Friday: Further Thought – The Royal Love Song
Further Thought: The Royal Love Song
“Marriage has received Christ’s blessing, and it is to be regarded as a sacred institution. True religion is not to counterwork the Lord’s plans. God ordained that man and woman should be united in holy wedlock, to raise up families that, crowned with honor, would be symbols of the family in heaven.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
And at the beginning of His public ministry Christ gave His decided sanction to the institution that had been sanctioned in Eden. Thus He declared to all that He will not refuse His presence on marriage occasions, and that marriage, when joined with purity and holiness, truth and righteousness, is one of the greatest blessings ever given to the human family”. – Ellen G. White, Daughters of God, pages 180, 181.
As the Song of Solomon showed, sexual love can be a wonderful thing in marriage. But a lasting relationship cannot be based simply on the outward beauty and physical delights. Our bodies age and decay, and no amount of diet, exercise, or plastic surgery will keep us looking forever young. Solomon and the Shulamite’s marriage is a lifelong, committed relationship. Three times they affirm that they belong to each other (Song of Sol. 2:16, Song of Sol. 6:3, Song of Sol. 7:10). The first time it’s a recognition of mutual ownership (compare with Eph. 5:21, Eph. 5:33). The second time she reverses the order in affirmation of her submission (also Eph. 5:22-23). The third time it expresses his desire for her (Eph. 5:24-32). Love like this cannot be drowned (Song of Sol. 8:7), it’s like a seal that cannot be broken (Song of Sol. 8:6).
Discussion Questions:
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This week the lesson has provided us with a real challenge and I must admit that I have found it difficult to write comments that are more than the "Stop it, or you will go blind!" approach. There are three thoughts that I would like to leave you with.
1) We are not the bedroom police.
2) Compassion is more important the condemnation.
3) Sexual sin in forgivable:
And on that note, I am going to leave you for about 4 weeks. I am going to spend some time with Carmel, my wife of 50 years, and we are going on a trip of a lifetime to Norway and Iceland to celebrate. She deserves a bit of attention from me.
Thanks a lot my brother Maurice for your the inspiring words of wisdom in your comments on daily basis. I always look forward to reading them and then the other people's additions. It's a great mission. Enjoy your time in Norway with your bride, your sister and your friend.
Very nice. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you and enjoy your time.
Enjoy that attention giving, Maurice!
I too say thanks and appreciation for all your comments Brother Maurice. I look forward to your comments everyday. Have a wonderful time with your wife. In my prayers as a child of God. God bless.
You will be missed. Enjoy your time together.
Your comments are always rich and practical in the real life. Thanks so much for you are always dedicated to Ssnet💪💪
Thank you Brother Maurice! I truly look forward to all of your Comment's ! Enjoy your time with your Wife and stay safe in all your Travels! I will look forward to your Comments when you return in a Month!
Maurice, thank you. I always rush to comments to look for your opinion which I find very rich. I thank God for your age and experience which I believe is the source of your enriching comment. May God bless you, keep you and your wife on your trip. Plan to visit Kenya in the coming days as well.
Blessed sabbath everyone.
The week's lesson has kept the level of discussion at seeking the ideal in a less than ideal world. The shattered and tattered lives of all humanity, believer and unbeliever alike, are all around us, me included. For the ideal to be reached in Christ, He must increase and I decrease. Easier said than lived. But we are assured that when we consider ourselves "in Christ" we can trust as we daily seek to give ourselves over to having been crucified with Him, He does make us more like Him. We become better equipped to address a sin fallen race with more wisdom and compassion.
I am not so sure that in our being put back together again in Jesus we will ever reach even a modicum of a right to say or imply "go and sin no more," but we can lead others to fasten their faith on the One, the only One, who ever said those words. That is our task.
I think of EGW's words that say, "Hanging upon the cross Christ was the gospel. Now we have a message, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in men's minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God. They thus receive their lesson. Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness. He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ." (6BC 1113)