PART 1 HOW TO KNOW YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE
TEXT- SONG OF SOLOMON 1:1-4
INTRODUCTION
TONIGHT I AM GOING TO BEGIN A SERIES OF MESSAGES FROM THE BOOK SONG OF SOLOMON ON THE TOPIC, "HOW TO HAVE A MAGNIFICENT MARRIAGE."
I SHOULD SAY HOWEVER THAT WHILE THIS IS A BOOK THAT DEALS PRIMARILY WITH MARRIAGE IT ALSO OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF PRACTICAL HELP FOR ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU ARE TRYING TO BUILD.
IF YOUR MARRIAGE IS DYING IT WILL BRING IT BACK TO LIFE. IF YOUR MARRIAGE IS BORING IT WILL SPICE IT UP. IF YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR SPOUSE HAS GROWN COLD, IT WILL REKINDLE THE FIRE. IF YOU LACK ROMANCE IT WILL SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO.
IN A DAY AND TIME WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP IS THE SONG OF SOLOMON CAN HELP YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SEX AND WHAT GOD APPROVES OF IN A MARRIAGE. IT SERVES AS A MARRIAGE MANUAL FOR BOTH THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR YEARS.
IT IS A BOOK THAT GIVES ADVICE AND COUNSELING ON SEX, LOVE, MARRIAGE AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
AND IT WILL EVEN HELP YOU HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU.
BACK IN 1657 A BIBLE SCHOLAR WROTE THAT THERE WERE OVER 500 KNOWN COMMENTARIES ON THE SONG OF SOLOMON. HOWEVER, THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THIS WAS THAT NONE OF THEM AGREED ON HOW TO INTERPRET IT.
DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS MANY HAVE INTERPRETED THIS BOOK IN A SYMBOLIC OR ALLEGORICAL SENSE SHOWING GOD'S LOVE FOR ISRAEL AND CHRIST'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH.
HOWEVER, OTHERS BELIEVE THIS IS AN ACTUAL STORY ABOUT SOLOMON AND ONE OF HIS WIVES AND INTERPRET IT IN A HISTORICAL AND LITERAL SENSE. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THERE IS A BALANCE FOUND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THESE VIEWS.
OVER THE YEARS THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE DISAGREEMENT AS TO WHO SOLOMON'S BRIDE MIGHT BE.
SOME SAY HER IDENTITY IS COMPLETELY INSIGNIFICANT SINCE SOLOMON HAD 700 WIVES AND 300 CONCUBINES. (1 KINGS 11:1-4)
OTHERS SAY SHE MAY HAVE BEEN THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH.
ANOTHER OPINION, WHICH I ALSO HOLD IS THAT SOLOMON'S BRIDE WAS A WOMAN NAMED ABISHAG. THAT IS NOT "A-BIG-HAG", BUT RATHER "ABISHAG."
1) 1 KINGS 1:1-4; SHE WAS KING DAVID'S NURSE IN HIS OLD AGE.
2) 1 KINGS 2:13-25; SOLOMON LOVED HER ENOUGH TO EVEN KILL HIS OWN BROTHER ADONIJAH OVER HER.
NOW, HISTORICALLY, THE JEWS WERE FORBIDDEN TO READ OR STUDY THIS BOOK UNTIL THEY WERE AT LEAST 30 YEARS OLD BECAUSE OF ITS SEXUAL AND SENSUAL CONTENT.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT AS WE STUDY THIS BOOK TOGETHER THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN YOU MIGHT BECOME EMBARRASSED, BLUSH AND PROBABLY GRIN A LOT.
IN STUDYING THIS BOOK YOU WILL DISCOVER SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT IT, SUCH AS:
1) THERE ARE NO DIRECT QUOTATIONS OF THIS BOOK IN THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT.
2) THERE IS NO MENTION OF GOD'S NAME IN THIS BOOK MUCH LIKE THE BOOK OF ESTHER.
3) THIS IS THE GREATEST OF ALL OF SOLOMON'S SONGS IN THAT IT IS CALLED "THE SONG OF SONGS." OUT OF THE 1005 SONGS THAT SOLOMON WROTE (1 KINGS 4:32) THIS ONE IS HIS GREATEST HIT.
4) THERE ARE NO THEOLOGICAL WORDS OR PHRASES MAKING REFERENCE TO SOME KIND OF RELIGIOUS PRACTICE OR CEREMONY.
THIS MEANS THAT OUR STUDY IS NOT GOING TO BE DOCTRINAL IN NATURE BUT RATHER PRACTICAL.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR OUTLINE THE SONG OF SOLOMON CAN BE DIVIDED BASICALLY INTO FOUR PARTS WHICH I HAVE DESCRIBED FOR YOU IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
TONIGHT OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN CHAPTER 1:1-4 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO KNOW YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE."
TODAY THERE ARE MANY COUPLES WHO HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR YEARS BUT HAVE EITHER FALLEN OUT OF LOVE OR HAVE NEVER FALLEN IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER.
THEIR MARRIAGE IS BASED UPON DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THEY ARE MISSING A VERY IMPORTANT DIMENSION IN THEIR MARRIAGE.
THEY THINK THAT A PAST CEREMONY, A COUPLE OF KIDS AND A FEW YEARS UNDER THEIR BELT IS ALL THAT MAKES A MARRIAGE, BUT IN ACTUALITY THEY ARE LIVING IN A RELATIONSHIP THAT IS LESS THAN WHAT GOD INTENDED.
IN VERSE 1 WE ARE TOLD THAT THIS IS, "THE SONG OF SONGS WHICH IS SOLOMON'S."
MUSIC DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE "LANGUAGE OF LOVE."
IF YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU ARE GOING TO SPEAK TO THEM A CERTAIN WAY.
OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THIS BOOK SOLOMON REFERS TO ABISHAG AS "MY LOVE OR MY DARLING."
ON THE OTHER HAND, ABISHAG REFERS TO SOLOMON AS "MY BELOVED" 21 TIMES.
WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR SPOUSE?
IS IT, "HONEY, DEAR, SWEETHEART"? OR IS IT "KNUCKLEHEAD, BLOCKHEAD OR MEATHEAD."
HOW DO YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER? THE WAY YOU TALK TO EACH OTHER REVEALS A LOT ABOUT THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH EACH OTHER.
AS WE STUDY OUR TEXT TONIGHT SOLOMON GIVES US THREE WAYS YOU CAN KNOW IF YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE.