Abundant Life

Song of Songs--a study in Divine Intimacy

2011-04-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Part Six: Maturity

Song of Songs 7:9 – 8:14

Setting – The Bride’s bedchamber, and Shunem (the Bride’s hometown)

This relationship has not been without its challenges.

· First Solomon sent the love of his life away to protect her during the kingdom transition

· Then her family mistreated her out of their own disappointment

· When Solomon does come for her, she is totally unprepared and ashamed of herself

· Sometime after their wedding, there is the unfortunate episode in which the Bride turns the groom away and fears she has lost him

· Then she wanders away from him, being drawn away by her own heart

· She sees in herself no redeeming value.

· Finally, in this closing passage, she will face her family and her past

To this point, they have overcome their issues and obstacles, continuing to discover a deeper love. Before, she wanted to go by herself into the world to view its beauty, but now, in the comfort of his arms, she has discovered that this is the best place to be—with him. She has made herself completely available to him, and found that his desire is completely directed at her. Now she says:

· Let us go together to see the world.

· Let us love together as we go.

· Let us share everything that has been reserved until this moment.

Having reached heights of intimacy that go far beyond passion, the bride discovers new issues of intimacy that she is now prepared to deal with.

· I want to take you to my own people, but I don’t know how you will be received

· I love what we have, but I caution everyone else about the requirements of commitment

· I am not recognized for what I am, only remembered for what I used to be

· I want to be everything to you, but there are powerful forces working against me

· I know that true intimacy cannot be destroyed, neither can it be bought; it must be carefully nurtured and developed.

· I know that others think they need to help me, but the only one I want to please is you.

· I have found true peace in this intimacy that we share.

· I know you have many vineyards, but I still give mine freely to you.

And at last, their closing declarations that will define the long and lasting love that they have learned to share:

· He says: Let me hear your voice.

· She says: Come to me again, and again!

Song of Songs 7:9 – 8:14

The Shulamite

^7.9The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved,

Moving gently the lips of sleepers.

¹⁰I am my beloved’s,

And his desire is toward me.

¹¹Come, my beloved,

Let us go forth to the field;

Let us lodge in the villages.

¹²Let us get up early to the vineyards;

Let us see if the vine has budded,

Whether the grape blossoms are open,

And the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my love.

¹³The mandrakes give off a fragrance,

And at our gates are pleasant fruits,

All manner, new and old,

Which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

^8.1Oh, that you were like my brother,

Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!

If I should find you outside,

I would kiss you;

I would not be despised.

²I would lead you and bring you

Into the house of my mother,

She who used to instruct me.

I would cause you to drink of spiced wine,

Of the juice of my pomegranate.

³His left hand is under my head,

And his right hand embraces me.

⁴I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

Do not stir up nor awaken love

Until it pleases.

Her Relatives

⁵Who is this coming up from the wilderness,

Leaning upon her beloved?

I awakened you under the apple tree.

There your mother brought you forth;

There she who bore you brought you forth.

The Shulamite

⁶Set me as a seal upon your heart,

As a seal upon your arm;

For love is as strong as death,

Jealousy as cruel as the grave;

Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame.

⁷Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it.

If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house,

It would be utterly despised

Her Brothers

⁸We have a little sister, And she has no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

In the day when she is spoken for?

⁹If she is a wall,

We will build upon her a battlement of silver;

And if she is a door,

We will enclose her with boards of cedar.

The Shulamite

¹⁰I am a wall, And my breasts are like towers;

Then I became in his eyes

As one who found peace.

¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon;

He leased the vineyard to keepers;

Everyone was to bring for its fruit

A thousand silver coins.

¹²My own vineyard is before me.

You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,

And those who tend its fruit two hundred.

The Beloved

¹³You who dwell in the gardens,

The companions listen for your voice—

Let me hear it!

The Shulamite

¹⁴Make haste, my beloved,

And be like a gazelle or a young stag

On the mountains of spices.

Song of Songs--a study in Divine Intimacy

2011-04-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Part Five: Restoration

Song of Songs 6:4 – 7:9

Setting – The Bride’s bedchamber, and the King’s Gardens

Intimacy has been restored. In a momentary lapse of good sense—either in real life, or in her dreams—the bride turned the groom away from her door and found the loss of intimacy unbearable, and the resulting search treacherous. But now she has found her groom again, and she has made her commitment: “I am his, and he is mine. He can have his way with me!” Look what happens when the bride offers herself so completely to her groom.

The Attributes of an Wanting Bride

Restored to the arms of the bride that he loves, the King begins to praise her admirable qualities, the things that he likes about her.

· You are more beautiful than beauty (v. 4)

· You are like an awesome advancing army (v. 4, 10)

· You have overcome me with your glance (v. 5)

· You are beautiful and desirable in every way (vv. 6-7

· You are incomparable (vv. 8-9)

· You are blessed and praised by everyone (v. 9)

· You are celestial in your beauty (v. 10)

As the loving bride of Christ, when we present ourselves totally and completely to Him, He will find the things about us that He likes, and He will encourage us in them.

The Issues of a Wandering Bride

Yet even after the reunion and the restoration of intimacy between the two, there are still questions in the bride’s heart. She still has things in her life that need to be resolved. On the morning after Solomon comes back to her, she leaves their chamber and goes for a walk in the royal park, and soon finds her heart carried far away from him.

· She is still curious about the things of the outside world, the things she left behind (v. 11)

· She lets her thoughts and feelings wander away from Solomon (v. 12)

· She hears his constant call, but doesn’t immediately respond (v. 13)

· She questions his love for her, and wonders how it can be true when she is so divided (v. 14)

But she does respond to his call and return to him.

The Reassurance of a Wayward Bride

Now the intentions of her heart have been exposed and laid bare to both her and her groom. But he dispels her uncertainties with more encouragement, more praise, and this time he starts at her feet, that which is soiled from her walk and which carried her away.

· Your feet are beautiful; they have brought you to me.

· You are skillfully cut, like a jewel in the hands of a master

· You are shapely and full

· You have wonderful assets and beautiful features

· You have captivated me with your beauty and your glory

· You are pleasant and delightful

· You are attractive, available and attainable.

The groom has just described his ideal bride.

Our Challenge

Will we let Jesus champion our attributes, rather than bragging about them ourselves?

Will we be enticed by the things of the world and the things of our past, rather than drawing closer to Him?

Will we keep returning to Him until we finally have no desire to leave?

Will we be everything He desires us to be?

Song of Songs 6:4 – 7:9

The Beloved

^6.4O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah,

Lovely as Jerusalem,

Awesome as an army with banners!

⁵Turn your eyes away from me,

For they have overcome me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

Going down from Gilead.

⁶Your teeth are like a flock of sheep

Which have come up from the washing;

Every one bears twins,

And none is barren among them.

⁷Like a piece of pomegranate

Are your temples behind your veil.

⁸There are sixty queens

And eighty concubines,

And virgins without number.

⁹My dove, my perfect one,

Is the only one,

The only one of her mother,

The favorite of the one who bore her.

The daughters saw her

And called her blessed,

The queens and the concubines,

And they praised her.

¹⁰Who is she who looks forth as the morning,

Fair as the moon,

Clear as the sun,

Awesome as an army with banners?

The Shulamite

¹¹I went down to the garden of nuts

To see the verdure of the valley,

To see whether the vine had budded

And the pomegranates had bloomed.

¹²Before I was even aware,

My soul had made me

As the chariots of my noble people.

The Beloved

¹³Return, return, O Shulamite;

Return, return, that we may look upon you!

The Shulamite

¹⁴What would you see in the Shulamite—

As it were, the dance of the two camps?

The Beloved

^7.1How beautiful are your feet in sandals,

O prince’s daughter!

The curves of your thighs are like jewels,

The work of the hands of a skillful workman.

²Your navel is a rounded goblet;

It lacks no blended beverage.

Your waist is a heap of wheat

Set about with lilies.

³Your two breasts are like two fawns,

Twins of a gazelle.

⁴Your neck is like an ivory tower,

Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon

By the gate of Bath Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon

Which looks toward Damascus.

⁵Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,

And the hair of your head is like purple;

A king is held captive by your tresses.

⁶How fair and how pleasant you are,

O love, with your delights!

