I’ve heard some interesting comments this week. Comments that make me wonder how committed we are to hearing God speak when we open the Bible. Comments that make me wonder how much we really believe that the Bible is in fact…
God’s word…
given to us for our good…
so that we can know him…
know ourselves…
and live in relationship with God and each other in light of the truth, rather than in the ignorance of our own “wisdom”.
The comments I’ve been hearing (both first-hand and second-hand) have come up in the context of our Song of Songs series. It’s clear that the first talk produced some pretty strong reactions – both positive and negative. On reflection, the interesting thing is that there were people in very different personal situations at both ends of the spectrum. There were single people, married people, divorced people all saying how great it was that we were addressing such important issues as love, sex & marriage… and there were those who clearly wished we weren’t!
It seems that what really made the difference was how convinced people were that The Bible is all that it claims to be…
“All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)
Do you believe this? Do you believe that Song of Songs is just as essential as Romans, Genesis or John’s gospel? Do you open the Bible expecting to have your heart and mind challenged and shaped by what you read and asking the Holy Spirit to hit you hard in love with the truth of God’s word?
Or are you hiding behind all sorts of excuses just because you don’t want to change?
Thanks Pete for being true to Gods word
Proverbs 8
8 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly[e] at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
Hey Pete, the series is a challenging one to understand but as Gods word its crucial.
Looked at desiring God for more but seems its the only book John Piper has not talked on 🙂
Found this though, it’s a good comment from John.
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-song-of-solomon-an-allegory
Hi,
It has been hard to know how to take SOS. I take it as true and fact.
The whole thing about Solomon having many many many wives at the time of writing this (I don’t know this for fact but I know he mentions other queens and maidens and virgins) makes the whole ‘love’ between them feel un-genuine. It seems to be so wrong for a man to have more than one wife and try and say he truely loves her.
I have struggled with it, but I’ve loved it. I love feeling that I am digging deeper into God’s word and seeing my response and working together with other Christians to have the response God would want for us to have (which isn’t always clear).