Will You Be My Valentine?

Semon Notes

Prayer

• Before we begin let’s invite and welcome the presence of God right now
• “Loving Father, as we are about to Behold what manner of Love you have bestowed upon us, that we might be called, your children, your people, your wife, your church,
• I pray that you may speak to our hearts, woo us unto yourself we pray, forgive us our sins as we approach in Jesus’ name Amen!”

Introduction

• Our verse of concentration and meditation, is found in Song of Solomon aka Song of Songs chapter 8:6
• But really that verse is simply a summary of the whole book of Song of Songs
• And so today we will be pretty much summarizing the whole book in some sense
• But you might wonder
• Why bother with this book of Romance and young love
• I mean we rarely read form this book
• Of all the church services I have attended I have never heard a sermon preaches from this book.
• I wonder why
• You know most Christian denominations have a habit of avoiding the book of Daniel and revelation. And so, they put it off to the side as something that’s a mystery and classified.
• I wonder if our church does the same with the book of Song of Songs
• It seems that’s our forbidden book,
• Today we are changing that, because we are told that “All Scripture “is given by inspiration of God. And all scripture is profitable for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that we may Be perfect like our heavenly Father in heaven is perfect.
• And so get your Bibles and let us Dive deep into God’s love.

Body

Opening

• As you all know very well, the book of Song of Solomon is a book that was written by King Solomon of course .And the Book celebrates sexual and Romantic Love.
• And for some reason just that by itself has the tendency to make us uncomfortable but we forget that God is the one who created Sex and Romance
• And what if there is something that God wants us to learn from it that we could have never known or experienced otherwise.
• And who is better suited to teach us about Love and romance than the Bible, than God himself. When it comes to sex and romance and relationships, we go the world for counsel. When the Word is filled with instructions on these issues.
• I counsel my fellow youth to read and study the book of Song of Songs.
• There are so many lessons in there that cannot be exhausted
• Because the truth of the matter is, Sexual Love romantic love is only a representation of the love that should exists between God and his people.
• And so we are told for example ,
• “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” -Ephesian 5:25
• And so today just as the word of God is a double-edged sword
• you will have a double blessing from the word today.
• Not only will you learn how to love God Supremely
• But how to love your spouse, and partner precisely
• And so as we look at the story of King Solomon and the Shulamite Woman
• We see an example of what perfect love between a man and a woman looks like
• And what perfect love between, the church-the bride and Jesus the Bridegroom must look like

Bridegroom But Brother

• And so we begin with verse number 1 of Song of Songs chapter 8, and just for context primarily its the woman speaking here and so she says
• “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.”
• The Shulamite woman, longs and wishes that King Solomon was her brother
• Now this at first doesn’t make sense, except when you understand that in those days it was not proper for lovers to display affection and intimacy for each other in public.
• It was not proper for lovers to kiss in public (well, romantic kiss that is)
• However, it was very okay for brother and sister to kiss and to touch and to play
• And so, she wishes that she could have freedom to intimacy with her bridegroom
• As the freedom, she has to love her brother
• That right their church right is a very powerful opportunity for us from the Word of God
• As a church, we are married to Jesus, in the book of revelation we are referred to as His bride
• He is our King our Lord, our husband
• That’s good but to enjoy Jesus more, we have to Go deeper
• In the verse, the woman is looking for a deeper intimacy
• Yes, she is familiar with Pual’s Greet one another with a holy kiss. [2Co 13:12 NKJV] (12)
• And Peters’ Greet one another with a kiss of love [1Pe 5:14 NKJV] (14)
• But she is looking for different kind of kiss
• She is not satisfied with a hand kiss, or forehead kiss or cheek kiss
• She wants a lip kiss
• Now maybe you are like how did you know James
• Well, it says so in Song of Songs chapter 1:1
• “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.”
• She is specific –I think that’s enough lessons for lovers here
• In our relationship with Jesus, it is not enough to only relate to him as our man, our king and Lord and husband.
• We need to remember that Jesus Christ the son of God is our brother.
• We are told in Hebrews 2:11 that he is not ashamed to call us brethren
• Him being our brother means, in e very real sense he is like us, He has a body like we do, He has experienced every pain human can and will ever experience.
• But like the verse alludes to its as tho us and Jesus were breast fed from the same mother- Eve if you like the mother of all living. Jesus is human, the real human one.
• And the humanity of Jesus is so important because while the divinity of Jesus Clasps hands with God, it is the humanity of Jesus that reaches us as we are sinking deep in sin and lifts us up.
• And we sing the song, love lifted me, love lifted me.When nothing else could help. Love lifted me.
• Jesus is not only our Lord our king and commander
• He is also our Saviour, our companion , our friend.
• There is this classic quote from a Devotional I was reading last year (My Life Today )and it says
• The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations…. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord “telleth the number of the stars”; and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” -ML 287.2
• And so friend you need to seek a deeper intimacy with Jesus
• Jesus is our bridegroom but our brother
• And no wonder he says in Song of Solomon 4:9 — “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.”
• I wish I had time to talk about what that means in a romantic our relationship
• But let’s focus more on Jesus, and as we do, everything will make sense
• Jesus is also specific.
• “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” — Psalms 2:12
• And so we need to kiss the son
• And Jesus is looking for the following kisses
• Jesus is looking for a kiss of submission and surrender
• Jesus is looking for a kiss of confession and commitment
• He doesn’t mind a kiss on the feet, as with Mary, the one who opened the Alabaster box, poured the ointment and kissed Jesus’ feet
• A kiss of thankfulness and indebtedness. (We need this, church we need this )
• For whosever is forgiven much Jesus said, loves much
• But don’t dare you give Jesus a Judas kiss
• A kiss on the cheek
• A kiss of betrayal
• A kiss of hypocrisy
• A once w eek kiss, you come to church pray, praise and leave
• A kiss of having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof
• That’s not intimacy, go deeper.
• Because thee I room for that in God’s heart
• As we move to verse two, in my father’s house are many mansions
• So not only is there room for one but for all who are willing and obedient.