⁷This stature of yours is like a palm tree,

And your breasts like its clusters.

⁸I said, “I will go up to the palm tree,

I will take hold of its branches.”

Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine,

The fragrance of your breath like apples,

⁹And the roof of your mouth like the best wine.

Song of Songs-a study in Divine Intimacy

2011-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Part Four: Loss

Song of Songs 5:3 – 6:3

Setting – The Bride’s bedchamber, and also the streets of Jerusalem

In the beginning of a relationship, it’s often hugs and kisses, flowers and candy, sunshine and singing. You’re so in love, and nothing in the world is wrong. Everything is joy and bliss, and you think it will always be that way. But as a relationship matures, it must be willing to deal with the more serious issues of life. Up until now, the Shunemite Bride and her royal Bridegroom have enjoyed a great deal of happiness, but there are some things about to rise to the surface that will challenge her commitment to him.

This whole episode in Chapter 5 plays out like a bad dream, and very well could have been, as indicated by the phrase, “I sleep, but my heart is awake.” This could be the Bride’s fears manifesting in her sleep.

The Groom Calls

Perhaps after an evening of waiting for Solomon to come to her, Abi has gone to bed. Her feet are washed, she’s in her nightgown, she has just applied her night cream and lotion and turned out the light. And then there’s a knock at the door. It is the groom, calling to her: Open the door for me.

· It’s not a demand, but rather a sweet and seductive request.

· It’s a confession of his desire to be with her.

· It is an expression of his own urgency to be intimate with her.

The Bride Responds

She may have been ready for him earlier, but he didn’t come to her then. Now she isn’t ready and feels put upon. So she refuses him.

· I’m not ready for you now.

· I’m already in bed and I don’t want to get up.

· You didn’t have time for me when I wanted you, why should I make time for you now?

· You can wait.

It’s sad to say that this is the nature of many marriage relationships today. In spite of our Christianity, in spite of what the Bible tells us, we are sometimes selfish rather than selfless in our marriages. Look at 1 Corinthians 7:1-5:

· Affection – Give each other the affection due

· Submission – You don’t have authority over your own body

· Generosity – Don’t deprive each other

And if marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ, how much more important is it that we don’t refuse him?

The Groom Departs

At this time in his life, Solomon had 60 queens, 80 concubines, and virgins without number. Solomon did not spend the night alone. He wanted to spend it with Abishag, the wife of his choice and the woman he truly loved.

· Partnership – He wanted companionship

· Praise – He wanted attention and affection

· Passion – He wanted intimacy

There are many blessings available to those who open their heart to the king—His presence, gifts, ministry, bounty…but how much do we miss out on when we refuse him?

The Bride Regrets

This episode reveals some issues in the Bride’s life that need to be resolved.

· Her attention to herself prevented her from opening the door (v. 5)

· After her rejection of him, he wasn’t easily found or accessible (v. 6)

· A desperate search ended in danger she should never have faced (v. 7)

And what does she do after he leaves?

· She goes out to him, but he is not there.

· She listens for him, but he does not call again.

· She searches for him, but he cannot be found.

· She calls out to him, but he does not answer.

And while she’s out looking for him, she runs into trouble. She is wounded, hurt, abused, and defiled. Desperate to find the one she turned away, she goes back to her bed chamber and summons her bridesmaids to her. They have taken up her offense and her cause, and their questions reveal a lack of understanding.

· What’s so great about him? (5.9)

· If he’s so special, where is he? (6.1)

The Groom Returns

The bride begins to praise her groom, and suddenly he is back. He has heard her words, and she hurries her bridesmaids from the room, she welcomes him with open arms, knowing now how important he is to her, and how much she needs him. Next time, she will know to open her heart to her king.

Song of Songs 5:2 – 6:3

The Shulamite

^5.2I sleep, but my heart is awake;

It is the voice of my beloved!

He knocks, saying,

“Open for me, my sister, my love,

My dove, my perfect one;

For my head is covered with dew,

My locks with drops of the night.”

³I have taken off my robe;

How can I put it on again?

I have washed my feet;

How can I defile them?

⁴My beloved put his hand

By the latch of the door,

And my heart yearned for him.

⁵I arose to open for my beloved,

And my hands dripped with myrrh,

My fingers with liquid myrrh,

On the handles of the lock.

⁶I opened for my beloved,

But my beloved had turned away and was gone.

My heart leaped up when he spoke.

I sought him, but I could not find him;

I called him, but he gave me no answer.

⁷The watchmen who went about the city found me.

They struck me, they wounded me;

The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

⁸I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

If you find my beloved,

That you tell him I am lovesick!

Daughters of Jerusalem

⁹What is your beloved more than another beloved,

O fairest among women?

What is your beloved more than another beloved,

That you so charge us?

The Shulamite

¹⁰My beloved is white and ruddy,

Chief among ten thousand.

¹¹His head is like the finest gold;

His locks are wavy, and black as a raven.

¹²His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters,

Washed with milk, and fitly set.

¹³His cheeks are like a bed of spices,

Banks of scented herbs.

His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

¹⁴His hands are rods of gold set with beryl.

His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires.

¹⁵His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold.

His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

¹⁶His mouth is most sweet, yes, he is altogether lovely.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem!

Daughters of Jerusalem

^6.1Where has your beloved gone,

O fairest among women?

Where has your beloved turned aside,

That we may seek him with you?

The Shulamite

²My beloved has gone to his garden,

To the beds of spices,

to feed his flock in the gardens,

And to gather lilies.

³I am my beloved’s,

And my beloved’s is mine.

He feeds his flock among the lilies.

Song of Songs - A study of Divine Intimacy

2011-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Part Three: Consummation

Song of Songs 3:6-5:1

Setting – A Shunemite hillside, and later the wedding chamber

Procession

This is the long awaited day, the day of Abishag’s marriage to her beloved, King Solomon. The family assembles on a Shunemite hillside, and Solomon’s procession comes down the road.

· He comes out of the wilderness

· He comes like pillars of smoke

· He comes with sweet fragrance

· He comes in majesty – he is the king of nations

· He comes in power – he is the leader of the people

· He comes in might – he is the commander of an army

· He comes with all that he has, and drives away the fear of the night

· He comes on a throne that is filled with love

· He comes with his head crowned for his wedding day and his heart full of gladness

This is Solomon coming in all of his glory, but it is such an awesome picture of Christ coming for His bride.

Preparation

The Bride spent months of preparation getting ready for this day. Now Solomon spends some important time preparing her with his compliments for the consummation of their marriage. He starts with her head and moves downward, leaving out no detail of praise for her.

· He starts with her eyes, the first thing about her he saw that he liked (4.1)

· He mentions her necklace again, but he’s much more interested in her neck. (4.4)

· He assures her that he will take his time getting to know her intimately (4.6)

And how does Solomon find his bride?

· Beautiful – Ephesians 5:27

· Bejeweled – 1 Peter 3:3-4

· Blameless – 2 Peter 3:14

· Beckoning – 2 Peter 3:12

His greatest praise of her is in verse 7, “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.”

Presentation

The physical union – the act of two becoming one flesh – is portrayed in the New Testament as an illustration of our relationship with Christ. Jesus truly wants to be one with us (John 17:20-21). Consider some of the passages on marriage and how they might apply to that relationship.

· Ephesians 5:22-33 – submission

· 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 – affection

But what is our desire in the matter? God will never take us by force and make us love him or worship him. He is a gentle and loving God who wants our willing submission, sacrifice, and surrender.

Now listen to the intimate cry of the bride (v. 16). Her cry for the winds to blow upon her garden should reflect our own desire for God to breathe new winds upon us.

· For empowerment to do His will

· For enabling to minister to others

· For edifying of ourselves to be more like Him

· For encouraging Him to come to us.

· Come blow on me

Song of Songs 3:16 – 5:1

The Shulamite

Who is this coming out of the wilderness

Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,

With all the merchant’s fragrant powders?

Behold, it is Solomon’s couch,

With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, Being expert in war.

Every man has his sword on his thigh

Because of the fear in the night.

Of the wood of Lebanon

Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin:

He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold,

Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love

By the daughters of Jerusalem.

Go forth, O daughters of Zion,

And see King Solomon with the crown

With which his mother crowned him

On the day of his wedding,

The day of the gladness of his heart.

