intimacy

Word Day 9 It Is I Am: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out It Is I Am!

The Questions

1) Who is Jesus referring to when He says, “My sheep”? (verse 27)

2) How do these sheep hear His voice and follow? (verse 27)

3) What does Jesus mean by saying, “No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand”? (verse 29)

John 10:27-30

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Original Intent

1) Who is Jesus referring to when He says, “My sheep”? (verse 27)
Jesus often refers to His followers as sheep. Sheep and shepherds were plentiful and a normal part of everyday living at this point in history. Understanding the role of shepherds as they cared for their flocks will help us better understand Jesus’ words in this passage. The job of shepherd most frequently fell to the youngest boy in the family, which is demonstrated in 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel is sent to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king. Samuel visits all the older sons before asking if there are any others. We read in verse 11, “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” This youngest shepherd boy was David and Israel’s future king. Shepherds spent a lot of time with their flocks, in fact pretty much all of their time, both day and night. A shepherd’s job was twofold, first was providing for needs, which meant planning for food and water each day. This dictated where the shepherd would lead his flock. The second aspect was protection. Shepherds carried slings (you might remember this from David’s battle with Goliath), rods, and staffs, which were all used to protect and defend the sheep under their care. A shepherd’s protection ensured none of the flock wandered away or was lost. Shepherds developed a close relationship with the sheep and their flocks, knowing them as unique animals, and able to identify them easily. Even with this broad overview, it’s easy to see why Jesus would use this analogy to demonstrate how He is our Shepherd, Provider, and Protector and we are His sheep.

2) How do these sheep hear His voice and follow? (verse 27)
As we just learned, sheep and shepherds spend basically all of their time together. Sheep learn to listen for the familiar voice of their personal shepherd and follow him when he calls. The kind of intimacy required for sheep to easily pick out their shepherd’s voice, recognize it, and follow is built on the amount of time spent together. In this passage, Jesus is teaching these new believers to think of themselves as sheep who are learning the voice and rhythm of their shepherd. His words are not meant to be demeaning, but simply to teach them to depend on Him and grow close to Him. He is saying, “I’m going to take on the role of shepherd and all the responsibilities that go with this role. You will be the sheep. Spend time with Me, become familiar with when and how I speak, then follow Me, knowing I’ve got your back”.

3) What does Jesus mean by saying, “No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand”? (verse 29)
Jesus is referring to eternal security with these words, meaning He has the power and ability to protect a soul entrusted to Him for all of eternity. Many people in Jesus’ audience were quite familiar with the numerous times God’s chosen people were seemingly “snatched” away from God’s protection. They were taken from their homes, land, safety, and sometimes even families by foreign nations and forced into slavery. Even though Israel was God’s chosen people, their lives weren’t always safe, mostly because they continued to rebel against Him. Jesus’ statement, “no one can snatch them away”, comes on the heels of a question posed in John 10:24. “The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” The people were still looking for an earthly king, not an eternal one. They wanted a king who would provide the protection and earthly security they longed for. But they still didn’t see the big picture. Jesus hadn’t come to be a temporary earthly king and make Israel more comfortable. He came to conquer Sin and Death for all time by offering Himself as a sacrifice to pay the penalty we all owe. This was a radical shift in thinking for the Jews, and because Jesus hadn’t yet been crucified or resurrected, they just didn’t understand His full meaning. However, the truth behind Jesus’ statement remains true, once you choose to accept and follow Jesus, eternal security is yours!

Everyday Application

1) Who is Jesus referring to when He says, “My sheep”? (verse 27)
All who trust Jesus as their great Rescuer from the debt we owe God because of our sin are the sheep. Jesus is the Shepherd. Think of it as each of us having “roles to play”. Jesus, as our Shepherd, takes full responsibility for us, His well-cared for and beloved sheep. Our role is much simpler, because well, we’re sheep! We listen intently for His voice, are ready to watch for His movement, and are quick to follow Him because we trust Him. When we relate a shepherd’s responsibilities to how Jesus leads, protects, nourishes, rescues, knows, and loves His followers, it’s easy to allow Jesus to rightfully take the role of Shepherd in our lives once we surrender to Him and become His sheep. I encourage you to stop reading this for a few minutes, grab your Bible and read all of John 10 because you will learn much more from Jesus’ words as He describes His role as our Good Shepherd over mine! The deep love and care Jesus, as our Shepherd, has for His sheep is pretty indescribable!

2) How do these sheep hear His voice and follow? (verse 27)
“But I don’t hear God speak to me!” Let’s be honest, we’ve all heard those words and we’ve likely even said them ourselves. We make excuses like, “It’s not the same! Jesus’ first followers could physically hear and see Him”, or “I’ve never actually heard Jesus speak, so how am I supposed to recognize His voice?”. Not to be overly harsh, but we make these excuses because it’s easier. It takes time, energy, and consistency on our part to develop the intimate relationship with Jesus required for us to shut out all other voices in our heads. It’s easier because, if we say we can’t hear Jesus, we think it means we can just do what we want and decide for ourselves which way to go. You know how we can recognize and pick out the voice of a loved from across a busy room? We’ve heard their voice so frequently because of the proximity of our relationship with them, it’s easy to identify their voice above all others. The same is true when we listen to Jesus. Learning to actively listen to His whispers generally doesn’t “just happen”; it takes time as we practice sitting quietly in stillness and reading His Word. Intimacy comes with time and consistency.

