Who Are You?  – Song of Songs 2:8-17

How many believers claim the Song of Songs as their favorite book in the Bible? Not too many; Paul definitely outsells Solomon. Paul is loved mostly because he so masterfully unpacks the doctrine of justification. In Romans, Paul breaks the mystery down about as far as is humanly possible. Evangelicals continue to ply their cognitive powers to the doctrine as if more applied logic and reason might yield a more complete relationship with God. Then Solomon interrupts with an odd statement, “Excuse me …

Behold he is standing behind the wall, he is looking through the windows, he is peering through the lattice.”

I wonder, as we do our bible studies, if God is not peering through our latticework, saying …

Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. Let me see your form, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely.

The intimacy of The Song of Songs is not secondary to the understanding of justification by faith. It is the point of it. There is no chasm between Solomon and Paul. Justification is not just a bridge back to intimacy. Reason and  passion are now conjoined in Christ. Emotions and thought are not enemies. In Christ, they are partners.

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

Solomon’s language of love is plausible because of Paul’s theological language. In the Spirit, they are working in tandem to say, “In Christ, there is no longer any distance between God and man. Abide in this reality. Come and learn to be alone with him, to be comfortable in his presence. Open the door to the One who desires you, who has been looking in upon you.”

Behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land;  the time has come for the pruning of the vines and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!

The good news of the gospel is much greater than Jesus just saving us from Hell. Jesus has become the mediator between us and God, and more. The veil between the outer court and the inner sanctuary has been torn in two, giving us unhindered access to God. Jesus has restored spirit- to-Spirit intimacy between God and man. The outcome of Jesus work does not begin when we die and go to heaven. The reward of Christ’s suffering is our restored communion with God, now. Christ is our life.

This week, the Blue Book has asked “Who Are You?” Hopefully you can respond, “I am his.”

Father, deliver us from the winter of our religion and escort us into the springtime of relationship with you. Thank you we do not have to establish this pathway. Thank you that you yourself are the Way, that you have freely given yourself to us. Help us to discover not only the brilliance of Truth but the glory of his presence. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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