It has stood the test of time,
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God's book, the Bible.
Still relevant in today's
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complex word. It Is Written
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sharing hope around the globe.
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This is It Is
Written. Thanks for joining me.
00:00:36.70\00:00:39.40
I'm John Bradshaw. As a
newly minted high school
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student, just 12 years old,
I was fortunate enough to have
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a good English
teacher. A Mr. Braithwaite.
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Now he might have been
good but the truth is I don't
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remember too much about
the actual class - the odd
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writing assignment
maybe - although I do remember
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poetry. Somehow
poetry made a bit of
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an impression on me.
And I vividly remember
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learning this poem by the
British poet Rupert Brooke:
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"If I should die, think only
this of me: That there's some
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corner of a foreign
field that is for ever England.
00:01:12.10\00:01:15.04
There shall be in that
rich earth a richer dust
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concealed; A dust whom
England bore, shaped, made
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aware..." and so on...
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The poem was called, "The
Soldier", and Brooke was a
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soldier in World War I.
I'm not really sure why we
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young high schoolers had
to study that particular piece
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of verse, but I've never
forgotten it so there must be
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something about
the way it's written.
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Good poetry endures.
Sometimes poetry that isn't
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any good endures too.
And down through the annals
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of time there've been
many great poets and many
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memorable poems. I
was always slightly amused
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by this one. I
think that I shall never
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see A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is
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prest Against the sweet
earth's flowing breast; A
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tree that looks at God all
day, And lifts her leafy arms
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to pray... That's
from 'Trees' by Joyce
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Kilmer who was from New Jersey.
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TS Elliot was
slightly more gritty.
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Because I do not hope to
turn again Because I do not hope
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Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man's gift and
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that man's scope I no longer
strive to strive towards such
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things (Why should the agèd
eagle stretch its wings?) Why
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should I mourn The vanished
power of the usual reign?
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And so forth ...
Which is from the poem, "Ash
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Wednesday". In
the 1800s Elizabeth
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Browning Barrett
wrote, How do I love thee?
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Let me count the ways. I
love thee to the depth and
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breadth and height My soul
can reach, when feeling out
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of sight For the ends
of being and ideal grace...
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Well... And you
can't really discuss
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poetry without
mentioning William Shakespeare.
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All the world's a stage,?
and all the men and women
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merely players; ?they
have their exits and their
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entrances,? and one
man in his time plays
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many parts,? his
acts being seven ages.
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There you go. It's
from Shakespeare's work
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"As You Like It".
I've got a brother who used
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to be a bit of a poet -
I mean, an amateur poet.
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His wife tells the story
about how she first became
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attracted to him by
the poetry he wrote.
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Evidently he had a way
with words back then and thereby
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won her heart. Just
as wel certainly didn't
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get her with his looks...
The Bible contains a lot of
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poetry. Of the 66
books in the Bible,
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5 of them are books of
poetry: The book of Job
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is a book of
poetry. The book of Psalms
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is a collection of 150 psalms
- songs, mainly - poems, really
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they are.
Proverbs is another of the
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poetic books of the
Bible: 31 chapters of wisdom.
00:04:01.47\00:04:05.04
If you like, a chapter every
day for a month if you like
00:04:05.04\00:04:08.21
to read that way - and
it's fairly straightforward
00:04:08.21\00:04:10.51
reading.
Ecclesiastes is poetry -
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Solomon's reflections on
the ultimate meaning of life.
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And then there's one more
book of poetry in the Bible -
00:04:18.45\00:04:22.92
a book that has caused a
lot of people to scratch their
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heads and wonder. I'd
say it's one of the least
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read books of the Old Testament.
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It's The Song of
Solomon. What's THAT about?
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There are only 117 verses in
the 8 chapters of the Song of
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Solomon. Yet it's
a book of the Bible
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not very many people have read.
00:04:43.45\00:04:45.45
It's a love story, and
the language can get a bit
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intense at times... I
would venture to suggest
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that a lot of people have
not figured out how the Song
00:04:53.15\00:04:55.92
of Solomon can play a
role in their devotional lives.
