“ Behold, Thou art fair, My Love.. ”

Song Of Solomon 4:1-8

Introduction

• King Solomon here is expressing his love towards this “Shulamite” shepherd girl.
• Solomon was said to have written this book about 965 BC.
• Solomon also had a harem (concubines, whores) of at least 140 (SOS 6:8).
• How could he love this one girl so much?
• The book of Song Of Solomon is also known as God’s love letters to those who trust Him.
• The word “charity” is often used in place of the word “love.”
• Charity is an action word that means… something you do for others.
• Love is how you feel for others.
• Saint Valentine- around 300 A.D. Was a priest called Valentine in the church at Rome. The Emperor was Claudius. Claudius was having a hard time getting men to become soldiers in the Roman Legion because men did not want to leave their wives and families. So, Claudius decided to cancel all marriages and engagements. So Valentine, Marius, and others secretly performed marriages for Christian couples. Valentine was caught and taken to the Prefect (high officer in Rome) of Rome. The Prefect decided to beat Valentine until death, then cut off his head. Valentine died on February 14, 270 A.D. The Catholic Church made him a Saint.
• The Roman Catholic church makes those who do something special for others “a Saint.”
• Paul wrote to many churches of Rome and called ALL believers “saints.”
• The word “church” .. called out ones.
• The word “saint” actually means…someone who is set aside to be holy.
• I am not arguing about Mr. Valentine becoming a saint. I am just saying that he was a “saint” because he trusted the Lord and responded to the call of God!

I. God Invented Marriage And The Church

  A) The marriage

• God created Adam and Eve for His pleasure.
• God created Man and Woman to start a world that would worship God, have fellowship with God, and fellowship one with another about God.

  B) The Church

• God Created the church in the Old Testament and He created the church in the New Testament.
• God created the church to worship Him, have fellowship with Him,and one another about Him.

II. God Created Love

  A) No spot in Love

• Note verse 7... Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
• Last night we had a Valentine’s Banquet with name tags that said “Ti amo” on them. “ Ti amo” is Italian for “deep love.”
• When you “deep love” some one many times you cannot see their mistakes.
• And like Solomon here with the Shulamite girl, he said…there is no spot in thee.
• I believe the problem with many couples today is… they are too busy focusing on their lover’s faults and not seeing their need. Couples today argue over the stupid things while the serious problems are put in a closet.
• God has a deep love for us too. He has a very deep love for us as a church.
• He overlooks some of our faults and sees our need of a Saviour.

  B) Jesus Christ is our “spot remover”

• “A spot” in the hearing world is also referred to as sin.
• In the song “Just as I am” on the second verse it says… Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot (spot) . To Thee (Jesus) whose blood can cleanse each spot…
• Psalms 103:12... As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

  C) The beauty is shown

• have you ever taken something ugly and made it beautiful?
• Once we have removed the spots from our lives …Our “true beauty” will be seen.
• Read  I John 3:16… Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
• Wives read- Ephesians 5:24…
• Husbands read – Ephesians 5:25…
• Can you see the relationship of Christ is seen in the marriage that God created?