Old Testament reading: Song of Solomon 4-6
Chapter 4 begins the Beloved’s response to Solomon’s advances toward his Shulammite love. While Solomon offers the finest of this world’s goods (3:9-11), the Beloved offers his sincere and pure love and affection. While his various descriptions of the Shulammite’s beauty (4:1-4) seem odd to us today, we must remember that these objects were held in the highest esteem in the culture in which they are given. Without attempting to interpret the meaning of these, suffice it to say the Beloved is using the strongest and most descriptive words possible, and certainly words that would have been well received by the Shulammite. Likewise, the Shulammite also describes the beauty of her Beloved in 5:10-16. Again, while we might not understand the descriptions, they were obviously quite moving. Note how her description of the Beloved incites the Daughters of Jerusalem to seek out the Beloved that they might behold his beauty (6:1). A lesson for married couples can be seen in this text as well. Our eyes should be stayed on our mates, considering the true beauty and those things by which our affections are aroused. I am reminded of the words of Solomon in Proverbs 5:15-19 – “Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well… rejoice with the wife of your youth, as a loving deer and a graceful doe; let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and always be enraptured by her love” (cf SS 4:5).
New Testament reading: Colossians
Twice in Colossians 1 we see the result when God’s people take to heart the Great Commission. Twice in this first chapter we are told that the early Christians preached the gospel to the entire world within one generation of Pentecost (1:6, 23). Paul also affirmed this reality in Romans 10:16-18. How was this done without all the modern means of mass communication? Hint – the answer is found in Acts 8:4. What a shame that we, with all the means at our disposal, haven’t begun to commence to start preaching the gospel to the whole world! We have accepted a great task and responsibility in receiving the Great Commission. No generation has had more tools at its disposal. We just need the heart and faith of those early brethren!
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