AM September 26th Colossians 3

September 26^th How to treat others

18: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19: Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20: Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21: Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 22: Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24: Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25: But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Paul is bringing his letter to a close and he now applies his teaching to the believers in the various stations in life in which God has placed them. First he says to wives be in submission to you own husbands because this is appropriate as believers. Husbands are to love your own wives (that is to put them first in everything even before themselves) and not to hold any bitterness in their hearts toward them. Children are to obey their parents in everything because this pleases God. Fathers are to be kind to their children and to not cause them to be angry. Slaves are to be obedient in everything in the flesh. Not only working when they are seen so as to suck up to their master but they are to service faithfully in reverence to the Lord. And that are to do everything with a full heart as if they are serving the Lord and not a master. And they are to serve knowing that the Lord will reward them in the kingdom because in serving their master they are serving the Lord. Those servants that are disobedient will receive punishment for their wrong doing from the Lord. God deals with all men completely fairly. Those who lived as Paul instructs them finds that peace reigns in the home.

• What practical things does Paul suggest for a happy married life?
• How should the relation between Fathers and children glorify God?
• How should Christians live at work and at home? 

PM September 25th Song of Solomon 6

September 25^th

Song of Solomon 6

1: Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. 2: My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 3: I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. 4: Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 5: Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. 6: Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. 7: As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 8: There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. 9: My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 10: Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? 11: I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. 12: Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. 13: Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

Song of Solomon 7

1: How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. 2: Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. 3: Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. 4: Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. 5: Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. 6: How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! 7: This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8: I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; 9: And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. 10: I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. 11: Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. 12: Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. 13: The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

Song of Solomon 8

1: O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. 2: I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 3: His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. 4: I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. 5: Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. 6: Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 7: Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. 8: We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? 9: If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. 10: I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. 11: Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. 12: My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. 13: Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. 14: Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

Today we are reading the last three chapters of the Song of Solomon. Chapter 6 continues the previous passage where the daughter was in conversation with the female attendants of Solomon. They say to her v1 Where is he then we can help you find him? It’s impossible to tell whether this is in genuine support or in mockery. I tend to thing that they are impressed with her and want to help her, but in the next two verses she evades a direct answer perhaps because she is not 100% sure of their motives. It would not be unheard of for a powerful king to murder a suitor to obtain his betrothed. She says he has gone into his garden, to his beds of spices. To feed in the gardens and gather lilies. I belong to him and he belongs to me and he feeds among the lilies. Of course he has no garden the garden of this book is herself. Then Solomon comes to talk with her from 6v4 - 8v4 But first from v4-10 Solomon comes to her with flattery. He tells her that she is beautiful. Like an army with banners. He says don’t look at me because your eyes have smitten me. Your hair is like a flock of goats from Gilead. He describes her teeth as a flock that has just been washed. Her head is like a pomegranate. He says there are 60 queens and 80 slaves wives and an endless number of virgins available to him but she is special because she is untouched and an only daughter of her widowed mother. Everyone praises you who is up early looking out into the dawning of the day. You are as beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners. It seems her look can shrivel the pride of a man. In v11-12 she answers him saying I was dreaming thinking of my business and musing after my affairs and I didn’t know you were near me you surprised me. Solomon replies v13 come back to me so that I can look at you. She answers what would you see in me? He replies from v13 – 7v9 you are like a dance of two companies of soldiers. You look so beautiful with your shoes on. And then he resumes his flatteries. This flattery of a young woman who has promised herself to another is tantamount to steeling another mans partner yet officially she is not betrothed at this time. He tells her all about the beauty of her body. She answers v10 – 8v4 saying I belong to my beloved and his desire is toward me. She speaks as if he can hear her saying come and fetch me away let us go to the fields where we first met. Let’s lodge in the villages. Let us go to the vineyards there I will give you my love again. She says I have lots of fruit for you to take in my family orchards. If you were my brother then I would know where to find you. I would then be able to kiss you. I would bring you to my mother’s house who would teach me how to be a good wife. I would give you mulled wine. And you would embrace me. She tells the attendants do not entice me to fall for the King. From v5 to the end we have the last section. The daughter is sent home by the king accompanied by her shepherd boy and she is seen by her brother’s companions. They say who is this coming leaning on her beloved? The Shulamite and her shepherd boy revisit the place where they first met. It was under the apple tree. (Probably an apricot) This was the place where she was born. She says set a seal of ownership on your heart like a slaves mark of ownership on the arm. Because she says, my love is as strong as death. Jealousy is cruel like the grave and a burning furnace. My heart burns and cannot be quenched. And if a man sold everything he had to buy my love it would be contemptibly small amount. One of the brothers now speaks about his little sister. He says v8-9 she is so little (before puberty) and they say what shall we do for her in the day when he is called for marriage? He says if she were a wall we would build for her a silver place. If she were a door we would board her up. Then she answers, I am a wall! And my body is like a tower and Solomon has many vineyards wives perhaps a thousand but I am not his. Then her beloved speaks saying, tell everyone your story. She says come quickly, and listen to me, and take me as your own. Don’t range far and wide anymore come to me. And so this beautiful and fascinating love story comes to an end. It is credited to Solomon but may be more of a story about him or even a story told to him for him to learn from.