3) What does Jesus mean by saying, “No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand”? (verse 29)
The feeling of safety and security is something we all want; just consider how many times we pray for health and safekeeping for our loved ones! For most of us, attempting to manufacture this security means we spend quite a bit of time planning, preparing, and worrying about the “what ifs” of life. We work hard, save for the future and the unexpected, and set up rules or boundaries intended to protect those we love. While those things are important to some extent, they can distract us from trusting God in ALL things. Ultimately, our eternities are secure once we have accepted Jesus’ work on the cross for us and surrendered our lives to Him. The truth is, there is no thing and no one who can change this reality! As fickle humans, consumed and distracted by this world, it’s easy for us to lose sight of the eternal promises of Jesus. The honest truth is there is no way we can plan for and protect ourselves and loved ones from the unexpected entirely. People get sick, accidents happen, children rebel, and loved ones die. It takes a conscious and daily, sometimes even hourly, choice to leave our lives in the more than able, more than capable hands of Jesus the trustworthy Shepherd. We can rest assured that even when bad things come our way, Jesus has us safely in His grasp; He will never let us go.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with It Is I Am!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Word Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Fervent Day 1 Grace And Peace

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:15-19
2 Thessalonians 3:16-18
Philippians 4:1-7
Romans 1:1-8

Fervent, Day 1

Every night, I tucked my children into bed, cuddled them close, sang over them, and prayed for them. It was simple, but it was also rote and rhythmic. My prayerful words were mimicked nearly word-for-word every night. Sometimes, I wasn’t even thinking about the words or the God who said He heard them. I was thinking of dishes and laundry yet undone.

Was there more?
Was this all prayer consisted of?
Were some prayers heard more clearly or acted upon more quickly?
What was prayer, really?

My internal wrestling intensified as, night after night, I kept praying the same words. I tried to change it up, I tried reading books on prayer, I wrote in my journal how I wanted to pray “better” or “deeper,” but I felt so shallow in these waters where giants of the faith had been swimming for centuries. Where did I begin? How does one become a better pray-er?

“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us…” (2 John 1:3)

As simple as my prayers had been over my children,
the answer to my burning question was even simpler.

Know Him.

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17)

The words were an invitation to not only swim the oceans of faith-filled prayers, but to understand the pathway for doing so was to draw up a chair and sit with the God of the universe.

One cannot pray deeply to a God one doesn’t know.
The deeper we know Him, the more we learn to trust Him, and the easier our prayers flow.

Not with artful words of a contriving tongue, but with soul-baring honesty that comes from walking with the One who is closer than our next breath, who Himself causes my heart to beat and reminds my lungs to expand.

To know Him is to love Him.
To love Him is to speak with Him.
To speak with Him is to enter the endlessly beautiful mystery, yet sweetly familiar sea, called prayer.

To this end, we at GT have crafted this Journey Theme of Fervent. It has long been our prayer for you to enter these deep ocean waters of faith-filled prayer, bringing others with you, to know this Jesus. Maybe you’ve beached here before, curiously sitting on its shoreline and allowed the lapping waves to kiss your toes, beckoning you to come and taste its saltiness with fervor. Maybe you’ve long swum with other heroes of the faith in this endless sea, finding treasures too numerous to count along the way, yet hungering to dive deeper and know the Master more.

The beautiful thing?
No matter who you are, or how many times you’ve swam the sea of prayer, there will always be greater depths to uncover because there will always be more to know of our infinite God.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2)

I’ve written before of my affinity for small things, and on this quest to know the Lord Jesus in deeper ways, these two words absolutely captivate my attention.

grace & peace

In truth?
The whole gospel is packed into these beautiful, diminutive words.

Grace for the shallow end of faith, whispering for us to go deeper.
Grace because we will never measure up to His holiness.
Grace because, on our own, knowing the Almighty with depth and intimacy, is absolutely impossible.
Grace to bridge between a Holy God and wretched sinners.

Peace, because in knowing the Almighty, His peaceful embrace hems us in on all sides.
Peace that descends in a rush to cover the unruly parts of our souls, which yearn for Him with words we can’t express.
Peace made ours in abundance because of the grace of His blood.
Peace because He has become the fullness of our lives.

Because of grace, peace thrives.
Grace & Peace.

Turns out there’s nothing rote about these simple vibrant words bursting with the hope of the gospel, which is why the New Testament writers weave them into the fabric of their prayers. Like breathing in and out, these authors prayed fervently for grace and peace to be deeply known, always discovered, and evidently lived out in real life.

Honestly, my bedtime prayers are still simple and brief, but they feel deeper to me now because I have come to better know the One to Whom I’m praying.
I’ve become familiar with the One to Whom I am pointing little hearts.
I’m praying the gospel over them as I teach them to praise, to worship God for Who He is, for the grace He gives, and for the peace in which we dance.

“Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 6:23-24)

Come away, Lovelies, and know this Jesus who washes us with His grace.
Be bound up in His peace as you know Him deeper.
Be deeply loved and love Him in return.
And be found swimming in the ocean of endlessly adoring fervent prayer.

I’m going swimming; come with me!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Fervent Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Fervent!

Questions 2 Day 11 Rescue Mission

2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Exodus 20:1-17
John 3:1-21
Romans 3:21-26
Romans 3:9-20

Questions 2, Day 11

How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?

The question is a reasonable one. The juxtaposition of a God who loves mankind so much He would send His very Son to die for them appears to be utterly at odds with a God who would send good people to a fiery destination for all of eternity.

However, the very question itself is hinged on a dangerous and erroneous assumption: people are inherently good. It’s tempting to lean toward the thought. After all, as humans, we tend to categorize wrongdoing at varying “levels.” We wouldn’t categorize a murderer with, say, a person who told a lie to spare someone’s feelings. Our natural instinct is to determine who is good, and how good they are, by their actions and our own perception of morality. But this view is absolutely inaccurate. 

From the moment mankind fell from a perfect relationship with God and chose knowledge and self over trust in Him, every human being has been marked by the consequences of that choice. We are born with sin’s DNA woven into ours by our own failings, but the truth is humans have never been “good” on our own. Even Adam and Eve, who had every opportunity to continue in a right relationship with God, and who enjoyed perfect communion with Him in the Garden of Eden, lost everything the moment they chose the allure of sin’s temptation for self. Sin excluded them from fellowship with Him. Because God is completely righteous, holy, and just, He can not be in the presence of sin. Adam and Eve could not remain in the place of intimacy with God while sin existed in their hearts.

The same is true for us. 

Loves, not one of us is good. Romans 3:23 reminds us all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God. As we studied in Ten, God says if we have broken even one part of the Law, we are guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10) Furthermore, Jesus said if we so much as think sinful thoughts, we have actually committed that sin in our hearts. (Matthew 5:21-22) This is why Jesus came to earth as a man. He was the only One Who could live a perfect, sinless life and serve as the spotless sacrifice for all our sins, past, present and future.

