Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 1 hear the word of the Lord. I am a rose of Sharon a lily of the valleys as a lily among bramble

So is my love among the young women as an apple tree among the trees of the forest So is my beloved among the young men with great delight.

I sat in his shadow and his fruit was sweet to my taste He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love

Sustain me with raisins refresh me with apples for I am sick with love His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me.

I Adore you Oh daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles or the does of the field that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases

May the Lord had his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word As I said before one of the things

I found strangest in Asian culture when I lived in Singapore was was The attitude towards sex really toward the body

You know and all things like that on the one hand in Singapore, at least they would they would seem very strict

You know strict divorce laws and there was strict against pornography and the like So you think that they were repressed that would be the conclusion.

There were just repressive kind of you know people But the truth is they're really more earthy more realistic and it's

Western culture our culture that has traditionally been more repressed Historically the view from platonic culture is that matter, you know the body and so sex is bad at least unspiritual and so Something you know if you're spiritual you want to get away from from the body and all that so as they say in church the approach to sex has been first to hush and then to blush and then to bash and You see the influence of that are really what our unbiblical ideas on Western culture when you go outside of it

Especially like I did you live in Asian culture I'm an Asian society for a while and you'll see there that people just don't assume that these topics are to be hushed up While living in Singapore, I was tutoring some

Korean seminary students in English Who are planning on coming to the USA to finish their studies now once the two young men students asked me a question

What's what's the word for? What's the word for a woman with large breasts? now

Beside some slang There is a proper word Buxom But I knew enough about their culture by now that if I just taught them that word, you know

Buxom write it down learn to pronounce it, right? And they could very well come to America and meet some woman and soon tell her my you're very

Buxom And I did not want to be responsible for the slap that would ensue

So I said just don't mention it and they looked at each other very puzzled shrugged his shoulder why it's natural

I said, yes, I know just don't mention it And they still couldn't understand that and that's been the attitude of much a polite society in the

West including the church about all things having to do with The body with sex and so much so that I think it's really twisted the way that the

Song of Solomon is interpreted For example, Mary took a class in a Bible College in Singapore that dealt with the

Song of Solomon and I asked her whether they Took an what they call an allegorical approach that is they interpret all this talk you find in Song of Solomon about the body and kissing and embracing and all that as symbolic of other truths spiritual truths because it can't possibly the assumption is it can't possibly be talking about Literal physical love and things like that because after all we all know that's that's carnal

So I can't really be talking about that and she said no, you know, was that the approach they took on Singapore?

No, he said people there wouldn't see any need for a allegorical interpretation

But in Western society for centuries the Song of Solomon has been interpreted

Allegorically, that is it couldn't possibly mean people assumed what it literally would appear to mean

So for example, the Rose of Sharon a lily among the valleys We saw in chapter 2 verse 1 was

Christ himself Whom we are to desire and it all sounds so devout and so pious now who wants to argue with that?

No one wants to say. No, you shouldn't love Jesus. Now, obviously we don't say that the problem though with that interpretation is

That's not the meaning the original author intended, you know, whoever wrote it originally when they wrote it

What did they mean to communicate? And that's really a major interpretive key You know dealing with any passage of the

Bible. What did the original author mean? Second reading it like that symbolically allegorically is is totally arbitrary

You know the Christians say it's Jesus's love for the church Jews say it's

Yahweh's love for Israel Others say it's God's love for them individually

And each little thing mentioned, you know, the body parts and so forth They say are symbolic for this or for that but but who's to say?

It's based on nothing other than the feelings of some sentimental Interpreter and so that approach to interpreting it has become less and less popular over about the last century until today some have swung really what

I think is to the opposite extreme so far as to interpret the Song of Solomon as basically now being a sex manual

So for example, if you look just one verse up love what we read our couch is green The beams of our house are cedar our rafters are pine

I read one commentator that seriously interpreted that to be this is instructions on how you should decorate your bedroom

Okay You know what a good love life decorate like this With a green couch,

I guess and cedar and pine, you know, whatever by the way, you know, they're in a forest

Or do you get it really their couch is green because they're sitting on grass The house quote house cedar and pine because they're looking up at cedar and pine trees

Okay. Now the problem with that kind of sex manual approach is threefold There's two three problems with that first who writes an instruction manual in poetry.

