Jesus Christ Suffered for Us

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Jesus Christ Suffered for Us

Without the grace and mercy made possible by His Atonement, we could not be saved from sin.

Even before God created the world, He prepared a plan that allows us to learn and grow during this life. Jesus Christ is the center of this plan. Christ’s mission was not only to teach us about God the Father and how we should live, but also to make a way for us to be forgiven after we sin. Sin is more than just making a mistake. When we sin we disobey God’s commandments or fail to act correctly despite our knowledge of the truth (James 4:17).

Before He was crucified, Jesus prayed to God in the Garden of Gethsemane on our behalf. Christ’s suffering for our sins in Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary is called the Atonement. He suffered for us so that we can be made clean and return to live with our Heavenly Father. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the “good news” of Christ’s sacrifice for us, giving us a path back to the Father. “Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah”

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Status of Christians in Pakistan

Pakistan Christian Congress files petition with UNO for Refugee Status for Pakistani Christians. Nazir Bhatti

Mr. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General, United Nation Office, New York. Appeal to award Refugee Status to Pakistani Christian on constitutional genocide and persecution by Muslim in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. His Excelleny, I, the undersigned , Nazir S Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC, on behalf of 20 million Christian in Islamic Republic of Pakistan wish to draw your kind attention on enforced migration and displacement of thousands of Christians from Swat valley, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and FATA after threats to convert to Islam or die by Islamist elements. These families are staying with their relatives in Punjab and Sindh provinces facing immense miseries and hardships after denial by government of Pakistan to provide any assistance or security. The hundreds of Christians families of victims of blasphemy are living in hiding for safety of life weather accused are acquitted or in jails. Thousands of Christian families keep on shifting residence in different parts of Pakistan on threats by influential Muslims or in fear of implication in fabricated cases by police. The mass migration of poor oppressed Christian is never brought on record by government of Pakistan nor any human right organization have urged for their settlement where they may live peaceful life. It will be very important to note in 21st century that Christian are treated as untouchable by Muslim majority on basis of religion and cannot dine at any roadside vendor, restaurant and hotel which is worst type of hate on globe towards Christian in Pakistan. If any Christian on journey or away from home is hungry and attempts to eat in any Muslim owned dinner, he is beaten and tortured by Muslims and forced to pay for plates and glass in which he eats or any thing he have touched. The Pakistan Christian Congress PCC presented many memorandums to government from 1985-1998 to legislate against curse of un-touchable to ensure social justice in society but such demands were neglected. The curse of un-touchable have prevented Christians to take part in profitable catering industry because Pakistani Muslim terms Christians as infidel under Islamic decree which prohibit to eat any food prepared by them. His Excellency, The churches are being attacked, pastors are being threatened, social activists are charged under blasphemy, teenage girls are gang-raped by Muslims and Christian women are enforcedly converted to marry by Muslims in Pakistan. There are innocent Christians accused of blasphemy behind bars and hundreds facing trials under fabricated false cases; The Churches in Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Chianwali, Sangla Hill, Toba Tek, Sukkur, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and in many villages have been attacked by militant Muslim extremists groups killing hundreds of Christian worshipers but non of killer is arrested and brought to justice from 1998-2009. The government also failed to protect Christian institution of Murree School, Taxila Hospital, Bible Society and Justice and Peace Organization at Karachi, from attacks of extremist Muslim groups who massacred Christian social activists. The Muslim militants Martyred Bishop John Joseph, a first and only Punjabi bishop of Catholic Church of Pakistan, dioceses of Faisalabad, but establishment forced Christian clergy tools to declare his martyrdom to be a suicide. The Pakistani Christian Congress PCC demanded to constitute an independent Tribunal to investigate killing of Bishop John Joseph but conspiracy was hatched to close his murder case. Many other pastors and evangelists have been gunned down in broad day light but killers are never arrested and brought to justice in Pakistan. The Christian youth has been denied opportunities of professional and higher education in Pakistan which has created socio-economic disaster among poor families. The government have closed doors of employment for Christian youth in armed and civil services to force them to become laborers and accept low grade jobs of sanitary workers. There is no Christian General in Armed Forces, no Christian Secretary in Civil services, no Christian Chairman in any of government Corporation, no Christian Inspector General of Police IG, DIG, SSP, SP, DSP and SHO in four provinces, no Christian High Commissioner, Ambassador and Counsel General in any Foreign Mission of Pakistan, no Christian Justice in any High Courts or Supreme Court of Pakistan and no Christian Director or Deputy Director in any Directorate of Pakistani government which is total denial of due share in power and resources of state to millions of Christians. The census is never conducted fair and transparent and Christian data is manipulated to decrease representation of Christian in democratic institutions. It will be interesting to note that Christians had four seats in legislative assembly of Pakistan when house comprised of 48 legislators in 1947. There were six seats reserved for Christians in national assembly of Pakistan in constitution of 1973 of Islamic Republic of Pakistan which were reduced to four in national general elections of 1985, when house was of 232 members. In national general elections of 2002, the total house consisted of 365 but Christian seats remained four. How amazing it makes mockery of Census Division of Pakistan that population of Muslims keep on increasing but population of Christians decreasing? His Excellency, The Islamic laws of blasphemy, Hadood Ordinance, Article 203, law of Evidence and Compensation have been implemented on Christians which have created feelings of security and safety of life by the hands of militant or by government agencies which is clear count of constitutional genocide since 1985. The Pakistan Peoples Party PPP government have been also failed to award equal basic democratic rights to millions of Christians like previous military regimes. The PPP led government have imposed one