The Beloved

Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair!

You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.

Your hair is like a flock of goats,

Going down from Mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep

Which have come up from the washing,

Every one of which bears twins,

And none is barren among them.

Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,

And your mouth is lovely.

Your temples behind your veil

Are like a piece of pomegranate.

Your neck is like the tower of David,

Built for an armory,

On which hang a thousand bucklers,

All shields of mighty men.

Your breasts are like two fawns,

Twins of a gazelle,

Which feed among the lilies.

Until the day breaks

And the shadows flee away,

I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh

And to the hill of frankincense.

You are all fair, my love,

And there is no spot in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,

With me from Lebanon.

Look from the top of Amana,

From the top of Senir and Hermon,

From the lions’ dens,

From the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart,

My sister, my spouse;

You have ravished my heart

With one look of your eyes,

With one link of your necklace.

How fair is your love,

My sister, my spouse!

How much better than wine is your love,

And the scent of your perfumes than all spices!

Your lips, O my spouse,

Drip as the honeycomb;

Honey and milk are under your tongue;

And the fragrance of your garments

Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse,

A spring shut up, A fountain sealed.

Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates

With pleasant fruits,

Fragrant henna with spikenard,

Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,

With all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes,

With all the chief spices—

A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters,

And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

Awake, O north wind,

And come, O south!

Blow upon my garden,

That its spices may flow out.

Let my beloved come to his garden

And eat its pleasant fruits.

The Beloved

I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse;

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;

I have drunk my wine with my milk.

Eat, O friends!

Drink, yes, drink deeply,

O beloved ones!

Song of Songs-a study in Divine Intimacy

2011-02-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

Part Two: Desire

Song of Songs 2:3-3:5

Setting – the Bridal Chamber, where the Bride recalls their dinner, and their earlier courtship

Acceptance

Having made the preparations for catching the King’s attentions and gone into the banquet hall, the Bride now returns to her chambers to tell her bridesmaids what has happened.

· He was everything I wanted (v. 3)

· He brought me to his banqueting table (v. 3-4)

· He spread his banner over me (v. 4)

· He embraced her with his love (v. 6)

The Bride is completely committed to loving the King, but she has a warning for her bridesmaids

· Don’t awaken love until it pleases (7)

In other words, this is serious business; don’t play games with God. If you are going to awaken this love within Him and you, and you expect to benefit from it, then you have to be willing to go all the way with your love.

Remembrance

Caught up in the moment, the Bride recalls the time when the King came for her in the fields of Shunem.

· He called for her (v. 8)

· He ran toward her (v. 9)

· He came to her house looking for her (v. 9)

· He sought her diligently (v. 9)

· He invited her to come away with Him (v. 10)

Until that time, she had been cast away into the vineyard and the sheep pen. She had spent at least an entire winter with her family—a dark, cold, and lonely time. But as spring blossoms around her, the King shows up and says, “I want to take you away from all this! The sad times and bad times are over. It is time for us to be together.”

Now her brothers have a warning for her:

· Catch the little foxes before they spoil the vine. (v. 15)

In other words, beware of the little things that could mess this up, and correct them before they become a problem.

Desire

Overwhelmed by the King’s desire for her, the Bride cries out for an intimacy that is both now and not yet.

· My beloved is mine, and I belong to him (v. 16)

· He knows me intimately (v. 17)

· I want to be with him all the time (v. 17)

· I want him to run to me (v. 17)

Leaving her family, the Bride goes out to look for her beloved King.

· She desired him (3 v. 1)

· She sought him, but did not find him (v. 2)

· She went out to look until she found him (v. 2)

· She inquired until she found him (v. 3)

· When she found him she would not let go of him (v. 4)

· When she found him she brought him into the intimate heart of her home (v. 4)

And once more, she says to her bridesmaids:

· Don’t awaken love until it pleases (v. 5)

Song of songs 2:3-3:5

The Shulamite

^2.3Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,

So is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down in his shade with great delight,

And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

⁴He brought me to the banqueting house,

And his banner over me was love.

⁵Sustain me with cakes of raisins,

Refresh me with apples,

For I am lovesick.

⁶His left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me.

⁷I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

By the gazelles or by the does of the field,

Do not stir up nor awaken love

Until it pleases.

⁸The voice of my beloved!

Behold, he comes

Leaping upon the mountains,

Skipping upon the hills.

⁹My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Behold, he stands behind our wall;

He is looking through the windows,

Gazing through the lattice.

¹⁰My beloved spoke to me, and said to me:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away.

¹¹For lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

¹²The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land.

¹³The fig tree puts forth her green figs,

And the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away!

¹⁴O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret places of the cliff,

Let me see your face,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your face is lovely.”

Her Brothers

¹⁵Catch us the foxes,

The little foxes that spoil the vines,

For our vines have tender grapes.

The Shulamite

¹⁶My beloved is mine, and I am his.

He feeds his flock among the lilies.

¹⁷Until the day breaks

And the shadows flee away,

Turn, my beloved,

And be like a gazelle

Or a young stag

Upon the mountains of Bether.

^3.1By night on my bed I sought the one I love;

I sought him, but I did not find him.

²“I will rise now,” I said,

“and go about the city;

In the streets and in the squares

I will seek the one I love.”

I sought him, but I did not find him.

³The watchmen who go about the city found me;

I said, “Have you seen the one I love?”

⁴Scarcely had I passed by them,

When I found the one I love.

I held him and would not let him go,

Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,

And into the chamber of her who conceived me.

⁵I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

By the gazelles or by the does of the field,

Do not stir up nor awaken love

Until it pleases.

Song of Songs...a study of Divine Intimacy

2011-01-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Part One: Commitment

Some facts about the Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s

Author: Solomon, son of David, King of Israel

Date: about 965 BC, early in King Solomon’s Reign

Subject: the romance between a shepherdess and a king

Three ways to Interpret the Song of Songs

Historical: This is a true account of the courtship and marriage of Solomon & Abishag

Practical: This is a divinely-inspired illustration of what God wants married love to look like

Allegorical: This is a picture of God’s love for Israel, or Christ’s love for the church

Biblical background of the Song of Songs

1 Kings 1-2

· King David was old and unable to get warm.

· His servants selected a young woman, Abishag the Shunammite, to serve the King

· Prince Adonijah made preparations to become the next king, supported by the high priest Abiathar and Joab, commander of David’s army.

· Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba reminded David of his promise that Solomon would be king

· David commanded Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah captain of the king’s guard to crown Solomon king.

· David gave Solomon instructions regarding the conspirators, to be carried out after his death.

· After David’s death, Adonijah asked for Abishag in marriage, which could have resulted in him making a new claim to the throne.

· Solomon ordered the executions of Adonijah and Joab, and banished Abiathar and his family from the priesthood.

· “Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”

Voices in the Song of Songs

· The Shulamite Bride – Abishag, a shepherdess from Shunem; King David’s last consort; the love of King Solomon’s life

· The Daughters of Jerusalem – Abishag’s attendant bridesmaids, traditionally ten young virgins responsible for her pre-wedding preparations

· The Beloved – Solomon, King of Israel, whose harem already consists of 80 wives, 60 concubines, and virgins without number; but his passion is for Abishag

· Her Brothers – Abishag’s brothers who were disappointed in her failure to come home a queen

· Her Relatives – The people who knew Abishag in her youth

Song of Songs 1:1-2:2

¹The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Shulamite

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—

For your love is better than wine.

³Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,

Your name is ointment poured forth;

Therefore the virgins love you.

⁴Draw me away!

The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will run after you.

The Shulamite

The king has brought me into his chambers.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will be glad and rejoice in you.

We will remember your love more than wine.

The Shulamite

⁵Rightly do they love you.

I am dark, but lovely,

O daughters of Jerusalem,

Like the tents of Kedar,

Like the curtains of Solomon.

⁶Do not look upon me, because I am dark,

Because the son has tanned me.

My mother’s sons were angry with me;

They made me the keeper of the vineyards,

But my own vineyard I have not kept.

⁷Tell me, O you whom I love,

Where you feed your flock,

Where you make it rest at noon.

For why should I be as one who veils herself

By the flocks of your companions?

