Song of Solomon is one of the Biblical poetic books and has both a literal and an allegorical interpretation.

This study uses an allegorical rather than literal interpretation.

Characters:

Maiden represents you and me

Solomon/the King represents your enemy using all the pleasures of this world to entice you

away from Jesus your Beloved

Daughters of Jerusalem represent people who entice you away from Jesus

Shepherd represents Jesus, your true Beloved

Scenes:

Scene 1 (Chapters 1-2) the maiden is captive in the king’s harem

Scene 2 (Chapter 3)      the maiden devises her own plan

Scene 3 (Chapter 4)  –  mutual love is expressed

Scene 4 (Chapter 5)     the maiden has no time for her Beloved

Scene 5  (Chapters 6-7) Solomon and his 700 wives & 300 concubines try to entice her

Scene 6 (Chapter 8) –  the maiden is freed and with her Beloved

In today’s lesson we examine scene 3

Scene 3 (Chapter 4) – Mutual love is expressed

What Jesus wants to see in you

Focused solely on Him- doves have no peripheral vision

Adorned with His betrothal gifts-wild goats are free

¹ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Smile flowing from the joy of His gift to you, the Holy Spirit–

² Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Expressed love –

Modesty–

³ Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Feeling connected and safe

⁴ Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men

Healthy spiritual growth and development–

⁵ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Longing for togetherness with Him –

⁶ Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Jesus reminds you

He sees you as His spotless, finished product –

⁷ Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

He knows about the danger around you but your protection comes from remembering Him

You are free in spite of circumstances

⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

Lebanon (whiteness), Amana (covenant), Shenir-(bear the lamp) Mt. Hermon is highest

mountain reminding you of the highest goal –pleasing Jesus

for the two predators mentioned, here is some information

lion- roar can be heard for 5 miles,

average male weighs 500 lb. and can run 50 miles per hour,

social

leopard- built for hunting, can run up to 35 miles per hour,

excellent climbers, swimmers and can leap and jump long distances;

often leaving their prey up in the tree for days and return only when they are hungry!

the most accomplished stalkers of the big cats,

good agile climbers and can descend from a tree  headfirst

The lion symbolizes your enemy’s ability to remind you of the past and to frighten you for the future and about what others think of you.

The leopard symbolizes your enemy’s ability to spring at you speedily, to stalk you for vulnerability times, and to torment and wound you over and over.

But Jesus invites you to come with Him and focus on Him and trust in Him. He cares and loves you unconditionally!.

How great is His love for you–

⁹ Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

Your relationship should be pure, savored, sensed-

 ¹⁰ How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

He wants to hear your love for Him expressed– vs.11

¹¹ Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

He is the husbandman of your garden–

¹² A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

¹³ Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

¹⁴ Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

¹⁵ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

Your expressed love should be sweet and fragrant

Your response should be to be a blessing –

¹⁶ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Face to face with Christ, my Savior – Carrie E. Breck (1855-1934)

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me.

Chorus

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now, I see Him,
With the darkling veil between,
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

  Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH5mHXvEawQ

Scene #3 Questions for Reflection

1) What things prevent you from smiling to your beloved?

2) Which problems are repeaters for you?

3) Which of your betrothal gifts is most difficult for you to display right now? Why?

4) Which of your circumstances seem dangerous like a

lion?   Like a leopard?

5) How do you respond to the love of Jesus?

6) Which of His betrothal gifts seems most precious to you now? (the Comforter? The Guide to all truth? Earnest of your inheritance? His seal? Freedom?)

7) What are some practical ways to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit?

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti