DISCLAIMER
Yup, this is for the sake of those that had missed out the bible study. I want to make this clear! What I typed here may not be exactly the same as what Pastor Kong or Pastor Tan had preached! It's typed here according to the notes I've taken down and some parts that I've remembered. So, I apologise in advance for whatever mistakes I may have done here.
The bible study of Songs of Solomon, it's divided into 5 parts.
Part 1: Initial Love (1:2-2:7)
Part 2: Faltering Love (2:8-3:5)
Part 3: Growing Love (3:6-5:1)
Part 4: Transforming Love (5:2-7:13)
Part 5: Maturing Love (8:1-8:14)
In the first part, it is about the initial love.
As said in the previous post, the bible study is approached from God's perspective which is now the believer (Shulamite Woman) and God (Solomon).
As you read from SOS 1:2-4, it is all about the sweet love, the loving relationship, the first love, the initial love. It is all wonderful and beautiful.
But as you begin to read verse 5 & 6, it says "because I am dark..the sun has tanned me."
This part is about believers that had burned out and worned out due to excessive serving and neglecting his or her own walk with God.
Then it moves on to the part where it talked about keeping vineyards which represents serving in the church. Then it says, "But my own vineyard I have not kept".
This is saying about the believer after accepting Christ, fully on fire for God and had gone into serving the church by joining a ministry. But to the point that the believer had been neglecting his/her ownself. In other words, the believer had became dry.
Then as the story goes on, it talks about the believer seeking the Lord once again.
Do you have the disernment to call out, to cry out to God when you are dry?
As you begin to read further to verse 7 onwards, "Tell me, O you whom I love". This part is showing that the believer is running towards the initial love again. He/she had finally stepped back in and the period of dryness is over.
In 2:3, "I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste." You see! Now the believer is wanting God even more, he/she is showing even more graditute, love and delight.
Here comes the interesting part. As you read further in verse 4, it says "his banner over me was love" Now you see, Solomon is begining to react to the Shulamite.
In this part, it says that the Shulamite was staying inside of the house. Why? Because she does not want to be tanned again. She is afraid of serving due to her past experiences.
This is the part which says that often believers as they come back from backsliding, they often stay in their comfort zone and not serve anymore. They will usually stop serving even when they are already ready.
But then, God says in 2:11 "For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone."
Do you get what it says? The winter is referring to the period of loneliness and dryness where you think God is not loving you and not helping you and you are all alone.
"The rain is over and gone." The period of dryness and loneliess is already gone! But why are you still staying in the house? Come out of it and enjoy!
God will not slow down and will not wait for you. We have to leave our 'wall' and keep walking in order to catch up.
Sometimes, believers have to ask themselves this question: Is my spiritual walk shining brighter with God?
Our walk must keep progressing! It must be progressive and it must never be stagnant.
Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes!
We must learn to balance our lives and never go into extremes.
Balance is the key.
It is during winter and rain where we are being tested. Trials and persecution would definitely come. It is more than the self-pity and the sadness.
Now that the rain is over and gone here comes spring.
Winter: Time to soften the ground and nothing happens.
Spring: Time to sing, dance and enjoy the beauty.
It is only during the 'winter' that God can mould you!
When someone cries easily simply singing praise and worship, when someone cries easily when someone encourage them with a few words. Or even crying after watching a movie, they are the things which shows that this person is going through a tough time.
Everything that we go through, it's identifying the same stage as Jesus Christ had experienced.
He first started off having lots of happiness in his ministry and then leading to crucifixion then to the resurrection. So, we will definitely experience resurrection too!
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the LORD,
Who call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel. - Isiah 4:3
You see, not every darkness, wilderness, winter that we go through are all because of Satan or devil. Why? Because God allows us to go through this in order for us to learn, to grow, to become better.
It is like a Dad allowing his child to ride on a two wheeled bike when the Dad knows that the child will definitely fall and bleed. But in order for the child himself/herself to learn how to ride a bike, he/she must definitely go through it.
Yeah, thats all for now.
Woo! Its super wordy sia. Okay, I'm done. :D
Movie Title: Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen.