I mean, come on I mean, wouldn't you be irritated if you got an instruction manual about something like how to how to assemble?

A bicycle you opened up the instructions and it's written in poetry with rhymes and symbolic language, you know symbols

You couldn't figure out what they stood for That would just I want it's clear direct instructions

Second it has the same problem as the allegorical interpretation. It's totally arbitrary

You know some creative person thinks this phrase like his right hand embraces me in verse 6

Refers to a specific sex act which they will then say the Bible says do Really?

I I don't see that there. You know It's interesting that when someone says they see it there

It's interesting about what it says about them But I don't see the Bible saying that and third the fact is the

Song of Solomon is not all about Sex it's really much bigger than that. It's about the relationship in which sex is found

It's about what CS Lewis called in his wonderful book the four loves Eros what some people today only think of you know, when the world says love this is basically what they mean love

But there are other kinds And what we might call Romantic love the

Song of Solomon is about that Eros Romance what

I'll call what I'll call love for most of the rest of this sermon Now we'll only get a sampling of the

Song of Solomon today after all it's not a manual it needs to be read step -by -step It's not for instruction.

I don't think but for celebration The way I I recommend that you marry people read it

It's read it together in parts the wife taking the woman's part marked by she And the SV and the man taking the man's part marked by he

By the way, the woman has twice as many words in Song of Solomon of the man does So what do you make a joke out of that?

There's a good one there I'm sure and there's also a chorus and you got to work out who takes care of that now for now we have we can

See several facets of love what the world calls love I've listed at least 14 of them

You can probably find more but 14 will do for today and it won't take too long.

It won't be too painful First love is affirming that is it makes you feel affirmed and wanted appreciated loved

Notice in verse chapter 2 verse 1 she says about herself. I Am a rose of Sharon a lily of the valleys other words that's how this relationship makes her feel about herself and We see why in verse 2 the next verse as a lily among the brambles

This is the man speaking to her now as a lily among the brambles. So is my love among the young women No wonder she feels like a flower

She's telling she's telling her she is she feels affirmed because he is affirming her

She feels valued because he is valuing her now if instead of that a woman

It's usually a woman just like this one is made to feel I'm fat. I'm stupid. I can't do anything, right?

I'm just lucky he will put up with me. That's a sign of a bad relationship That's not love because love is affirming

Second love is adoring Notice he is adoring her You're like a flower a lily compared to the other rest of the women who are at least to me like thorns you're you're the rose in this rosebush and She responds in verse 3 is an apple among the trees of the forest

So is my beloved among the young men in a very similar way different images But sort of the same meaning most of the trees in the forest, you know aren't much good, right?

You go in the forest can't get much out of most trees. They shed leaves or pine needles, you know What do you do with it, but if you came across you in a forest there's an apple tree there.

Ah, that's good There's fruit you can eat it. You can something you need and that's what she's saying about him You're you're you have what

I want. You have something I need much of the rest of this book is an exchange of adoring words

Between each other because that's what love does it adores Now, of course some might say well, you know, that's that's fine for them, but it's not my nature, you know,

I'm not so expressive Maybe they're the kind of person if their kid brings home a report card has five

A's and one a -minus They'll immediately say what's wrong with the a -minus you've been goofing off too much. What's going on?

Let's say you know say I'm not so adoring it understand me. Well, that's what love does here So I guess in this one area if that's you

We'll have to give you an a -minus. Oh That's cruel. That's just cruel. That was a low blow

Third love is refreshing It delights in the person loved in the second half of verse 3 with great delight

I sat in his shadow and his fruit to me was sweet to my day This is continuing the thought that he's like an apple tree Fruit is what comes from his life the effect of the love on the one being loved love is refreshing It's like eating fruit.

