A Flaming Romance
Song of Songs 8:6-7
David Feddes

8:6 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.
8:7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
He would be utterly despised.

 

Sunday School Question

What is grey, has a furry tail, and collects acorns for the winter?

 

Bible Question

When a  song says, “I love you. I long for you. I can’t bear to be apart from you. You are lovely. You have a fantastic body, and I want it”—what is that song talking about?

 

Marriage mystery

Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. (Song 8:6)

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Eph 5:32) As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5). The wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. (Rev 19:7).

 

A Flaming Romance

1. Loyal and lasting

2. Strong and fierce as death

3. Blazing with God’s fire

4. Aflame & alive through every flood

5. Precious beyond price

 

1. Loyal and lasting

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm” (8:6)

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (2:4)

Uncle John and Aunt Irene

 

Loyalty treats spouse as royalty

She thinks her young shepherd is as kingly as Solomon: “Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock” (1:7).

Solomon’s own advice after 1,000 women: “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love” (Ecclesiastes 9:9).

Loyal and lasting

“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Ps. 36:5)

 

2. Strong and fierce as death

“… for love is strong as death,
Jealousy is fierce as the grave.” (8:6)

Next generation of love and life:
Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor. (8:5)

 

Jealously exclusive: 
“Forsaking all others”

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride… How beautiful is your love… A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed. (4:9-12)

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (6:3).

 

Love’s Fierce Jealousy

You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14).

“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God… The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”  (Deuteronomy 4:24)

 

Jealous to Save

Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. (Joel 2:18)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.” (Zechariah 8:2)

 

Stronger than death

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. (Isaiah 25:8).

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor 15:26).

Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14)

God is love (1 John 4:8,16).

 

3. Blazing with God’s fire

Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. (8:6)

Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me… Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners? (6:5-10)

 

Don’t play with fire!
 Wise Courtship

1. Seek spouse, not recreational romance.

2. Pair off only at marriageable age.

3. Involve families where appropriate.

4. If you start courting and discover this isn’t the one for you, end it promptly.

5. Wait for honey till the honeymoon.

 

Keep fire in the fireplace!
 Married Love

1. Frequent expression of affection.

2. Keep far away from temptations: at work, on the road, in entertainment.

3. Keep passion private, but don’t keep sin secret. Be honest and accountable.

4. Family-friendly spiritual fellowship.

 

4. Aflame and alive
through every flood

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. (8:7)

“for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health”

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Cor. 13:7-8)

 

Passing through the waters

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you… you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

 

5. Precious beyond price

If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. (8:7)

Solomon had a vineyard … he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand. (8:12)

 

Immeasurable riches

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4-7)

 

8:6 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.
8:7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
He would be utterly despised.

Последнее изменение: четверг, 9 августа 2018, 09:33