Only One who was righteous, both fully God and fully man, would ever be able to do it. 

Because of His selfless sacrifice, our ability to be in communion with God was restored. The sin we have all chained to ourselves has no power against the blood of Jesus Christ when we surrender to Him. God’s master plan for a relationship with His beloved creation is perfectly fulfilled in the salvation He purchased for us. We, who are born sinners, can access communion with God through the shed blood of Jesus when we give our lives to Him and trust Him over ourselves. We were born dead in our sin, but we are made alive in Christ. (Ephesians 2:5) When God looks at those who have trusted Him for salvation, He no longer sees our sinful nature. Instead, we are completely, totally wrapped in Christ. When He looks at us, He sees His Son in us. He sees righteousness.

Do you know what the enemy’s master deception is, Beloved? He’s been singing the same tired tune for literally ages.

It’s to sell all of us on the lie that we are basically good, on our own. That we, ourselves, are righteous, apart from Christ’s blood. That we are capable of saving ourselves. In fact, he would love for us to be so completely infatuated with who we are, what we’re like, and how we feel, that we have no room in our thoughts for God. After all, if we’re basically good, and we can be trusted to do the righteous thing, why do we need Jesus, anyway?

This is why the Law is such a vital part of God’s ultimate rescue mission: without the knowledge of God’s law, we are absolutely incapable of recognizing we are sinners. Romans 3:20 says, “For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.”

Read that again. Twice, if you must.

Every one of us are born sinners. There’s nothing we can do about it. No amount of denying will change it. No amount of good works will offset it.

Our adversary is against us from day one. He endeavors to convince us that we’re good, and if we’re honest, most of us are inclined to agree.

But God. 

Long before we were born, long before Jesus was born, He handed His Law to Moses. It is the very knowledge of this Law that brings us to the realization that we are filled with sin. But the knowledge of this sin isn’t designed to condemn us! It’s to draw us to repentance and confession that we need salvation through Jesus Christ, so we can enter into relationship and communion with God! 

Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your very Son to die for my sins. There’s no One else like You. Help me to understand how deep and how wide Your great love is for all mankind. Show me every place where I haven’t invited You to rule and reign. All I have belongs to You alone. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Questions 2 Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Questions 2!

The GT Weekend! ~ Beloved Week 3

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) When you think of God and sexual intimacy, what are your first responses? Pulling away? Shame? Closeness and delight? Gratitude? How we respond to the idea of God and sex reveals what we believe about our Creator and intimacy with us. As you unpack your beliefs in this area, take the challenge to read through Song of Solomon aloud. Spend some time praying beforehand, asking God to open your heart to understand His desire for oneness and delight in marriage. The world, and our enemy Satan, would have us believe that sex is dirty, embarrassing, and anything but sacred. Whether you are single or married, all of us have room to grow in elevating our view of the holiness of marriage and sexual intimacy. As you finish reading through Song of Solomon, write down the truths that most arrested your attention. Ask the Lord to keep expanding your understanding of these rich truths!

2) We all love the thrilling feelings of soaring excitement when relationships begin or when we finally say, “I do.” It’s the after when the excitement fades, disagreements arise, and suddenly, the glorious feelings we once felt towards the one person we vowed to love are nowhere to be found. Stacy shares of her euphoria at the beginning, only to watch it fade to mundane and lackluster in the after. A million and one distractions tempt us away from growing in love and maturity with our spouse, and if we aren’t on guard, these can quickly fuel entitlement in relationship effectively driving a wedge between two who were once inseparable. If you’re married, some ways your spouse has become distracted and entitled are probably already popping into your mind! But, turn it around and ask the Spirit to show you how you are becoming disengaged and entitled as well. Thank Him for showing you these, then ask for His power to flee the temptation to run towards these and run away instead. Single friends, consider the idols you run towards most often to distract you from hard or messy things. What patterns do you notice about yourself when you are feeling unloved or unaccepted in your relationships? Take these to the Lord and ask Him to show you His rich redemptive work in your life!

3) Give yourself permission to have some space in your day to be still and reflective. Maybe you lock your closet or your bathroom door, or maybe “quiet” needs to look like your kids are loud. Just make the space! Close your eyes, take some deep breaths and consider what it has felt like, or what it might feel like, to have someone sing over you who knows you deeply, wholly, and without condition or judgement. What words would they choose to set to melody? What would their voice sound like? What characteristics would they eagerly highlight about you? What might they say about their own love toward you? What if this was the Lord’s voice over you; how might your heart respond? Pause here and take in these feelings without discounting them or brushing them aside. Beloved, how deeply the Lord loves to love you! Breathe in this truth and let His voice sing over you with bold declaration! Stay here as long you need, then as your time closes, ask the Lord specifically who you can sing over. Whether it’s with true musical melodies or it’s just a spoken word of truth, woven with life-giving love, be willing and ready to extend a song of love over whoever the Lord brings to mind!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Zephaniah 3:17 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in his love.
He will delight in you with singing.”

Prayer Journal
Your love truly is matchless, oh Lord, my Savior and my God. Your love is as mighty as an ocean wave at every single moment of my life. When I feel alone in my relationships as friend, daughter, mother, or wife, You “send Your faithful love by day and at night Your song is with me.” (Psalm 42:8) No one else offers steadfast constancy like You. Forgive me, oh Abba, for the many times I choose to hinge my delight on another’s love and care for me instead of yours. Never will Your love change or disappoint; remind me to listen for Your love song regardless of feelings. Make me aware, Holy Spirit, of the countless distractions pulling me away from You, the Only One who loves me perfectly and completely. Empower me to turn my eyes from worthless things, focusing on You as complete satisfier of my every need. As I practice turning and looking in full at You and Your word, teach me how to love others selflessly with the same humility You model towards me. I love You, Lord Jesus, heal my relationships and use me as a conduit of Your love.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Beloved Day 12 Seasons Of Love: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Seasons Of Love!