Christian tool as Federal Minister for Minorities and declared him head of “Minority Commission”. It is on record that government of Pakistan entered into an internationally recognized pact with Indian government in 1950, known as Liaquat-Nehru Pact to further safeguard the minority’s rights in the neighboring states. The facts to enter in this pact were that problem of religious minorities aggravated a lot during late 1949 and early 1950. At this critical moment of the history of South Asia, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan issued statement and emphasized on the solution of the problem of minorities in the two countries. He also proposed a meeting with his Indian counter part to determine how to end the persecution. The two Prime Ministers met in Delhi on April 2, 1950 and discussed the matter in detail for six long days. On April 8, the two leaders signed an agreement, which was later given the name; “Liaquat-Nehru Pact”. This pact provided a bill of rights for the minorities of India and Pakistan. According to the agreement, the government of India and Pakistan solemnly agreed that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its territories, complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion; a full sense of security in respect of life, culture, property and personal honor. It also guaranteed the fundamental human rights to the minorities, such as freedom of movement, speech, occupation and worship. The pact also provided for the minorities to Participate in the public life of the country, to hold political or other office and to serve in their countries civil and armed forces. Liaquat-Nehru Pact provided for the mechanism to deal with the oppressive elements with iron hand. Both the governments decided to set up “Minority Commission” headed by acting Justice of higher court in their country with the aim to observe and report on the implementation of the pact. Sir, The government of India constituted “The Minority Commission” headed by Justice of Supreme Court of India, according to the referred pact and legislated according to presentations of the Muslim leaders to their personal laws and election systems but the government of Pakistan failed to constitute such effective “Minority Commission” headed by acting Supreme Court justice for recommendations or the presentations of the Christian leaders in Pakistan. The Indian religious minorities are enjoying due share in power and Indian Muslim have their independent Law Board to protect their personnel law while in Pakistan, the Muslim judges are issuing decrees under Islamic laws on Christian divorce and marriages. The Present PPP government following the foot steps of previous regimes have also nominated one Federal Minister for Minorities to be head of “Minority Commission” instead of any Justice of Supreme Court violating Liaquat-Nehro Pact. His Excellency, Islamic Republic of Pakistan being a member of United Nation and one of signatory member state of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights announced in UN Charter have always neglected the respect of fundamental right of the creed or language, according to Articles 9-29 of Islamic republic of Pakistan constitution of 1973. In the elections of 1971, for first time after independence, the Joint Election system was endorsed in the legal framework. During legislation of Joint Electorate system in the 1973 constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, no Christian presence was in the house while Muslim members of parliament created selection instead of election. We wish to submit that Christians never demanded Joint Election system nor were any recommendations of Minority Commission according to Liaquat Nehru Pact, as such commission never existed in Pakistan since 1950. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah declared in his Fourteen Point doctrine, the Separate Election system for minorities in Pakistan, keeping in view his meetings and discussion with the minority leaders during the Pakistan movement. The minorities enjoyed the separate election system from 1947 to 1956 by electing their own representatives for democratic institutions in Pakistan to raise their voice. In Joint Election system, Christian vote in their respective constituencies to Muslim candidates while Muslim members of parliament select Christians tools of Muslim feudal lords and business tycoons on reserved seats which can not be termed democratic. On other hand the Dual Voting system for the Kashmiri Muslims is in operation where they vote within territory of Pakistan to elect their legislators for the legislative assembly of Azad Kashmir and also vote for national assembly of Pakistan in their respective constituencies. The Christians have demanded Dual Voting rights which have been denied and Joint Electorate has been imposed on them. His Excellency, In my letter to UNO offices on August, 2002, I appealed to press upon government of Pakistan not to impose Joint Election system on Christians but to constitute “Minority Commission” headed by Supreme Court Justice to provide an opportunity of presentations to Christian registered political parties, civil society leaders and clergy on election system of their choice. I also invited your kind attention on miseries and hardships of Christians youth, women and seniors in Pakistan who have been treated as second class citizen and deprived of their basic democratic rights. Again, I wish to bring to your kind notice that present regime of PPP is making false promises with Christians and not sincere to solve their problems to ensure justice. The PPP government announced to reserve seats for Christians in Senate of Pakistan in elections of February 2009, but failed to fulfill promise and again there is no Christian representation in Senate of Pakistan. The Prime Minster declared 5% quota of jobs for Christians in government employment but never issued any official notification in this regard. The incidents of arrests under blasphemy, gang-rape of teen age Christian girls, forcibly conversion of Christian women and their kidnaps, desecration of Churches and victimization by police are at peak now which have forced Christians to not trust government any more when government have no respect for international treaties like Liaquat-Nehro Pact and Universal Human Rights Declaration of UNO being a signatory. Prayer: PCC appeal United Nations to appoint special envoy to visit Pakistan to verify persecution, victimization and genocide of Christians by hands of Muslims, Muslim militants and establishment by direct meeting with migrant Christians and victims of oppression, rape and torture instead of meeting with clergy and their umbrella civil society organizations or commissions which are continuously misleading international forums on directives of government. We also appeal your honor to award refugee status to families of victim of rape, blasphemy laws, wrongfully confined by administration, displaced Christians and Christians in general for settlement where they may enjoy peaceful life at liberty. Thanking you. Yours sincerely, Nazir S Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress http://www.pakistanchristianpost.org Editor, Pakistan Christian Post http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com February 25, 2009.

