Thank you.
La la la la.
Hey, men. Good morning.
Welcome to Verity Baptist Church.
Let's start our second service.
And let's get our kids entered to
game number 179.
179.
Single song.
Game number 179.
Such love.
Ready on the first.
Ready.
Sing.
Such wondrous love.
Let's pray.
Every Father we thank the Lord for this morning.
We thank you for our first service.
Panginod. I mean the top of Panginod.
And we ask the Lord
that you give us your service.
And I pray that all God
that you would bless also
the preacher and servant Lord
with brother Saki.
And so that we can preach with all college and diocese.
Also Lord we ask Lord
that you continue to bless this church
and give us a good prayer
this afternoon Lord.
And I pray that you will also bless our fellowship
over the lunch and we ask all these things
in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
For our next song let's turn to hymn number 134.
134.
Let's sing the song
My Anchor Holds.
Hymn number 144
My Anchor Holds
So the angry circus froze
On the first ready
sing
So the angry
circus froze
But my
tempest even
sown
I am peaceful
for I know
But we know
the winds may blow
I have an
anger
safe and sure
What could ever
pour in blue
And it
holds, my anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and
clear
By his face
I feel
For my anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
When he
cries about
his fear
There is earth
within the deep
And we
bow to Jesus'
sky
And the tempest
rises high
Still I stand
the tempest
strong
For my anchor
grips the rod
And it holds
my anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and clear
By his face
I shall not
fear
For my anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
I can feel
the anchor
fast
As I leave
it sown and
fast
And the field
will go on
As the heavens
leap in deep
Though the storm
is waking up
Till the
turning of the
tide
And it holds
my anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and clear
By his face
I shall not
fear
For my anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and
fast
And it holds
my anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and clear
By his face
I shall not
fear
For my anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
Oh what a
stand o' gale
On my heart
so small and clear
By his face
I shall not
fear
For my anchor
holds
My anchor
holds
Alright good morning
everybody welcome to Verity Baptist Church
take out your bullets and we'll go through a couple things
Any salvations anybody had this past week? Any
salvations I'm not aware of? One?
Alright
Any salvation? Seven?
Any salvation? Four?
Alright
Anybody else? Alright so twelve more
salvations, great job everybody
Of course we will have soul winning this afternoon, weather permitting
Let's see the only other things
in our upcoming activities
We do have choir practice today after soul winning
Next week of course is Father's Day
We will have the men's activity, we're planning to do
a bowling for the men and the ladies
will have their tea party here, you're welcome to invite
people to attend this event
and let's see in two weeks is our prayer meeting
for the ladies tea party
if you are a lady, if you are able to
we love it if you're able to bring a dessert to help share
We will be ordering food but also
be nice if the ladies brought desserts as well
and as guys we get to bowl and
come back and just you know
eat lots of desserts right? Anyways
we'll have Brother Marlon lead us in another song
For our next song
it's starting to be number two on the ninth
Let's sing the song Sunshine in the Soul
Okay number two on the ninth
Sunshine in the Soul
There's sunshine in my soul today
Ready all the first, sing
There's sunshine in my soul today
More glorious and bright
Than those in any earthly skies
For Jesus is my God
For sunshine, doesn't sunshine
When the peaceful, happy moments roll
When Jesus shows his smiling face
There is sunshine in the soul
There's music in my soul today
A carol to the king
And Jesus listening can hear
The songs I cannot sing
For there's sunshine, doesn't sunshine
When the peaceful, happy moments roll
When Jesus shows his smiling face
There is sunshine in the soul
There's springtime in my soul today
For when the Lord is near
God the prophet sings in my heart
The flowers, the praise of me
For there's sunshine, doesn't sunshine
When the peaceful, happy moments roll
When Jesus shows his smiling face
There is sunshine in the soul
There's madness in my soul today
And hope and praise and love
For blessings which he gives me now
For joys made up above
For there's sunshine, doesn't sunshine
When the peaceful, happy moments roll
When Jesus shows his smiling face
There is sunshine in the soul
Amen. Please open your Bibles to the book of Psalms, of Solomon.
Psalm of Solomon.
You have the poetic books. Psalms, Proverbs, Ekkleshasti.
Psalm of Solomon writes in the middle of your Bible.
Psalm of Solomon chapter 2.
And as our custom we'll be reading the entire chapter.
Psalm of Solomon chapter 2. Please say amen if you're there.
Amen.
Psalm of Solomon chapter 2 verse 1.
I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the suns.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Staying me with the flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the rose and by the hinds of the field,
that ye steer not up, nor awake, my love, till ye please.
The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
My beloved is like a row or a young heart. Behold he standeth behind our wall.
He looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.
My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
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.
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.
O my dove, thou art in the collapse 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.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.
My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feedeth among the lilies.
Until the day break and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved,
and be thou like a row or a young heart upon the mountains of Bethlehem.
Blessed be God's word, let us pray.
Lord God in Heaven, we thank you, Lord, for this day.
Thank you, Lord, for this day. Please just give us good weather for our soul winning and our fellowship later on.
I pray that you would also bless the preacher and the preaching of your word, Lord, this day.
We love you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Alright, we are in Song of Solomon chapter 2, and this is a great chapter.
There's a lot of interesting information.
And let's just start here at verse number 1, and the Bible says,
I am the rose of Sharon in the lily of the valleys.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Now, the Song of Solomon, as I've said, is a story between two characters primarily.
You've got Solomon and you have his wife.
So in these first verses, one of the things that's challenging about reading this book is you're like, who's talking?
It doesn't always give you pronouns to let you know.
And a lot of people are confused in these first couple verses about which one's the man and which one's the woman.
Well, I don't think it's that hard because look at verse number 3 to start.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.
So in verse 3, the woman is saying that my husband is as the apple tree of the trees of the wood, my beloved among the sons.
So she's comparing her husband to the other men that are out there, and it says,
I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
So it's very clear in verse 3, she's talking about her husband because it says, you know, his fruit, it says his shadow, and it says my beloved among the sons.
So verse 3 is clearly the guy talking.
Well, verse 2, it says, as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
So what he says about his wife is she's like a lily amongst thorns, and what she says about him is that he's like an apple tree amongst the trees of the wood.
Because it says in verse 2, as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
So he's comparing his wife to the other women that are out there, and he says the other women are as thorns, and she is like the lily of the valley.
So in verse 1, when it says, I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys, this should not be shocking, but guys do not say, I am the rose of Sharon.
I am the lily of the valleys, right? It's just not a way that a guy, a normal guy, would describe himself.
It's not a very tough term saying you're a rose or you're a lily, and this is very clear.
Now, the reason why this is significant is because although there's a direct application of Solomon and his wife, Solomon is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the wife is a picture of the bride of Christ.
Now, when it comes to us that are saved, we all make up the bride of Christ, whether we're a man or a woman.
This is just symbolically speaking, okay?
Now, the most important thing is a direct application, but symbolically speaking, Solomon represents Jesus, which is the apple tree among the trees of the wood.