The Questions

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)

Song of Solomon 5:3-8

3 I have taken off my clothing. How can I put it back on? I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty? 4 My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. 5 I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt. 6 I opened to my love, but my love had turned and gone away. My heart sank because he had left. I sought him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.

7 The guards who go about the city found me. They beat and wounded me; they took my cloak from me—the guardians of the walls. 8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick.

Original Intent

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?
Since this book is not a chronological account of the events between Solomon and his beloved, there are some difficult passages to unravel. This one is no exception. In verse 2 of the chapter, we read the bride’s words, “I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.” As in chapter 3 verse 1, we are left with questions about the sequence and the reality of the couple’s actions in this scene. Is the young woman dreaming, or is she at the drowsy verge of being awakened? Since many Bible commentators have come to different conclusions, it seems unnecessary to dwell too long in a discussion about this. More importantly is the big picture. In these verses we encounter a scenario of a real-life relationship which included human responses. The young woman knows her loved one is at the door, but she is either too tired or too lazy to get up, get dressed, and open the door for him. David Guzik says, “her problem was not that she didn’t go to the door; but that she did it so slowly and reluctantly, making excuses all along the way. [This reveals she was] thinking only about her comfort and not at all about Solomon’s desires or her relationship with him.” (enduringword.com)

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?
The woman’s lover reminded her that he was standing on the outside waiting. “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is drenched with dew, my hair with droplets of the night.” (verse 2) Whether or not the terms in verse 4 are explicit references regarding sexual intimacy, the scene certainly portrays an active pursuit of one lover desiring to be with the other, but being met with rejection. I think the best interpretation is to read this within the framework Guzik describes as a “missed connection” between the bride and groom, and therefore we should apply it literally rather than symbolically. (enduringword.com) The groom has been waiting patiently outside the door of the bride’s room. As he was leaving, he likely placed myrrh on the door handle as was customary in ancient settings. We are not given the reasons why the woman paused, but the delay causes her beloved to leave. It does not appear he was angry with her, and the emphasis again seems to be on the passion of the bride once she realizes his loving gesture. The bride’s emotions are awakened and she has legitimate feelings of despair because her loved one can’t be found.

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?
In chapter 3 we read how the watchmen were helpful to the woman as she frantically sought her beloved. But now verse 7 seems so out of place. What is happening? In then-current day, there were two sorts of watchmen in a city. One guarded from the inside of a city wall to ensure all those within were safe and secure. The others were placed on the walls themselves to watch and give notice of an enemy approaching. (Bible Study Tools, David Gill) The watchmen on the wall would be aware that the only women who would be on the streets at night were prostitutes. Not realizing who she is, they treat her with inappropriate disregard, even abusing her. Whether a dream or reality, we surely feel the stab to our hearts as we read what the bride endured as she runs out into the night. She so desires to find the one she loves that she risks her wellbeing to search for him. Nothing is mentioned about her response to what she experiences, but we share her anguish over not finding her groom. These verses are communicating unrelenting passion and desire between a bride and her groom at all costs.

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)
We have read in the previous chapters how the couple speaks to one another with words describing their longing for, and their satisfaction in, one another. Here in verse 8, the bride begins to plead with the women of the town to help her find her groom. It appears she has deep regret over her rejection of his advances, and she now wants to let him know how much she longs for him.  In Song of Solomon 2:4-6, the bride expresses her soul’s desire toward her new groom in those pleasant moments of marital intimacy and passion. She was overwhelmed by the presence of love and the joy of lovemaking. Here in chapter 5, the young woman aches over the distance she has created with her beloved. She has become physically and emotionally ill due to her yearning love for him. She asks the city’s women to “tell him that I am lovesick.” The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) uses the verb titrosko which means inflicted with a wound, injured, damaged. The Shulamite woman is emotionally and physically overwrought. (preceptaustin.org) Within the context, we can surmise she is craving more moments with the groom. She grieves the way she let him slip away due to her unwillingness to respond when he came to her.

Everyday Application

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?
We don’t know all the motives behind why the bride doesn’t go to the door. She expresses it would be somewhat of a hassle since she has already changed clothes, whether it is weariness or laziness, we are not sure. What we discover as we read further in the passage, though, is that she regrets her inaction to open the door to her beloved. While there will be times in marriage that one person lacks a desire to make much effort toward intimacy (due to fatigue or distress), we should not make it a habit to neglect our spouse’s need for sexual and physical closeness. This will likely require ongoing conversation and work in our relationships as we strive for a healthy marriage. As we think about this in spiritual terms, we can also pray for our hearts to be receptive to our Beloved Savior. Bible teacher Harry Ironside says this is a great picture of our own callousness toward Divine Love. “When [Christ] comes to the heart’s door we practically say, ‘No; it is inconvenient. I do not want to drop things right now.’” What an even greater tragedy to reject God’s perfect love. (John 3:16-19)

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?
The bottom line of this verse is how the groom was demonstrating his desire for his bride. He was patient. He did not force his way in, nor did he demand her to meet his expectations. Instead, he waited and then quietly slipped away, but not before leaving a symbol of his love. What beautiful restraint and gentleness was shown by this man. Although his loved one did not receive him in the way he expected, he chose kindness. Putting a fragrance on the bolt handles would have been akin to leaving flowers by the door. Sometimes in marriage we don’t feel the emotional attachment to our husband. When that happens, we can begin by praying for God to stir passion in us. Years ago, I heard a woman Bible teacher talk about how she prayed for her marriage. She said one of her prayers was that she would “always thrill to her husband’s touch.” That is a good start! Whether we are the initiator or the one waiting, our goal should be to demonstrate unrelenting love. Friend, maybe you feel that any sign of promising light is so far in the distance you are unable to see it. I pray you will not lose hope. God will be faithful as you pursue a passionate and lasting marriage.