00:04:55.92\00:04:59.59
So let's consider -
the Song of Solomon.
00:04:59.59\00:05:03.60
How beautiful are your
feet in sandals, O prince's
00:05:03.60\00:05:06.90
daughter!? The
curves of your thighs are
00:05:06.90\00:05:09.70
like jewels, the work of
the hands of a skillful workman.
00:05:09.70\00:05:14.28
Song of Solomon 7:1
NKJV What's THAT all about?
00:05:14.28\00:05:19.11
We'll find out more
about the Song of Solomon
00:05:19.11\00:05:21.78
in just a moment.
00:05:21.78\00:05:23.72
[Music]
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Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:07:01.25\00:07:04.02
The book of Genesis.
Well, you know what that's
00:07:04.02\00:07:06.45
about. It's the
book of beginnings -
00:07:06.45\00:07:08.76
the creation story, the
fall, the flood, Abraham, Isaac,
00:07:08.76\00:07:13.46
Jacob, Joseph...that's
Genesis Then there's Exodus -
00:07:13.46\00:07:17.37
the Israelites exit Egypt
and they begin their journey to
00:07:17.37\00:07:20.64
the Promised Land.
What's Proverbs about?
00:07:20.64\00:07:23.14
- Well that's
the book of wisdom.
00:07:23.14\00:07:25.91
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
- the stories of Jesus' life
00:07:25.91\00:07:28.84
and ministry. Easy.
00:07:28.84\00:07:30.91
But the Song of Solomon?
If you've spent much time
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reading the Bible or
going to church you'll likely
00:07:34.15\00:07:37.19
recognize some of the
verses in the Song of Solomon.
00:07:37.19\00:07:40.92
"He brought me to the
banqueting house, and his
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banner over me was love."
That's Song of Solomon 2:4
00:07:43.69\00:07:46.90
NKJV That phrase "The little
foxes that spoil the vines",
00:07:46.90\00:07:50.83
that comes from Song of
Solomon 2:15 NKJV "This is my
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beloved, and this is my friend."
00:07:54.77\00:07:57.27
Song of Solomon 5:16 NKJV
That's popular at weddings.
00:07:57.27\00:08:03.14
As is, "Many waters
cannot quench love, nor can the
00:08:03.14\00:08:05.81
floods drown it. If a
man would give for love,
00:08:05.81\00:08:07.85
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly despised.
00:08:07.85\00:08:11.62
Song of Solomon 8:7 NKJV
But the content of the Song
00:08:11.62\00:08:16.12
of Solomon is generally rather
different to any other book
00:08:16.12\00:08:19.19
in the Bible. "Let him
kiss me with the kisses
00:08:19.19\00:08:22.36
of his mouth, for your
love is better than wine."
00:08:22.36\00:08:26.60
Song of Solomon 1:2 NKJV
"Your lips are like a strand
00:08:26.60\00:08:31.04
of scarlet, and
your mouth is lovely.
00:08:31.04\00:08:34.64
Your temples behind
your veil are like a piece of
00:08:34.64\00:08:37.81
pomegranate." Song
of Solomon 4:3 NKJV
00:08:37.81\00:08:41.52
"Your two breasts are
like two fawns, twins of a
00:08:41.52\00:08:44.75
gazelle, which
feed among the lilies."
00:08:44.75\00:08:47.36
Song of Solomon 4:5 NKJV
Now that's an interesting book.
00:08:47.36\00:08:51.33
Why the... language?
00:08:51.33\00:08:55.26
Well, the Song of Solomon
is an allegory, using the love
00:08:55.26\00:08:59.10
and affection expressed
between Solomon and his wife
00:08:59.10\00:09:01.70
- or at least, one of his
wives - to express the love
00:09:01.70\00:09:04.87
and tender care of
God towards the church.