Whereas his wife represents the bride of Christ, the lily of the valley.
You say, why is this significant?
Well, actually, take out your hymnal and turn to 240 in your hymnal, okay?
There's a song that we do not sing at our church because it is just completely inaccurate, okay?
Who's heard the song The Lily of the Valley? Who knows that song?
Now, and probably a lot of you have sung that at church and stuff like that, and here's the thing about this song.
This song has a really nice melody.
But, yeah, there's a lot of rock songs that have good melodies too, all right?
It doesn't mean that it's accurate.
And you see the song, the name of it is The Lily of the Valley.
It's not a song about Solomon's wife.
It's a song about Jesus, right?
I've found a friend in Jesus. He's everything to me.
He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul.
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see.
And this is a song about Jesus Christ, and it calls him The Lily of the Valley.
Well, the reason why we don't sing this song is because that's not Solomon in the Song of Solomon.
That is clearly his wife, right?
I mean, it's not really that confusing when you look closely, look at the pronouns, and stop and think about it.
The song The Lily of the Valley is not accurate because it's the woman that's the Lily of the Valley,
and the man is the apple tree of the trees of the wood.
And that makes sense because a guy does not refer to himself as a lily, right?
I remember a long time ago I heard this guy preach a sermon.
It was like at a men's preaching event in West Virginia, and it was a pretty good sermon.
And he's going through all these illustrations during the sermon of Jesus Christ,
and he's like, you know, he's the Alpha and Omega, right?
He's the King of Kings, the beginning and the end.
Lord God Almighty, the Lily of the Valley.
And it's just like there's all these amens, and then me and my friends are just like,
and then complete silence when he said the Lily of the Valley.
It's just like, which of these does not fit?
The King of Kings, Lord God Almighty, the Lily of the Valley, right?
Now, I don't think that song number 240 is heresy, but it's just inaccurate.
We don't sing it because it's just not accurate.
And the idea that we need to realize is that, although I love this hymnal,
this is not the King James Bible.
It's not perfect.
There are songs in here we choose not to sing.
There are songs that are very clearly pre-trib songs, right?
Like there's the one song that starts that also has a good melody.
Jesus may come today.
And it's like, no, he's not going to come today, right?
And then, you know, another song is Victory in Jesus.
Victory in Jesus is a very popular song with a very nice melody.
We don't sing that song, though, because it says,
Repent it of my sins for salvation, right?
And so it's a song we don't sing.
So I want you to realize that when we sing these songs,
you can learn good doctrine.
They're great songs.
But you've got to realize that not everything is going to be perfect.
They're written by people that are fallible.
And quite honestly, a lot of people are confused by the Song of Solomon.
So they just don't really know, right?
I mean, you've got to really stop and think, is it the man or the woman talking?
It can be pretty tricky.
So you've got to just use some wisdom when we're singing songs
and thinking about those words.
But anyway, so let's go back to these verses.
And what she says in verse 1 is,
I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys.
And this is not a statement where she's being arrogant.
She's just stating the way she feels because of how her husband makes her feel.
Her husband makes her feel like she is the rose of Sharon
and the lily of the valleys,
that basically all the other women are nothing compared to her.
And that's the way she feels because her husband makes her feel that way.
In verse 2, as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
And Solomon describes all other women out there as thorns.
Basically stating, you know, there's no one compared to you,
just symbolically speaking.
What she says about her husband is,
he's the apple tree among the trees of the wood.
Well, the idea is that a normal tree is not going to produce any fruit,
but an apple tree produces fruit, so it's valuable, it's good.
And she basically says that her husband is better than any other guy.
And one thing we can take away from that is,
you ought to make your spouse feel like nobody compares to them.
That there's just no comparison with all the other women to your wife
or all the other men to your husband.
That is the way that you should make the person feel that you're married to.
And a lot of these things are things we know
and things we apply when we're courting or talking or dating
or however you want to say, you know, someone.
But it's kind of something you let slip as time goes by.
It's just kind of forgotten.
But the Bible says we need to be heirs together
of the grace of life with our spouse.
You need to keep these things in your marriage.
It's very important, right?
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
so is my beloved among the sons.
Then it says this,
I sat down under his shadow with great delight
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Now, obviously, Solomon is not a literal apple tree,
but a tree could produce a shadow when the sun is out,
so she's sitting under a shadow symbolically,
speaking of a tree having a shadow.
His fruit, well, if he's an apple tree, it's just symbolic,
just stating, you know, his fruit was sweet to my taste,
just stating that she loves being around her husband.
But what it said is I sat down under his shadow with great delight.
Now, turn to Psalm 17.
Psalm chapter 17.
Psalm 17.
And the Bible uses this word shadow in different ways,
and it uses it symbolically speaking here in Psalm 17, verse 8.
And it says in Psalm 17, verse 8,
Keep me as the apple of the eye,
hide me under the shadow of thy wings.
Right?
Now, look, obviously, God is not a bird, okay?
But the symbolic symbolism being spoken of there
is as a bird has wings,
and the idea is we are underneath the protection of God.
Right?
We're underneath the shadow of his wings,
like the song in our hymnal,
Under his wings we're safely abiding.
Right?
We're underneath the shadow of the wings of the Lord.
He's above us.
He's our protector.
He's our leader, and we're underneath his shadow.
Right?
Now, symbolically speaking, when it said,
I sat down under his shadow,
the idea there is the husband is the head of the home.
That's what's being expressed there.
In verse number 3.
Now, turn to Ephesians 5.
Ephesians 5.
And look, as a wife,
you are underneath the shadow of your husband.
Right?
Symbolically speaking.
He is the head of your home.
Okay?
That does not mean that he's better than you.
It's just an idea of authority,
and the husband is the head of a home.
The Bible teaches this.
The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 5,
Ephesians 5, verse 22,
wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands,
as unto the Lord,
for the husband is the head of the wife.
And notice how it's linked to
even Christ is the head of the church,
and he is the savior of the body.
Obviously, Solomon represents Christ.
His wife represents the bride of Christ.
And the comparison of marriage,
husband and wife,
is linked to Christ and the church.
Okay?
And just as the Lord is above all of us,
and he is our protection,
our shield,
our exceeding great reward,
all these things told...
Well, it's the same thing with a marriage.
The husband is the head of that home,
and the wife is underneath his shadow.
Now, look,
everybody knows the Bible teaches this.
Right?
Even people that complete...
Even Joyce Meyer knows that the Bible says this.
They just don't like it
that the husband is the head of the home.
I mean, it's not even debatable
what the Bible teaches about this.
It's not a question of what does the Bible teach.
It's just a matter of people
not liking what the Bible does teach.
But see, the thing is,
it's not just the wife is underneath
the shadow of her husband.
It's that I sat down under his shadow
with great delight.
And what that means is
Solomon's wife is stating,
I am happy my husband is my leader.
I am happy to be underneath his authority.
And let me just state this.
You know, as a wife,
do not develop this attitude,
wow, my husband's a leader.