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What’s Liberating about Islam? – by Rita Karlsen

What’s Liberating about Islam? – by Rita Karlsen.

About the Song of Songs

Image via Wikipedia

About the Song of Songs

The Song of Songs is a poem about love. The main speakers are a man, and the woman whom he loves.

At the start, the couple are not yet engaged. The woman is not sure about the man. She twice sends him away. She does not want to share his life.

But in the end, she learns to trust him. They marry. She is ready to become a mother. And she is glad to work with him. Her attitudes have become mature.

About the man

The man is King Solomon. Solomon was a great king, but he was not a proud man. He sincerely wanted to help his people. He worked hard to make their lives better. In fact, he liked to describe himself as a shepherd. A shepherd is a man whose job is to look after sheep. Once, Solomon’s father, David, worked as a real shepherd. Solomon was never a real shepherd. As king, he looked after people instead of sheep.

Actually, Solomon was not a good model for a husband. He had many wives. He married these women for political reasons. For example, he wanted his country to be at peace with Egypt. So he married the daughter of the king of Egypt. We do not know whether Solomon really loved all these women. But the woman in the Song of Solomon was different from these other women. Solomon loved her deeply. She really was special to him.

The Song of Songs seems to describe the man as if he were a better husband than Solomon. In fact, the man in the Song seems perfect. This is not the only place in the Bible where there is such a description. Psalm 72 is also about Solomon. But the Psalm seems to describe a king who is a better king than Solomon. Both passages are poetry. And both have the same explanation. Although the passages speak about Solomon, they were really describing God.

God is like Solomon in many ways. God is the greatest king. God looks after his people. So God is also like a shepherd (Psalm 23). (A shepherd is a man who looks after sheep. God looks after his people, rather than sheep.) And God loves the people who obey him. Especially, God loves the people who trust him completely. And these people are glad to do his work. God’s love is perfect although our love for him is often weak. This is exactly like the man in Song of Songs.

Solomon was the greatest king that the people in Israel ever knew. He was richer than any other king. The country was at peace. He achieved many great things and he built impressive buildings. So, he seemed to be the right king to choose as a description of God. But Solomon was certainly not perfect. He made terrible mistakes. At the end of his life, he even served false gods because of his foreign wives. Other books in the Bible describe these errors. But the Song of Songs does not. Instead, it gladly remembers the happy days when Solomon was a young king. At that time, he was loyal to God. And so, Solomon’s love for a young woman reminded everyone about the love of God.