00:09:04.87\00:09:08.41
No it's certainly a love
story, no doubt about it,
00:09:08.41\00:09:11.51
and in this story is expressed
the love between Solomon
00:09:11.51\00:09:14.28
and his wife. But
God uses it to represent
00:09:14.28\00:09:17.52
the greater love - the
love of God for His church,
00:09:17.52\00:09:22.06
and the love of
God's people for Him.
00:09:22.06\00:09:24.69
The key character in the
Song of Solomon is Jesus -
00:09:24.69\00:09:28.46
and some people find it
curious that God would express
00:09:28.46\00:09:31.10
His love for His
people and Christ's commitment
00:09:31.10\00:09:33.94
and devotion to a sinful
human beings in this way.
00:09:33.94\00:09:38.21
But perhaps the Song of
Solomon helps us to see how
00:09:38.21\00:09:40.61
the relationship between a
man and a woman who love each
00:09:40.61\00:09:48.35
other is designed by God to
be representative of the love
00:09:48.35\00:09:50.95
of God for His people.
The imagery isn't entirely
00:09:50.95\00:09:53.12
unique to the Song of Solomon
- in Isaiah 54:5 God says,
00:09:53.12\00:09:55.89
"Your Maker is your husband."
Isaiah 54:5 NKJV And Paul
00:09:55.89\00:09:58.53
told the Corinthians, "For
I have betrothed you to one
00:09:58.53\00:10:03.16
husband." 2
Corinthians 11:2 NKJV In
00:10:03.16\00:10:06.30
the Bible - especially in
Bible prophecy - a woman is
00:10:06.30\00:10:11.07
used as a symbol
to represent a church.
00:10:11.07\00:10:14.68
You find that in Jeremiah
6:2, where God says, "I have
00:10:14.68\00:10:18.65
likened the daughter of
Zion to a lovely and delicate
00:10:18.65\00:10:22.05
woman." Jeremiah
6:2 NKJV Hosea uses
00:10:22.05\00:10:24.42
the same symbol (find that
in Hosea 1:2, in fact, the whole
00:10:24.42\00:10:27.49
book of Hosea) and God
uses the symbol of a woman to
00:10:27.49\00:10:30.56
represent a church in
the book of Revelation,
00:10:30.56\00:10:33.40
especially in
Revelation 12 and 13.
00:10:33.40\00:10:38.73
So for God to use this
story, The Song of Solomon,
00:10:38.73\00:10:41.90
to represent his love for
his church, isn't a stretch at
00:10:41.90\00:10:45.54
all. It seems
that in the Song of
00:10:45.54\00:10:48.51
Solomon, Solomon
had just become King.
00:10:48.51\00:10:51.75
In his early 20s he was rich,
powerful and very likely very
00:10:51.75\00:10:56.18
handsome and up until
that time a very eligible
00:10:56.18\00:10:59.62
bachelor. You
can imagine Solomon
00:10:59.62\00:11:02.36
thinking about his future
and thinking about his world
00:11:02.36\00:11:05.13
and then wondering where
he was going to find a wife.
00:11:05.13\00:11:08.90
At first blush you might
think that every girl in the
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.27
land would marry him
- if only he would ask.
00:11:11.27\00:11:14.57
But Solomon had to walk
that minefield of finding out
00:11:14.57\00:11:17.64
whether a woman loved him
for himself or simply because
00:11:17.64\00:11:21.24
he was the king. A
modern royal love story
00:11:21.24\00:11:24.65
is that of Prince
William and Kate Middleton -
00:11:24.65\00:11:26.95
now the Duchess of Cambridge.
It seems to be a story of two
00:11:26.95\00:11:30.39
young people drawn
together by mutual love.
00:11:30.39\00:11:33.72
In apparent contrast the
Prince's father's experience
00:11:33.72\00:11:36.52
with finding true love
was rather more anguished.
00:11:36.52\00:11:40.46
Prince Charles' marriage
to Princess Diana was fraught
00:11:40.46\00:11:43.26
with difficulty
and ended in discord.
00:11:43.26\00:11:45.77
And later there was tragedy.