My husband's a leader.
That's what the Bible says,
so I guess I'll do it.
But you're bitter and angry about it every day,
and you're upset about that.
Now, the Bible says you should sit
under a shadow with great delight.
You should be happy and thankful,
the person you're married to,
that he's the leader of your home,
not rebelling against your husband,
being mad at your husband,
complaining about everything he says.
But you should do it with great delight.
Not that you're competing for authority
with your husband,
but you're happy to be underneath his leadership.
That's what the Bible teaches.
Now, like a lot of things I said last week,
kind of tough preaching on the guys,
but it's like that verse,
it's like that's reference to the ladies.
Like, ladies, you should sit underneath
the shadow of your husband with great delight.
And if that's not the way you feel,
you need to get right with God about that,
because your husband is the head of your home,
and you should be thankful to have him
as your leader, right?
That's what the Bible teaches.
Now, go back to Song of Solomon 2.
Song of Solomon 2.
Song of Solomon chapter 2.
Now, here's the thing.
Although women should be glad
to be underneath the authority of their husband,
here's a great way you can get your wife
to be thankful to have you as her protection
and have you as the head
when you make her feel special.
It's probably not that hard for Solomon's wife
to feel that way,
because he makes her feel like the lily of the valley,
the lily among thorns, the rose of Sharon.
And so, of course, with delight,
she's glad to have Solomon as her leader
because of the way he makes her feel.
Now, look, if your husband is just not very nice to you
and doesn't make you feel good,
it doesn't change the fact that you're commanded
to be underneath his shadow,
and you should be thankful to have him as your leader.
That's what the Bible says.
But if you're wise as a guy,
you will try to make your wife feel special.
Make her feel like there's nobody else
that compares to you.
And, look, if you do that, then both sides...
If you as a husband do your part,
your wife is more likely to do her part,
and vice versa.
If a wife is willingly wanting to submit,
it's going to cause the husband
to make the wife feel like she's very special.
But you've got to make that choice
in your marriage.
Verse 4,
He brought me to the banqueting house,
and his banner over me was love.
Now, a lot of people are confused
about banqueting house
because this is not a personal home.
It's not referenced to a bedroom
or anything like that.
A banquet is like an event,
like a party for royalty
and very special people, right?
The Bible mentions having a banquet
with governmental leaders.
It's a big event to have a banquet
for someone, okay?
And what the Bible's indicating
is that King Solomon
at the house of the Lord,
basically there was an official banquet house
where you'd presume
when there's really important business meetings
or there's other kings or leaders,
that is where they would meet
at the banquet house,
and they'd have a big party or festival,
and basically have a big meeting
or something like that.
And what the Bible's stating
is that even though this is basically
reserved for royalty or big events
or things like that,
he personally just took his wife
to this place,
and I believe just one-on-one,
and just had a date
at the banqueting house.
And the idea is that he's taken her
somewhere very special.
Now, I don't think any of us
have a banqueting house.
None of us are a king
or anything like that.
But an application you can make
is trying to take your wife
somewhere special, right?
Making her feel special.
And Solomon did that,
and as a result of him taking her
to the banqueting house
where people are aware of it,
it says,
and his banner over me was love.
What is a banner?
It's like a sign, right?
It's like out front
we have our Verity Baptist Church.
It's not exactly a banner,
but it's the same sort of thing
to let people know.
It's like, okay, this is
who this person is.
This is what this is.
And what it's stating there
is that when his wife
walked around town,
it's as if there was a giant
banner above her that said,
Solomon loves this woman.
That's what it's saying in verse 4.
His banner over me was love.
Wherever she went,
everybody knew Solomon
loves this woman.
Now, that's some hard preaching
because the question is,
in your marriage,
if your wife walks around,
would people think,
man, her husband really loves her?
And of course, vice versa as well,
would they think that
about the husband,
like, man, his wife really loves him.
Is that the way
that people would think
of your marriage?
Or when they think
about your marriage,
do they think they really
like to have a lot of fights?
Right?
It's like because,
what the Bible's stating,
and look, this is,
here's the thing,
preaching against the sodomites
is not really hard preaching
at our church
because everybody agrees with me.
But this sort of preaching
is kind of tough
because the question is,
is that what people would think
about your spouse
if they see them?
Right?
It's like when people look
at my wife,
Brother Stuckey really
loves his wife.
Or people see me,
man, Sister Tan really
loves her husband.
Is that what they would
think in your marriage?
But what the Bible's stating
is that he takes her
special places,
he makes her feel special,
and it's as if there was
a big banner over her.
Solomon loves this woman.
His banner over me was love.
That's what's being
expressed in verse 4.
Verse 5, it says,
Stay me with flagons,
come for me with apples,
for I am sick of love.
Now the word flagon
is used five times
in the Bible.
It's not really a very common
word in today's vernacular.
But the word flagon there,
it's something that would
hold some sort of liquid.
And usually it's juice
in the Bible.
So it mentions like a flagon
of wine is mentioned
sometimes in the Bible,
a flagon of juice.
And it says,
Stay me with flagons,
come for me with apples.
Now when it says,
come for me with apples,
I do believe,
she referred to them
as the apple tree,
we're literally talking
about apples,
but I think in the form
of apple juice
is what's being expressed,
because a flagon
would hold a liquid.
So being comforted
with apples,
I think that apple
is probably turned
into apple juice
would make the most sense.
And she's asking
to be comforted
with apples or apple juice.
Why?
Because she says,
I am sick of love.
What does that mean,
I am sick of love?
It doesn't mean
she wants to divorce.
It doesn't mean
she hates her husband.
And kind of the best way
to express this is,
and sometimes these things
can fade as time goes by,
but just think about
when you first recording
your spouse,
you get those butterflies
in the stomach.
You know what I'm talking about?
The butterflies in the stomach,
you're excited to see them,
but you're very nervous,
you're afraid you're going
to do something wrong,
because you're really
trying to impress them.
You're worried about
how you dress,
you're worried about
smelling good,
the things we talked about
last week and all those things,
and you get very emotional
toward the person
that you're interested in.
And one of the takeaways
of this is that the person
you marry, there should be
strong emotions toward
that person, right?
Because as a Bible-believing
church, sometimes we can turn
marriage into a checklist.
I go to church,
he goes to church.
I go soul-winning,
he goes soul-winning.
All right, let's just
get married, right?
But I don't actually think
that's a healthy decision
to make based on a marriage.
Now, don't misunderstand me.
Number one, there must be
a spiritual checklist
that is matched.
No doubt about that, right?
There's plenty of Scripture.
I've talked about that,
but that's not really the main
thing that's being expressed
in the Song of Solomon.
But what you don't want to do
is just completely get rid
of the strong emotions
and the desire toward
that person that you're
going to marry.
There should be strong feelings.
When you see that person,
you should think,
this person is so attractive.
I really like this person, right?
I really like hanging out
with this person.
I like talking to this person.
You should be excited
to talk to them and see them,
and it does cause
an emotional reaction
because there's nervousness.