• How does the young woman feel about the apparent loss of her loved one?
• Can she be enticed to be with the King?
• What is the end of the love story? 

AM September 25th Colossians 3

September 25^th Colossians 3

C. Practical

The Christians Goal

1: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4: When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8: But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13: Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14: And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17: And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Having established the truth that believers are in Christ, raised up to live a new life. therefore Paul says seek those things that are heavenly. Seek the things that are where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your thinking on those things which are above and not on the things of this earth. Because you died (in Christ) and you life is no longer to be lived in the sphere of this earth and the sensual things, but your life is to be centred in the resurrection life of Christ. When Christ reveals himself, you will also appear with him in glory. So put to death your bodily members which you have here on earth which are used in the service of sin. These are seen in fornication, unclean actions, desires that are unlawful, evil lusts, the desire for forbidden things which is spiritual idolatry. It is all these things that are the cause of Gods wrath and Gods wrath will come soon on those who are the unsaved. And Paul says, You did all this stuff when you lived in them but now put off all these things - anger, wrath, malice, blaspheme, foul mouthed abuse. Do not lie to each other because you have put off the Old Man with his deeds. And you have put on the New Man who is being renewed in the knowledge of Christ’s image. In Christ there is no national barrier or religious barrier or social barriers. Christ is everything in everyone. Put on therefore as the chosen servants of God hospitality, kindness, humility of mind, meekness, and patience, bearing with each other and forgiving each other. And if you have any quarrel against anyone you are to forgive in the same way that Christ forgave you. And over all that, put on ‘the overcoat of love’. This overcoat ties all other virtues together. And let the peace which comes from God be the umpire of your minds. You were called, says Paul, to this into one body and be thankful to God. And let the words of Christ fill your whole soul in worship, teaching and encouraging each other in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual poetry. We are to make music in our hearts to the Lord and whatever else we do, we are to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God the Father by Christ.

• What is the Christians Goal as described in this passage?
• What practical steps can we take to move toward this Goal?
• What are the practical attitudes and characteristics that should be seen in our lives?

PM September 24th Son of Solomon 4

September 24^th

Song of Solomon 4

1: Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 2: Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. 3: Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4: Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 5: Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 6: Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 7: Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. 8: Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. 9: Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 10: How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! 11: Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 12: A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13: Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, 14: Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 15: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 16: Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Song of Solomon 5

