Commentary on Song of Solomon

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter content

The title. (1) The church confesses her deformity. (2-6) The church beseeches Christ to lead her to the resting-place of his people. (7,8) Christ's commendation of the church, Her esteem for Him. (9-17)

Commentary on Song of Solomon 1:1

(Read Song of Solomon 1:1)

This is "the Song of songs," excellent above any others, for it is wholly taken up with describing the excellences of Christ, and the love between him and his redeemed people.

Commentary on Song of Solomon 1:2-6

(Read Song of Solomon 1:2-6)

The church, or rather the believer, speaks here in the character of the spouse of the King, the Messiah. The kisses of his mouth mean those assurances of pardon with which believers are favoured, filling them with peace and joy in believing, and causing them to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. Gracious souls take most pleasure in loving Christ, and being loved of him. Christ's love is more valuable and desirable than the best this world can give. The name of Christ is not now like ointment sealed up, but like ointment poured forth; which denotes the freeness and fulness of the setting forth of his grace by the gospel. Those whom he has redeemed and sanctified, are here the virgins that love Jesus Christ, and follow him whithersoever he goes, Revelation 14:4. They entreat him to draw them by the quickening influences of his Spirit. The more clearly we discern Christ's glory, the more sensible shall we be that we are unable to follow him suitably, and at the same time be more desirous of doing it. Observe the speedy answer given to this prayer. Those who wait at Wisdom's gate, shall be led into truth and comfort. And being brought into this chamber, our griefs will vanish. We have no joy but in Christ, and for this we are indebted to him. We will remember to give thanks for thy love; it shall make more lasting impressions upon us than any thing in this world. Nor is any love acceptable to Christ but love in sincerity, Ephesians 6:24. The daughters of Jerusalem may mean professors not yet established in the faith. The spouse was black as the tents of the wandering Arabs, but comely as the magnificent curtains in the palaces of Solomon. The believer is black, as being defiled and sinful by nature, but comely, as renewed by Divine grace to the holy image of God. He is still deformed with remains of sin, but comely as accepted in Christ. He is often base and contemptible in the esteem of men, but excellent in the sight of God. The blackness was owing to the hard usage that had been suffered. The children of the church, her mother, but not of God, her Father, were angry with her. They had made her suffer hardships, which caused her to neglect the care of her soul. Thus, under the emblem of a poor female, made the chosen partner of a prince, we are led to consider the circumstances in which the love of Christ is accustomed to find its objects. They were wretched slaves of sin, in toil, or in sorrow, weary and heavy laden, but how great the change when the love of Christ is manifested to their souls!

Commentary on Song of Solomon 1:7,8

(Read Song of Solomon 1:7,8)

Observe the title given to Christ, O Thou whom my soul loveth. Those that do so, may come to him boldly, and may humbly plead with him. Is it with God's people a noon-time of outward troubles, inward conflicts? Christ has rest for them. Those whose souls love Jesus Christ, earnestly desire to share in the privileges of his flock. Turning aside from Christ is what gracious souls dread more than anything else. God is ready to answer prayer. Follow the track, ask for the good old way, observe the footsteps of the flock, look what has been the practice of godly people. Sit under the direction of good ministers; beside the tents of the under shepherds. Bring thy charge with thee, they shall all be welcome. It will be the earnest desire and prayer of the Christian, that God would so direct him in his worldly business, and so order his situation and employment, that he may have his Lord and Saviour always before him.