The Beloved

⁸If you do not know, O fairest among women,

Follow in the footsteps of the flock,

And feed your little goats

Beside the shepherds’ tents.

⁹I have compared you, my love,

To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.

¹⁰Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,

Your neck with chains of gold.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

¹¹We will make you ornaments of gold

With studs of silver.

The Shulamite

¹²While the king is at his table,

My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

¹³A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,

That lies all night between my breasts.

¹⁴My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms

In the vineyards of En Gedi.

The Beloved

¹⁵Behold, you are fair, my love!

Behold, you are fair!

You have dove’s eyes.

The Shulamite

¹⁶Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!

Yes, pleasant!

Also our bed is green.

¹⁷The beams of our houses are cedar,

And our rafters of fir.

^2.1I am the rose of Sharon,

And the lily of the valleys.

The Beloved

²Like a lily among thorns

So is my love among the daughters.

Setting – the bridal chamber, where Abishag discusses her desire for Solomon

The Bride’s Desire

· Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (v. 2)

· Draw me away (v. 4)

· Bring me into your chambers (v. 4)

The bride’s desire is to be with her husband, to experience close and personal contact with him.

The Bride’s Confession

· I am dark, but lovely underneath (v. 6)

· Don’t look at me (v. 6)

· I have taken care of everyone and everything else (v. 6)

· I have not taken care of myself (v. 6)

· I want to know where you are, and how to find you (v. 7)

The bride’s confession is that she isn’t worthy or ready to be the wife of the king, but she still desires him, and wants him to desire her.

The Groom’s Response

· If you want to find me, follow the signs I have left for you (v. 8)

· You look better than my horse (v. 9)

· That jewelry looks good on you—the jewelry I gave you (v. 10)

The groom’s response to the bride’s confession is that she is not as unpresentable as she might think, but only because of the preparations that have been made for their wedding day.

The Bride’s Declarations

· I will make myself attractive to him, and fragrant for him (v. 12-14)

· My beloved is my fragrance, and I want him close to me (v. 13)

· He is a blossom and an oasis (v. 14)

The bride’s declarations are that her husband is most special to her, and she will do anything she can to make herself attractive to him.

The Groom’s Praise

· You are beautiful in my sight, and I like your eyes (v. 15)

The Groom’s praise is that she truly is acceptable in his eyes, that his eyes are all that matter, and that he loves her eyes—especially the way they look at him.

The Bride’s Praise

· You are desirable (v. 16)

· I love you (v. 16)

· You please me (v. 16)

· Our relationship will be great, even if I am not (v. 17, 2 v. 1)

The bride’s response to her husband’s compliment is an eruption of praise and commitment to him, even though she recognizes her own deficiencies in his presence.

The Groom’s Declaration

· You are not common to me, not deficient, but rather very special (v. 2)

The groom’s attentions are on her because he loves her, just as she is, even though he will not let her stay the way he found her. She can be more.

The Bridesmaids’ Response

· When the bride longs to be drawn away by her husband, the bridesmaids say: We will run after you!

· When the bride longs to be taken into his private chambers, the bridesmaids say: We will be glad and rejoice with you. We will remember your love more than wine.

· When the groom takes notice of the bride’s jewelry, the bridesmaids say: We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.

The bridesmaids cannot enjoy the love of the groom, but they can celebrate with the bride and assist her in becoming all that he wants her to be.

Our Challenge

Will we allow ourselves to be changed for the pleasure of our Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Will we allow His Spirit to transform us?

Will we make efforts ourselves to become all that He wants us to be?

Will we remain humble, even while experiencing His wonderful presence?

The Truth About Christmas, Part 4

2010-12-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

We Three Kings

The Gifts, the Star, and Wise Men from Afar

Matthew 2:1-23

The Magi

· The Bible calls them wise men from the East.

· That there were three wise men comes from the assumption that three gifts mean three gift-givers.

· In the original language, the term was magos, from which we get the more familiar term Magi.

· Magi, in the historical sense, are usually understood to be Zoroastrian priests from Persia. Their religion had done away with polytheism and adopted a monotheistic belief that closely resembled Judaism and Christianity.

· The term was applied to the scholars, wise men, and royal counselors of the Chaldean, Babylonian, Median & Persian empires that ruled the Tigris-Euphrates River Valleys in ancient times.

· Some say that Magi would have been considered kings in their homelands.

· Daniel’s position in the Babylonian government of Nebuchadnezzar, and later in the Persian government of Cyrus the Great, was that of Chief Magi.

· A 6^th Century manuscript from Alexandria, Egypt, identifies them as Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior, names that have predominated all the other traditions.

· Syrian Christian traditions: Lavarndad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas—names of Persian origin.

· Ethiopian Christian traditions: Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater.

· Armenian Christian traditions: Kagpha, Badadakharida, and Badadilma.

· Some Chinese Christians believe one of the Wise Men were from China.

· Another Armenian tradition says they were Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gasper from India.

· Some more recent traditions associate the three with Europe, Asia and Africa.

· The oldest traditions say they were Babylonian or Persian astrologers, either Jewish by lineage, or from an order of Wise Men which had its origins under the leadership of the Prophet Daniel.

The Gifts

· Remember that these Wise Men from the East were bearing gifts to give to the King of the Jews who had been born. These were not small token gifts brought by three men on camels. This was a fortune escorted by an army.

· Gold, a precious metal, was a gift befitting royalty, denoting Jesus’ kingship.

· Frankincense, a fragrant resin associated with worship, denoting Jesus’ priesthood.

· Myrrh, a fragrant oil with several uses, is usually associated with suffering, denoting Jesus’ role as savior.

· These valuable gifts may have provided for the family’s journey to Egypt, Jesus’ early life and education, and possibly even His later ministry.

· There is a good possibility that the Prophet Daniel—a Eunuch who served as the most powerful man under the rulers of two Empires—bequeathed his earthly fortune to the Messiah, and left it in the hands of the Magi to deliver at the time he had foreseen.

The Star

· The “star” that the Wise Men saw in the East and followed to Bethlehem, could have any number of explanations.

o A special stellar phenomenon created specifically for this event

o A miraculous appearance similar to the cloud by day-fire by night phenomenon of Israel’s wilderness wanderings after the Exodus.

o An angel

· Many believe that the Wise Men, as students of the heavens, were watching for and witnessed a natural cosmic event or series of events that indicated the birth of Christ.

· Among others, Rick Larson (Star of Bethlehem) of College Station has identified nine Biblical characteristics that any natural occurrence must measure up to.

It signified birth.
It signified kingship.
It had a connection with the Jewish nation.
It rose in the east, like other stars.
It appeared at a precise time.
Herod didn't know when it appeared.
It endured over time.
It was ahead of the Magi as they went south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
It stopped over Bethlehem.

Larson is one of the most recent in a long line of astronomers who have studied the movements of the heavens to find a natural stellar phenomenon that matches the Biblical account. These are his conclusions:

The constellation Virgo, with the sun behind and the moon at her feet, was visible in the early morning sky on 11 September 3 BC. (See Revelation 12). In conjunction with other heavenly activity, this was a sign of brith.
Jupiter, the King of Planets, had a triple-conjunction with Regulus, the King of Stars, in the constellation Leo, which represents the King of the Beasts and also is the ultimate constellation in the cycle of stars. Jupiter would also experience a spectacularly visible conjunction with Venus, Queen of Planets, in the coming months. The first conjunction took place in September 3 BC, and these conjunctions signify kingship.
Jewish mystics would have been familiar with Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:9-10, identifying Judah and his descendants as a lion, and that the scepter of rulership would remain between his feet “til Shiloh (the sent one) come”. The conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in Leo would signify Jewish kingship.
Jupiter rises in the East.
The conjunctions appeared at precise, identifiable times.
These stellar events would have been observed and understood by students of the stars, but not by the average citizen like Herod, which seems to rule out some spectacular, irregular stellar event that would have been noticed by everyone.
These stellar events occurred in a series extending from September 3 BC to December 2 BC, followed by an eclipse in January 1 BC which preceded the death of Herod the Great. This series of events lasted long enough for the Wise Men to assemble their caravan and traverse the Fertile Crescent from Babylon (or some other Eastern city) to Jerusalem.
Through the summer & fall of 2 BC, Jupiter would have remained in front of the Wise Men, “guiding” them, and would definitely have been visible as they turned south out of Jerusalem toward Bethlehem.
On the night of 25 December 2 BC, as it entered into retrograde, it would appear to stand still over Bethlehem.

