Song of Solomon 3-4: God’s Plan for Love and Intimacy
Today’s Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5 ERV, Ch. 6 CEV
Podcast Introduction
It’s Poetry Thursday. We’ll read Song of Solomon chapters 3-4. I’m calling this episode “God’s Plan for Love and Intimacy.“
Summary
Song of Solomon chapters 3 and 4 portray a wedding ceremony and the wedding night. The main message is that God designed attraction, courtship, affection, marriage, and intimacy to be shared in that order between a husband and wife. Despite what our culture says, God’s plan is the best. If we’ve strayed, seeking God’s forgiveness is the way back. Confessing our sins to Him leads to forgiveness, as He erases our sins and urges us, like Jesus did, to “Go and sin no more.”
Listen to the episode for more!
As mentioned in my comments, here is a good list of commentaries on Song of Solomon.
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The Team
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript Correction
Michael Haner: Podcasting 2.0 Chapters
Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Scott Snider: Show Art
Jason Paschall: Show Art
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher
Transcript
Transcript not yet corrected.
Steve Webb 0:00
If a culture says it’s okay, does that mean that God’s plan is outdated, inconsequential or no longer valid?
Steve Webb 0:08
It’s the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California by casting since 2004. I’m your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb. It’s poetry Thursday, and we’ll read Song of Solomon chapters three and four. This episode is pre recorded since I’m recovering from yesterday surgery. The website is Lifespringmedia.com. and I’ll have contact information at the end of the show. Before we read, let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank You, Lord, for Your Word. and we thank you for this book, The Song of Solomon. I pray, Lord, that as we read, you would teach us touch our minds and touch our hearts. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, are you ready? Let’s begin.
Steve Webb 0:52
Song of Songs chapter three. The young woman one night as I lay in bed, a yearn for my lover. I yearned for him, but he did not come. So I said to myself, I will get up and roam the city searching in all its streets and squares. I will search for the one I love. So I searched everywhere but did not find him. The watchman stopped me as they made their rounds and I asked, have you seen the one I love? Then? Scarcely had I left them when I found my love. I caught and held him tightly. Then I brought him to my mother’s house, into my mother’s bed where I had been conceived, promised me Oh Women of Jerusalem by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right, the Young Women of Jerusalem. Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness, like a cloud of smoke? Who is it fragrant with myrrh and frankincense and every kind of spice? Look, it is Solomon’s carriage surrounded by 60 heroic men, the best of Israel soldiers. They are all skilled swordsman, experienced warriors. Each wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack in the night. King Solomon’s carriage is built of wood imported from Lebanon. Its posts are silver, its canopy gold. Its cushions are purple. It was decorated with love by the Young Women of Jerusalem. The young woman come out to see King Solomon Young Women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day.
Steve Webb 2:35
Song of Solomon chapter four. How beautiful you are, my darling How very beautiful. Behind your veil, your eyes or doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats screaming down Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from washing, each one having a twin and not one missing. Your lips or like a scarlet cord in your mouth is lovely. Behind your veil, your brow was like a slice of pomegranate. Your neck is like the Tower of David constructed in layers. 1000 bucklers are hung on it all of them shields of warriors. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies. Before the day breaks and the shadows flee. I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. You are absolutely beautiful, my darling with no imperfection in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride with me from Lebanon descend from the peak of Amana, from the summit of Siena and Herman from the dens of the lions. From the mountains of the leopards. You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride, you have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes with one jewel of your necklace. How delightful Your love is my sister, my bride. Your love is much better than wine and the fragrance of your perfume than any Balsam. Your lips dripped sweetness like the honeycomb, My Bride, honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. My sister, my bride. You are a locked garden, a locked garden and a sealed spring. Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates with choicest fruits, henna with no hard Nard and saffron Calamus in cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices. You are a garden spring, a well of flowing water streaming from Lebanon. Awaken north wind, come south wind, blow on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my love come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.
Steve Webb 4:59
In chapter threei we hear snapshots of the wedding ceremony, and in chapter four snapshots of the wedding night. Much of the language of this book sounds kind of strange to modern years. We don’t speak in metaphors such as your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from washing, each one having a twin and not one missing. I mean, it sounds kind of funny, right? Well, my suggestion is that you find a good commentary to help you understand the imagery and the meaning of the Song of Solomon. Because I don’t have any control of who will listen to this podcast. and because this book is for a mature audience, I don’t really feel comfortable discussing it in detail here. I will have a link on the show notes page to a good list of commentaries, though. So if you’d like more insight into the Song of Solomon, those commentaries will help you. But we can glean some very important points, though, without getting too graphic. Those points are attraction, courtship, affection, marriage, and physical intimacy. and they were all created by God. and they are intended to be shared in that order, between a man and a woman who then progress to marriage. That’s God’s perfect plan. In our current culture, it’s increasingly rare for people to adhere to God’s plan, though, isn’t it? But does that mean that there are no consequences for violating that plan? If a culture says it’s okay, does that mean that God’s plan is outdated, inconsequential or no longer valid? No, of course not. God’s plan is always better. So what do we do if we violated his plan? Well, we ask God to forgive us. and when we confess our sins, any sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive them if we are in Christ Jesus. and then he removes those sins as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t hold them over our heads and he doesn’t hold a grudge. They’re gone. and then, as Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery, go and sin no more.
Steve Webb 7:13
thoughts or questions? Let me hear from you. Send to Boostagram or call the Lifespring family hotline, go to the comments page or write an email. Tomorrow we’ll be prophecy Friday, and we’ll get back into the book of Revelation with chapters seven through 11. As always, I invite your comments and questions, send to Boostagram or call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511. Or if you have a praise report or a prayer request, we’ll be doing those on Sunday, you can go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. If you have a comment or a question for me, go to comment.lifespringmedia.com or send an email to me at Steve at Lifespringmedia.com.
Steve Webb 8:02
Thanks to the team Sister Denise Michael Haner Scott Snider, Jason Paschall and sister Brittaney. Scott Snider did today’s show our beloved thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. I appreciate it. and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Until then, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.
Steve Webb 8:24
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Transcribed by https://otter.ai