There's the butterflies
in the stomach.
There are all these things,
and you know what?
Just for advice for people
at our church that are single,
it's like I don't think it's wise
just to marry someone
just because they go soul winning.
My opinion is you could have
a guy and a girl
that both love God,
and there's just no interest
whatsoever between them.
They're just not
the same personalities,
not attracted to one another,
just different interests.
That is very possible.
Obviously, the number one
most important thing
is that they're spiritual,
and they love God,
and you're yoked together.
Do not be unequally yoked,
but at the same time,
people have
different personalities.
A lot of people in this church
love God.
That doesn't mean that
everybody would be
a good match together
with their personalities.
I've expressed before
one of the things my wife
really loves about me.
She thinks I'm very funny,
and I tell a lot of jokes.
Anyone who knows me
knows I tell a lot of jokes.
It's just my personality.
The bottom line is
if there was a girl
that just did not find me funny,
I would have never
been interested in her
because it's just like
I'm telling jokes,
and she doesn't get it.
It goes right over her head.
It's just like
we're just not a match.
There's nothing against
that person they can love God.
It's just don't have
the same personality.
Maybe you have nothing
in common with that person.
People can love God
and just have nothing
in common whatsoever.
Just awkward silence,
nothing to talk about,
and it's just like
there's not going to be
a good match for each other.
Look, the person you marry,
you should enjoy
spending time with,
enjoy talking to,
be very attracted to.
All of these things
are important,
and I think that's something
we can take away from verse 5.
That's the way she feels
about her husband.
She feels like,
man, this guy is very special,
and it causes an emotional
reaction to her,
and we see him actually
comforting his wife
and spending time with his wife.
Now, look at verse number 6.
The Bible says,
His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand doth
embrace me.
And that's him spending time
with her and comforting her
and making her feel better.
Verse 7,
I charge you, O ye daughters
of Jerusalem, by the rose
and by the hinds of the field,
that ye stir not up,
nor wake my love
till he please.
Now in verse 7,
if you give somebody a charge,
it's like giving them
a commandment
is a synonym for that.
But she's saying to the daughters
of Jerusalem,
basically do not awake my love
till he please.
Now what does that mean,
awake my love?
It's literally referring to
him waking up out of sleep.
And the reason why it uses
this terminology is Solomon
at his job actually was around
other women sometimes.
You say when?
Think about when he judged
between the prostitutes, right?
I mean, two women came to him,
judged between the prostitutes.
He would actually be around
some of the daughters
of Jerusalem,
just a term for all of the women
that lived in that area.
And what she's expressing there
is don't make my husband
go off to work
until he's ready, right?
Because basically as he's going
to his secular job,
he's around other people,
and she's saying,
I don't want him to wake up.
I want him to be here with me
until he has to leave
in the morning
is what's being expressed there.
It's literally saying
awake my love,
like wake up
or cause him to go
and have to go to work.
Then it says in verse 8,
the voice of my beloved,
behold he cometh
leaping upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills.
Now, to understand verse 8,
you need to understand
there's a time frame
that goes by between
verse 7 and verse 8.
Because in verse 7,
it's about him
going off to work
in the morning.
Verse 8 is him
coming home from work, okay?
Basically, he goes off to work,
and as he's coming back,
she says,
the voice of my beloved,
behold he cometh
leaping upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills.
She's excited her husband's
coming home.
And look, that's the way
you ought to feel
about your spouse.
Right?
If they're gone
doing something,
you ought to be excited
when they come home.
Right?
It shouldn't just be like,
well, oh no,
my husband's home.
It's like,
I'll just try to avoid him.
I've got to do something
on the computer.
You should be excited
when your husband's
coming home.
She hears his voice.
She's very excited.
He is also excited
because he's leaping
upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills.
The idea is he's
going home very quickly.
Do you see that?
He's excited to go home,
and she is excited
to see him.
Look, there's a problem
in your marriage
if you tell your boss,
it's like, no, no,
let me just stay
a couple hours longer.
It's like, I'm not
going to pay you overtime.
I don't need any money.
Just let me stay
so I can tell my wife
I'm working longer.
Right?
There's a problem with that
because there should
be excitement.
You get off work.
It's like, man,
I'm excited to come home
and see my wife
and see my family.
That ought to be
the way you feel.
Right?
And look,
apply the principles
from Solomon
because you want to
get back to that point.
Because when you're
first married,
like they are newlyweds
in this story,
you're excited to come home.
Isn't that true?
Right?
You go to work.
I remember just being
excited every day.
I was going home
to see my wife,
and my wife was excited
for me coming home
and everything.
But honestly,
as time goes by,
you can let these things
slip once you start
having kids
and lose some of these
basic principles
the Bible's teaching us.
But we see that she's
excited for him
and he's coming home
very quickly
because he wants
to see his wife.
Then it says this,
My beloved is like
a roe or a young heart,
a roe being a deer
and a young heart
is a male deer.
And of course,
you would think of
a roe or a deer
being an animal
that skips and leaps
and moves very quickly.
Right?
So she compares him
to basically an animal
that's basically coming home.
And of course,
when you're skipping
or leaping,
you're usually kind of
in a good mood.
Right?
When you're skipping,
think of a kid that skips
or whatever.
They're in a good mood.
They're excited.
He's in a good mood
and happy to come home.
And then it says,
Behold, he standeth
behind our wall.
He looketh forth
at the windows,
showing himself
through the lattice.
So she finally sees him
and she's excited.
Now, here's the thing.
When you go off
to work all day
and you work really hard,
what's your reaction
generally when you come home?
I want to rest.
Right?
I want to relax.
What's the easy thing to do?
Just get on YouTube.
Just get on Facebook.
Just sit there and do nothing.
And look, this is honestly
how a lot of marriages are,
where basically people
go off to work,
they come home,
and then they just sit there
and do nothing.
Right?
They just want to relax
and not do anything.
That is a major mistake
in your marriage
if you never do
anything together.
And look,
what you see in these verses
is she's excited
for him to come home
and he's excited
to get home to see his wife.
But then notice what it says
here in verse number 10.
My beloved spake
and said unto me,
Rise up, my love,
my fair one,
and come away.
He gets home from work
and what does he say?
Let's go somewhere.
Right?
That's what he's saying.
Rise up, my love,
my fair one,
and come away.
And she's excited to see him.
He comes home.
He rushes home.
He's like,
Let's go do something.
Now look,
I understand the easy thing
to do when you get off work
is just sit there
and do nothing
and be lazy.
Right?
Now, I'm not stating
every single day
you get off work
you have to go somewhere
because that would be
a bit extreme
if every single time
you got off work
you have to do something.
But I think the idea
being expressed
is you don't want to live
this very sedentary,
you know,
lazy sort of lifestyle
in your marriage
where basically
you just come home
and you just sit there
and do nothing.
You're on the computer.
Then you just eat
and go to bed
just day after day
after day
after day after day.
But yet that is the way
it is in a lot of marriages.