1: I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 2: I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3: I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4: My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5: I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6: I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 7: The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 8: I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. 9: What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? 10: My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. 11: His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. 12: His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. 13: His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. 14: His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. 15: His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16: His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Today we are reading chapter 4 & 5. We saw yesterday that from 3v6 – 5v1 we have the procession of Solomon’s court to Jerusalem. In v1-5 of this chapter the beloved shepherd boy comes to Solomon’s court to rescue his devoted love. He manages to see her and expresses his delight in her again. We see a contrast between his modesty and Solomon’s coarse flattery in 6v4-10 and 7v1-9. He says to her you are beautiful – he says it twice. You have beautiful eyes within your black hair. Black hair like the goats of mount Gilead. Your teeth are like the whiteness of the sheep that have just been shorn and washed and they are all pregnant with twins. Your lips are like a scarlet thread and you speak so appropriately. Your forehead is like a pomegranate. You neck is like the tower David built for his armoury. Your breasts are like two young roes. She answers, I will return to you before night-time. I will meet you on the mountains of myrrh and the hills of frankincense. He speaks again saying, You are so beautiful there is no blemish in you. Come away with me to the north to secret places (where they will never be found). You have conquered my heart with your eyes. I love you more than my daily drink. Your smell is wonderful. Then he speaks adoringly of her lips, her clothes, calling her a secret place - sealed up. He describes her as if she were a secret garden full of fruits. She answers him asking him to take her away. In ch 5 v1 he says I am coming for you. Some of the women of Jerusalem encourage her in her love. From v2 the daughter speaks to the court ladies of a dream she once had. She say I slept but my mind was awake and she heard in her dream to voice of her beloved shepherd. He was calling on her to open the door for him to enter her bedroom. He says I am wet and I have taken off my coat and don’t want to put it back on. He says I have washed my feet and don’t want to get them dirty again. He put his hand through the hole of the door to lift the latch to come in. And her love for him moved within her. She rose up to open the door and her hands dropped myrrh onto the handle of the bolt. She says I opened the door to her shepherd boy but by that time he had slipped away and was gone. She heart had been touched by his voice but now she could not find him. She called out his name but there was no answer. As she searched for him the watchmen pushed her about and hurt her and took off her veil. (A gross insult) He made the women of the city swear to tell her where her beloved had gone if they ever found out, she confessed she was love sick. They ask her what is so special about her shepherd and she answers. She describes him as white but red. (Typical of a shepherd exposed to the sun all day – just as David was) His skin is very white yet sun scorched. She says he is the chief of 10,000 sheep - an outstanding shepherd. His head is like fine gold, his hair is bushy and jet black. His eyes are like doves eyes deep and black surrounded with white and beautifully set. His checks are like a bed of spices, like aromatic flowers. His lips are like lilies which drop myrrh. His legs are like pillars of marble on sockets of fine gold. He is tall like a cedar. His mouth is sweet and all together he is lovely. She says this is what my beloved is like and he is my best friend.

• How does the bride describe her Love?
• How does the groom describe his bride?

AM September 24th Colossians 2

September 24^th Colossians 2

1: For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2: That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3: In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4: And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5: For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6: As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9: For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13: And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15: And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18: Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19: And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20: Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21: (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22: Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23: Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Paul says l wish you all knew what a great struggle it is that l have on your behalf for you at Colossi and at Laodicea and for others who have never met me in the flesh. My struggle is that their minds might be strengthened and united in love and that they might know all the richness of the full assurance of Christian understanding. So that they might acknowledge the mystery of God – the Father and Christ. Because in Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Paul is concerned that they might be tricked with enticing words. He says even though l am not with you in the flesh yet l am with you in the Spirit and l am full of joy when l see the order of your assemblies and your determination to trust in Christ. Now says Paul live in the same way in which you began the Christian life. You began trusting in Christ to save you, now continue to trust in Christ to enable you to live this life. Be like a tree rooted in Christ and be like a tower built up on Christ and be established in your faith as you have been taught. Overflow in thanksgiving. Next Paul brings a firm but loving warning. He says, see to it, that nobody captures you and carries you off as booty, through the wisdom of men and empty speculation, which is based on the writings and ancient religious ritualism of men. This is something that has no relation to Christ. In Christ dwells all the completeness of God in his body. And you are, in him, made to be complete and he is the head of all Principalities and Powers. In Christ you are brought into a relation with God like that of those who are circumcised, except that this is not a circumcision made by human hands. The circumcision made by hands removed only a very small part of the flesh, but in Christ believers have a spiritual circumcision in which the whole sinful nature is removed and cast away. By being united to Christ the old nature is cut away and cast off. God sees this as a complete separation from sin already, even though practically we are still in the ingoing process of the actualisation of its implications in sanctification. Paul says that in Christ we are buried with him in baptism and that we are raised up with Christ through faith in the operation of God who raised Christ from the dead. In Christ we are made alive in him and all our sins are forgiven. And all the written Law which was against us and accused us of sin has been (tipex-ed) whitewashed over – blotted out, and the whole document has been removed out of our sight and nailed to the cross. When Christ died says Paul he exposed the demonic hordes and publically displayed their defeat for all to see. So says Paul do not let anyone stand as judge over you in respect of Jewish observance of the Mosaic law in relation to food & drink and religious Feasts and Sabbaths. (Paul exposes the Colossian errors - which were excessive religious ritual, asceticism and worship to angels) All of these things were like what a shadow is to a man. They are just a faint outline but Christ is the reality. Paul is insistent; He says do not let anyone act as judge over you causing you to submit to the charade of being inferior to them and to causing you to bow the knee to angels and playing about with the unseen world. These pretensions are completely pointless but they fill the hearts of men with pride. All these angelic hosts are far inferior to Christ. And he is the head of them all and we are all knitted together into one body and we live in him. So then if in Christ you are dead to the very basics of this worlds religion why pretend as if you are part of this religious world do you subject yourselves to the spiritual bondage of religious ordinances, such as ‘touch not – taste not – handle not’, All of these things will pass away from use. They belong to the commandments and teachings of men. Now these things have an appearance of wisdom in pretend religion and false humility and fasting, but none of these things are honourable because though they seem to be great religious virtues they actually have no real effect in bringing righteousness into the life of the believer.