Commentary on Song of S

The old man

A WORD FOR TODAY: THE OLD MAN IN YOU    "But now ye also put off all these; anger,wrath,malice,blasphemy,filthy communication out of your month,lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the 'OLD MAN' with his deeds" (colosians 3:8-9) Beloved your relationship wit God determines how life will be. Who is that old man,it means the character in you this morning,check urself the way you react to things are they right or wrong. One more thing,are u righteous. It is personal. Prayer Point: Father,every old deeds in my life,i send u out by fire in Jesus name (amin) . Gudmorning Sir/Ma

Christian, Gay Rights, and Jewish Groups Help Muslim in Head Scarf Case Against Abercrombie & Fitch; Win Likely After Supreme Court Oral Arguments By Napp Nazworth February 25, 2015 | 5:18 pm

Muslim woman Samantha Elauf (R), who was denied a sales job at an Abercrombie Kids store in Tulsa in 2008, stands with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lead attorney Barbara Seely (C) at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, February 25, 2015. The Court on Wednesday considered whether Elauf, who wears a head scarf, or hijab, was required to specifically request a religious accommodation at her job interview at the store in Tulsa in 2008 when she was 17. The company denied Elauf the job on the grounds that wearing the scarf violated its "look policy" for members of the sales staff. If Wednesday's oral arguments are an indication, Abercrombie & Fitch will likely lose in a Supreme Court religious freedom case involving a Muslim job applicant wearing a head scarf. The case, EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch, has united a wide range of groups concerned about the religious freedom implications in the case. Christian, gay rights, Jewish and Muslim groups have all filed "friend of the court" briefs on the side of the Muslim job applicant. In a Wednesday interview with The Christian Post, Eric Baxter of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who was at the oral arguments, said he was optimistic that the court would rule against Abercrombie & Fitch.

Samantha Elauf was 17 when she had a job interview with the clothing store chain in 2008. The interview was going well and the manager was ready to hire her. After checking with a senior manager, however, he told Elauf that he could not hire her because she was wearing a head scarf, garb often worn by Muslim women for religious purposes. Abercrombie has a strict dress code for its employees, which includes no head scarves and no black. Abercrombie & Fitch does not deny that Elauf was turned down for the job because of her head scarf. Instead, the company's lawyers argued that Elauf shouldn't be able to win a religious freedom complaint because she never expressly stated that she was wearing the head scarf for religious reasons. Baxter said that one of the most telling exchanges was between Justice Samuel Alito and the Abercrombie & Fitch lawyer. Would a Sikh man wearing a turban, a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke or a Catholic nun wearing a habit have to expressly state that they were wearing those garments for religious reasons? Alito asked, according to Baxter. The lawyer admitted they would not.