A lot of marriages,
husbands and wives
never actually do
anything together.
And they just kind of sit there
and just that's it.
Now look, I understand
it is a lot easier
to just not do anything.
I have three young kids.
Right?
We went to a hot air
balloon festival on Friday
and you know what?
It's hard when you go
with three kids.
What's a lot easier
is just doing nothing.
But yet those sorts of things
I think are very important.
And look, I'm not stating
that you have to go
somewhere expensive.
You can do something
as simple as going out
for a walk in the park.
I mean just kind of make
a checklist of things
that you want to do.
Just do something simple
because one thing
you have to understand
as a guy, and especially
this is true,
like let's say you have
the husband who's out
working like Solomon
and his wife is staying home.
It's like if the husband
is out working
and he comes home,
the wife you have to realize
is always home.
At least in this story
pretty much.
I mean she helps
with the vineyard and stuff.
I talked about that last week.
But in general,
as a stay at home mom,
she's going to be staying home
most of the time.
And you have to realize
that that can get
kind of depressing
if you never really
see sunlight,
you never do anything.
Right?
Now one thing I believe
is that as a husband,
even though this is
before they have kids,
I do believe as a husband
you should be fully capable
of taking care of your kids
so your wife can actually
go out and do something.
Because look,
you have to realize
it's pretty depressing
if all you do is sit home
and do nothing all the time.
That's going to be very
depressing on the woman
to never be able to go out
and do anything.
I mean one thing from the COVID
with all the rules
and restrictions on kids
is very tough on women.
Tough on kids,
tough on ladies
that are staying home
and never getting out.
It's not actually
a good thing for them.
As a guy,
you should be fully capable
of taking care of your kids
and so your wife
can do something.
Other than with Ezra,
because he's too young
at this point,
my wife goes out sometimes
and I just take care
of the kids
and she goes and runs an errand
and it's good for her.
She gets to go out
and do something.
I'm fully capable
of taking care of the kids,
cooking a meal if I need to,
cleaning, taking care of them
or whatever.
I do believe,
although we have roles
of husbands and wives,
I believe you can take this
too far personally
because I do believe
that you should be able
to take care of your kids
as a guy.
And I mean think about like
let's say your wife
gets really sick.
I mean are you able
to take care of your kids
without the help of your wife?
I can say yes I can.
Right?
You could ask my wife.
My wife would say yes,
Brother Stuckey can.
Brother Stuckey does
take care of the kids.
He helps with stuff
and sometimes I choose
to help with stuff
just because my wife's busy
or I want to make it
easier on her.
Sometimes you can get
a little bit too fundamental
in my opinion with roles
and just, you know,
you need to be as a guy
able to take care of your kids
if your wife is not able to
or allow her to do something.
And she's at home all the time,
but he comes home
and he says,
and come away.
Right?
Verse number 11.
What's the idea there
the winter is past
and the rain is over and gone?
Well I mean winter
you have snowy weather.
Rain, you got rainy weather.
You can't do anything
when there's the snow
or the rain.
Right?
I mean think about it here
in the Philippines
when it's the rainy season
are you going to go out
and do something?
Let's go for a walk
in the park honey
and it's just pouring.
Doesn't really make
a whole lot of sense.
Right?
And look, you know,
sometimes there's going to be
bad weather.
You literally just can't go out
and really do much
because of the weather.
Now I know that here
in the Philippines
people are like
I would love to be around snow.
Well I have biblical proof
that snow is miserable here
in this verse
because literally you do nothing
during the winter time
because of the weather.
I mean it's cold.
You can't drive.
I mean driving in snow
is very hard.
It's harder than driving in rain.
It's very miserable.
Being in cold weather
for long periods of time
it's not a lot of fun.
And look, people don't
generally go very many places
when it's snowy or rainy
or there's bad weather.
And I do believe
he's literally telling her
the weather is good outside
so let's go somewhere.
But symbolically
you could take this to say
let's say you have a very
busy season in your life.
Right?
Like let's say you got
a lot of work
or you got these big exams
you're studying for.
And speaking that could be
as winter or as the rainy weather.
And the idea would be
maybe in some seasons
in your life you're not able
to do anything
because you're very busy
but you know once
the winter is past
you got to decide
to go somewhere
and do something.
Right?
I get it, you know
you're at various stages
it's tough.
I know personally that
you know when your wife
is right near about to give birth
and right afterwards
that's kind of a season
where you don't really
do as much
because it's a lot harder.
But see once that season
has passed
once the winter has passed
once the rain is over
and gone
you need to actually
go out and do something.
And if you never do anything
you know it's going to cause
depression in your marriage.
It's not going to
make you happy.
Now here's the thing
as a guy as I said last week
we can go out and work
and we don't necessarily
feel this way.
We can just work and work
come home eat
go to sleep
and wake up the next day.
But as I said
I don't think that's the way
most women actually feel.
They actually want to do something
they actually want to
spend time with you
and so you should try
at least from time to time
to come home
and actually take your family
out somewhere.
Take your wife out somewhere.
It doesn't have to be
very expensive.
When we saw the hot air
balloon festival
it's like you know you pay
it's to get inside
it's 500 pesos per person
so we didn't do that.
We basically just walked up
so we could see
the hot air balloons.
50 pesos for parking
not that expensive.
It's like we have too many kids
I don't want to pay
500 pesos per person
you know to be there for an hour
didn't make a lot of sense
but you know we were able
to see the kids
and I had my kids on my back
they see the hot air balloon
and everything
they had a good time
and everything
and so I'm not saying
you have to go
to a really expensive place
but there's a lot of activities
you can do that
don't cost any money.
I believe he's taking his wife
just he's a king
and I believe he's just taking
his wife out for a walk
basically you know
just to a basic area
but it's something
you're outdoors
it's fun it's nice
it's a good thing to do.