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?
The picture of the beloved bride of the king being assaulted by his own watchmen is appalling! Whether she is dreaming or is in fact walking around at night like a prostitute, she is a desperate woman in search of the one her heart longs to be near. She has felt the pangs of dismissing her lover’s kind and patient pursuit. It has been said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I doubt that is always true as I have seen absence push people apart. But one of the ways we can create a healthy kind of distance that inspires desire is to rehearse the benefits of being married to our husband. When marriages are struggling, it is hard to find the good in the other person. Our human tendency is to rehearse our weariness with it all. As we do, we only add to our growing list of reasons not to make efforts. However, when alone with our thoughts, considering the good things of our marriage and the positive characteristics of our husbands helps stir our emotions toward desire. As the bride longed to find her beloved groom, God can restore our passions as we pray and work to bridge the gap we may or may not have caused.

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)
The Shulamite woman had gone from being “too tired” to being “lovesick.” She desperately went searching for the one her heart so deeply loved. She called those around her to join her in her search. Sister, enlist your own army of women to support you in your marriage. No, I’m not asking you to find friends to whom you can badmouth your husband. I am encouraging you to gather those around you who will remind you to “love your husbands … so God’s word will not be slandered.” (Titus 2:4) It is not an easy journey, this thing called marriage. But with God’s help, and with friends pointing us to Christ, we can pursue the kind of passionate relationship we read of in Song of Solomon!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Seasons Of Love!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Beloved Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Blessed Day 9 Intimacy: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Intimacy!

The Questions

1) Who are the lovers featured in Song of Solomon 7:1-13?

2) Why does the Bible include these passages about sex and intimacy?

3) What does it mean that the woman has treasured up every delicacy, old and new, for her love? (verse 13)

Song of Solomon 7:1-13

How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess!
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
3 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory,
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive in your tresses.
6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant,
my love, with such delights!
7 Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.
9 Your mouth is like fine wine—

Woman
flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth!
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire is for me.

11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;
let’s see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.

Original Intent

1) Who are the lovers featured in Song of Solomon 7:1-13?
The biblical book Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs, as it is sometimes called, was written by Solomon sometime between 971 and 931 BC. Most scholars believe the lovers are Solomon and his wife, though which wife is not as clear. Author Tom Gledhill asserts in his book The Message of the Song of Songs that instead of being Solomon and his lover, “The couple are representative types of Everyman and Everywoman” (94) Whether we view Song of Solomon as a true love story between two specific people or simply as an example of a good marriage, there is much to be learned about love (both human and Divine) and intimate sex in the chapters given to us. Author Sharon Jaynes writes, “God made sure the explicit picture of romance and sexual intimacy is in the Bible for a reason (. . .) It’s as if He’s saying, this is how it’s done.” God gives us a road map for intimacy in marriage in Song of Solomon, but many theologians agree He is also giving us a picture of Jesus’ love for His Bride, the Church. Author Natalia Kohn suggests, “Solomon, the bridegroom, is meant to symbolize the powerful love of our eternal bridegroom, Jesus Christ. The Shulamite woman, our protagonist, models passion and love for her lover, a fascination with who He is, and a hunger for more of His love.” God wants us to love Him deeply and passionately, the way He loves us. (Ephesians 3:18) In giving us a guide for how to love our spouses well, God is also showing us how to love Him with fervent hearts and deepest devotion.

2) Why does the Bible include these passages about sex and intimacy?
If you read the Bible cover to cover, you won’t find another book like Song of Solomon full of romance, eroticism, poetry, and spiritual significance. While other Bible books mention love, sex, and romance, none enter into as much depth of description and creativity found in the Song of Solomon. Why would God include this evocative book about love and sex in His Scripture? God’s primary intention for including this evocative book on love and sex was likely to teach us how to view His amazing gift of sexual intimacy for married couples. Pastor Chuck Swindoll notes, “The fullness of the union that takes place at marriage is described in some of the most splendid poetic language in the entire Bible. In a world where so many speak of God’s special gifts with coldly clinical or apathetic statistical language, the passion of Solomon’s poetry refreshes a world thirsty for the truth about marriage.”  Many believe that beyond the literal description of human love and intimacy, Song of Solomon provides a sense of how deeply Christ loves His bride, the church. Author David Guzik writes, “We find that this great song of songs illustrates the love, the intensity, and the beauty of relationship that should exist between God and the believer.” The bride responds to her Lover in Song of Solomon 7:10 by proclaiming, “I am my Love’s, and his desire is for me.” This phrase alone exemplifies how God loves us and created us for a holy union with Him, and how He longs for us to recognize and accept His great love. The Song of Solomon is God’s two-fold gift to His people, for it teaches us how to nurture sexual intimacy and how to relate to a God who loves us extravagantly.

3) What does it mean that the woman has treasured up every delicacy, old and new, for her love? (verse 13)
In Song of Solomon 7:13, the woman invites her lover to come away with her to the vineyards, telling him “The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our doors is every delicacy, both new and old. I have treasured them up for you, my love.” According to commentator David Guzik, “This difficult to translate phrase may have the sense that she is inviting him to enjoy intimacy in ways that are both familiar and new to the couple. The idea would be they would enjoy their lovemaking in creative ways that were planned in advance by the maiden.” Indeed, the mention of mandrakes would indicate a literal meaning of sexual intimacy, for, as commentator David M. Carr points out, “The mandrake or ‘love apple’ is a pungently fragrant plant long considered an aphrodisiac.” There are also arguments that the “old and new delicacies” of Song of Solomon 7:13 hold a spiritual significance. Author Tim Keller suggests, “Sex is for fully committed marriage relationships because it is to be a foretaste of the joy that comes from being in complete union with God. The most rapturous love between a man and woman is only a hint of God’s love for us.”  The Bible provides this surprising guide to sex and marriage in the Song of Solomon to help us build intimacy in marriage, but it also instructs us that God gave the gift of sex within marriage to remind us of God’s intense love and deep longing for a covenant relationship with His people.