• What was the conflict that Paul had?
• What warning does Paul give in this passage?
• What mistakes were the believers at Colosse making?

PM September 23rd Song of Solomon 1

September 23^rd

Song of Solomon 1

1: The song of songs, which is Solomon's. 2: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. 3: Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 4: Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. 5: I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6: Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7: Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? 8: If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9: I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 10: Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. 11: We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. 12: While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 13: A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 14: My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi. 15: Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. 16: Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. 17: The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

Song of Solomon 2

1: I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. 2: As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 3: As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4: He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. 5: Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. 6: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7: I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 8: The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 9: My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. 10: My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11: For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12: The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13: The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14: O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15: Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. 16: My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. 17: Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Song of Solomon 3

1: By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2: I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3: The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4: It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. 5: I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 6: Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? 7: Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. 8: They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 9: King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 10: He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 11: Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Today we are reading the first three chapters of the Song of Solomon. This little Book written either by Solomon or for Solomon was a love story. Describing a family living in Shulem consisting of a widowed mother, several sons and a young daughter brought up on a mixed farm of crops and sheep. Her brothers took special care to look after her. The young daughter was a shepherdess and while out one day she sheltered under a tree from the noonday sun. There she met a beautiful shepherd boy who she later was betrothed to. (1v7 2v16 6v3) One morning in the Spring the boy invited the daughter to accompany her into a field, but the brothers hearing of this sent her into the vineyards. (2v15) The daughter told the boy that she loved him and her brothers would be unable to dissolve her love. (2v16) She asked him to meet her in the evening (3v1) and when he did not appear she thought something bad had happened to him. So she went in search for him (3v2) and found him (3v4) They were only able to see each other in the evenings as they were both busy at work in the day. On one occasion when she entered into a garden she accidently came into the presence of King Solomon (6v11, 12) He happened to be on a summer visit to the area (6v6-11) He was struck by her beauty and took her to his tent (1v2-4) and his servant prepared her for him (1v5-8) He tried to allure her but without success. (v6-11) When she was released from Solomon she tried to find her beloved boy (1v12-2v7) But Solomon arranged for her to be taken to his city in the hope of dazzling her with his wealth. (3v1-11) But she was not impressed and her young boy followed in search of her. (4v1-5) He managed to meet her and she was ready to leave the city for her home (4v6) Her lover was delighted in her faithfulness (4v7-16) and as their love was demonstrated to each other that a number of the ladies in court were impressed. (6v1) The King still wanted her and looked for an opportunity to win her. (6v4-7v9) He tried all sorts of promises but she remained faithful to her love (7v10-8v4) in the end the king was defeated and the daughter and her boy were allowed to return home (8v5-14) On their way home they visited the tree under which they had first met and renewed their devotion to each other. (8v5-7) When she arrived home her brothers praised her for her fidelity. (8v8-9) Developed from EWBullingers Companion Bible An outline could be...