So how would Solomon find
00:11:45.77\00:11:49.40
a wife who truly loved
him? Well, he hatched a plan.
00:11:49.40\00:11:55.08
He disguised himself
as a shepherd and started
00:11:55.08\00:11:57.51
to travel throughout his
kingdom looking for Miss Right.
00:11:57.51\00:12:01.18
How long did that take
him? Well, some time I think,
00:12:01.18\00:12:03.99
because by the end of his
search he found himself at
00:12:03.99\00:12:06.15
the farthest end of his
kingdom in the land of Shulam
00:12:06.15\00:12:09.36
- and it was there that he
met the woman of his dreams.
00:12:09.36\00:12:13.43
They fell in love, the
girl from a farming family
00:12:13.43\00:12:16.40
and Solomon the King
disguised as a shepherd.
00:12:16.40\00:12:19.33
We can probably
imagine how Solomon felt.
00:12:19.33\00:12:22.27
He's head-over-heels in love,
walking on air because he's
00:12:22.27\00:12:25.77
found the woman
who truly fulfills him.
00:12:25.77\00:12:29.28
Now the girl -
though obviously beautiful -
00:12:29.28\00:12:32.65
had a low opinion of herself.
She said, "Do not look upon
00:12:32.65\00:12:37.75
me, because I am dark,
because the sun has tanned
00:12:37.75\00:12:40.72
me. My mother's sons were angry
00:12:40.72\00:12:43.36
with me; they made me the
keeper of the vineyards, but
00:12:43.36\00:12:47.23
my own vineyard
I have not kept."
00:12:47.23\00:12:50.30
Song of Solomon 1:6
NKJV This young maiden worked
00:12:50.30\00:12:53.77
on her family farm.
And the rest of the Song
00:12:53.77\00:12:56.07
of Solomon goes
through their love story, hers
00:12:56.07\00:12:58.91
and Solomon's. It
seems Solomon liveed with
00:12:58.91\00:13:01.41
the family for some
time as this relationship
00:13:01.41\00:13:03.65
developed... and
then he disappeared.
00:13:03.65\00:13:07.52
Out of sight. Never
to be found again it
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.32
seemed. Just --- gone.
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.32
How would a woman in love
feel having that experience
00:13:13.32\00:13:19.79
thrust upon her? Now
it does happen, you know.
00:13:19.79\00:13:22.33
Do you remember back in
2005, a woman in Duluth, Georgia
00:13:22.33\00:13:26.33
disappeared four days
before her wedding day?
00:13:26.33\00:13:28.84
There was a huge search,
more than 200 people taking part
00:13:28.84\00:13:31.74
in the search for her.
A 32-year-old, who simply
00:13:31.74\00:13:35.74
left her fiancé with
absolutely no idea of where
00:13:35.74\00:13:38.98
she was. Now she
called him a couple
00:13:38.98\00:13:40.98
of days later - the day
before they were scheduled to
00:13:40.98\00:13:42.98
be married - and she claimed
that she'd been abducted...
00:13:42.98\00:13:46.22
Now thankfully it was
all a hoax and the woman
00:13:46.22\00:13:48.72
hadn't been harmed. The
poor girl simply had cold
00:13:48.72\00:13:51.86
feet and skipped town,
and at the time the story was
00:13:51.86\00:13:55.43
unfolding there was
an outpouring of sympathy
00:13:55.43\00:13:57.83
for a young man whose
wife-to-be had simply vanished.
00:13:57.83\00:14:03.44
The woman in Song of Solomon
expresses her sorrow like
00:14:03.44\00:14:06.17
this. Song of Solomon 3:1-3 "By
00:14:06.17\00:14:09.51
night on my bed I sought the
one I love; I sought him, but
00:14:09.51\00:14:15.38
I did not find him. 'I
will rise now,' I said,
00:14:15.38\00:14:18.45
'And go about the city;
in the streets and in the
00:14:18.45\00:14:21.29
squares I will seek the one
I love.' I sought him, but I
00:14:21.29\00:14:26.06
did not find him."