The Truth About Christmas, Part 3

2010-12-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Where was Jesus Born and Why?

Luke 2:4-7

Historical Significance of Bethlehem

· Bethlehem means House of Bread

· Genesis 35:19 – Bethlehem is where Rachel died and was buried

· Ruth 1:1-2 – Bethlehem was the hometown of Elimelech the Ephrathite & Naomi

· Ruth 2:1-4 – Bethlehem was also the hometown of Boaz

· 1 Samuel 16:16 – Bethlehem was the hometown of Jesse, and of David

· Ezra 2:21, Nehemiah 7:26 – Bethlehem was the home of several families returning from exile

· Bethlehem is said to have been a major center of sheep breeding for the purposes of the Passover

Prophetic Significance of Bethlehem

Micah 5:2-5 prophesies Bethlehem Ephrathah as the birthplace of:

· The One to Rule Israel

· The One from old

· The One who will be born

· The One who will gather his brothers

· The One who will feed his flock

· The One in whom Israel will abide

· The One who will be great

· The One who will be peace

Joseph and Mary Come to Bethlehem

· It was the Roman Census of 6 BC that was being carried out at the time of Jesus’ birth. It was not uncommon in such registrations that people be required to return to the city of their birth.

· Caesar Augustus also required the citizens of Judea to swear an oath of allegiance to him, an oath that was administered in 3-2 BC.

· Joseph took his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem for the census because it was his birthplace, and the ancestral home of his family.

· As a descendant of the royal and noble houses of Israel, it was probably crucial that Joseph take the oath of allegiance.

· For practical reasons, a registration that required a displacement of the population would likely be done at a time when the population was already on the move—such as at one of the feasts of Israel that required everyone to travel to Jerusalem.

· The likely feast season was in the fall, at the time of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.

· As we saw last week, there are several indications that Jesus was born on 11 September 3 BC—which also corresponds to 1 Tishri on the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).

No Room at the Inn

· Two words in the English translation of Scripture have contributed to the idea that Jesus was born in a stable, and that his first bed was a feeding trough for animals. Those words are manger and inn.

· The Greek word used for inn – kataluma – is not a hotel; it is the guest room of a Jewish home

· It is the same word used for the place where Jesus celebrated the last supper with his disciples.

· Joseph and Mary were returning to their ancestral home, where presumably a number of their relatives lived. It wasn’t that they couldn’t find a hotel room, but rather that they did not have a place among family to lodge.

· Joseph and Mary may have been social outcasts because of Mary’s pregnancy, and unwelcome among the offended members of their family.

· Early Christian writers referred to a cave in which Jesus was born, the grotto over which the Church of the Nativity was built.

· Some have supposed that this cave was the basement or rear of a Judean household, tavern or hotel where the animals were kept, which has contributed to the idea that Jesus was born in a barn.

· The Greek word for manger – phatne – means crib or trough. In our English understanding, that denotes a feeding trough for animals. However, in Jewish understanding, it was also something used for portable food storage.

· Travelers celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles would build a temporary shelter, or booth, to live in for 7 days, and they would keep their bread and other food-stuffs in a manger.

A Different Telling of the Christmas Story

· It’s late summer, 3 BC.

· Joseph & Mary – who is 9 months pregnant – travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for both the Imperial Registration and in preparation for the approaching holidays.

· There they find that they are not immediately welcome among the relatives in Bethlehem, and are refused a place to stay in one of the many guest rooms available to them.

· Joseph may have owned land around Bethlehem. Since it’s almost time for the Feast of Tabernacles, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to build a booth for them to stay in through the holidays, and perhaps Joseph built their shelter against the mouth of a small cave.

· He also constructs a manger to hold their bread and other foodstuffs while they are in the temporary shelter.

· The New Moon that signaled the beginning of Rosh Hashanah – called the Long Day because it is celebrated over a 48-hour period – rose in the early morning hours.

· The sun was also coming up, and visible in the sky was the constellation Virgo – clothed with the sun and the moon at her feet. At the same time stargazers in the east were watching a spectacular conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in the constellation Leo.

· And that night, while shepherds were watching their sheep, an angelic choir appeared over the hills of Bethlehem announcing that “this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” had been born. They would find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

· If Jesus had been born in a barn, those shepherds might have had to search every barn in town to find him. But if Jesus’ birthplace was a booth built for Tabernacles two weeks before the start of the actual holiday, he might not have been that hard to find at all.

Two More Points of Interest

· At his birth, Jesus – the Bread of Life – was placed in a bread basket as a crib

· He was born in a temporary booth, and therefore, “tabernacle among us.”

· At his death, Jesus would become our Passover Lamb, a lamb who was born in Bethlehem with the other Passover lambs.

A Prayer for Hanukkah

2010-12-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

We light these lights

for the miracles and the wonders,

for the redemption and the battles

that you made our forefathers,

in those days at this season,

through your holy priests.

During all eight days of Hanukkah

these lights are sacred,

and we are not permitted

to make ordinary use of them

except for to look at them

in order to express thanks

and praise to Your great Name

for Your miracles,

Your wonders and Your salvations."

A prayer for Hanukkah

December 1, 2010

The Truth About Christmas, Part 2

2010-12-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

O Holy Night

When was Jesus Really born?

Luke 2:1-2

The Truth About December 25^th

· Jesus was not born on December 25^th.

· Winter Solstice was marked by most pagan cultures of the ancient world on or near December 25, celebrating the shortest day of the year, the longest night of the year, or the rebirth of the sun, after which the days would grow longer. It was celebrated similarly in many cultures with feasting, drinking, holiday entertainments, festive decorations, and gift giving. Here is a sample of pagan winter festivals that have a correlation to Christmas:

o Inti Raymi, Incas, celebrating the death/resurrection of sun god Inti

o Chaomos, Pakistan, celebrating the demigod collector of prayers

o Karachun, Slavic peoples, celebrating the death and rebirth of the sun

o Lenaia, Greece, celebrating the death and rebirth of the god Dionysus

o Mean Geimhridh, Celts, celebrating the mythical birth of a divine prince

o Yalda, Persia, celebrating the birth of the covenant god Mithra

o Ziemassvetki, Baltics, celebrating the birth of their chief deity Dievas

· In addition, many pagan cultures celebrated the midwinter or solstice as the victory of universal good (light) forces over evil (dark) forces.

· Sol Invictus (The Unconquerable Sun) was the sun god of Rome, institutionalized in 274 AD by the Emperor Aurelian. The first temple and quadrennial games held to celebrate Sol Invictus was on December 25, 274.

· During the first 300 years of Christianity, the general consensus was that celebrating birthdays was a pagan practice

· The Bible does not present a specific date for the Birth of Jesus Christ, nor does it suggest that we should celebrate it.

· By the late 3^rd Centuries, some branches of the church were beginning to associate certain feast days with the births and deaths of Christ and various “saints”—a pagan practice

· When the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4^th Century and instituted it as the state religion, pagan elements began to be converted into Christian practices. Celebrating the birth of Christ (Christ’s Mass) was one of them.

· Almost every modern element of celebrating Christmas comes from pagan, NOT Christian, sources

o Christmas trees & decorations

o Santa, his sleigh, his reindeer, and his gift-giving

o Leaving “cookies and milk” for the holiday spirit of choice

o Yule logs

o Feasts and entertainments

o Caroling from door to door

· The Christian celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25^th came from two very different sources

o Incorporation of pagan elements into Christianity in the Roman Empire

o The philosophical idea that great men always died on the date of their conception—many believed Jesus died on March 25^th, therefore he must have been conceived on March 25^th and born on December 25^th.

o None considered the Biblical evidence, or the prophetic significance of the Jewish holidays which were being fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

So When Was Jesus Really Born?