So he says the winter has passed
the rain is over and gone
the flowers appear on the earth
the time of the singing
is coming
the voice of the turtle
is heard in our land
the idea being
it's kind of spring weather
the bad weather's gone
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
you know another application
you can make
going on vacation
can be a good thing to do
as a family
right
I believe going on vacation
is a good thing
obviously something like that
it costs money
you know it takes time
and effort
but you know it's actually good
to actually go out
and do something
with your family
from time to time
and I think wisdom
on the word of God
would say there's nothing
bad about that
it's actually a good thing
sometimes we think
it's all about church
soul winning
reading the Bible
and just never having
any fun in your personal life
outside of that
I don't really believe that
I believe you ought to
have a balance
on things in life
and I believe you ought
to be able to go places
and have fun and do things
one thing that's great
about the Philippines
that is not the same
in most countries
is we're able to do
soul winning marathons
in parks
and you have a great time
being outdoors
but you also are able
to get a lot of people saved
you can't do that
in the US
you do a soul winning event
in a park
you're going to get
zero saved
because you don't have
any opportunities
to talk to anybody
but here you know
you're able to go to a park
you're able to go soul winning
be outdoors
have family time
I mean I think those
are great when you go
soul winning in parks
soul winning marathons
I always loved going
to Case on Memorial Circle
my wife would preach
the gospel
I'd watch the kids
and then we'd switch
she'd watch the kids
then I'd preach
the gospel once
and you'd preach
the gospel for several hours
and then you're just
kind of walking around
as a family
you get to do everything
it's great right
and things like that
are a very good thing
for your life
and for your marriage
it says in verse 14
oh my dove
that art in the clefts
of the rock
in the secret place
of the stairs
let me see thy countenance
let me hear thy voice
for sweet is thy voice
and thy countenance
is comely
I do believe in verse 14
this is the husband
speaking about his wife
and what it says is
let me hear thy voice
for sweet is thy voice
and thy countenance
is comely
now what does that mean
countenance and voice
what is the Bible stating there
well
go to Proverbs 15
Proverbs 15
Proverbs chapter 15
and your countenance
is basically referring
to your face
or the look on your face
the attitude that's
seen on your face
okay
and it says in
Proverbs 15 verse 13
now the Bible says
a merry heart
somebody who's in a good mood
is going to have
a cheerful countenance
when someone's
in a good mood
you can usually
see it on their face
when someone's
in a bad mood
you can usually
see it on their face
right
you know especially
I mean if your spouse
is angry
you can tell by the way
they look on their face
right
it's like
they make it a point
to be like
really you know
on the look on their face
like they are really
angry right now
right
and what the Bible
stating here
from Song of Solomon 2
is basically
you know
his having a cheerful
countenance
whether it's
whether I'm right about
it the guy speaking
about the woman
or vice versa
both husbands and wives
should have a cheerful
countenance
both husbands and wives
if you're in a bad mood
and complaining
and bitter
and being rude
it is going to destroy
your marriage
your spouse is not going to
want to be around you
right
the Bible speaks about
the brawling woman
and the husband
rather would be in the
corner of a house
like away from his wife
right
and look if you're
in a bad mood
whether you're a guy
or a girl
your spouse will not
want to be around you
and look
I don't like being around
people that are in a bad
mood all the time
I mean look
if there is someone
that is always complaining
and in a miserable mood
is that the person
you really want to talk to
no because they put you
in a worse mood
right
but people that are
in a cheerful mood
and have a good attitude
and are friendly
and happy
those are the people
I like to be around
because as a result of them
being cheerful
it makes me cheerful
but if you're around
people that are always
complaining
then you start having
the same sort of
attitude as them
one of the important
things in marriage
is just you have a good
attitude
cheerful countenance
it also said
sweet is thy voice
well go to
Proverbs 16
sweet is thy voice
what is that referring to
sweet is thy voice
Proverbs 16
pleasant words
are as in honeycomb
sweet to the soul
and health to the bones
the Bible speaks about
pleasant words
as being like a honeycomb
what is a honeycomb
really known for
being very sweet
very sweet tasting
honey or honeycomb
very sweet tasting
pleasant words
basically sweet is thy voice
is referring to pleasant words
it's referring once again
to the attitude
how things are expressed
and it's interesting
because what it says is
it's actually health
to the bones
I take that literally
I believe that
when you're around people
that are in a good mood
it's actually healthy for you
physically healthy
like it's very good for you
and I don't believe
that they have
the science to prove
these things
but I believe
what the Bible says
that you know what
when you're around people
that are in a good mood
and have a good attitude
it makes you in a good mood
and having a merry heart
is like a medicine
it's good for you
right
and so look
the idea is
as whether you're
a husband or a wife
you need to talk
in a kind way
you need to have
a good attitude
not complaining
not bitter
but be in a good mood
and look
there's ways
in which you can
say things
where you're expressing
the same thing
but there's a nice way
a pleasant way
and there's a rude way
right
I mean can you see
the difference
in these things
you know
honey can you make
chicken for dinner
right
or honey can you make
chicken for dinner please
right
it's a nice way
what about this
make chicken for dinner
now
do you see a difference
I mean isn't there
a difference between
those two things
now here's the thing
if you want chicken
and you're asking your wife
to make chicken
there's a nice way to say it
you say well she has to
obey me no matter what
well yes she does
but if you want your wife
to hate you
then be rude
right
I mean make her feel special
and she's more likely
and the truth
the same is a true opposite
as well with wives
how you speak to your husband
don't speak in a rude way
use words like honey
use words like please
right
you know you ought to say
things in a nice way
in a kind way
and look
when you're in a bad mood
it's very easy to say
something in a rude way
you're just shooting arrows
at your own marriage
when you do that
you're causing problems
with your own marriage
but if you say things
in a kind way
it's actually going to result
in a healthy marriage
a good marriage
saying things in a kind way
look as I said
some of Solomon is
is not complicated
deep information
I mean it's poetic
I mean I love poetry
so for me I've always
loved this book
I love poetry
trying to figure out
what everything's saying
but the actual information
is very basic
right
this is like even like
a five year old would say
well of course
you know be nice
you teach your kids
the words thank you
and please at a young age
right
but you know we need
to remember these things
when we're married
things like this
make a big difference
in having a good
and healthy marriage
just having a good attitude
and just saying things
in a nice way
now look
as I'm preaching this
I am not stating
that I always have
a cheerful countenance
I'm not stating
I always say things
in a nice way
I'm not stating
I'm perfect
right
I'm stating
this is some hard preaching
right
I mean this is tough
because you know
when you're not
in a good mood
it's really hard
to basically stop yourself
from being rude
and to be not
but you know honestly
if we would learn
to have a better attitude
and say things
in a kind way
it would make a huge
difference in our marriages
now go back to
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
Song of Solomon
chapter 2
verse 15
the Bible says
take us the foxes
the little foxes
that spoil the vines
for our vines
have tender grapes
now
I do believe
that they have
a literal
vineyard
and they
they go outdoors
they have plants
that they produce
and they
they have
plants
that they
produce
and things
like that
but I think this is
symbolically speaking
about towards the marriage
stating
that their marriage
you know
is as vines
and they
have tender grapes
and a tender grape
the idea would be like
tender meaning
delicate
very easily
can be destroyed
right
and what she's
expressing with
a little fox
is small things
that would destroy
you know
your marriage
because as a marriage
because you're so
emotionally attached
to the person
married to, it can be very tender and delicate where if as a husband you say
something rude to your wife, it's going to really hurt her feelings, right? I mean
if somebody I don't like is rude to me, I don't care, right? But if it's someone you
actually care about says something rude to you, then of course that's going to hurt
a lot more. And see with our marriage, you know, if you love your spouse, that's the
way you're going to feel. We're basically the last person you would want hurting
you is your spouse. And that marriage is very tender. It's very delicate. And so
when something said that harms it, it causes a lot of hard feelings because
you're so emotionally invested in it. Because look, when you're married, your
number one relationship outside of God is with your spouse. And so it's a very
tender and delicate relationship where you need to realize that because as a
husband, I need to be careful with how I act toward my wife because I need to
realize it's very tender. It's very delicate. It can cause a lot of hard
feelings. Somebody else could be rude to my wife, it wouldn't bug her. But if I'm
rude to my wife, it would really bother her because I'm her husband, right? And
it's true both for men and women. And you know, it's not just foxes. It says little
foxes. And the idea is small things can actually really harm a marriage. You say
why is that? Because it's a very tender and delicate relationship. It's very
emotional, right? I mean, you know, in marriage it's the person you love and it
should be your best friend, the person you're committed to to life. But the
reality is the person you're married to, you probably fight with more than anybody
else in this world. Because you're around them 24-7 and sometimes there's problems,
sometimes there's disagreements. We don't always have the cheerful countenance. We
don't always have the honeycomb coming out of our mouth, right? We don't always
have the sweet words coming out of our mouth. And it can result in problems in
your marriage. But you have to understand and remember, this relationship is very
tender. It's very delicate. And something small can really cause a lot of problems.