It is in verse 4 like drinking wine He brought me to the the bank wedding house is literally a house of wine It also had probably had something to do with a wedding reception

Bank wedding house a house of wine and the analogy is is changed In the very next verse, but this the meaning or at least the feeling is the same

It's mostly a book about feelings. The feeling is the same his banner over me was love

The banner is like a flag that may a king would have but it's breakfast expressed his authority as protective care

Here's the man. It's like a king. He's he's expressing his protective care over me

She feels the security of his love There's no sense of danger or fear, you know, he's suddenly gonna turn abusive any moment now, you know,

I burned the dinner He's gonna get It's gonna get nasty Instead she's refreshed and wants to stay there with him

Fourth love is physical in verse 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me

That's not symbolic for anything That means his left hand is under his head.

It's his right hand embraces her Love wants to touch it revels in an embrace

That's why younger unmarried couples need to be warned against touching too much because it's natural that they want to touch but you know

There's you gotta watch yourself Sometimes advised to hurry up. You want to touch so much hurry up and get married so you can touch all you want

Okay, don't have a don't have a year and a half engagement. That's crazy Go hurry get married now so you can touch sometimes older couples need to be reminded to touch

Don't keep your hands to yourself so much. Thank you George. You got the point Fifth what seems a bolt out of the blue?

All right come to verse 7 seems almost like totally out of place Because we're humming along with all this adoration and this touchy -feely stuff and then comes and all this exaltation

Really of what is Eros? and in verse 7 I Adjure you of daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles or the does of the field that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases

You know right in the midst of the celebration of love is a warning to the single people who may be reading or hearing this

And are beginning to oh, what's some of that? What's some of that action? You want someone to love and to love them back?

Seems so inviting so attractive Won't someone please fulfill these desires for me, but then comes

Wake up get out of it Go take a cold shower. This is it verse 7 is a cold shower.

Don't awaken those desires. I is Adjure you in other words. I make you swear

It's important enough to make you take an oath. I can't just leave it up to advising you

Suggesting it to you, you know leaving a hint Maybe it'd be better off if you cool it now I have to make you pledge that you will not arouse

Love your needs to love and have someone love you until the time is right when you're old enough mature enough

You're in the right situation in life and there is the right person there to love Don't feed those feelings until everything is in place

Don't constantly feed your mind, you know with romance novels and love stories and love songs and daydreams

Oh, he's so dreamy and plans of the great relationship if you're single don't be reading bridal magazines and planning your wedding

Or whatever the Internet equivalent would be of that today That's stirring up and awakening love without anyone to love it will probably make you desperate and then vulnerable

To the first person who comes along who just looks like he or she can play that role Christian single people should fill their time with serving the

Lord And if your mind is going off into lust or into longing for romance Fill it instead with God's Word used that is a trigger as soon as those thoughts start

Thoughts start to come to memorize scripture you know, whatever pick your scripture stir up love for the

Lord and downplay love of eros Because love is reserved

Well next we'll find four more facets of love in chapter 3 verses 1 to 5.

So let me read that for you Chapter 3 starting verse 1 on my bed by night.

I sought him whom I so loves I sought him but found him not I Will rise now and go about the city in the streets and in the squares.

I will seek him whom my soul loves I sought him but found him not The watchman found me as they went about in the city.

Have you seen him whom my soul loves? Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves

I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of the one

Who conceived me I adjure you Oh daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles of the does of the field that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases

Six I'm gonna run out of fingers pretty soon, but love is longing

Chapter 3 verse 1 she longs for him whom my soul loves. Notice that when when she doesn't find him at home

She goes out looking for him There's no, you know, I could take it or leave it. Whatever. He's gone here.

Oh, who cares? There's not that an attitude with love One of the things that bothered me when

Mary and I were first started dating was that we I thought we didn't have enough time Together we only had like six weeks before The school year ended and I went back to Alabama for the summer and she was graduating and leaving for good

We're so different from different cultures and countries. I had her visit me in Alabama, but cerebrally

Kind of coldly calculating I came to the decision that we didn't have enough time together. And so she's simply say goodbye

After this, but it was a breakup that never really took Because I longed for her my longing

Overcame my thinking. Thank God Seventh love is specific

Notice how many times the phrase who my soul loves is used in those five verses

Four times each and once in each of the first four verses. I almost sound a little repetitive done it who my soul loves

She's not looking for just any man, you know, she's not like man. I need a man. Where can I find one? Oh these watchmen will do

No, she's looking for one specific one The one her soul her life loves cs -lewis wrote eros makes a man really want not a woman but one particular woman eighth

Love is a family affair In chapter 3 verse 4 she wants to bring her man home to mother

She wants to show him off to mama You know notice that bring her to my mother's house

Contrary to so much romantic fiction all the way back to Romeo and Juliet You know, it's two lovers will just ignore or even destroy their families connections

It's you know, just to be with that one. They think they love ideally love wants to include the family if at all possible

As Mark Driscoll noted in a video we watch only a bad guy wants to stick a woman out of a good social network Isolate her from family friends at church.

