I just read Song of Songs, as I do whenever I get to it from my never-ending circuit of reading through the bible in its entirety. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it since becoming a believer 24 years ago, nor can I say how many different bible versions I might have read it from.
Allegory?Over the years I have attempted to get a better understanding of this little book by both listening to sermons and podcasts about it, and by reading scholarly articles and commentaries. I even read a whole book about Song of Songs many years ago by Watchman Nee, where he dissects it verse by verse. What I have concluded in this search (at least for now) is that the more common explanations from both the traditional Jewish and Christian perspectives which make this poetic description of two lovers into an allegory of some sort, doesn’t seem appropriate. Especially, since the bible itself never makes such a connection. Honestly, I’m just not convinced that it goes much beyond the fact that it is merely a racy, Hebraic styled poem. Here is how one Old Testament scholar describes how the two traditions have handled Song of Songs, while also hinting at the underlining challenges of its subject matter…
“Famously, the erotic nature of the Song constituted a challenge for the framers of the canon, both Jewish and Christian, and their response was to read the poems allegorically—in the case of the early rabbis, as the love between the Holy One and Israel, and in the case of the Church fathers, as the love between Christ and the Church.” — The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter
A Unique BlessingThis last reading however, something struck me for the first time which might point to why God gave us Song of Songs. For whatever reason, this scene popped into my head after reading it once again…
Mark 12:18-25 (HCSB) – Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaves his wife behind, and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying, left no offspring. The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?” Jesus told them, “Are you not deceived because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.”
…and it got me thinking:
“Is it possible that God is maybe just giving us through this little book a poetic picture of the beauty of the process of a man and a women becoming one-flesh, which is solely unique to this current age?”
Think about it, the bible in its very first chapter says this…
Genesis 1:26-28a (HCSB) – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth…”
And then, in the second chapter it goes into more detail…
Genesis 2:21-24 (HCSB) – So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.
Here’s where I’m going…
Maybe, Song of Songs is just a reflective pause in the middle of our bibles, which is meant to show us that the God who created us understands on a deeply human level the beauty of the becoming one-flesh process; and that in addition, it is a unique blessing which can only be experienced by us in the current temporal age where we should just embrace it while it can be enjoyed.
However one might attempt to understand the significance of Song of Songs, it does make sense why in two other books associated with Solomon being their author as well, we have this…
Ecclesiastes 9:9 (HCSB) – Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.
Proverbs 5:18 (HCSB) – Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.
Godspeed, to the brethren!
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Join us for a night of worship led by our Young Adults Worship team. We will be focusing on walking in the Spirit.
Speaker: Eileen Krahn
Set List: You Are Good, Firm Foundation, Lord Send Revival, Whole Heart (Hold Me Now), So Will I, Made For More, What a God, Omemma
Time: 7:30pm-9:00pm
Location: Youth Room
See you there.And don’t forget to follow Engage Young Adults on Facebook and Instagram!
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Thursday, January 16th- Navigating Life through the Lens of Faith
Unsure of how to start your year? Join us this Thursday as we reflect back on God’s faithfulness and use that as the foundation of decision making. We will have guest speakers joining us.
Time: 7:30pm-9:00pm
Location: Youth Room
See you there.And don’t forget to follow Engage Young Adults on Facebook and Instagram!
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This Week
Anti-Social Movie Night!
Friday, January 17th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
Come hang out and watch a movie!
You get to vote and choose.
Next Week!
Catchphrase!
Friday, January 24th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
We are playing catchphrase this week!
May the best team win.
In 2 Weeks!
God Save the King!
Friday, January 31th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
This awesome LARP game will have you solving
riddles to conquer the throne or having you
defend the King to save the kingdom.
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U-Puttz Cost: $22
Wednesday, January 15th @ 6:30pm-9:00pm
Glow n’ dark mini golf, laser tag, numper cars!
We are heading to U Puttz with a chartered bus at 6:30pm
Click here to register (required).
Click here to fill out COTR Activity Release Form (required).
Click here to fill out the U-Puttz Waiver Form (required).
Catch Phrase!
Wednesday, January 22nd @ 7:00pm-9:00pm
We are playing catch phrase this week!
May the best team win.
God Save the King!
Wednesday, January 29th @ 7:00pm-9:00pm
This awesome LARP game will have you
solving riddles to conquer the throne or have you
defend the King to save the kingdom!
Here’s what you need to know:
First, create a Discord user by downloading the application here.
Second, sign on to our Threshold Jr Discord server by clicking here.
You’ll be up to speed throughout the week!
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FOCAS (Fellowship of Christian Adult Singles) 30+ Event
Fellowship Night
Sat Jan 11 at 7:00PM in the Youth Room
Please check our Facebook page for any updates.
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Darkroom Games!
Wednesday, January 8th @ 7:00pm-9:00pm
Join us for some darkroom games,
a short message and small group!
U-Puttz Cost: $21
Wednesday, January 15th @ 6:30pm-9:00pm
Glow n’ dark mini golf, laser tag, bumper cars!
We are heading to U-Puttz with the bus at 6:30pm.
Click here to register (required).
Click here to fill out COTR Activity Release form (required).
Click here to fill out U-Puttz Waiver form (required).
Catch Phrase!
Wednesday, January 22nd @ 7:00pm-9:00pm
We are playing catch phrase this week!
May the best team win.
Here’s what you need to know:
First, create a Discord user by downloading the application here.
Second, sign on to our Threshold Jr Discord server by clicking here.
You’ll be up to speed throughout the week!
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This Week
Darkroom Games!
Friday, January 10th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
Join us for dark room games, a short message and small group.
We will have prizes to be won!
Next Week!
Anti-Social Movie Night!
Friday, January 17th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
Come hang out and watch a movie!
You get to vote and choose.
In 2 Weeks!
Catchphrase!
Friday, January 24th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
We are playing catchphrase this week!
May the best team win.
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No Youth! Happy New Year!
Wednesday, January 1st
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you on Wednesday, January 8th!
Darkroom Games!
Wednesday, January 8th @ 7:00pm-9:00pm
Join us for some darkroom games,
a short message and small group!
Activate Cost: $20-22
Wednesday, January 15th @ 6:15pm-9:00pm
We are heading to Activate!
Activate is a live action gaming adventure.
You get to jump, climb and problem solve.
Make sure to register for this event (required) link available on January 6.
COTR Activity Release Form (required), link available on January 6.
Activate Release Form (required), link available on January 6.
Here’s what you need to know:
First, create a Discord user by downloading the application here.
Second, sign on to our Threshold Jr Discord server by clicking here.
You’ll be up to speed throughout the week!
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This Week
No Youth! Happy New Year!
Friday, January 3rd
Happy New Year! See you on
Friday, January 10th.
Next Week!
Darkroom Games!
Friday, January 10th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
Join us for dark room games, a short message and small group.
We will have prizes to be won!
In 2 Weeks!
Anti-Social Movie Night!
Friday, January 17th @ 7:11pm-10:00pm
Come hang out and watch a movie!
You get to vote and choose.
The post High School Ministry – December 30th appeared first on Church of The Rock.
Check out our ongoing resources for each age group: And don’t forget to follow Kidz Rock on Facebook and Instagram!
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