Lately, I have been studying the Old Testament. It has always fascinated and perplexed me at the same time. I usually have to study with a concordance to help better explain different passages of Scripture, or converse with a friend who can interpret better than I can. Some of the passages confuse me…some are unbearably harsh and make me cringe, and some seem quite contradictory. For instance, Isaiah 8:14- 'Then He shall become a sanctuary, but to both the houses of Israel, a stone that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.'
My question was why? I did not know Jesus (who is the 'He' Isaiah is referring to in his prophesy) was a stone to make men stumble, and a rock to make them fall. That doesn't make sense. Further study cross referenced New Testament 1st Peter 2:8, 'And He is the stone that makes men stumble, the rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the word, and to this, they were appointed.' This explains it a bit better and makes sense…Jesus represents a truth that offends people. Isaiah prophesied that when Jesus came, He would present truths that would offend reason, as well as the individual. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees (the Jewish religious authority of the time) self righteous and hypocritical. They were highly offended at anything He had to say, any of His teachings because they did not fit into the mold of what they believed religion should be, which was the strict observance of a set of rules by which to live one's life.
But in the midst of these studies, I go back and read The Song of Solomon. It is refreshingly simple (in a way), poetic, and beautiful. It represents a passionate love between two individuals in every way. I had forgotten that Michael Card had written a song about The Song of Solomon that seems to perfectly sum up the book, which I listened to, and found that it inspired even more questions in me.
'Arise my love, my lovely one come
The winter is past and the rains are gone
The flowers appear, it's the season of song,
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.
Who is it that appears like the dawn?
As fair as the moon, as bright as the sun?
Show me your face, let me hear your voice
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.
Set me like a seal on your heart,
For love is unyielding as the grave.
The flash of it is a jealous fire
No flood can quench for love is as strong as death.
Arise my love and come with me
Before the dawn breaks and the shadows flee.
You ravished my heart with just one glance,
My beautiful one, arise and come with me
Do not arouse or awaken love
Until it so desires.
Arise my love, my lovely one come
The winter is past and the rains are gone
The flowers appear, it's the season of song
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.'
Utterly beautiful. To love, and be loved like that would be an indescribable feeling. Its goes beyond passion (although that is a central theme in this book and something relevant to this type of love) and transcends into a state of being. 'Love is unyielding as the grave…for love is as strong as death'. Loving every part of someone, the physical, the emotional…the bad, the good. Everything about them. Everything that makes them who they are, the very core of that person.
In order to better understand The song of Solomon, I turned to the classic 1st Corinthians 13 passage that reads,
'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.'
Love never fails.
Some interesting studying. I look forward to discovering more truths, no matter how difficult they may be to understand.