Everyday Application

1) Who are the lovers featured in Song of Solomon 7:1-13?
In Song of Solomon 7:1-9, Solomon is describing the beauty of his wife. He starts at her feet and moves all the way up to the crown of her head, appreciating every last detail he beholds. Some of the metaphors describing her beauty are easily understood, while others are lost on a modern reader. However, the love, romance, sensuality, and passion in the text are evident to readers of all eras. The couple knows one another so intimately that she takes up the steamy description in Song of Solomon 7:9, finishing his sentence for him. She knows she has his heart, and her words of love and desire are equally as symbolic and erotic as his are. King Solomon seems to be utterly in love with his bride, and she with him. It is confounding to me, then, that Solomon could love so deeply and so well and yet have a harem of wives and concubines, as seen in Song of Solomon 6:8 and I Kings 11:3. Why would God choose King Solomon, this woefully imperfect man, to pen this beautiful book about intimacy in marriage? Author David Guzik suggests, “Perhaps the Song of Solomon does not reflect Solomon’s actual experience – certainly not in an enduring sense – but his wise analysis and skillful presentation of the glory of romantic and sensual love.” It is difficult for me to accept admonitions from someone who made as many mistakes as Solomon did, but I must remember that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” God inspired the words of King Solomon, so I know I can trust its message is perfect and true, even though the human author was far from perfect.

2) Why does the Bible include these passages about sex and intimacy?
The Bible contains instruction on how to be a better parent, how to manage finances, and how to treat other people, but looking to the Bible for instruction on sex and intimacy seems…uncomfortable. In fact, when a pastor says to open our Bibles to the Song of Solomon, people tend to squirm. Nobody wants to hear the preacher read, “Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle” (Song of Solomon 7:3)! If, however, we move past our discomfort of discussing sex in the Bible, we discover much about marital intimacy from God’s perspective. When describing the lovers in Song of Solomon, author Duane Garrett suggests “They relish their pleasure in each other not only with physical action, but with carefully composed words. Love is, above all, a matter of the mind and heart and should be declared.” Song of Solomon teaches us that thoughtful communication is part of a successful intimate relationship. We also learn from this book that God created sex to be a joyous celebration of love. Author C.J. Mahaney suggests, “Solomon’s Song teaches us that lovemaking is intended by God to be an elaborate and pleasurable feast of the senses — a holy immersion in erotic joy.”  C.J. Mahaney also concludes that the lovers do not have sex just to fulfill physical desire. “They want to be together because they are in love, and the sex they enjoy with one another is an expression of that love.” God has given us the Song of Solomon to show us how to have a fulfilling marriage, but it can also point us to having a fulfilling relationship with Jesus. As author Iain Duguid notes, “A depiction of the best of all loves and the most wonderful of marriages will inevitably turn our hearts toward Christ, who has truly loved us and is the answer for our deep brokenness.” No human relationship, regardless of how intimate or rewarding, can bring healing and restoration to our hearts like knowing Christ can. (Psalm 147:3)  Those of us who have trusted Jesus as our personal Savior make up His church, which He calls His Bride. (2 Corinthians 11:2) He loves us with the devotion of the husband in the Song of Solomon, and he wants us to be His faithful and loving bride.

3) What does it mean that the woman has treasured up every delicacy, old and new, for her love? (verse 13)
A recent societal buzzword has been purposeful or intentional. It is interesting to note how the Shulamite woman in the Song of Solomon does exactly this. She invites her husband to steal away with her, “Come, my love, let’s go to the field; let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.   Let’s go early to the vineyards; let’s see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my caresses. The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our doors is every delicacy, both new and old. I have treasured them up for you, my love.” (Song of Solomon 7:11-13) She plans and initiates an intimate time with her husband on purpose. She chooses a romantic place and assures him she has treasured up delicacies, both old and new, for them to share. He has been pursuing her, saying, “Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple cloth—a king could be held captive in your tresses. How beautiful you are and how pleasant, my love, with such delights!” (Song of Solomon 7:5-6) The couple intentionally nurtures their unity and passion. Author Sharon Jaynes argues, “The Shulamite was a wise woman who took deliberate action to make her marriage sing with intimacy that was purposeful and playful. I envision her sauntering up to her husband as he’s overseeing the fields. She whispers in his ear, and her warm breath teases his neck. Tempting him. Flirting with him still. . . And God whispers to us through her words, this is one of the secrets to lifelong love. Pull away. Be intentional. Leave nothing to chance.” Many marriages start off with both partners making time for each other, but stressors and responsibilities dim the passion and purposefulness that once nourished intimacy. We would do well to heed the deliberate acts of the Shulamite woman. Their intimacy was worthy of their sacrifice in other areas. We all have responsibilities that need our attention, but none as important as our marriage relationship. Strong marriages can point others to the love of Christ! Let’s purpose to put our marriages ahead of other priorities.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Intimacy!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Beloved Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Beloved Day 8 Intimacy

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Song of Solomon 4:1-7
Song of Solomon 7:1-13
Proverbs 5:15-23
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
John 14:8-11

Beloved, Day 8

Intimacy.

There’s no other way of saying it: sexual intimacy within marriage is a gift hand-crafted by our incredible Creator God for the people He made in His image.

Throughout the Bible, there are countless examples of God’s created beings enjoying and participating in the gift of physical union. Early in Genesis, the Lord affirms the goodness of sex for the purpose of procreation. (Genesis 1:28) Just a little later in Genesis, we see Isaac comforted in his grief by physical union with Rebekah, which affirms the great comfort of sex in times of grief and loss. (Genesis 24:61-67) In Proverbs, Scripture also asserts sex for the purpose of physical pleasure and enjoyment is good. (Proverbs 5:15-23)

The entire book of the Song of Solomon extols the heady pleasures of physical desire and fulfillment found in the physical act of sex. Vivid descriptions, expressions of love, and honest dialogue about the emotional and physical experiences which accompany physical intimacy were poured over, examined, tested, and ultimately included in the canon of Scripture for a specific purpose. God gave us sex, and sex within the context of marriage between a man and a woman is a good, good thing.

Song of Solomon is a depiction of the literal joys of physical intimacy, but there are some traits we see exemplified in the two young lovers which warrant further exploration in the context of our own marriages.

They are transparent.
The two young lovers are obviously desirous for each other, but they are also completely transparent with others about the one to whom their thoughts, emotions and desires are drawn. They aren’t hiding the way they feel about their beloved; they are practically shouting it from the rooftops. There is no mistaking how they feel, what they want, and to whom their heart belongs.