The Heart of a Pastor

“Father, forgive them. For they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). They were killing Jesus. They would run up and spit on Him, then back off and laugh at Him and call Him blasphemous names. They would quote His words back to Him and dare Him to come down from the cross and prove Himself. They were mean-spirited and ugly and hatefilled, and He loved them. As they killed Him, He prayed for them. That, my friends, is a pastor. A shepherd. A lover of God’s people. The heart of a pastor is a wonderful thing. Something inside me wants to say preachers either have hearts of a pastor or they do not. And if not, they should turn down every invitation from search committees to become pastors because it’s a perfect set-up for disappointment on his part and disaster on theirs. The preacher who can deliver a fine sermon but who is unavailable and ineffective during the week one-on-one should ask the Lord to show him other ways to use his gifts and calling. The pastorate is not for him. On the other hand, I imagine a large segment of pastors have dominant drawings to study and preaching, and with a minor, if you will, in the actual pastoral work. Even so, any minister of the Gospel without a strong appreciation for the people of God and his accountability to God for their care and nurture is missing something essential in his makeup. Case in point. Hunter and have wife have been family friends for many years. But from our frequent conversations over the last few years, Hunter’s pastor seems to have been AWOL the day Heaven handed out the quota of “pastors’ hearts.” (That would be one per person, presumably.) For reasons unknown, he did not get his. Hunter says his pastor insists he received a calling from God and a love for God’s word. What he seems to have missed out on, however, was a love for God’s people with the accompanying desire to see them prosper in Christ. (Please allow me not to give specifics on this. Even though it may appear otherwise, my purpose here is not to dump on this brother. He is not on trial and I’m no prosecuting attorney.) I grieve about this because Hunter and his family need a pastor now as much as ever in their lives. My friend is in the grips of a terminal disease. We’re told he has one year to live at best. The hospital where my friend has been treated is some miles away from their small town. But the pastor has been mostly a no-show. A close friend of mine has been calling on Hunter and praying with him and his wife. Then, around 8 am one morning this week, Hunter’s neighbor, an 84- year-old pastor of another denomination, walked into the hospital room. He ministered to my friend and prayed with him the way pastors do. Two hours later, I walked into Hunter’s room. After an exhausting weekend of ministry, I drove 200 miles the night before in order to spend a few minutes with my friends going through the darkest valley of their lives. It’s what pastors do. It’s what people with “pastors’ hearts” do. It’s that simple. Ministers without pastors’ hearts–tell me if that’s not an oxymoron!–look for excuses not to make these trips. “I ran by but you were asleep.” “We prayed for you in staff meeting.” “My car has been giving me trouble.” “Those hospital rooms are so small and I know you’ve had a lot of company.” “I’ve not been feeling well lately.” My buddy Hunter is being ministered to by three brothers each with the heart of a pastor: my friend in that city who has been calling on him in the hospital, the next-door neighbor (the 84-year-old), and me. (I baptized Hunter and his wife decades ago and we have maintained our close friendship ever since.) I gladly confess with a grateful heart that when the Heavenly Father called me into this work at the age of 21, He gave me a heart of a pastor. The contrast with the compassionless pastor grieves me a great deal. Were such a minister to ask for advice–which is not going to happen–I would urge him to pray the Lord who called him into His service either to open up some other field of service more appropriate to his gifts or to grant him the heart of a pastor. Question: What does a minister-with-a-pastor’s- heart look like? How can he tell if he has one? –Instead of looking for excuses not to be at the hospital to minister to the family who needs him, he looks for ways to make it happen. Rising at 4 am to make a two-hour drive in order to arrive before surgery? No problem. –The distance is irrelevant. If necessary, he will hitchhike to get there. He is determined to bless his people in the name of Jesus. –The minister with a pastor’s heart will not do a cost analysis to determine if he should go. You know the drill: “What benefit would come from my visit? and is it worth the time and trouble?” Such reasoning is insulting to the Holy Spirit who can take nothing and make something, can turn a spoken word or a human touch into something eternal and glorious. The shepherd with a pastor’s heart is a true servant of the Lord and is devoted to His people. –A pastor’s heart will not allow the minister to “check someone off his list” after he has made the visit. He will continue to pray for them and check on them, by phone or emails or personal calls. His caring is genuine. A child had been killed in a hit-and-run accident and the family was beside themselves with grief. The community overflowed the church to share the family’s pain during the funeral. The young pastor told me later, “That service was the hardest thing I have ever done.” I said, “All right. I have a question.” “In the middle of that gut-wrenching experience, when your heart is breaking and your soul is crying out to God for help, did you have the feeling that I would rather be here doing this than anyplace else on earth?” He looked surprised, as though I had found out his secret. “That is exactly how I felt.” I said, “You, my friend, have a pastor’s heart.” Now, keep your heart and guard it well. Sin of any type will soil the heart. Rebellion will deaden its sensitivy. And a refusal to confess and forsake the sin will begin to encase the heart in a protective callous. Before long, the minister who showed such promise and blessed so many people now has become a professional. From this time on, he/she serves as a professional and not as a brother or sister who truly cares. You must not let that happen. The day you can minister to a family that is burying a child and not weep with them, you are becoming a professional. The moment you can stand at a bedside of a dying saint and not join with the family’s tears, you are becoming a professional. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He was a shepherd, a Savior with a heart that hurt for the hurting. “When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Thank God our Savior has a shepherd’s heart. “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are…” (Hebrews 4:15). I rejoice at having such a Pastor in Heaven. I so want to be a shepherd like Him. By Joe McKeever

