"How beautiful you are, my darling", exclaims the king. "Your eyes behind the veil are like doves... your hair is like a flock of goats... your teeth are like a flock of sheep... your lips are like a scarlet ribbon... your neck is like the tower of David... your breasts are like two fawns... you are totally beautiful without a flaw... come with me my bride because you have stolen my heart... how delightful is your love my bride and much more pleasing than wine... your lips are as sweet as honey my bride and milk and honey are under your tongue.. you are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water." To this the Shunammite called upon the wind to come and spread the fragrance of her love saying "Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits."
Monday, 20 April 2026
Song of Songs 3 (résumé): All night long on my bed
Chapter 3 is the Shunammite speaking non-stop as she looks for her king but can't find him. "I will search for the one my heart loves". She searched and eventually found him and so she held him and would not let him go. Then she again envisages the King coming from the desert perfumed with myrrh and incense and escorted by 60 warriors with a gold and silver carriage on a purple seat. He is wearing his crown and she calls on the daughters of Zion to come and see him.
Song of Songs 2 (résumé): Rose of Sharon
The romantic dialogue continues with the Shunammite declaring that she is a rose of Sharon and a lily of the valleys, to which the king replies that his darling is a lily among thorns. She responds comparing him to an apple tree with sweet fruit, and that he has taken her to the banquet hall and his banner over me is love! Refresh me with apples, she sighs, because she is faint with love. They embrace. My lover, she says, is like a your stag who called to arise because the winter is past and the rains have gone. Flowers appear for the season of singing has come and the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. The King responds asking for his dove to show her lovely face from her hiding place in the clefts of the rock. She reacts saying her lover is hers and she is his until day break.
Song of Songs 1 (résumé): Let him kiss me!
The Song of Songs involves a strong poetic loving and sensual dialogue between a young bride or Shulammite (6:13) and her lover King Solomon or a shepherd-king. The bride starts asking to be kissed because her lover's love is better than wine. His name is like perfume, she says, and she asks him to hurry to take her way! She remarks how sun-tanned she is and she hopes to meet her lover grazing his sheep. The lover replies calling the Shulammite the most beautiful of women and his darling and he promises her ear-rings of gold. My love, she replies, is myrrh resting between her breasts. The king remarks on her beautiful eyes and she responds about how handsome he is and how verdant their bed is.
Ecclesiastes 12 (résumé): Remember your Creator!
Solomon begins the final chapter of Ecclesiastes saying the famous words: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come... before the sun, moon and stars grow dark... when the house keepers tremble... when the grinders cease...when the doors close... when men are afraid of heights... when the almond tree blossoms... and the grasshopper drags itself... then man goes to his eternal home." "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Thus the author concludes his writings saying that people should fear God and keep his commandments. Then finally everything will be judged by God.
Ecclesiastes 11 (résumé): Bread upon the waters
In this chapter 11 Solomon starts talking about casting your bread upon the waters to eventually find it again. This is apparently a reference to investment without immediate returns and maybe ("give portions to seven, yes to eight") of a charitable nature. Then the author warns against hesitation and procrastination awaiting ideal conditions which paralyze action. "Sow your seed in the morning" as you never know what will succeed. He then encourages the enjoyment of life despite its meaningless and especially encourages happiness in youth. "Follow the ways of your heart," he says, although all will be judged of God and be meaningless.
The Potter's House
I led the service last night and young lawyer Murilo preached on Jeremiah 18: "You are the potter, I am the clay". We also had a special focus on autism in the middle of the service with our daughter Sacha interviewing Eva Jeminne who is the mother of 7-year-old Ester who is autistic and lovely. It was a wonderful interview raising awareness and empathy for families with autism. So all in all it was a very good service.