Tag Archives: marriage

Song of Solomon 5

Blunt lesson here: Once you have surrendered to your man, you are no longer your own. As he is yours, you are his. That’s how God sees it. The chapter begins with the groom declaring he is making love to … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 4

This is the one day in a woman’s life when she is queen of all who gaze upon her, the day of her wedding. This chapter describes the ornate garments and jewelry which bear little resemblance to Western brides. Should … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 3

Western scholars heavily favor the notion that the first section here is a dream sequence. That would almost be missing the point, as the whole work is a dramatic parable. It is enough to recognize the symbols. On the night … Continue reading

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Of Marriage and Curses

Adam is a lazy jerk. The typical masculine failing is clearly revealed in the Genesis narrative. Adam was lazy. It’s not as if he was unaware of the Serpent’s presence in the Garden, or that he didn’t know about their … Continue reading

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But, You Said…

The words are easily less important than tone, context and delivery. That’s the whole point. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say this in the most nerve-grating way. That or, “No, you said…” If the way it comes across stirs anything … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 2

The bride and groom tell the whole world of their devotion to each other. The treasure here is the collection of images in the unique Hebrew context. The woman opens with a measure of self-denigration. She’s nothing but a common … Continue reading

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Virtual Spiritual Family

Welcome to our virtual parish. I’m a virtual pastor. Technically I’m an elder, the management half of the church leadership team. However, I also serve in the priesthood role simply because no one else is doing it and I have … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 1

The primary characters are a king and his bride. She is of noble birth, but presented here as a country girl, familiar with the urban scene, but previously not at home in it. A recurring role is the choir of … Continue reading

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Let’s Study Romance

Our Western culture militates against moral wisdom. Paul and his associates confronted a somewhat less foreign culture in the first churches outside Palestine than we do today. When you read between the lines of the New Testament, you still see … Continue reading

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Ego and Idolatry

In Scripture there is a consistent warning about a particular class of female idols, commonly referred to by variations of Asherah, Ashtarte or Ishtar, and these are related to the European Oester. Reading between the lines, we see that this … Continue reading

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