Historical Time Frame

The gospels present four historical details which provide a framework for dating the Birth of Christ:

· Caesar Augustus (Octavian) was Emperor of Rome, 27 BC – 14 AD (Luke 2:1)

· Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, Roman official in the Middle East, 14 BC – 12 AD (Luke 2:2)

o Quirinius carried out at least 2 censuses in Palestine

o Quirinius was governor of Syria from 6 AD – 12 AD, but active in many other offices of authority in earlier years; there is even some evidence that he was governor twice, the first time around 4 BC

· A Roman Census decreed by Augustus, the “first” carried out by Quirinius in about 3 BC (Luke 2:1-3)

o An imperial census was ordered in 8 BC, which may have taken several years to carry out.

o An oath of loyalty was administered in Judea in 3/2 BC

o There is also the possibility that the original meaning of Luke 2 was that the census took place before the one taken by Quirinius (which was in 6/7 AD)

· Herod the Great was king of Judea, 39 BC – 1 BC (Matthew 2:1, Luke 1:5)

o The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Herod died following an eclipse of the moon.

o Many historians claim that eclipse was the partial eclipse that occurred at Passover in 4 BC

o However, 3 complete lunar eclipses occurred—2 in 5 BC, 1 in 1 BC.

o Herod is said to have ruled 37 years total, 34 after he helped capture Jerusalem, which took place in 37/36 BC.

Jewish Festivals and the Order of Abijah

Luke begins his Gospel with the angelic announcements and miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

· John the Baptist was the son of Elizabeth and Zacharias, both of priestly lineage.

· Zacharias was specifically a priest in the division of Abjiah.

· The Order of Abijah served in the temple for two weeks in late spring each year, as well as at all three major feasts—Passover, Pentecost, & Tabernacles

· John the Baptist was likely conceived during the season of Pentecost and born during the season of Passover

· Jesus was likely conceived during Hanukkah and born during the season of Trumpets-Atonement-Tabernacles.

· Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishri on the Jewish calendar)—The Feast of Trumpets and also the Jewish New Year—also celebrates the creation of Adam.

A Star in the East: Jupiter, Venus, Regulus, Leo & Virgo

We will cover the Christmas Star in detail in another session, but here is an overview that helps complete the answer to our question: When was Jesus born? Babylonian astronomers witnessed a stellar event in fall of 3 BC that indicated the King of the Jews had been born, continued watching a series of similar cosmic signs for the next 15 months, and they followed that starry guide to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem.

· The planet Jupiter (King of planets) had a conjunction with Regulus (King of stars) three times, beginning in September 3 BC at the time of Rosh Hashanah

· Regulus is a star that is located in the constellation Leo (King of beasts), specifically between the lion’s feet.

· Jupiter then moved through the head of the constellation Virgo, which at the time of Rosh Hashanah was rising with the sun behind her and the New Moon at her feet.

· Jupiter had a conjunction with Venus (Queen of planets) in June 2 BC, making a brighter spectacle than any living astronomer had ever seen.

· Finally, in December 2 BC, Jupiter appeared (from the perspective of Jerusalem) to stop directly over Bethlehem.

· The date of Jupiter’s first conjunction with Regulus—11 September 3 BC, which corresponds exactly to Rosh Hashanah.

· The date of Jupiter’s apparent stop over Bethlehem—25 December 2 BC.

Jesus was Born (most likely) on 11 September 3 BC.

Other significant dates in Jesus’ Life

· Luke 3:1 says that John the Baptist baptized Jesus in “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”. The 15^th year of Tiberius was 27 AD.

· Luke 3:23 says, “Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age.” He turned 29 on his birthday in the fall of 27 AD, and was probably baptized about the same time.

· John 2:20, which took place at Passover in 28 AD, says that it had taken 46 years to that point to build the temple, which was still under construction. Herod the Great began reconstruction of the temple in 19 BC; 46 years later would be 28 AD.

· Jesus ministry spanned 3 ½ years, from the fall of 27 AD to the spring of 31 AD. He was crucified on Wednesday morning, Passover. He lay in the grave 3 days, and rose from the dead just after sunset on Saturday evening, which began the day of Firstfruits.

· The only year that accommodates those days for the Passover-Unleavened Bread-Firstfruits cycle was 31 AD. He was 32 ½ years old.

The Truth About Christmas, Part 1

2010-12-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

What Child is This?

The Promised Messiah and the Family He Came Through

Some Facts

· Jesus was not born on December 25^th.

· The “inn” was not a hotel with no vacancies.

· The “manger” was not a hay trough for animals.

· The Bible does not say that Jesus was born in a stable.

· The Three Wise Men were not present at Jesus’ birth.

two genealogies

Matthew 1:1-16 gives the lineage of Jesus’ earthly foster father—Joseph, the husband of Mary—through a man named Jacob and the royal House of David, demonstrating Jesus’ earthly right to inherit the throne as King of Israel.

· Matthew begins with Abraham, father of the Jewish people.

· Matthew counts 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to Jeconiah, and from Jeconiah to Jesus. This was a rabbinical teaching tool—making it easier to memorize.

· Matthew omits the names of 4 kings of Israel—Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, and Jehoiakim. The first three were omitted because of their association with the House of Ahab. The last one may be a transcription error because of the similarity between Jehoiakim & Jehoiachin.

· Matthew includes 5 women, which was unusual in Hebrew genealogies. The women were Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba & Mary. The first 3 were Gentiles, Bathsheba was married to a Gentile, and all 5 had questionable reputations.

Luke 3:23-38 gives the lineage of Joseph through a man named Heli of the Noble House of Nathan son of David, tracing the line all the way back to the beginning, demonstrating Jesus’ place as the son of man and the second Adam.

The earliest explanation for the two genealogies comes from the writings of Eusebius (AD 263-339), Bishop of Caesarea and church historian, who quoted the earlier church historian Julius Africanus. Julius Africanus cites living descendants of the family of Jesus and writes that Matthan, a descendant of David’s son Solomon took a wife named Estha and had by her a son named Jacob. Matthan died, and his widow married Matthat (called Melchi by Julius Africanus) a descendant of David’s son Nathan. Matthat fathered a son named Heli, so Jacob and Heli were half-brothers, sharing the same mother. Heli married, but died without an heir, and his brother Jacob married the widow to raise up a son for his dead brother. That son was Joseph, the husband of Mary.

And That's Not All!

2010-04-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

In returning to 1 Corinthians, we started this past Sunday looking at the Spiritual Gifts--Worship in Community. For three chapters, Paul discusses the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in public worship, beginning with this statement: I don't want you to be ignorant of spiritual gifts.

Salvation, as an experience, is not the be all and end all of Christianity. It is the starting point. From there we move on to greater, wider, higher and deeper experiences with God. We learn lessons in faith, in hope, and in love. We grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We gain understanding of the Word of God. We become less and less like ourselves and more and more like Jesus. Salvation is great, but that's not all that God has made available to us! There's more!

There's the fruit of the Spirit--lovejoypeacepatiencegoodnesskindnessgentlenessfaithfulnessandselfcontrol--not to mention forgiveness, forbearance, perseverance, generosity, hospitality, thankfulness, zeal, mercy, humility and hope. These and so much more represent the character of Jesus Christ being produced in our lives as we follow Him. And that's not all!

There's the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the empowerment that follows salvation, preparing us for complete and perfect service to the Lord. Christ has imparted all power and authority to believers with the instructions to "Go and Tell!" And that's not all!

There's the language of the Spirit, what we as Pentecostals call "Speaking in tongues." Through it my own spirit is encouraged and I am built up on my most holy faith. Through it sinners are convinced, and when coupled with the supernatural interpretation, it brings a powerful conviction. Through it we make intercession for the Gospel and the Saints, and when I don't know how to pray because of my own human weakness and frailty, the Holy Spirit prays through me in groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And that's not all!

There are all these other wonderful gifts--words of wisdom and knowledge, faith, discernment, gifts of healings and working of miracles, prophecy, tongues and interpretation--that are meant to be incorporated and employed in public worship for the encouragement of the entire body of believers. We should never be satisfied with one experience, one fruit, or one gift. I want it all!

ABUNDANT LIFE NEWS

No Wednesday night Bible study for the next three weeks, but we will continue in May with our study of the Revelation.
Pastor Casey will be preaching a revival meeting in Moab, Utah, starting this Sunday. Please be in prayer with him for this meeting.
Rev. David Schultz, former Pastor of Glad Tidings A/G in Houston and father to our own Associate Pastor Jesse Schultz, will be speaking at Abundant Life for the next two Sundays.