In My Mother’s House (In My Father’s House)

• Verse two says
• “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.”
• This verse contains practical instruction for women entering into relationships, Mothers must know. And by extension parents must know if and when you are in a relationship. Because truth of the matter is that, the way God designed romantic relationships, is that they happen in context of family.
• And so while love is between two people, true love takes a community.
• In the book Letters to Young Lovers we are told -
• “If you are blessed with God-fearing parents, seek counsel of them. Open to them your hopes and plans; learn the lessons which their life experiences have taught. “-LYL 45.1
• And so, commandment number 5, the first command with a promise. Honor thy father and thy mother, that the days may be long
• I know love is the summary of the ten commandments, but you need to revise the decalogue again. Because God doesn’t contradict himself.
• We would save ourselves from so much heartache and pain if we only listed to the counsel that our parents give us.
• Now back to the verse its interesting how it is the woman that leads the man into her mother’s house.
• And so not only are we to introduce our lover to our families and friends but also to ourselves.
• It makes sense when you think about it, in the context of Christ
• He knocks at the door of our hearts, but he waits for us to open and lead him in.
• Because Jesus is a gentleman, He is not intrusive and we will talk about next,
• But here is a question for you , considering Revelation 3:20
• It says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
• Now there is some supping and dipping going on here
• But where does the juice or food come from.
• Couldn’t it be that just as the Shulamite woman provides spiced wine to King Solomon,
• That we also provide something to Jesus.
• The answer is a confident Yes.
• Infact Jesus says, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
• Which implies reciprocity, mutuality, cooperation and exchange
• In the old testament there was something called the drink offering
• We find reference to this on genesis 35:14 and Numbers 15:10, where wine was poured out before ethe Lord or upon a burnt offering on the alter.
• And clearly this pouring forth represents sacrifice, surrendering your all to Jesus.
• Just as He sacrificed himself for us.
• Its interesting that the other place we find Jesus’ supping was the last supper and there he uses the emblems of the grape juice and the bread to represent his body that was broken for us and his blood that was shed for us.
• He then says, do this remembrance of me
• The true way to partake of the Lord’s supper, is to participate in it, to accept it and what it means to give back your affections and all your energies to God.
• To love God with all your heart, your soul and might .Deut 6:5 and Matt 22

Jesus is A Gentleman

• In verse 3, we are introduced to what seem to be the most intimate union between the Shulamite Woman and Solomon. It seems as tho the couple is making love.
• But it doesn’t need to seem so, because that’s the reality of the case.
• When we read Song of Songs chapter 2, we see that the woman was dreaming of a deeper intimacy with her lover, just as the church should seek for a deeper love with God.
• But now it’s no longer a dream, it’s a reality.
• Some scholars have suggested, and rightly so that there was a time in the history of church i.e. Old Testament where we dreamed about seeing Jesus, the Messiah face to face.
• In the New Testament that became a reality. Similarly, today we long to see Jesus and touch his hands that were pierced for us. And soon very soon we will. If we are faithful.
• Anyways back to the verse
• This verse like I said shows sexual intimacy
• But there is something about it that’s deeply divine
• Number 1, the Man does not force the woman. It is the woman that invites the man. -If only men read and believed the word of God, there would be no rapists and abusers in this world. Because they would learn and realize that the purpose of sex is not self-pleasure.
• By design sex is selfless. Never to be forceful but graceful and reflective of the glory and character of God.
• I wish men from today would learn from Jesus, what it means to be a man. And what it means to love. That the power of a man does not lie in his ability to force things, but his suitability to be invited.
• That love does not coerce and force, but love is inviting.
• And So, Jesus will never force you, which is why you have to give him permission and invite Him into your life and business every single day.
• “His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.”

