PART 4 THE IMPORTANCE OF DATING

TEXT- SONG OF SOLOMON 2:8-3:5

INTRODUCTION

Tonight I am going to continue with my series of messages from Song Of Solomon on the topic, "How To Have A Magnificent Marriage."

Our text is found in chapter 2:8 through chapter 3:5 and the title of my message is, "The Importance Of Dating."

In every culture there are different practices for dating and here in this passage we find some practical suggestions on this topic.

A young man fell in love with a pretty young lady. He took her home to meet his mother before asking her to marry him. But he discovered that his mother intensely disliked the girl and refused to give her blessing. Three times this happened with different candidates for marriage, which left the young man completely devastated. Finally, in desperation he found a girl who was amazingly like his mother. She walked, talked and even looked like his mother. "Surely," he thought, "my mother will approve of this girl." He took his new girl friend home and found that while his mother loved her, the father hated her.

Dating is not only for those who are single, but also those who are married. In fact, one of the reasons why so many marriages have problems is because husbands and wives have forgotten how exciting it can be to DATE their MATE.

An explosion in the kitchen sent a man and his wife flying out the window and into the neighbor's yard. Later, the neighbor said it was the first time he had seen this couple go out together since they have been married.

In verses 8-9 we can see how excited Abishag and Solomon were about dating each other.

Song of Solomon 2:8-9 Listen! My beloved! Behold, he is coming, climbing on the mountains, leaping on the hills! 9 "My beloved is like, a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, he is looking through the windows, he is peering through the lattice.

Can you remember the first date you ever had? Were you excited about the person who was coming to pick you up? If you don't get excited about the person you are dating then there is something wrong.

A woman was telling her daughter about a date she had with an older man. "Would you believe, I had to slap his face three times." "Do you mean," the daughter asked in disgust, "that old man got fresh with you?" "Oh, no!" her mother explained, "I had to keep slapping his face to keep him awake."

In a survey of 1500 people it was discovered that 50% of all married Americans describe their relationship as "routine" rather than "exciting."

Here in our text Abishag gives us three reasons why it is important to date.