Transformed by the Power of the Spirit

2010-04-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a 4-part series on the transformational power of the Holy Spirit in revival that begins in the heart of the individual and extends outward from there!

Week One we looked at A Life Redeemed, comparing the life of Peter before and after his encounter with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4. Before that day, he was always saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing. He wasn't a very good fisherman (Jesus always had to tell him where to fish), and sometimes he wasn't a very good disciple. He was the kind of guy who shirked his responsibilities, slept through prayer meeting, spoke out of turn, struck out on impulse, and even cussed and swore in front of little girls. But after the life changing power of the Spirit took over, he was a changed man who helped change the world he lived in!

Week Two we looked at A Church Revived, examining the portrait of Christ's church in Acts to the last glimpse of the New Testament church in the Book of Revelation. God wants His church to be a church of prayer, proclamation, power, personal ministry, fellowship and evangelism. He wants His church to exhibit the characteristics of Jesus Christ--the fruit of the Spirit. He wants His church to use the gifts He has given us! But in order to become, or to remain, God's kind of church, we must experience a continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives and in our church.

Week Three we looked at A City Reclaimed, reading the wonderful testimony of Acts 19 as Paul brought the message of the Holy Spirit to the 12 believers in Ephesus. It was a city turned upside down by extraordinary miracles and demonstrations of the Spirit's power. Here lives were changed, people were healed and delivered--even by the handkerchiefs torn from Paul's apron. They brought out the sinful things from their houses and burned them, and the entire economic structure of the idol trade in Ephesus was threatened. What will God do when the Holy Spirit gets ahold of His church and uses it as He intended?

Week Four we looked at A Nation Restored, starting with the great revival call in 2 Chronicles 7:14--If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. Our nation used to be an instrument for God's glory, but in recent decades we have fallen into a culture of degradation, deprivation, and death. The One Nation Under God has turned its back on its Sovereign and has instead done what was right in its own eyes. The only hope for this nation to be spared judgment for another season will be the prayers and intercessions of the Holy Ghost church in the last days! So let us arise and stand in the gap, and see if we can win one more season of grace for our people.

And next: we're going back to 1 Corinthians, to finish Building a Community of Faith, Hope and Love!

FOCUS 2010: Prayer, Power & Presence

2010-01-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

If you missed service today at Abundant Life, you missed an incredible time with the Lord! What I have been praying for, what I have been hoping for, what I have been looking for happened today, and my expectation is that this is only the beginning. The worship was extraordinary, the Word anointed, and the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts as we gathered together for this first Sunday of celebration in 2010!

Today began 21 days of what I'm calling FOCUS 2010...it's the way I hope to open every year. It's a time to focus our minds and our spirits upon the Lord and His will for the next twelve months. It's a time to look at where we've been, where we are now, and most importantly where we are going! I shared from 1 Corinthians 13:13 about our Core Values as a community: faith, hope, and love, and then began a message that was on my heart concerning 2010 and what kind of year it needed to be.

Over the last few weeks, the Lord really began to stir my heart concerning the need for prayer.

If we want a demonstration of His power, a manifestation of His presence, prayer is where it is going to begin. I long to see the healing power, the miracle-working power, the delivering and baptizing power of God at work in the hearts and lives of His people at Abundant Life, and through them touching the lives of everyone they encounter. I want to see the answers to my prayers and the prayers of others. I want the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the dumb to talk! I want to see the dead restored back to life again. I want to see the same kinds of things that Jesus did, and greater things also! We can, you know! But it won't come because we have fabulous music or fantastic preaching. It won't come because we have the best building or sign that money can buy. It will only come after we have prayed and sought the Lord for His face as well as His hand!

I believe the presence of God is tangible and attainable every time we meet together, since Jesus said, "Wherever you gather, there I am in your midst!" I have never seen the glory of God as some have testified they have seen. I have never caught the scent of God, nor tasted His presence, though I know that others have. But I'll tell you what I have experienced. I have heard the sounds of heaven when the praise of God's people broke through to the throne room. I have personally heard thousands of voices when only a handful were present. I have heard the trumpets and orchestras of heaven. And I have heard the voice of God. I have felt His presence in a very physical, very tangible way, and I know that He is real. His presence can be experienced...when God's people will pray and seek Him with all of their hearts.

The glory of the Lord fell in our service as the people entered into a spontaneous time of heart-felt worship and calling upon the Lord. And tonight we gathered for prayer to seek God's face for an outpouring of His power and presence in our hearts and in our lives. Several shared what God had put upon their hearts, but there was a consensus about this: If we want more of God than we have ever had, then we must give God more of us than He has ever had!

Next week, perhaps I'll get to continue with FOCUS 2010: Mission, Vision & Decision...

We Shall Overcome!

2009-12-28T09:41:00.000-08:00

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven,

"Now salvation, and strength,

and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come,

for the accuser of the brethren,

who accused them before our God day and night,

has been cast down.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their lives to the death."

Revelation 12:10-11

I love this verse of Scripture! I love it because it talks about the beginning of the end for the devil. I love it because it gives us the means to have an overcoming life. I love it because it identifies the source of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He came to die for our sins, to purchase our salvation with His own life, to be and become everything that we would ever need, if we would only accept Him as Savior and Lord. For whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

We have an Adversary, an accuser who revels in telling all our faults and failures to God. He hates us, he is bent on our destruction through any means, he is a liar, a thief, a murderer and destroyer. But his fate is sealed. Jesus sealed it on Calvary, making public spectacle of the devil, death, hell and the grave when He died that we might live!

We are the Accused, and the things the devil accuses us of are true. We are flawed, faulty, frail, failing human beings. We sin. We mess up beyond imagining. We do stupid rotten things that displease God and condemn us to hell. But because we have an Advocate, we can boldly approach the throne of grace to find help and mercy in present time of need Because we have an Advocate, we can confess our sins and find that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Because we have an Advocate, we can overcome!

And how do we overcome? By the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony!

I'm saved. I'm redeemed. I'm a changed man, this morning. All my sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. I've been forgiven. I've been rescued. I've been set free. I am covered by the blood, walking in the light, on my way to heaven shouting glory, glory, glory all the way! I have God for my Father, Jesus for my Brother, and the Blessed Holy Spirit for my guide. I have the Word dwelling in me, the Sword of the Spirit and my weapon of offense while the character of Jesus Christ is developed within me as my defense. I am in the sanctification process. I am continually being filled with the power and the presence of the Holy Ghost. I may not be all that God wants me to be, but my life isn't over yet. I'm on my way. I am who God says I am, and I can do what God says I can do! I will fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life. I will run with endurance the race that is set before me. And I will keep the faith! That is my testimony!

The Thessalonian Key, part 3

2009-12-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here at last (though a couple of weeks later than expected) are the final 35 keys to understanding the Rapture of the Church and the Return of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Apostle Paul in 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

36. God will repay with tribulation those who trouble believers. (2 Thess. 1:6-10

37. God will give believers rest from their troubles.

38. This will happen when Jesus comes from heaven with His mighty angels.
39. Jesus is coming in flaming fire.

40. Jesus is coming to take vengeance on two groups of people—those who don’t know God, and those who don’t obey the gospel.
41. The unbelieving and disobedient will be punished with everlasting destruction.
42. This everlasting destruction comes from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.
43. Everlasting destruction comes when He comes.
44. Jesus is coming on “the day of the Lord”.
45. Jesus is coming to be glorified in His saints.
46. Jesus is coming to be admired among all who believe.

47. The Lord’s coming, our gathering together to Him, and the days of judgment are all connected in the Day of the Lord. (2 Thess. 2:1-4)
48. Judgment cannot start until after the “apostasia”—the great departure.
49. Judgment cannot start until after the “man of sin”, the manifestation of lawlessness and object of God’s wrath, is revealed.
50. The man of sin opposes all religions.
51. The man of sin exalts himself above all gods.