Song of Solomon 3:1-3 NKJV
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.36
She must have felt as though
her world was coming to an
00:14:28.36\00:14:31.50
end. Put yourself in that
00:14:31.50\00:14:33.94
position: she likely had
trouble focusing on work and
00:14:33.94\00:14:36.91
probably didn't get much sleep.
00:14:36.91\00:14:39.04
But while we don't know how
long this separation went on
00:14:39.04\00:14:41.94
for, it can't have been
"very" long because in Song
00:14:41.94\00:14:45.21
of Solomon later on in
chapter 3 it says this.
00:14:45.21\00:14:50.29
Who is this coming out of
the wilderness like pillars of
00:14:50.29\00:14:52.82
smoke, perfumed with
myrrh and frankincense, with all
00:14:52.82\00:14:57.56
the merchant's fragrant powders?
00:14:57.56\00:15:00.46
Behold, it is Solomon's couch,?
00:15:00.46\00:15:03.16
with sixty valiant men around
it, of the valiant of Israel.
00:15:03.16\00:15:07.84
They all hold
swords, being expert in war.
00:15:07.84\00:15:10.97
Every man has his sword on
his thigh because of fear in
00:15:10.97\00:15:13.68
the night. Of
the wood of Lebanon
00:15:13.68\00:15:16.24
Solomon the King made himself
a palanquin [chariot]: He
00:15:16.24\00:15:20.48
made its pillars of silver,
its support of gold, its seat
00:15:20.48\00:15:23.75
of purple, its interior paved
with love ?by the daughters
00:15:23.75\00:15:28.99
of Jerusalem." Song
of Solomon 3:6-10 NKJV
00:15:28.99\00:15:34.03
The cry must have gone
through the land, "Solomon is
00:15:34.03\00:15:36.67
coming! Lets go
out to meet him."
00:15:36.67\00:15:38.73
Her heart would have
raced: "Where is he going?
00:15:38.73\00:15:43.27
Is he coming to see
me?" Well we know the answer.
00:15:43.27\00:15:46.37
He was traveling to
the furthest reaches of his
00:15:46.37\00:15:48.51
kingdom to the land of
Shulam to find his true love.
00:15:48.51\00:15:52.25
Can you imagine what it
was like when Solomon and his
00:15:52.25\00:15:55.35
entourage stood at her door?
And you can you imagine how
00:15:55.35\00:15:58.75
she felt when she
realized it was Solomon...
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.89
the one that she loved so much?
00:16:01.89\00:16:04.26
Chapter 3 verse 4 says
that when she found Him "I held
00:16:04.26\00:16:08.70
him and would not let him
go till I had brought him to my
00:16:08.70\00:16:13.03
mother's house, to the room
of the one who conceived me."
00:16:13.03\00:16:16.07
Isn't that a wonderful story?
Now, how does this tell us
00:16:16.07\00:16:21.41
about Jesus? How
does the Song of Solomon
00:16:21.41\00:16:24.55
reveal the love that
God has for his people?
00:16:24.55\00:16:28.02
I've got that just ahead.
00:16:28.02\00:16:29.95
[Music] Every
Word is a one-minute
00:16:31.22\00:16:33.02
Bible based daily devotional
presented by Pastor John
00:16:33.02\00:16:35.76
Bradshaw and designed
especially for busy people
00:16:35.76\00:16:38.33
like you. Look for
Every Word on selected
00:16:38.33\00:16:41.40
networks or watch it on-line
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00:16:41.40\00:16:44.37
itiswritten.com.
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.74
[Music]
00:16:48.44\00:16:51.41
You don't want to miss
any of the more hidden gems of
00:16:55.61\00:16:58.55
the Bible. If you
look at the Bibles many
00:16:58.55\00:17:00.85
people own, you'll see that
the pages around the gospels
00:17:00.85\00:17:03.15
and maybe the book of Acts
are worn, but there are lots
00:17:03.15\00:17:06.02
of pages that are as new-looking
as the day the Bible was bought
00:17:06.02\00:17:08.99
because they've
rarely been opened.