Do Not Disturb

• “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.”
• Now the woman charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb the communion and communication she has with her beloved.
• Just a quick Love lesson here for those in love, when you are in love you have to turn Do Not Disturb on
• Because the daughters of Jerusalem are standing by, they are ready to call, text, report, gossip. Beware of what Song of Solomon chapter 2 refers to as, Little Foxes that destroy the vineyard. Be careful of folk that come to kill steal and destroy your relationship.
• And if you are truly in a Godly relationship, you should expect these, because the of the devil wasn’t happy with you in your singleness, what makes you think that now he will be happy, now that you are in love with someone who really loves God.
• We only need fear if our relationship is not Godly.
• And so even with Jesus, we have to put Do Not Disturb On. We need to shut and block the doubts, the fears, the lies and the deceptions from the Devil.
• What I am trying to say is Focus on Jesus.Heb 12 says it better

1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• Focus on Jesus, nothing else

Leaning on the Everlasting Love

• “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.”- Verse 5
• In verse 5 an interesting picture is given of the woman walking while leaning on her beloved. Which shows the dependency and interdependency, that ought to exist in a love relationship.
• It was and it not good for man to be alone. Its also true that it is not good for woman to be alone. Infact I would submit to you that sin came into the word because the woman Eve was alone and Adam thought that someone it was good to be alone.
• So don’t be alone in your planning, in your decision making, in your life.
• I want to take this further, what is it’s not good for God to be alone. You know how I know. Why did God create. The fact that God created other beings’ part from himself, tells me that God saw that it is good for Him to be with others.
• If God saw that, then I don’t think self-isolation is the way to go. By God’s grace the pandemic will be over, so make sure you come to church. Because it is not good for you to be alone.
• We are told in Heb 10: 25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
• We are also told in Heb 3:13 to “… exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
• So, learn to lean on Jesus primarily. You cannot walk alone. How can you be a Christian with Christ. Its not even grammatically possible. So lean on Him. Just as John the Beloved did, get close. Get acquainted with Him. Depend on Him, claim His promises.
• I love how the word is a double-edged sword. Remember how I told you that a romantic relationship does not happen in isolation. Even so with Jesus. We have to love and lean on Jesus, but also, we need to learn and indeed lean on others.
• Back to John the beloved, the one person who in real sense love to lean on Jesus. John 13:23
• He says in 1 John 1: 7 — “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
• So not only is our relation with God vertical, but it has some horizontal implications as well. And so we are told in 1 John 4:20
• “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
• I mean even in human relations, how can you say you love a someone, when you hate their relatives.
• We are all the body of Christ.
• But John also spoke about how we fellowship with one another and also with the Blood of Jesus.And I believe this is where the leaning happens.
• In first John 2:1 — “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
• When you are weak, lean on Jesus
• When you have fallen, lean on Jesus
• When you are tired lean on Jesus.
• Do not lean to your own understanding, but lean on Jesus and he will direct your paths.

Set Me as A Seal

• “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.”
• Here the woman seeks to a seal or sign to prove the permanence of her relationship and union. She wants to know she is loved. And this is something unique about the Shulamite woman.
• Remember Solomon, had 1000 wives and concubines but only wrote about this one. I want to submit to you that yes indeed she was different. And one character trait that we learn from her early on, is that, she doesn’t cheapen herself. She doesn’t want to be one among many, but the only one.
• And so, in our relationship with Jesus, we need to seek for and desire for a deeper experience and constant communion with Jesus.
• We need to get sealed; we need to confirm and make sure we are right with God, moment by moment.
• We are told to make our calling and election sure. To watch and pray lest we enter into temptations and fall.

The book of Song of Song of Song is very instrumental for the church especially in these last days.

• In the book of Revelation as well as in Matthew 22 Jesus is shown as the Bridegroom and the church as the bride.
• In Rev 19:6–9