A. The daughter taken to the Kings Palace

   B. The daughter and her beloved together

      C. The daughter and her beloved apart

   B. The daughter and her beloved together

      C. The daughter and her beloved apart

A. The daughter taken home from the Kings Palace

Chapter 1v1-11 is a introduction to the main characters of the book. The story begins with Solomon who has the young daughter in his palace being prepared for him. And Solomon sings a song of devotion to her beauty. But she replies with a longing for her lost shepherd. She is answered by her court ladies that she is sun burnt but beautiful. In the end Solomon admires her devotion to her poor shepherd boy. From 1v12-2v7 we read of her meeting with the shepherd boy in the tents of Solomon. They renew their vows to each other. He says of her ‘Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes’. She answers him saying, ‘Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. Their only home is the open air – he says, ‘The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir’. He calls her ‘a lily among thorns’. Then she answers him v3-7. She describes him as a fruitful apple (Probably the Apricot) among the trees of the wood. She sits in his shade and this meeting is like a banquet of joy and the banner over her is his love for her. She says keep me here with the joy of fruitfulness and feed me with the apricots because I am love sick for you - hold me in your arms. Then she says to the kings attendants, do not entice me to another man. Then from 2v7 – 3v5 we find that they are parted. She is still in the royal court and she speaks to the women attendants of her love. First she tells them of her first meeting with the young shepherd boy. She said he came skipping on the mountains. She says he is like a young deer and he came and looked at me from behind the wall and from the windows. Then he called her saying rise up and run away with me. Its spring time the birds sing and everything is bursting into blossom. He called to her saying let me see you and hear your voice. She tells them of her devotion saying, ‘He belongs to me and I belong to him’. All through the night she thinks of him. Then in Chapter 3 she tells how that the watchmen hindered her in finding her loved one. She searches for him but cannot find him. When she found him she would not let him go until she had introduced him to her mother. Then she says do not wake him now that I have found him. In ch 3v6 - 5v1 we have the daughter and her love brought together again. This is the procession of Solomon’s court going up to Jerusalem. The inhabitants of the city see the procession coming. They ask the Rhetorical question - who is this? When of course they all know the answer. They see his dust trail and they smell the perfume. They see his carriage and his bodyguard. They see his amazing Chariot made of cedar, silver, gold and purple. They see the palm branches strewn on his road. They hear the invitation to the young women to come and dance in joy at his arrival. The love story continues tomorrow.

• How do you think the daughter felt to be taken to the kings palace?
• How do you think the shepherd boy felt about her absence?
• How does she describe her loved one?

AM September 23rd Colossians 1

September 23^rd

24: Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: 25: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; 26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Paul says he rejoices in his sufferings on their behalf and he wants to fill up what was lacking of the sufferings of Christ in his flesh for the sake of the church which is his body. What Paul is saying is that the church takes a certain amount of flak for Christ and he wants to draw as much of it as he can so that others might be alleviated. This is courage and devotion of the highest order. This is the sort of courage that is awarded on the battlefield with a Victoria Cross. Paul draws the fire of the enemy so that others might escape and sacrifices himself in the process. And he does not see this as a hardship but as a great privilege and a joy. What mother would not take a bullet for her child and what shepherd would not suffer on behalf of his flock? Christ said I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the flock. Paul refers to himself as a minister of God specifically in relation to the stewardship which he has received from God for them. Then he goes on to explain what this message was that he was to bring to the church. It was a mystery which was hidden in God from previous ages and generations but which is now revealed to his church. This mystery is that Christ is in you - the hope of glory. So the presence of Christ in the NT believer is the basis of the hope that the believer has of resurrection and glorification. Paul says, we preach Christ, warning every believer so that we might present every believer complete in Christ Jesus. Paul says it is for this purpose that l work to exhaustion – striving according to the almighty power of God which works mightily in me. Paul’s work which was exhausting was not in his own strength but in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in his weak body. We all need to learn to work in the empowering of the Holy Spirit. So that we might say with Paul, when l am weak - then l am strong.

• How does Paul describe his ministry?
• What was ‘the mystery’ here?
• What was the aim of Paul’s ministry?