About the woman

We do not know the name of the woman whom Solomon loved. The Bible simply calls her ‘the Shulamite’. This probably means that she was from a town called Shulem. This town was in the north of Israel. It belonged to the family of Issachar.

Solomon’s intentions for the woman soon become clear. He wants her to be his wife. But she hesitates to join him.

Proverbs 31:10-31 is a poem from the same time as Song of Songs. This poem lists the duties of a perfect wife. Clearly, such a woman was working very hard. Although her husband was wealthy, she was never lazy. She made sure that her husband never needed to worry about anything. So, he was able to carry out his work as a judge. This woman looked after him and their children. She also helped poor people. She impressed everyone by her hard work.

The woman in Song of Songs seems to hesitate for various reasons. At the start of the Song, she does not seem mature enough. Her words sometimes seem selfish. She may be a little lazy. But perhaps she also fears failure. In other words, she thinks that she will never be perfect enough for Solomon. Perhaps she knew the poem about the perfect wife in Proverbs 31:10-31. And she was afraid that she would disappoint Solomon.

But in the end, this woman becomes mature. She accepts Solomon’s offer of marriage. She shares with him everything that she has. And she is glad to join him in his great work. Like this woman, we often hesitate about our love for God. Our reasons are often the same as hers. We may be glad to invite God into our lives. But perhaps we are afraid to obey him completely. We may be selfish or lazy. We may be unsure about the work that God wants us to do. Or we may be afraid that we will fail. But God is always encouraging us to trust him more. He wants us to become better Christians. He wants us to become mature (Hebrews 6:1).

About marriage

We know some marriage traditions that existed at the time of the Song. We are not sure how these traditions relate to the events in the Song.

Parents would often arrange for the couple to become engaged (Judges 14:2). The man’s parents might select a wife that the man had not met (Genesis 24:4).

The woman would receive gifts when she became engaged (Genesis 24:22). The man’s family would arrange a procession to show the man’s wealth (Genesis 24:10). There would be parties (Genesis 24:28-33). The couple were not yet married. They did not live together. And they did not have sex. But they promised to marry. So they were different from people who were neither married nor engaged (Deuteronomy 22:22-29).

The engaged couple had to wait for their wedding. For example, Jacob waited 7 years for his wedding (Genesis 29:20). The man had to pay a price for his bride (1 Samuel 18:23-25).

The wedding itself would a great event. At the wedding, the man would come with his friends to his bride’s home. The man would take his wife away and lead her to his own home. The couple would be a married couple from the first night of the wedding. But the parties continued for several days (Judges 14:10-18).

About love

Our ideas about love today are often different from ancient ideas about love. Today, we often think about love as a mere emotion. For example, films always seem to show love as an emotion. Clearly, the couple in Song of Songs felt this emotion. But they did not marry merely because of this emotion. In fact, the woman twice decided to send away the man.

In ancient times, people thought above love as a decision. This still happens in some societies today. The couple decide to marry. Sometimes they may not even feel love as an emotion. But their decision is a declaration of love. For the rest of their lives, they will give themselves to each other. They will look after each other. And they will work hard to help each other. This is real love. And in the end, the couple in the Song of Songs show such real love to each other.

The meaning of the Song of Songs

The Song of Songs is, of course, a poem. It describes wonderful plants and beautiful animals. It describes special places. And it describes processions, dances and gardens. But the Song also has a more important meaning.

Parables and allegories are different types of stories. Both parables and allegories have a meaning. But there is a difference. Parables are very simple. And they are easy to understand. But allegories are very complex. Every detail in an allegory is important. And words have secret meanings.

There are many parables in the Bible. Jesus often used parables to each the people. The meaning of these parables is never complex.

Allegories became popular many centuries after the time of the Bible. People used to read allegories for entertainment, like novels today. And many people thought that the Song of Songs was an allegory. They tried to find secret meanings in its words. They thought that its real meaning must be very complex. They tried to find new meaning in every sentence.

We think that the Song of Songs is more like a parable. In other words, its meaning is simple to understand. Its meaning is:

·     God loves us. His love does not change.

·    But we are not always loyal to him. Perhaps we are selfish. So we do not always want to obey him.

·    God wants us to trust him more. Then, in the end, we shall be glad to obey him. And we shall be perfect for him.