7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

• Just as King Solomon is entering into marriage with the Shulamite women’s is Jesus married to us. And according to Revelation, the wedding is going on right now.
• So, this analogy makes sense, the Hebrew marriage had the following stages
• The betrothal or engagement between the bride and the groom took place at the home of the bride’s father
• There the groom paid the dowry (Jesus gave himself to pay the dowry for her).
• The groom then returned to his father’s house to prepare the home where he would live with his wife after the marriage (John 14:1–3).
• During the period of preparation, the bride would remain in her father’s house preparing for the wedding (Ephesians 5:25–27)
• In the interim, the groom sent out invitations to the guests of the wedding.
• The groom sent a special garment to the guests that gave them the right to attend the wedding as guests. Those who did not have the garment had no right to be in the wedding chamber.
• When the place and the bride were ready, the bridegroom would return to the bride’s home to take her to his father’s house where the wedding ceremony took place (John 14:1–3).
• The wedding reception followed in the home of the groom’s father.
• It’s interesting that the bride is ready it says
• She is clothed in “fine linen, clean and white.” The “fine linen” is the righteousness of Jesus which He gives to all who receive Him as Lord. The hosts of the redeemed are the citizens of His glorious kingdom. Thus “His Bride,” Christ’s Church and Kingdom is symbolically clothed in “the righteousness of the saints.”
• All this is only possible because Jesus went to prepare a place for us in heaven, and what that means is that he went to secure a place for us there, by interceding for us and by sending us His Holy spirit by whom we are sealed.
• #2: In 1844 Jesus came to the Father to begin the process that would eventually make it possible for Him to receive the kingdom or to marry His bride — the church as a whole (Matthew 25:1–13).
• #3: Since 1844, the King has been examining the garments of each person individually who has accepted the gospel invitation to the wedding to determine if they have the right to attend the wedding.
• #4: The judgment began with the dead that first lived on the earth, and will end with those who are alive. These persons, as individuals, are the invited guests to the wedding. However, the people as a whole — the faithful church in its entirety — are Christ’s betrothed bride or kingdom.
• And so looking at what God has done for us and What He say in His law , its clear that He is Jealous over his you and me, his church, as it says in the Law, Ex 20:4–5
• 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
• 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
• We are told in Patriarchs and Prophets under the Chapter — the Law Given

The close and sacred relation of God to His people is represented under the figure of marriage. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy.

• And so, we also need to be protective of the love we have with God, we need to invest as much time we invest in physical relationships. We need to nurture and grow the relationship need to set time to talk, to learn about each other, sometimes we just need to chill and chat.
• Always remember that the reason why God gave us relationships, is so that we can better relate to Him.
• God has loved us with a love stronger than death. And this refers to the power of the cross and the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ.
• Greater love hath no man, than that He should lay down his life for his Friends. Thats what true love is. Selflessness. To live for the other person and not you.
• The love of God is really, incomprehensible and to some extent unspeakable.
• Through the cross of Calvary, God did all He could, God gave all and left nothing.
• And church we need to understand this, because if God gave all, that means that if we miss, the cross, then we are cross paths with God and there is no hope for us.
• In Christian Experence and teaching of Ellen White pg. 100, Ellen White had a vison and it says
• Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance.
• And that sounds to me like the jealousy and Love Strong as death defined in our verse. God’s love is so strong that if we reject it, it kills us. Here is what I mean.
• Proverbs 8 referring to Jesus Christ says — Those that hate me love death.
• This is why like the Shulamite woman, we need to ask God to seal us, and engraver names upon his hand, in the book of life. That He may truly be our beloved and that we may be His.

Conclusion

I wish we could go on and on, learning what Song of Songs has to teach us about our walk with God and preparation for Eternity. But here is classic quote that summarizes everything. from the book Christ Object Lessons.

“The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of humanity with divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding.” Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 307.

• Isn’t that powerful, what if all along that what God is looking for. What if God is seeking for a deeper intimacy with you.
• When God created human beings, He did so out of love
• When we sinned and disobeyed, it was His love that saved us
• On the cross, God showed His love for us.
• There, with His arm stretched, nailed to the cross, He was saying to Humanity
• To you and me. Will you be my Valentine. Will you be my love.

Appeal

• Now Jesus is in the heavenly Sanctuary in the Most Holy Place
• And there He is interceding for us, there He is confirming our case.
• Jesus has done all He can to love you
• The Song says

1
I gave my life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou might’st ransom be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?

2
My Fathers house of light,
My glory circled throne,
I left for earthly night,
For wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?

3
I suffered much for thee,
more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony,
To rescue thee from hell;
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?

• If you accept Christ’ invitation to fall in love with Him
• To fall deeper in love with Him
• To have a continual communion and communication with Him
• To sealed, to be sanctified to be Saved
• If this is your Desire
• And you make a decision today to take your love relationship with Jesus seriously
• To grow daily, and invite others the wedding of the lamb
• Is that’s you today, please stand with me as Seal our commitment to God, through Jesus Christ right now

Prayer

• Heavenly Father, we have leant a lot about what it means to Love you and to love one another. Lord your love is beyond our understanding. Indeed, we love you, because you first loved us. So, grant us this love. Give us this love.
• I pray for every single soul that has made the commitment to renew their love with you or start a love relationship with you. Lord I pray that you strengthen them when they are weak and humble them when they are proud and forget you, that they may be saved. I pray that we may all be sealed with the seal of God. That we may be sanctified.