00:17:08.99\00:17:11.86
Paul wrote to Timothy and
said in 2 Timothy 3:16 that 'All
00:17:11.86\00:17:14.86
Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and
00:17:14.86\00:17:18.50
is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
00:17:18.50\00:17:21.30
for instruction
in righteousness.'
00:17:21.30\00:17:23.61
You'll be blessed if you
read the book of Amos, the story
00:17:23.61\00:17:25.91
of Hosea, the wisdom of
Ecclesiastes, the prophecies
00:17:25.91\00:17:28.84
of Jeremiah. Yes,
some of it is a little
00:17:28.84\00:17:31.95
difficult at times, but don't
neglect those 'other' parts
00:17:31.95\00:17:34.88
of the Bible.
When you come to Bible,
00:17:34.88\00:17:37.05
read broadly. God
inspired it all and it's
00:17:37.05\00:17:40.46
all for your good.
I'm John Bradshaw for
00:17:40.46\00:17:43.19
It Is Written.
Let's live today by
00:17:43.19\00:17:44.96
Every Word.
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.60
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[Music]
00:18:45.85\00:18:48.02
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:18:48.99\00:18:50.99
I'm John Bradshaw.
Do you think that God is
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.60
busy? Now by
human terms, I'd say
00:18:53.60\00:18:55.50
that God probably is.
The Bible tells us that He
00:18:55.50\00:18:58.17
created all things and that
includes this vast universe.
00:18:58.17\00:19:02.30
Then about 6,000 years
ago, Adam and Eve turned their
00:19:02.30\00:19:05.44
back on God. They
allowed sin into their
00:19:05.44\00:19:08.61
lives - and into the world.
The Bible is clear that sin
00:19:08.61\00:19:12.48
is the transgression of
the law and the wages of sin is
00:19:12.48\00:19:16.28
death. Let me
ask you this: In his
00:19:16.28\00:19:18.29
busyness, did God turn
his back on Adam and Eve?
00:19:18.29\00:19:21.96
Well no, of course he didn't.
In fact, ahead of time, God
00:19:21.96\00:19:25.53
had devised a plan where
if Adam and Eve were to turn
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.13
from Him, God
would restore them.
00:19:28.13\00:19:31.27
Jesus - like Solomon in
the Song of Solomon - would go
00:19:31.27\00:19:34.54
out in search of the
lost. Jesus left heaven and
00:19:34.54\00:19:38.24
travelled to the
farthest reaches of his kingdom.
00:19:38.24\00:19:41.31
And where did he
end up? He came to us.
00:19:41.31\00:19:44.01
He came to this sinful
world and calls to our hearts -
00:19:44.01\00:19:48.38
just as He called to Adam in
the Garden of Eden after they
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.39
fell. God went
in pursuit of Adam
00:19:51.39\00:19:54.32
and Eve and you'll read in
the Book of Genesis that God
00:19:54.32\00:19:56.89
came to them saying,
"Adam, where are you?"
00:19:56.89\00:20:01.06
The Song of Solomon discusses
the love between a Creator
00:20:01.06\00:20:04.03
God and His children here
on the Earth: a Saviour who
00:20:04.03\00:20:07.37
loves us so much that he
crossed the universe to find
00:20:07.37\00:20:11.31
us and save us for His kingdom.
00:20:11.31\00:20:13.61
And the Song of
Solomon doesn't stop there.
00:20:13.61\00:20:16.44
It tells us just what type
of relationship Jesus wants to
00:20:16.44\00:20:19.88
have with us. What
happened when Solomon
00:20:19.88\00:20:23.49
met his girl?
Sparks began to fly!
00:20:23.49\00:20:26.96
They got married.
And in chapter 8:5 we see
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.83
Solomon and his bride.
"Who is this coming up from
00:20:30.83\00:20:35.80
the wilderness
leaning on her beloved?"