I mean, look, as a guy I could be rude to another guy and say something mean or
whatever. And you know what? He doesn't care and he forgets about it five
minutes later. It's not the same way with your spouse, the person you're married to.
These things become as wounds that stick with you, right? And so you need to be
very careful with just the way you express stuff and what you say. You need
to remember this relationship is very tender. It's very delicate. And you've got
to be very careful not just about big foxes, but even little foxes, small things
that would cause problems. And so if you identify areas where you need to change
personally or something that really causes problems to your
spouse, you should try to make those changes. Because those little foxes can
destroy something that's very good. That's what's being expressed there in
verse 15. Verse number 16. My beloved is mine and I am his. He feedeth among the lilies.
Now what she states, this is the woman speaking in verse 16, my beloved is mine
and I am his. And she's stating, you know what, I belong to my husband. He belongs
to me. And this is an expression she makes throughout the book in various
different ways. And the idea is, you know what, my husband only belongs to me and I
only belong to my husband. And it says here also, he feedeth among the lilies.
Now remember she said earlier in the chapter that she's the lily of the
valley? He said about her she's a lily of the valley. And she felt like
she was a lily because of the way that he made her feel. But here's the thing,
even though he makes her feel that way, lily is being symbolic of other women in
this verse, I believe. And feeding is where you literally eat. It's like a
makalumang or archaic word to say that, you know, to eat or to feed. But I think
what's being expressed is that basically he's around the daughters of Jerusalem
sometimes. He's around other lilies, right? And she's stating he only belongs
to me and I only belong to him. But she's also stating he is around other women
sometimes. I mean, imagine as a guy, you come home from work, your wife, you know,
and like just as a perfect marriage, like all of us have, your wife greets you at
the door, she hugs you, she kisses you. I'm so excited and happy to see you. I'm so
excited. I was skipping and leaping to come home, honey, right? You're excited.
And then your wife's like, what did you do today? Well, I had two prostitutes who
came to me because one of them accidentally killed a baby. It's like
that's not exactly gonna make your wife that happy that you're around women in
that sort of way. And I don't believe Solomon was doing anything wrong. I'm
just stating the fact that, look, as a spouse you're gonna be jealous. As a guy,
I do not want my wife around other guys. And my wife does not want me around
other ladies. It's just common sense. Why are you saying you're jealous? Everyone
who's married should be jealous. Because when you get married, your spouse belongs
to you. That's what the Bible teaches. And she's stating the fact in verse 16, I
belong to him and he belongs to me. But she's also stating he is around other
women. Now one thing we need to realize and take away is that we need to be very
careful how we interact with people of the opposite gender, okay? As a married
person, you need to be very, very careful how you interact. I believe and teach
that no married guy should be friends with any women that they are not related
to, other than your mom, your aunts, your sisters, or whatever, right? I don't
believe as a guy I should be friends with any ladies. Same thing for ladies. I
don't believe ladies should be friends with any guys. You say, why? Because of
the fact it can lead to problems. Because of the fact, even if it doesn't lead to
something major, what can happen is it can cause jealousy in that relationship.
So look, as a guy, you need to be very careful how you interact with other
women. And look, as a guy, you should not be flirtatious with other people of the
opposite gender. You should act very much in a business-like way. I'm not saying
be rude, but I'm stating you need to be very careful how friendly you are as a
married person, whether you're a guy or whether you're a girl. Now let me say
this, that when it comes to this, I would say it's pretty obvious. Women are more
perceptive than men when it comes to these sorts of things, emotions and
feelings. I think all of us, I'm assuming, would agree with that, right? You know,
we've had problems with people at our church before that, you know, were
removed from church and kicked out. My wife told me a couple years in advance,
you know, she said, well, you know, if you don't want to kick them out now, it's still
going to happen. It's just a matter of when. My wife already knew, right? And I
saw the signs of what she was saying, it's just a matter of, you know, I have to
have actual proof for stuff, but it's just like, my wife is very perceptive
about stuff like that. And one thing that's true is that guys can be very
oblivious if, like, a woman is flirting with them. It would go, like, straight over
their head oftentimes, right? They feel like, you know, she's just being friendly
and you respond back in a friendly way. That can cause your wife to be very
jealous when you're being too friendly with someone of the opposite gender. And
look, you know, I'm being honest. As a guy, if a woman was flirting with me, I would
not have any idea. Because there have been times in my life where my wife told
me, you know, that woman was flirting with you. I was like, what? It's like I had no
idea. It just, like, completely went over my head. And the reality is, we need to be
very careful not to be too friendly with those of the opposite gender. You say,
why? Because you only belong to your spouse. You should not be friends with
someone of the opposite gender. And look, that sounds like very old-fashioned
preaching. Well, I mean, old-fashioned preaching would actually give us good
results in our marriages. We need to get back to old-fashioned preaching. I can
say as a guy, I am not okay with my wife being friends with guys. And look,
I'm not stating that if someone, you know, says hello to you at church, just be rude
to them, or they try to shake your hand, and you're just... But I'm just stating,
you know, you need to have some common sense and put a real boundary. Because
you've got to put the boundary somewhere. I mean, where are you going to put that
boundary? How about stopping at the point where you're carrying on friendships
with those that you're not married to? And look, this is different when you're
single, but as a married person, you should have enough sense not to be
friends with people of the opposite gender. It is not a wise thing. It is not
a smart thing. It can cause problems. It's not fair to your spouse. It's not the way
it's meant to be, right? The Bible says, my beloved is mine, and I am his.
He feedeth among the lilies. So though Solomon was around other women, he did
not, at this point in his life, flirt with other women or carry on friendships with
other women. It's just a matter of, in his work, he came in contact with them.
Of course, all of us in our day-to-day lives are going to be around people of
the opposite gender. You go to the store, there's going to be men and women there,
right? You're going to a restaurant, there's men and women. You go about your
life, there's men and women. Ever. You're preaching the gospel. Look, as a guy,
sometimes I preach the gospel to women. As women, sometimes you preach the gospel
to men. Nothing wrong with that, obviously, but you need to realize not to
be too friendly, you know, when it comes to someone of the opposite gender. So
verse 16, my beloved is mine, and I am his. He feedeth among the lilies. Verse 17,
until the daybreak and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a
rower, a young heart, upon the mountains of Beethoven. Now, I'll be honest to you, this
was the verse, I was like, I do not understand what this is talking about.