That's the sign of a bad guy Real love will want to keep you as close as possible to good families

Are in churches for that matter? 9th love is dangerous in Verse 5 is the same warning in chapter 2 verse 7

You know, did you think I was repeating myself? If you're reading no, it's there again word for word That means that the warning is serious enough to need repeating.

Okay, something's repeated It's probably repeated because we need to hear it again Love or what looks and feels like it is dangerous

That's why I commonly warn you about the intoxicating power of love I'm making an idol of that one dream relationship

Because it it's it's dangerous Now so someone could conclude of hearing that well, then, you know

Eros is a demon Romantic love is bad So if you can't control yourself sexually

Well, then make a cold calculated decision to marry one person and do what you got to do But don't get drawn into the trap of Eros, but that's not what it all that's not at all what

I mean What that's not that's not what

I mean at all when I'm worn against the dangers of the relationship of Eros I you know, I also warn against the dangers of the idolatry of money

But I don't suggest that you should I'm opposed to all money and you should get rid of it all Although if you're going to do that, give it to me.

I'll take care of it But you know, I don't suggest that you just divest yourself of all money and go run off and live in a monastery somewhere

The monastery has got to have money to pay us bills too and even by the way I know I warn against the dangers of Eros for the same reason that we warn against the dangers of electricity

You know, we put up signs warning of hazards of electricity There's especially there's a bare wire or something like that so much so that if you know

If someone didn't know any better and all they hear heard was our warnings against, you know, you could get shocked

Be careful dangers of electricity. They might come to the conclusion. We hate electricity And that's why we're trying to discourage everyone from using it.

No, of course not we love electricity It makes so many luxuries possible makes these lights. It's an amplification So we have it close by It's only bad if handled in the wrong way

It can shock you can even kill you just so we warn about the we warn about Eros For the same reason it makes many pleasures and joys possible so we want it close

But it is dangerous very dangerous If you don't have a safe way of handling it and you turn your desire for love, you know

I want to turn it all the way to max power You'll probably get shocked Likely you will make yourself desperate

Which will ironically make it harder for you to find someone to love, you know in my opinion

I'm no expert of what women want so I'm the shouldn't write a book on it Women usually find it totally off -putting to see a man who is just consumed by desperation

And just kind of air about it. He's just so discontent with himself. He's looking for anyone. It'll take him, please

Men often also dislike maybe you find that scary and when it's a woman whoa back up or Some men will use that Desperation if a woman has it to take advantage of the woman

Suggesting to her usually unspoken suggesting unspoken, but you know, I'll give you the love you want if you give me the sex

I want Of course, it's a bad deal because he'll want the sex now and later when she wants to love he'll be gone

Probably taking advantage of the next desperate girl Having a fully awakened longing for love in a single person is

Dangerous, that's why here again in chapter 3 verse 5 single people are warned unless you are ready to handle it including especially someone in your life that you as a

Christian can love a Christian like yourself who will help you love the

Lord most of all unless you are ready for it Don't feed those desires for it

Love is dangerous Well two more facets of love

Founded chapter 4 verse 8 to chapter 5 verse 1 Okay chapter 4 verse 8 you turn there

Starts kind of in the middle of this Discourse chapter 4 verse 8 come with me from Lebanon my bride come with me from Lebanon Depart from the peak of Amana from the peak of Sinai and Herman from the dens of lions from the mountains of leopards

You have captivated my heart my sister my bride You have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes with one jewel of your necklace

How beautiful is your love my sister my bride you how much better is your love than wine and the fragrance of your oils?

than any spice Your lips drip nectar my bride honey and milk are under your tongue the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon a

Garment locked is my garden locked is my sister my bride a spring locked a fountain sealed

Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all its choices fruits henna with nards nard and saffron

Calamus and cinnamon with all trees and frankincense myrrh and aloes with all choice spices a garden fountain a well of living water and flowing streams from Lebanon a

Wake go north wind and come o south wind blow upon my garden. Let its spices flow

Let my beloved come to his garden and eat his choices fruits I came to my garden my sister my bride.