00:20:35.80\00:20:39.73
Song of Solomon 8:5 NKJV
This is a picture of 2 people in
00:20:39.73\00:20:41.74
love. It
describes Mrs. Solomon as
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.67
leaning on her beloved.
It is not just a picture of 2
00:20:44.67\00:20:47.68
people holding
hands. It is more than that.
00:20:47.68\00:20:50.28
They are in love and she is
described as leaning her full
00:20:50.28\00:20:53.35
weight on Solomon.
Solomon is supporting her.
00:20:53.35\00:20:56.12
If he'd pulled away right
then, Mrs. Solomon would have
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.75
fallen over. She
trusts him completely.
00:20:58.75\00:21:02.42
And isn't that the same
type of relationship Jesus wants
00:21:02.42\00:21:05.86
us to have with him? I
remember reading about some
00:21:05.86\00:21:09.36
Bible translators somewhere
in the South Pacific trying
00:21:09.36\00:21:11.83
to find a way to translate
the word 'faith' into the
00:21:11.83\00:21:14.64
local language, as the
word didn't exist in that
00:21:14.64\00:21:17.14
language. They
finally decided to use
00:21:17.14\00:21:19.71
the idea of leaning one's
whole weight upon something
00:21:19.71\00:21:23.38
to portray what faith
was. To lean your whole weight
00:21:23.38\00:21:27.32
upon. To have faith in.
00:21:27.32\00:21:29.55
God wants us to lean
our whole weight upon Him.
00:21:29.55\00:21:32.59
To cast all our cares upon Him.
00:21:32.59\00:21:35.62
Verse 7 of Song of Solomon
chapter 8 says "Many waters
00:21:35.62\00:21:41.63
cannot quench love, nor
can the floods drown it.
00:21:41.63\00:21:45.97
If a man would give for love
all the wealth of his house,
00:21:45.97\00:21:49.27
it would be utterly despised."
00:21:49.27\00:21:51.37
Song of Solomon 8:7 NKJV Pure
love is something that cannot
00:21:51.37\00:21:55.34
be destroyed. It
isn't something that can
00:21:55.34\00:21:57.35
be bought. And
this is the kind of love
00:21:57.35\00:21:59.65
that God offers
to us... for free.
00:21:59.65\00:22:03.49
God comes to us at a time
that we most need Him and he
00:22:03.49\00:22:06.55
sweeps us off our feet.
He says, "I have loved you
00:22:06.55\00:22:09.99
with an everlasting love;
therefore with lovingkindness
00:22:09.99\00:22:13.40
I have drawn you."
Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV I got to
00:22:13.40\00:22:17.77
know a lady once, a single
Mom with a lovely daughter
00:22:17.77\00:22:20.30
about, oh, 10 to 12 years old.
00:22:20.30\00:22:23.04
She'd had some unfortunate
relationships that had caused
00:22:23.04\00:22:25.31
some real trouble in
her life in the past.
00:22:25.31\00:22:28.38
She said to me one day, she
said, "John, I've finally met
00:22:28.38\00:22:32.95
a man that I can love!" I
was happy - so I asked the
00:22:32.95\00:22:36.95
obvious question. "Who?"
00:22:36.95\00:22:39.69
She smiled, she paused,
and then she said, simply,
00:22:39.69\00:22:45.46
"Jesus. She
said, He'll never leave
00:22:45.46\00:22:48.20
me, He loves me for who I am
and He'll never let me down."
00:22:48.20\00:22:53.94
How right she was.
And perhaps this is one of
00:22:53.94\00:22:57.14
the most
encouraging verses in the book.
00:22:57.14\00:22:59.77
"Who is she who looks forth
as the morning, fair as the
00:22:59.77\00:23:06.51
moon, clear as the
sun, awesome as an army with
00:23:06.51\00:23:11.39
banners?" Song of
Solomon 6:10 NKJV You
00:23:11.39\00:23:14.46
see God looks with admiration
upon His church - a church
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.66
that will one day
be ready to meet Him.
00:23:17.66\00:23:20.56
What a day that's going to be!