This was the verse in this chapter that really confused me, but I do understand
now, and it's actually perhaps the most profound verse in this chapter when you
understand. But we need to break down each of these phrases. First, it says
until the daybreak. The daybreak. Go to Genesis 32. What does the daybreak mean?
The daybreak. Now, according to my wife, this is a terminology they use sometimes
in surfing. My wife told me Mark will know what daybreak is. Is that true? Did they
use that term in surfing? So apparently in surfing, and I think fishing, this is a
term that's still kind of used, but it's not really used as much in our modern
day. Daybreak's referring to the sun rising, and I'm going to prove that to you in
Genesis chapter 32, and to understand this verse, we need to understand the
daybreak is referring to the sun rising. Genesis 32 verse 24. Genesis 32 verse 24.
And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day. So the breaking of the day, the daybreak, and when he saw
that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the
hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, let
me go for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go except thou bless
me. Go to verse 31. And as he passed over
Penuel, the sun rose upon him, and he holded upon his thigh. And so the sun
rising is being linked with the daybreak. And if you look it up on
Google online or whatever, it will say that the daybreak is the sunrise. I'm
just trying to prove it to you from the Word of God, because it's not the most
common phrase anymore. So the day breaking is the sun rising, okay? The
other thing it said was, and the shadows flee away. Now this is why I was confused,
because I thought, you know what, shadows exist when there is the sun. So it
sounded like to me, until the sun rises and the sun sets, because the shadows
fleeing away, you're not going to have shadows if there's no sun. So
the shadows fleeing away would be at the sunset. That's what I was confused about.
Now turn to Job 3. Shadows fleeing away is a terminology actually for the sunrise
also, which makes this verse actually make a lot of sense. Job 3 verse 4.
Because although shadows exist while there is the sunlight, a shadow is a word
used synonymously with darkness in the Bible. And so basically the shadows
fleeing away is the darkness fleeing away or leaving, which would be when the
sun rises, there's no more darkness, right? Job 3 verse 4.
So shadow is a word. A literal shadow exists. You have to have the sun. But here's the
thing. What is stating there, you know, you have to have light, but what is
stating there with the shadows fleeing away is darkness fleeing away. So the day
break is the sunrise, and when the sun rises, the darkness flees away, right? So
it's being stated in Song of Solomon 2 verse 17, what she's stating there at the
beginning of the verse. Go back to Song of Solomon 2 verse 17. She's like, until the
sun rises and the sun rises, is what she's stating. So what she's basically
saying is this, until that point, well, when the sun rises, what does a man do in
the morning? Goes off to work. So what she's stating is, before you go off to
work, is what she's stating, until the day break and the shadows flee away. Until
you go off to work, before you go off to work, be thou like a roe, turn, my beloved,
and be thou like a roe or a young heart upon the mountains of Bethar. You say,
well, what is that referring to? Well, I mean, the term roe and young heart is
used earlier in the chapter, and the idea is, like, working hard and being
diligent, and the idea was, when Solomon was at his job, he worked very hard. He
took it very seriously. And look, as a guy, you ought to take your jobs very
seriously. Here's the thing, though, when you come home from work, you need to be
like a roe or a young heart also. Meaning, take your responsibilities as a father
and as a husband very seriously. Don't just work hard, I'm providing financially,
but I come home, I'm lazy as can be, I don't spend any time with my family. That
is the wrong attitude, right? Be thou like a roe or a young heart when you're out in
your secular job, but, you know, when you're at home, before you go off to work, work
hard at being a father. Work hard at being a husband. Work hard at doing a
good job at the role that God gave you. And what she's stating to her husband is
this, you know what, when you're home, work hard. Be committed to our relationship.
Work hard at it. Be a good husband. Right? That's what she's stating. And look, of
course, the same is true for ladies as well. Work hard at being a good wife.
Right? Work hard at being a good husband as a guy. Work hard at being a good wife,
you know, as a lady. If your parents work hard at being a father, work hard at being
a mother. But don't just work hard in the secular world and you take that very
seriously. You take the money very seriously. And you should. Work hard at
your jobs. Take that seriously. But don't develop this attitude that that is
really important, but at home, I'm just going to be lazy. Because that's not what
you're going to be at your job. If you want to be successful at your job, you work
hard. Right? If you want to be successful in your marriage, you work hard. Common
sense. Right? I mean, you can't be lazy in your marriage and lazy raising your
kids and expect to be good at it. You got to work hard at it. You got to be
diligent. And look, for many of us, at our jobs, we work very hard. I mean, we pay
attention. We work hard. We want to get promotions. We want to be successful. But
then at home, it is very easy to just kind of be lazy. It's like, well, you know,
we're going to stay married anyway. So what difference does it make? That's the
wrong attitude to have. If you want to have a successful marriage, if you want
to do a good job raising your kids, you got to put in the time and the effort.
Right? A lot of you thought, we're preaching through Song of Solomon. We're
going to have a nice, soft and gentle sermon series, love and poetry. And now
you're like, this is some hard preaching. And look, I feel the same way. This is
hard preaching because it is very easy to get kind of lazy in your relationships
in your marriages. But you know, we need to be like a rower young heart at home
also, not just when we're out and about in the secular world. Let's close in a
word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thanks for allowing us to be here today
and getting to see your word in this topic. And help us to understand this
book and apply this book to our marriages, including me and my wife. Help
us to work hard at improving our marriages. I ask you to help all of us in
this room that are married to work hard at being heirs together of the grace of
life. But I also ask you to bless those that are single at our church to be able
to meet the right person, meet someone who loves you, and enter into this
relationship of husband and wife. God, we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
For our next song, let's turn to 130. For our last song, let's turn to hymn number
130. Let's sing the song yesterday, today, forever.
Oh, how sweet the glorious message.
On the first ready, one hymn number 130. Ready, sing.
Oh, how sweet the glorious message.
Simple faith may claim.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
Still he loves to sing.
The sinful heal the sick in vain.
Cheer the mourners till the tempest glory to his name.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
Glory to his name.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
He who part of every future never needs the fear.
He that came to faithless love us all that now will fear.
He who led the love of his life upon his close of rest.
This he still with love us, let there lean upon his breath.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
Glory to his name.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
He who meet the raging billows, walk upon the sea.
Still can hush our wildest step, as fast so gallantly.
He who wept and prayed, he languished here at seventy.
Raised with odds, he struggled, trembling in our agony.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
Glory to his name.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
As of old, he walked together, sweetened to abide.
So to all that's waiting, walking ever near our side.
Soon again shall we behold him, nice and Lord, that day.
That will still be his same, Jesus, as he went away.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.
Glory to his name.
All may change, but Jesus, ever glory to his name.