I gathered my myrrh With my spice I ate my honeycomb and my honey.

I drank my wine and my milk Eat friends drink and be drunk with love well tenth

Love is marital Notice the term my bride Her six times from chapter 4 verse 8 to chapter 5 verse 1 my bride, so they're married they may be newlyweds but they're married and that makes the

Song of Solomon different from so much Hollywood romance and in this than the Like in which the action usually occurs outside of marriage here

This love has brought them into marriage into a commitment that they dream will last until death do them part

C .s. Lewis wrote to be in love is to both intend and to promise lifelong fidelity

Now someone who doesn't have that first intent that it lasts and is then second

Unwilling to make a promise a real promise, you know with witnesses With a ring to prove it in a marriage certificate so that even the government is called in to to testify to it

Someone who doesn't have that, you know, it just says yeah sure. I love you, baby But why fuss about rings and ceremonies and paperwork?

someone who thinks like that Probably has no love That's why

I fight so tragic today and all this cohabitation living together despite all the talk all the passion

It's often so completely loveless Because love is marital 11th

Love is sexual Should say that right sexual Starting in verse 11 leading up chapter 5 verse 1, you know things are starting to get pretty hot there

Yeah, I might should have rated this sermon pg -13 I don't know. Maybe the kids should have been sent off to see a cartoon, but I don't think they knew what was going on There's a building sensuality here.

You know the lips and the honey and the milk The bride is a garden locked in verse 12 That is she is or at least was a virgin until now that she's married that chastity is celebrated

She was a spring -locked a fountain -sealed in other words No man got to enjoy the pleasures she offered until now that she's married and now she is now

He is enjoying those pleasures in verses 11 to 16. So all this is pleasing aromas this list of Refreshing, you know sensual lovely things

Refreshment like from a spring of fresh water And then at the end of chapter 4 in chapter 5 verse 1.

Hey And here's the great irony about the debate on how to interpret the

Song of Solomon Some say it has to be allegorical that symbolic language that's symbolic language used to describe other truths

They say that because they assume no truly inspired spiritual book would be about sex

But it's not usually allegorical Because that's not how the original author intended it but For example, you go back when he when he writes in chapter 4 verse 1 and on we didn't read that part

But you know this coat poetic comparison some of the things that Song of Solomon is best known for Seems strange to us almost kind of funny.

Sometimes, you know her your eyes are like doves behind your veil Your hair is like a flock of goats.

We don't usually think of that It's a good thing, but your teeth are like shorn use on and on like that And he means literally to praise her beauty her looks

He's using analogies But it's not allegorical and the original author never would have understood our hang -up that it can't be

Inspired in physical even sexual at the same time, but in kind of a funny irony just here in Chapter 4 verse 16 in chapter 5 verse 1

Yeah, it's allegorical there The language is symbolic Because That's not about gardening

There's no gardening going on there You know, if you think that's going she's saying let's go out and pull some weeds.

No, that's not what's going on here Love is sexual People do sometimes need to be told this

I know of young women getting married at 18 who were totally shocked at their wedding night included sex No one told them instead.

There was this attitude like what I told those Koreans seminary students, you know, just don't talk about it Sometimes married couples suffer for years with some kind of sexual dysfunction because they won't talk about it sometimes serious marital problems even affairs and divorce

Happened because one partner decides the marriage isn't going to be sexual anymore and the other doesn't know how to talk about it

Now our culture hasn't always been so hung up and afraid to talk about it in my doctoral research

I found a Puritan Church in which a wife took before the whole congregation the problem of a husband who was not having sex enough for her and When you can figure that out

You'll take a while to think about that and when you figure that out You've learned a lot about the biblical view of the body and sex and marriage and the church

Well three more facets about love in chapter 8 verses 1 to 10 told you we're skipping around Chapter 8 verses 1 to 10.