00:23:20.56\00:23:22.53
And the thing that's going
to get us from here to there is
00:23:22.53\00:23:25.47
the love of God
and our love for Him.
00:23:25.47\00:23:28.54
When we understand that God
loves His people passionately
00:23:28.54\00:23:31.84
- using one of the greatest
love stories in the Bible to
00:23:31.84\00:23:34.21
describe that love -
something wonderful is going
00:23:34.21\00:23:36.91
to happen. You
can trust Someone you
00:23:36.91\00:23:39.88
know loves you completely.
You can feel safe with
00:23:39.88\00:23:43.12
Somebody that you
know loves you totally.
00:23:43.12\00:23:46.12
And you can love Somebody
that you know loves you no
00:23:46.12\00:23:49.92
strings attached, which is
why the Bible says, "We love
00:23:49.92\00:23:53.90
Him, because He first loved us."
00:23:53.90\00:23:57.40
1 John 4:19 NKJV [Music]
00:23:57.40\00:24:00.54
And if you've ever wondered
if God has a plan for this
00:24:00.54\00:24:02.57
troubled world, the
Song of Solomon assures you
00:24:02.57\00:24:06.57
He definitely does.
Jesus left this Earth 2000
00:24:06.57\00:24:10.38
years ago, but not
so He'd be gone forever.
00:24:10.38\00:24:13.85
Like Solomon in the story,
He'll be back soon to get His
00:24:13.85\00:24:19.12
bride. If
you'll learn to lean on
00:24:19.12\00:24:21.32
your beloved, one day
soon you'll see Jesus return.
00:24:21.32\00:24:25.53
The wait will be worth it.
We'll be reunited with Jesus
00:24:25.53\00:24:31.50
- and we'll be with Him forever.
00:24:31.50\00:24:33.60
You can be ready.
00:24:33.60\00:24:35.54
You don't need to think
that your Beloved has forgotten
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.74
you, or that when He comes
back He won't be coming back
00:24:38.74\00:24:42.28
for you. If you
can choose to have
00:24:42.28\00:24:44.35
faith in this great God who
interestingly the Bible says
00:24:44.35\00:24:49.15
is Love. It
doesn't just say that God
00:24:49.15\00:24:51.15
loves, it says in 1
John 4 that God IS love.
00:24:51.15\00:24:54.72
If you can learn to accept
that love, you'll experience
00:24:54.72\00:25:01.43
a complete transformation
in your life and you will find
00:25:01.43\00:25:04.03
loving God is the
easiest thing in the world.
00:25:04.03\00:25:07.84
Perhaps we should pray now
and ask that God, the one who
00:25:07.84\00:25:10.94
loves us so much, will keep
us, preserve us and soon come
00:25:10.94\00:25:15.74
to get us and take
us home. Let's pray.
00:25:15.74\00:25:19.05
Our Father in heaven, I
thank you that you love us
00:25:19.05\00:25:22.55
passionately. I
thank you that you are
00:25:22.55\00:25:25.19
crazy about this world. I
thank you that you long to
00:25:25.19\00:25:28.42
come soon and gather up
your people and take them home.
00:25:28.42\00:25:31.76
Let that day come soon and
let us be ready by exercising
00:25:31.76\00:25:36.77
simple faith in this
great God who is love.
00:25:36.77\00:25:40.07
Lord, we choose you
today. Thank you for loving us.
00:25:40.07\00:25:43.57
Give us the grace to love you
back and to grow in you as we
00:25:43.57\00:25:48.81
trust you and lean on
you. We thank you today and we
00:25:48.81\00:25:52.91
pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:25:52.91\00:25:58.79
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00:26:21.54\00:26:24.68
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00:26:27.48\00:26:30.59
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00:27:36.92\00:27:40.86
Thanks for joining me today.
I look forward to seeing you
00:27:45.53\00:27:47.76
next time. Until
then, remember - It Is
00:27:47.76\00:27:50.83
Written, man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every
00:27:50.83\00:27:54.74
word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
00:27:54.74\00:27:58.74