52. The man of sin will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that He is God.

53. The man of sin is presently being restrained. (2 Thess. 2:5-12)
54. The man of sin will be revealed in his own time.
55. Paul says the believers know what is restraining him.
56. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work—but it is presently restrained.
57. The Church and the Spirit will continue to restrain until they are removed.
58. When the restrainer is removed, Antichrist will be revealed.
59. The Lord will consume the Antichrist with the breath of his mouth.
60. The Lord will destroy the Antichrist with the brightness of his coming.
61. The Antichrist comes according to the working of Satan.
62. He comes with all power, signs and lying wonders—the false Christ.
63. He comes with unrighteous deception.
64. He comes among those who perish.
65. Those who perish do so because they rejected salvation.
66. Because they rejected salvation, God gives them strong delusion to believe the lie of the Antichrist.
67. They will all be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

68. Let us patiently wait and anticipate His coming—and our going! (2 Thess. 3:5)

The Thessalonian Key, part 2

2009-12-09T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here are 25 key facts about the Rapture of the Church, the Resurrection of the Sainted Dead, and the Return of Jesus Christ, as found in 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5.

11. Jesus is coming, and God will bring with Him all of the saints who have died.
12. Jesus is coming from heaven, but He is also coming with a shout.
13. The archangel (or all angels) will shout.
14. The trumpet of God will sound.
15. The dead in Christ will rise first.
16. Those who are alive and remain in Christ will be caught—raptured with the resurrected dead.
17. All believers will be caught up “in clouds”.
18. We will meet the Lord in the air.
19. After that, we will always be with the Lord.
20. The Day of the Lord—the day or time of judgment and fulfillment—comes unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. (1 Thess. 5:2)
21. The Day of the Lord will come when ‘they’ say peace and safety. (1 Thess. 5:3)
22. The Day of the Lord will come like labor pains come upon a pregnant woman.
23. The Day of the Lord will come, and ‘they’ will not escape.
24. The Day of the Lord will not surprise believers like a thief in the night. (1 Thess. 5:4)
25. Believers are children of the light and of the day. (1 Thess. 5:5)
26. Believers are not children of the night or of darkness.
27. Believers do not even die, or ‘sleep’ as unbelievers do. (1 Thess. 5:6)
28. Believers should be watching and sober.
29. Believers will not sleep or get drunk as those of the night. (1 Thess. 5:7)
30. Believers have as their helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thess. 5:8)
31. God did not appoint believers to suffer His wrath. (1 Thess. 5:9)
32. God appointed believers to obtain salvation—physical rescue—through the Lord Jesus Christ.
33. It doesn’t matter whether we live or die—we shall all live with Him.
34. When Jesus comes back, every part of your physical being and existence will be preserved. (1 Thess. 5:23)
35. You will then be completely blameless, because of the fulfillment of our salvation.

Part 3, and the last 33 points from 2 Thessalonians to be posted next week!

The Thessalonian Key, part 1

2009-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

In 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Paul gives us at least 68 key facts about the Rapture of the Church and the Return of Jesus Christ. Here are the first ten, from last Wednesday's Bible Study.

Jesus is coming. (1 Thess. 1:3)
Paul praised believers for their continual anticipation of the return of Christ. (1 Thess. 1:10)
Part of the Christian experience is waiting for Christ's return.
Jesus is coming from heaven.
Jesus is coming to deliver us from the wrath to come.
Wrath is coming too.
The people we lead to the Lord will be our glory, joy and crown when Jesus comes for us. (1 Thess. 2:19)
Jesus is coming, and all His saints will be with Him. (1 Thess. 3:13)
Jesus' coming will then establish and secure us in holiness and blamelessness.
Jesus will present us that way to God.

58 more key facts to follow...join us this Wednesday night for a look at 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5.

Hats and Hair--Really Important Church Issues!

2009-12-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered,

dishonors his head.

But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.

1 Corinthians 11:4-5, NKJV

You gotta hand it to those Corinthians believers; they sure came up with some doozies for Paul to deal with in his multiple trips and letters to them. This one might be my favorite. Shouldn't men have short hair, and women have long hair? And shouldn't women have to cover up their heads when they speak in church? Paul, please tell us what to do!

In these 15 verses, Paul talks alot about traditions and customs and what nature and society teach regarding hats and hair. And I've heard some people try to take this passage and apply it as the rule of law in church: Men who wear hats in church are dishonorable! Women who cut their hair are shameful! And men who let their hair grow past their collar are abominable! Get a haircut, or get some dogtags!

Because, after all, the key to pleasing God is what happens to your hair at Mission Impossible (otherwise known as the Beauty Shop).

But my contention is this...if God was concerned about your hair, everybody would have some.

Selah! (Think about that!)

This passage is not really about hats in church, or the length of a person's hair. It is about God-ordered authority in a person's life. The key verse in the first half of 1 Corinthians 11 is verse 3:

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ,

the head of woman is man,

and the head of Christ is God.

Everything that comes after that verse needs to be read in light of it. When a man stands up to preach or to pray and covers his head, he dishonors his head. That's not talking about taking your hat off when you pray--although taking your hat off might be the polite thing to do. It's talking about concealing Christ. When a man stands up to preach or to pray, he needs to do so in a way that clearly reveals Christ and does not cover him up. There are too many people who want to be seen, who want to be lauded and praised because of their excellent speech or their beautiful prayer. Every man who preaches and prays needs to understand...this isn't about you, it's about Jesus Christ.

And when a woman stands up to preach or pray (anyone who thinks Paul didn't allow women to speak in church hasn't read this verse), she should keep her head covered. If she uncovers her head, she is no better than a shameful woman who goes scarfless or with shaven head in public. But Paul is not suggesting that women have to wear veils; he is saying that when a woman stands to preach or pray, she must do so in a way that does not uncover her head; she must do so in a way that does not dishonor her husband, who is her spiritual covering.

A man who preaches and prays in public should be in submission to Christ and under the covering of Christ's authority. A woman who preaches and prays in public should be in submission to her husband if she is married and under the covering of her husband's authority. Otherwise, we dishonor ourselves and our Lord.

An Abundant Life Update

2009-11-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

It's almost December already! Where has the time gone. Sometimes I feel like I miss something if I blink. So much has been accomplished, and so much more remains to be done. But the last six months have been some of the most fulfilling--if challenging--months of my life.

Building a Community of Faith, Hope, and Love

If you've been around Abundant Life for very long, you will have heard (at least I hope you will have heard) me say, "We are building a community of faith, hope and love." Those were the words the Lord gave to me, based on 1 Corinthians 13:13, the day after I yielded to his will for our combined future. I've been expressing those words, that thought, for six months now. We've spent the last four months looking almost every week at that wonderful letter on church building, and I trust that the Word has not been without effect.

A community is a coming together of people from every walk of life, a unifying of hearts to one common purpose. For us, that unifying purpose is the threefold mission of the Church that Christ built--we are here to Exalt God, Edify believers, and Evangelize the world. And how do we build a community?

We take as our values the three things that will abide forever--faith, hope and love
We focus on the centrality of Jesus Christ in everything we do
We stay on message with the proclamation of the simplicity of the Gospel
We work in the power of the Holy Spirit
We do what we can with what we have while we have the chance
We do it all for the glory of God

As with any community, our community will have standards that govern what we do.

We have a Standard of Morality, moral purity, patience & self-control, and loving correction when necessary.
We have a Standard of Relationship, right behavior toward those inside and outside the community.
We have a Standard of Priorities, God first and everything else in its proper place afterward.
We have a Standard of Conscience, liberty where there is no law, so long as your liberty does not cause offense to anyone else.
We have a Standard of Rights, preferring others over the demands of self.
We have a Standard of Motives, that the why is more important than the what.
We have a Standard of Authority, divine order in every relationship and community.
We have a Standard of Unity, found not in being alike, but in being in love with Jesus Christ.

As 2009 draws to a close, I'm looking ahead at the coming year with great anticipation. January will be dedicated to FOCUS 2010, a time of prayer and seeking God for direction for our community. That will be followed with MISSION 2010: EVERYWAY, a time of commitment to the work of the Lord at home and around the world. Throughout the year, we will be having several special POWER ENCOUNTER weekend meetings, focusing on the person, power, presence, and promises that are ours through Jesus Christ. And along the way, we will complete our study of 1 Corinthians with teaching on the Gifts of the Spirit and the Resurrection.

Be blessed, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!