A Love Strong As Death

A Love Strong As Death – 4/18 Am.

I’ve always wanted to be able to explain the love God has for us to someone. Though it is beyond explanation or even our comprehension, this is probably as close as I will ever be able to get.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

The Book of Songs is a beautiful picture of a relationship between a woman and a man filled with passion and love. It is often avoided because of its sexual content. But this element of passion is also a characteristic of the biblical conception of love.

It should not be surprising, for the Bible as a whole, and not only this book, is a love story. From the beginning to the end, from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the tree of life “for the healing of the nations” in Revelation, the Bible tells the love story of God’s yearning for his creatures and mankind’s restless quest for communion with the Creator.

The biblical love story is more complicated than the Song of Songs because of the sin of infidelity on man's part, his rebellion against the spontaneous, redemptive love of God, and in this sense the love story of the Bible is the story of God's unrequited love.

But even in his sin mankind is aware of God's patient, unceasing wooing which, like Francis Thompson’s “Hound of Heaven,” pursues him “down the nights and down the days;… down the arches of the years.”

Man's willful, deliberate separation of himself from God occasions a lovesickness for both God and man that pains deeper than the separation of the youth and the maiden in the Song of Songs. That is why God’s persistent courtship is “so amazing, so divine,” for "God shows his love for us … while we were yet sinners’ (Romans 5:8). (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol 5, pg141.)

Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39. And the Church is often referred to as the Bride of Christ – Ephesians 5:22-23. Therefore, we must be able to see Christ in the Song of Solomon.

In light of Easter (Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus) I would like to look at two verses of scripture from Song 8 that I feel reflect the love of God for His creation as well as a reflection of Christ love.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

· Set me as a seal upon thine heart, As a seal upon thine arm:

o In ancient times, when few could write, on carried a seal suspended from the neck over the heart or worn on the right hand with which to make his signature.

§ And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. Genesis 38:18.

§ As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; Jeremiah 22:24.

o We have received the SEAL of God if we have confessed that Jesus is Lord and God hath raised Him from the dead. We bear that mark upon our hearts.

§ Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22-23.

§ We are to wear the seal of God upon our heart even as we are to be a seal upon the heart of God. I know God has a heart for us because the Bible says, for God so loved the world…

· It’s meant to be that kind of a relationship. Even as a man and woman are to be one flesh so is the man and God to become one spirit.

o John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

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· For love is strong as death; (Consider how strong death is)

o Little history lesson – Ugarit is an ancient city also known as Ras Shamra – there in were found many ancient writings some of which parallel the Hebrew Bible writings. The Ugarit cuneiform is an ancient Semitic language that has greatly influenced the interpretation of the Hebrew language. (By that I mean it helps us to understand the culture, practices, and even gods of the Ancient Near East people.) Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era.

o In these writings the Hebrew word for death is the same as Ugarit word for god of Sheol. (Interpreter’s Bible. Vol 5, pg143).

§ In which case it would be understood to say, love is strong as the god of Sheol, or even, stronger than the god of Sheol.

o In the simplest interpretation of the verse, Love is strong as death! Death has a hold on us that, expect for the power and salvation of God, would never let us go.

o Death is not something we come back from – EVER! No one has ever come back from the dead absent the presence of LOVE. And no one ever will.

· Jealousy is cruel as the grave: It is because of jealousy that there is sin in the world today. Lucifer was jealous of God. With the fall of Lucifer came temptation and deception, and with these came sin and with sin came death – for the wages of sin is death.

o The word Jealousy is a reference to a zealous or passionate love, even as seen in the next verse.

o God’s name is Jealous – Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: (7067 – qana, noun fem. a desire for exclusivity in relationship) vs. (7068 – qina, adj. a state of ill will ranging even to anger; they mean exactly the same thing).

§ From a human perspective, nothing good will ever come from jealousy.

§ But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. Ex. 22:23. It’s that kind of Jealousy.

o Again, like death, the grave has no intention of giving up its prize.

§ Death and the grave act upon us a one opposing force against the very LIFE Christ offers us.

§ The life of pleasure you live without Christ is temporary; it is death.

The LOVE being spoken of here is a kind of love that goes well beyond our watered-down version. This is the kind of love worth dying for.

· The coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Coals of fire that feed both, love and jealousy.

o What is it that we like to say when someone has their heart broken? They got burned.

o Yet we also speak of fanning the flame when someone has kindled a spark of love in our hearts. Our flesh burns for them and we desire to have it fanned into a vehement flame.

o Definition of Vehement:

§ 1. Violent; acting with great force; furious; very forcible; as a vehement wind; a vehement torrent; a vehement fire or heat.

§ 2. Very ardent; very eager or urgent; very fervent; as a vehement affection or passion; vehement desire; vehement eloquence.

o But like any flame, if it is not nurtured, it will go out. To fan the flame of LOVE we must have an ongoing active relationship.

Such is the relationship Christ desires for us. Jesus, in praying to the Father, prayed, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:20-21. A relationship of one.

· 7 Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drown it:

o Hear this promise, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2.

o This most vehement flame (of God’s) cannot be quenched even as we cannot be separated from the love God has for us. Turn with me to Romans 8:35 so you can mark it.

§ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38.

Now, how do we wrap this up?

· If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.

o CONTEMNED, Despised; scorned; slighted; neglected, or rejected with disdain.

o Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:1-4.

o Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. Luke 9:22.

o He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48.

o Love, you can give it, you can share it, you can even nurture it but, you can’t buy it and you cannot manufacture; you cannot demand it, and you cannot force it. It just is, it just happens. It birthed by the hand of God who is love.

Conclusion – God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. HE has given all that HE has to His own creation, which HE created to have a free will to receive or to reject the very love He puts before us.

John 3:14-21:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

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NOTES:

· In ancient times, when few could write, on carried a seal suspended from the neck or worn on the right hand with which to make his signature.

o And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. Genesis 38:18.

o As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; Jeremiah 22:24.

· Ugarit is an ancient city also known as Ras Shamra – there in were found many ancient writings some of which parallel the Hebrew Bible writings. In these writings the Hebrew word for death is the same as that for god of Sheol. (Interpreter’s Bible. Vol 5, pg143).

· The element of pathos, this lovesickness that runs like a minor chord throughout the Song of Solomon, is also a characteristic of the biblical conception of love. It is not surprising, for the Bible as a whole, and not only this book, is a love story. From the beginning to the end, from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the tree of life “for the healing of the nations” in Revelation, the Bible tells the love story of God’s yearning for his creatures and mankind’s restless quest for communion with the Creator.

· The biblical love story is more complicated than the Song of Songs because of the sin of infidelity on man's part, his rebellion against the spontaneous, redemptive love of God, and in this sense the love story of the Bible is the story of God's unrequited love. But even in his sin mankind is aware of God's patient, unceasing wooing which, like Francis Thompson’s “Hound of Heaven,” pursues him “down the nights and down the days;… down the arches of the years.” Man's willful, deliberate separation of himself from God occasions a lovesickness for both God and man that pains deeper than the separation of the youth and the maiden in the Song of Songs. That is why God’s persistent courtship is “so amazing, so divine,” for "God shows his love for us … while we were yet sinners’ (Romans 5:8). (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol 5, pg141.)

·

· CONTEMNED, participle passive Despised; scorned; slighted; neglected, or rejected with disdain.