Month: August 2020
Listen Up!- Isaiah- Week 1- Day 1
Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
Isaiah 1:10
Explanation:
Notice the two commands that God gives in this verse: “hear” and “give ear.” The idea of these words were not just to audibly take it in. The idea was to listen and obey.
Also notice the two audiences: “rulers of Sodom” and “people of Gomorrah.” When you read the context here, God is speaking (1:2) to the nation of Judah and Jerusalem specifically (1:1). He is not talking to the actual cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities were known to be very sinful cities.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Genesis 13:13
These were the cities who faced the fire and brimstone of God’s wrath because of their wickedness.
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
Genesis 19:24-25
In essence God was calling Jerusalem and Judah the future objects of his wrath. He was calling them wicked. By calling them to listen to His Word and His Law he was being merciful. He was warning them of the status of their behavior.
Application:
It is so important for us to listen to God’s Word. It’s not enough to know what His will is. We must be dedicated to doing it.
Response:
• Are you being disobedient to God’s Word in any area of your life?
Personal Admiration- Song of Solomon- Week 13- Day 4
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5:10-16
Explanation:
In response to the question of the daughters of Jerusalem, the wife gives an admirable and beautiful description of her husband, going from head to toe and then back to his mouth. It is clear that she knows, loves and reveres her husband.
Near the end she calls him both “beloved” (“lover”) and “friend.” She knows him and admires him physically, emotionally and relationally.
This description of the husband is not unlike the descriptions in other parts of the book of the wife by the husband. There is a mutual admiration and submission to each spouse in the book.
Application:
One can be faithful to their spouse out of mere duty. The best marriages though exhibit faithfulness to each other out of delight.
The pursuit of our spouse ought to be of top priority for husbands and wives alike. When we admire our spouse with the right attitude, it produces a love and a longing for them that helps the marriage relationship. We must find our sole romantic delight in them alone. If we don’t “feel” this way we should “act our way into that feeling.”
Response:
• How can you express your admiration for your spouse to them this week in a fun and unique way? Do it!
Public Proclamation- Song of Solomon- Week 13- Day 3
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
Song of Solomon 5:8-9
Explanation:
Here the wife is talking to the “daughters of Jerusalem”, a group that she has spoken to before (3:1-5). She asks them to convey the message to her husband that she is sick because of the amount of love that she has for him. She loves him, but he is gone. She longs for her husband, and wants others to know about her desire for him. She is not worried that other women know how much she loves and longs for her husband.
In the other instances in Song of Solomon when the daughters of Jerusalem are spoken to, they seem to help or to buy into things. Here they question her back. What is the question? In essense they ask, “What makes your beloved so special, that you ask us to help you?” They seem to possibly have a different perspective about her husband than she does. Again, this is a good thing.
The wife then sees this then as an opportunity to describe her husband in a way that she would not be able to describe any other man. Again, there is an exclusive, intimate relationship not like any other relationship in her life.
Application:
The public position that a spouse should take about their mate is one of love and respect. Here the wife is making it clear to others that she thinks highly of her husband.
It is important that we not put our wives or husbands down privately or publicly. Publicly mocking or teasing our spouse can be problematic for the intimacy of the relationship. Publicly admiring and praising our spouse can be healthy and prevent problems down the road.
Response:
• What would others give as evidence of your love and admiration for your spouse?
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 