They are honest with each other.
There’s no question the two are each in pursuit of the other. There is no sub-text and no veiled references. Neither is playing “hard to get.” There’s no competition, no game, no “prove your love to me.” They are each completely, totally, all in.

They are vulnerable.
Nothing is too intimate to share. No expression too outlandish, no description too flowery. There’s no thought of looking foolish, or saying something silly. Each feels completely safe with the other, and as a result they are unashamed to share their thoughts, emotions and desires.

They are purposeful.
They are willing to do practically anything to steal away for an encounter with the one they love. They talk of slipping away to a vineyard, to a quiet room, to his chambers. They are not embarrassed to say exactly what they want, and their actions support their words.

For a moment, let’s set aside all our expectations of our spouse and take a look at where we are.

Beloved, when we examine how we operate in the context of our own marriage, can we say the same? Are we transparent with our spouses? Do we create space for them to be transparent in return, without fear of us shutting down or refusing to respond? Are we honest? And if we aren’t “all in,” is that an area we need to confess to our Father and allow Him to touch? Are we vulnerable in sharing the intimate spaces of our bodies, yes, but even more importantly, our hearts and minds? Are we purposeful in our marriage? Do we choose to pursue our spouse every day, even when we don’t feel like it?

Let’s take it a step further. Are those traits present in our relationship with our Father? Are we transparent about the condition of our hearts and lives with the One Who holds the power to change us? Are we honest with Him about our thoughts and feelings? Do we surrender them to Him? Do we allow ourselves to be open and soft to His conviction, to His healing? And do we pursue radical intimacy with the God Who is with us? Do we consistently prioritize placing ourselves before Him, in all our humanity?

These are hard questions, aren’t they? I can’t say yes to all of them. 

Maybe you can’t, either.

So what do we do from here? Where do we go from this place of knowing we aren’t where we’d like to be, and recognizing we can’t move forward on our own?

We start with confessing where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’d like to be to our Bridegroom King. We acknowledge our definition of intimacy falls woefully short of the intimacy He designed for us to experience with Him, and we ask Him to show us the way. He alone is the Author of intimacy; we can trust Him to lead us into the fullness of all He created!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Beloved Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Beloved!

Beloved Day 7 A Lover’s Delight: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out A Lover’s Delight!

The Questions

1) What is the setting of this passage and why should we believe it is more than allegorical?

2) Why does Solomon refer to his bride as his sister? (verse 12)

3) What is the meaning of the garden in these verses?

Song of Solomon 4:12-16

My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—a locked garden and a sealed spring. 13 Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates with choicest fruits; henna with nard,14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices. 15 You are a garden spring, a well of flowing water streaming from Lebanon.

16 Awaken, north wind; come, south wind. Blow on my garden, and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my love come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.

Original Intent

1) What is the setting of this passage and why should we believe it is more than allegorical?
An allegory is defined as a “a story, poem, or picture that uses symbolism to reveal a hidden meaning of a deeper moral or spiritual truth.” Although there are several Bible commentators (many from the Puritan era of history) who believe this book is allegory, it is best interpreted as a poetic, but powerful description of the deeply romantic and sensual love between a husband and his wife. The structure and setting of the book do not provide a chronological story, but instead give the reader “snapshots” of a couple’s pre-marital and marital relationship. (enduringword.com) It is true that God uses marriage as a gospel illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-32), but it seems apparent to most Bible scholars that the literal meaning should be the primary way the book is interpreted. The straightforward way in which Chapter 4 contains specific details of the sexual love demonstrated by a husband and a wife reveals the beauty of sexual intimacy in Christian marriage. It seems unnecessary to allegorize these passages that present a marital love consistent with Scripture’s other teachings about marriage and sex.

2) Why does Solomon refer to his bride as his sister? (verse 12)
Solomon uses the term “sister” three more times in his book in addition to verse 12. (4:9-10 and 5:1) No conservative Bible commentators believe this is a reference to him marrying his biological sister, and no scriptural evidence provides reason assume familial relations. “Sister” was a common expression in the Hebrew language of familiarity and closeness. As in many cultures, Egyptian love songs included lyrics which call one another ‘brother’ and ‘sister’. Years later, Solomon is using familiar language drawn from then-modern-day poetry. Theologian Charles Spurgeon writes, “‘My sister’ – that is, one by birth, partaker of the same (human) nature. ‘My spouse’ – that is, one in love, joined by sacred ties of affection that never can be snapped. ‘My sister’ by birth, ‘My spouse’ by choice. ‘My sister’ in communion, ‘My spouse’ in absolute union with myself.” By referring to his bride as his sister, Solomon was showing her double honor. He loved her with the physical desire of a spouse and with the natural love of a sibling. It is significant to understand the deep affection Solomon had for his bride, and how he demonstrated that to her.

3) What is the meaning of the garden in these verses?
Bible teachers and commentators who take the book literally, not allegorically, believe this “locked garden” represents a sort of separation and privacy regarding the bride herself. This likely refers to her being a virgin on her wedding night. (enduringword.com) As he has done previously, Solomon expresses his admiration for her. Specifically, he is enthralled with her beauty and purity that reminds him of the “choicest fruits and best spices”. (verses 13-14) As his bride, the fact that she had remained sexually pure was deeply attractive to him. Her sexuality was sacred, and as husband and wife, they both recognize this. The Bride both acknowledges her virginity and agrees it is right for him to find pleasure in knowing that. (verse 16) We see a beautiful picture of the bride’s trust in her new husband. She is freely and gladly unlocking herself to him, inviting him into this sacred act of sexual intimacy. As we dig deep into the meaning of these verses, it may appear they are infringing on moments that should be kept between a married couple. This may be the hesitancy among bible scholars to see them as literal. But an honest study of the book renders it difficult to interpret this as anything but a biblical and literal picture of godly love and passion that honors both spouses and God, the creator of sexual intimacy.