This is the last section that we'll be looking at anyway separate verse 1

Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother's breast if I found you outside I would kiss you and none would despise me

I would leave you and bring you into the house of my mother she who used to teach me I would give you spiced wine to drink and juice of my pomegranates

His left hand is under my head his and his right hand embraces me I adjure you

Oh daughters of Jerusalem that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases

Who is that coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved Under the apple tree.

I awakened you there. Your mother was in labor with you there She who bore you was in labor

Set me as an seal upon your heart as a seal upon your arm for love is as strong as death

Jealousy is fierce as the grave its flashes are flashes of fire the very flame of the

Lord Many waters cannot quench love Neither can floods drown it if a man offered for love all the wealth of his house.

He would be utterly despised We have a little sister and she has no breast

What should we do for our sister on the day when she has spoken for if she is a wall? We will build in her battlement a battlement of silver if she is a door.

We will enclose her with boards of cedar. I As one who finds peace well 12

Love is expressive but private In verse 1. Oh that you were like a brother to me that seemed like a strange desire to have isn't it?

But she explains why if I found you outside I would kiss you and none would despise me Like a lot of conservative cultures.

They they disapproved of public displays of affection, you know PDA And so since they're in public she wishes he was at least seen as a brother

So she could kiss him without being looked down on She's expressive but knows that's reserved for privacy and private again.

He touches her face and embraces her knows that phrase is repeated 13th love is worth waiting for verse 4 sound familiar by now

See that this is the third time this warning is repeated in the Song of Solomon that the temptation with all this exaltation of Eros is that we make finding it our number one priority

You know always playing the boyfriend -girlfriend dating game Jumping at the first opportunity when we think we found it

And so people will when they have that when they fall into that They'll give sex for it.

They'll change their beliefs for it They'll leave their family the loose friends and think they've made a good exchange All because they've been spending their youth stirring up and turning up their craving for love

And they thought it was innocent enough while they were doing it, you know, there are even Christian romance novels, you know,

I can't Anyway parents will be constantly talking maybe in prayer about who you're gonna marry talking about boyfriend

This girlfriend that and you know, and they'll think what's what's wrong with planning ahead Even if you're planning a wedding and you're single

What's wrong? What's wrong? You're stirring up and awakening love before it pleases before the time is right you've set a little fire like setting a campfire and you think you hope nothing will go wrong and maybe

God will be merciful to You and send someone before the fire gets out of hand becomes a wildfire But maybe he won't and you find yourself getting burned by a fire set too early

Instead of stirring up love in verse 6 set a seal upon your heart guard your heart

Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 says with all vigilance For from it flow the springs of life set your mind on things above Colossians chapter 3 verse 2 says don't waste your youth in search of eros the perfect relationship in the

Hopes that once you get that out of the way You can then turn to the Lord No, it doesn't work like that Set a seal upon your heart so that this quest for love

Doesn't take over because if it does verse 6 says

Love is as strong as death Jealousy is as fierce as the grave its flashes.

I think it's like lightning He's talking about here are like flashes of fire the very flame of the

Lord in other words It will overwhelm you it will consume you it will seem as powerful to you as the power of God And so at verse 7 many waters cannot quench love neither can floods drown it if a man offered for love all the wealth of his house

He would be utterly despised That's why you should not start that fire until you're ready for it

Otherwise, you'll get burned Yes, it's worth waiting for So wait 14th and finally

Love is public All through the Song of Solomon there are these others you notice that they come up in verse

Here in there come up in verse 8 here in this passage There this chorus is speaking up these friends and they're encouraging the the man and the woman to love they are for this

Relationship at the end of the last half of chapter 8 with a couple now safely in love and married

They mentioned another young girl coming along And they have a little sister in verse 8 now they that's this community the people around family friends today

We'd include the church want to care for her. What shall we do if she is a wall?