Kenneth hagins Is your miracle passing you by

IsYourMiraclePassingYouBy.pdf

Categories: Christian novels

AVOIDING A BAD MARRIAGE

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After salvation, the most important choice you will need to make is who to marry. This choice is so important that if you miss it, you will suffer for long, if you get it right then you will enjoy forever. A bad marriage can affect every other area of your life. This subject is so important, so many married people are hoping to be single again so as to make the right choice. If you are single please don't just be in a hurry to get married, you have the best opportunity to prepare for it.
For two people to come together to live in peace and harmony, they must agree spiritually, mentally and physically. Just like an elephant cannot marry an ant so also a believer cannot marry an unbeliever. If an elephant marries an ant how would they live, if a goat marries a fish where would they meet? You must look for a Godly man or a Godly woman to marry, nothing can beat this. The devil's primary target is the family. He knows that everyone belongs to a family and if he can make two wrong people meet then he has succeeded affecting the community and nations negatively. Ignore your age and the pressure for a moment, the pressure in a wrong marriage is far worse. God has somebody for you but you must set your priorities right. What do you need in a woman? What do you need in a man? Marriage is not about what you want, it is about who you need, that will make you better while you make him better. It is about destiny. That is why you must know your purpose before you get married. Genesis 2:18. You must pray before you choose. God knows the best person for you, it is only wise to seek His will. It is very easy to know God's will when sex is not involved. The moment sex is involved and you want to know His will then He will blank you out.Why? Because you have broken His first Law of NO SEX before marriage. If you have had sex in the past then you need to repent totally and stay away from each other for sometime then you can seek the face of God. Your marriage will not be hell on earth. Your
marriage will be honorable in the name of Jesus Christ. Don't marry for sex, don't marry because you are of age, don't marry because you are getting old, don't marry because you are lonely, don't marry because you need someone to support you financially, don't marry because you mistakenly got pregnant, don't marry because you don't want to lose the person, don't marry because of family pressures, don't marry because you like the idea of marriage and admire every wedding gown you see, don't marry because all your friends are getting married. But get married because you want to fulfill destiny. Get married because you want to be a help mate. As a man, get married because you want to fulfill your purpose. God will help you in choosing, please let His will be done in your Life. Amen!

Forward to the singles you love.
Shalom

Explaining Mathew 4:1

Evening, Feb 20

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
— Matthew 4:1

A holy character does not avert temptation—Jesus was tempted. When Satan tempts us, his sparks fall upon tinder; but in Christ’s case, it was like striking sparks on water; yet the enemy continued his evil work. Now, if the devil goes on striking when there is no result, how much more will he do it when he knows what inflammable stuff our hearts are made of. Though you become greatly sanctified by the Holy Ghost, expect that the great dog of hell will bark at you still. In the haunts of men we expect to be tempted, but even seclusion will not guard us from the same trial. Jesus Christ was led away from human society into the wilderness, and was tempted of the devil. Solitude has its charms and its benefits, and may be useful in checking the lust of the eye and the pride of life; but the devil will follow us into the most lovely retreats. Do not suppose that it is only the worldly-minded who have dreadful thoughts and blasphemous temptations, for even spiritual-minded persons endure the same; and in the holiest position we may suffer the darkest temptation. The utmost consecration of spirit will not insure you against Satanic temptation. Christ was consecrated through and through. It was his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him: and yet he was tempted! Your hearts may glow with a seraphic flame of love to Jesus, and yet the devil will try to bring you down to Laodicean lukewarmness. If you will tell me when God permits a Christian to lay aside his armour, I will tell you when Satan has left off temptation. Like the old knights in war time, we must sleep with helmet and breastplate buckled on, for the arch-deceiver will seize our first unguarded hour to make us his prey. The Lord keep us watchful in all seasons, and give us a final escape from the jaw of the lion and the paw of the bear.

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