Everyday Application

1) What is the setting of this passage and why should we believe it is more than allegorical?
In considering how we apply these verses, I am enlisting Pastor David Guzik’s help. His sermon on chapter 4 is so well stated, I can’t improve on it, “When you think of the many crude terms that men use to refer to women’s body parts, isn’t there something so beautiful and powerful in this poetic, intimate, and dignified way of expressing love. It is a celebration of the strength and purity and goodness of marital love. There’s nothing insecure here … or dirty … or crass about it. There is simply nothing like this in ancient literature.” So, friends, we can celebrate this love story. As women who desire to live with a godly, biblical perspective regarding purity, we need not back away from the passion we read in the Song of Solomon. The poetry in these passages should be seen as sincere devotion and deep affection between man and wife. We can approach this book with the reverence it deserves, and with an understanding of the high value God places on intimate passion in marriage.

2) Why does Solomon refer to his bride as his sister? (verse 12)
There is an interesting parallel in Song of Solomon 8:1 where the bride says to her lover, “If only I could treat you like my brother, one who nursed at my mother’s breast, I would find you in public and kiss you, and no one would scorn me.” This sweet bride craves the freedom to publicly convey her love for her husband. In that day, outward expressions of affection were considered distasteful except for close kin. She wishes for the same opportunity to show her love to her husband as she would to her own brother. Today, there are jokes and memes about PDA (public displays of affection). Sadly, we have become shameless as a society as we have left behind honor for our bodies and brought every lewd display into the public eye. As wives, we would do our marriages a favor by praying for a desire toward our husbands that is appropriately expressed in public. One of the most beautiful displays I see that almost always brings me to tears, is a couple well into their later years, walking along arm in arm or holding hands tightly. Oh, sweet married friends, let’s show our spouses double honor with physical and natural love!

3) What is the meaning of the garden in these verses?
The literal reading of Song of Solomon may be difficult for some women. Maybe you feel it’s an intrusion on what should be a sacred trust between a married couple. Women who strive for holiness are encouraged by the church to be pure and modest in our dress and demeanor. Reading such an explicit passage could possibly leave someone feeling exposed or embarrassed. Sisters, I get it! I have often wondered why God would include in His inspired Word such an intimate exchange between a man and his bride for all to read. If not understood correctly, it may seem that God is advocating for women to be viewed as objects to be displayed like a trophy. Or maybe you are feeling shame because you did not enter marriage as a virgin, and you wonder if your husband can ever see you in the way described in this passage. I plead with you, dear married friend, to keep praying and digging into the difficult passages and find the joy. Pray to the good and gracious Father who desires to reveal to you the garden of God-ordained sexual fulfillment. Allow the Spirit of God to inspire and equip you to experience the holy intimacy He desires in your marriage.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with A Lover’s Delight!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Beloved Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

The GT Weekend! ~ Beloved Week 1

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Our Journey from Monday closes with the challenge, “Regardless of your marital status, draw close to the Lord and risk being unmasked before Him. The love, passion, and connection experienced there is well worth the being seen.” As a single woman, I often longed for a husband with whom I could share my deepest longings and my truest self. As a married woman, I have encountered the truth of a broken world that no human relationship is perfect. While my husband and I have a secure relationship, we still need to work to be vulnerable and open with one another. Marriage will not, and cannot, solve all our problems. Sit down this week and have an honest conversation with the Lord. Read 2 Corinthians 3 again and consider what it would look like for you to approach the presence of God with an “unveiled face.” Beloved, the Father knows your weaknesses. Do not be ashamed to approach Him and ask for His favor. He is delighted to be with you; delight in His presence. To take it a step further, consider sharing with your spouse or a close friend what you are learning from God, either in this area or another area of growth. As you connect with others, you are helping one another grow in intimacy with the Lord!

2) Sarah attests that our God-crafted differences give us cause to celebrate rather than be divisive in our closest relationships. Can you imagine how beautiful our marriages, and relationships with other believers would be, if we saw each role as uniquely crafted and desperately needed? The imagery God uses of a head and body give us a picture of oneness. The head cannot be separated from the body and still function, and the same is true for the body. How can you intentionally celebrate your spouse’s differences this week? Often, the longer we are married, those idiosyncrasies that annoy us most give us insight into how God created our spouse as wonderfully different than ourselves. Instead of jumping to frustration, and our own perspective this weekend, celebrate how God made your husband different! Whether you’re single or married, learning to assess your own uniqueness, while allowing another person to be different without detracting from you is a huge milestone in relational maturity! Take time this week to encourage the differences you see in the people who are closest to you, and praise God His creativity in crafting us as unique beings.

3) The woman in Song of Solomon adamantly pursues her lover until she finds him.  She does not waiver in her pursuit, and she is rewarded with love and acceptance when she finds him. The world tells us that to get love, we have to play “hard to get,” but this is a power play aimed at manipulation and gaining an upper hand. In God’s kingdom, we are called to lay down our power and be authentic with one another. We all long to be pursued, but are we willing to take the steps toward pursing another? Wives, where are you struggling in your marriage? What are some steps you can take to pursue your husband and rekindle intimacy? Where do you need God’s healing hand to cover your marriage and enable you and your husband to reconnect? Write a prayer asking God for His help, understanding that there is no topic that is off-limits to God. He knows your desires and He knows where you need help. Single sisters, are you pursing God as your highest good? Are you pursing deep friendships with other women in your circle? Are you practicing authentic intimacy with the people God has placed in your life? Write some ways that you can faithfully serve and pursue God in your singleness and commit to practicing those steps.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Prayer Journal
“Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song.” (Psalm 95:2). Lord, You are so good to us! You have made a way for Your children to enter into your presence, to have real and intimate relationship with You, and to have deep relationships with others. I confess I have hidden myself from You. Like Adam in the garden, I have attempted to hide my sin in my shame. As I hide from You, I hide from the people I love the most, shunning your gift of grace and pushing away those who love me. I have not pursued intimate relationships with the dedication and faithfulness You have freed me to experience. Thank You that I do not need to live in shame! Thank You for making a way for us to be reconciled to You and one another. Help me live with an unveiled face before You. Help me to pursue and build intimate and life-giving relationships with others. Empower my relationships to reflect the unity and oneness befitting children of the Most High God. You said the world around us would know Your people by their love for one another. (John 13:35) Help me to live my life honoring You and showing others Your great love.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music