They say that is she is virtuous. She is wise. She's not easily taken advantage of she's committed to purity before marriage

She has it stirred up a craving for romance. And so is it vulnerable to just anyone then we will help her

We will build on her battlements of silver kind of a door in her but also support her

If she's a door that is she's easy to take advantage of Now it may not mean that she's immoral

Only that she's vulnerable She's vulnerable to seduction. She's easily taken in by the smooth talk of some cute guy

She's needy She's naive Well, then what? Well, it's her life and you gotta let her make her own decisions

That's good old American individualism, isn't it? My love life is my business alone No, it's not

It's public. And so we the community around her the church will at the end of verse 9 and close her with boards of cedar

That is we as a community Will supply what she lacks in wisdom to preserve her purity now, of course for that to work

She or he has to cooperate has to be committed to this committed to listen

Right. She's gonna she's gonna be accountable. She's gonna have that in her mind She's gonna be accountable mostly mostly it could be with a guy too.

They're gonna be accountable. I'm not gonna run away if the others Tell her what she doesn't want to hear

If there's no commitment, then there's no we nothing holding us together And we can't protect someone from themselves when the temptations come hot and heavy

When Mary and I were dating the elders of her church in Singapore sent a professor They knew there at the seminary to talk to her make sure she was okay

They eventually asked her to come back to Singapore leaving me in California And she she obeyed

She was accountable she knew they weren't trying to deprive her of something good and About a year later those same elders if you were here in first Sunday school, you would have seen them they performed our wedding

Love is public Of course the worldly person Cannot understand this.

I mean that what I've just said the last point is the most Objectionable thing that you could possibly suggest to them that there would be something you would allow to get in the way of love something more important Because for them nothing is higher.

Nothing is greater than what they call love It is as close to heaven as they will get and that's the truth

It is as close to heaven as they will get they know that and that's the reality for them And so it justifies anything any other relationship can be destroyed even a previous marriage

Any commitment broken any action justified if it's done in the name of love

Love conquers all Says the world not at all meaning the self -giving love of the cross, but the passionately self -involved love of eros

Some have said that today's Christianity today Christianity's greatest rival is not

Islam not even materialism, but eroticism Now meaning the love of sexual pleasure, but I think it even more powerful rival

Not just sex itself But the whole apparatus of apparent love that it often comes in eros by itself

Exalted as a God For that nothing can be denied. It has to be honored unconditionally and obeyed without reservation

That's what the world thinks and the worst crime today is telling someone that their love is forbidden

Even the Lord himself some churches very clumsily imply Exist to maintain this

God eros That's why you're so rarely here these days. Jesus is called to discipleship in Luke chapter 18 verse 29.

You must be willing to leave Not simply brothers. That may be hard.

That may be easy for many of us, right? Brothers or parents or property

Okay, I'll divest myself of property But can you believe it also? He says wife

Eros for the sake of the kingdom of God Today we think the kingdom of God sometimes churches imply this

Is all about helping our relationship with our wife or husband Eros overall and yet the tragic irony is

That as great as eros love is it drives us to promise?

What eros itself cannot deliver? Romantic love as we saw with what

Lewis said it makes us want to give something That itself is not capable of making us give

It drives us to give our lives to commit ourselves till till death do us part But it can't enable us to keep those vows

That's why despite all the failed marriages in our day which people you think would be assuming why bother?

Let's forget about it marriage and all that people still want to get marriage that married That's eros keep telling them get married and then but they lack what it takes to keep those marriages together

They're in love and theirs will last and they believe that with all their heart

But that kind of love lacks the power to enable us to make good on the promises that it compels us to make

You know, it's famously fickle We've probably all known people who will loudly proclaim they are in love and they will be in love until the stars grow cold and Next year is someone else

It's not that romantic love is bad, it's simply not enough it needs to be a jewel in a setting of untarnishable gold that holds it solidly in place the greater love of God's steadfast love

You know the one we saw of all places in Lamentations and the ashes and in the rubble of an obliterated

Jerusalem The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end now for us

It is in the cross that we find a covenant love That is sturdy enough to hold all our fleeting loves in place

Romantic love is a great thing But it's not the greatest of things without the greater thing of God's covenant love

Eros becomes a god a cruel God and then a demon and That's the tragic irony

You know those who stir up this fire of love they end up pursuing it for its own sake

You know in the end so often such people They don't get any kind of love

They just get burned instead stir up and pursue the greater love of and love for the