaderships wisdom to manage through the process.
2. Many returning back to full health.
3. Worship on Sunday – thankyou Paul, Suzy, Melinda and Maddison looking after Kidz at Church. Iman doing the words. Fiona and Suzy in café always do a stellar job. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
4. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Remember to check your duty rosters.
2. Poikie and Braai next Sunday morning – remember to bring salads, etc. Meat and rolls provided. Service will be outside.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for August...
Q. 7. What is hell? A. A place of dreadful and endless punishment & torment.