Chapter 1

v1 The most beautiful of songs, by Solomon.

Verse 1

Solomon collected songs and proverbs (wise words). In the end, he had 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. We still have over 600 proverbs that he collected. They are in the Book of Proverbs. Perhaps the songs in his collection included some Psalms. Or perhaps only one song from this collection still exists. This song is called the Song of Songs. And it was Solomon’s greatest song because it is about the love of God.

Love is a wonderful subject for a song. But the love of God is an even nobler subject.

The young woman and her hope for the future

The young woman

v2 Your lips give me many kisses.

Your love is better than wine.

v3 Your *perfume smells wonderful.

But your name is better than the best *perfume.

That is why the young women love you.

v4 Take me away with you, and we will run away.

Let the king bring me into his room.

Friends

          We are very happy for you.

We will say that your love is better than wine.

The young woman

                      How right the women are to love you!

v5 I am dark but lovely too, young women of Jerusalem.

I am dark like the tents of Kedar.

But I am beautiful as Solomon’s curtains.

v6 Do not stare at me because I am dark.

The sunshine has made me dark.

My brothers were angry with me.

They made me look after the *vineyards.

So I could not look after my own *vineyard.

v7      You are the only person that I love.

Tell me where you feed your sheep.

Tell me where you rest your sheep at midday.

Or I will be like a woman who *veils herself.

And I will sit among the *flocks of your friends.

Solomon

v8 You are such a beautiful woman!

Perhaps you do not know where to go.

Follow the tracks of the sheep.

Let your young goats eat by the *shepherd’s tents.

v9 Let me describe you, my *dear.

You are like a *mare of one of Pharaoh’s *chariots.

v10 Your hair is beautiful upon your cheeks.

So is your neck with its precious stones.

v11 We will make a chain of gold for you.

We will use silver to make you pretty.

Verses 2-4

This young woman likes Solomon very much. Her emotions feel very strong. In fact, she probably thinks that she loves him. But her attitudes are not yet mature. She wants the excitement of friendship with a very special man. But she will have great responsibility as his wife. And she is not yet thinking about this responsibility.

We do not think that the couple were actually kissing yet. The woman was probably imagining his kisses. She was very excited because of him.

When we become Christians, our attitudes are not mature. We know that God is wonderful. We want to thank him for his love. We are excited that he chose us to follow him. But perhaps we are not yet ready to serve him. His instructions seem like a problem instead of something wonderful. But God wants us to become more mature.

Verse 4

In this verse, the other women reply. They agree that Solomon is a wonderful man. Everybody seems to want his love.

Verses 5-6

The woman is aware that she is not perfect. She has two problems:

·     She thinks that her skin is too dark. She wants to marry the king. But she does not look like a princess. Instead, she looks like a young woman who works outside. So she is afraid that Solomon will not like her. But her fear is stupid. Solomon does not want a lazy wife who is pale! Instead, he wants a wife who will share his work. He wants a wife who will be responsible.

·     She has not looked after her own *vineyard. In other words, she has not done her own work. So she feels guilty. In the end, she will do this work (8:12). But she will not be working for herself. She will gladly give the profits to Solomon.

God does not want us to be lazy. God wants us to be responsible people. And God wants us to work for him. We do not work for God because we feel guilty. Instead, we gladly work for him because we love him (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Verse 7

The woman asks where she can meet Solomon. She does not want to follow him at a distance. She wants to be with him.

Her thought was a beautiful thought. Christians too should want to spend time with Jesus. There are other good things that we may enjoy. But the time that we spend in prayer is special time.

Verse 8

In his reply, Solomon tells the young woman about his work. Solomon pretends that he is looking after sheep. Really, Solomon is the king. His work is to look after people. So he invited the young woman to join him as he does his work.

Jesus also compared himself with a *shepherd (John 10:14). But really, Jesus is the greatest king (Revelation 19:16).

Verse 9

The horses that pulled *chariots were strong and brave. These were not lazy horses. They wanted to work hard. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt. He did not travel without a *chariot. His horses took him wherever he wanted to go.

Solomon seems to be discussing this woman’s attitudes. Perhaps she thinks that, as queen, she will have a life of leisure. But he is offering her worthwhile work as his queen. She will help him to rule the country.

Verses 10-11

The woman was not sure that she was beautiful enough for Solomon (1:6). But Solomon replies that she is very beautiful. And he will help her to be even more beautiful.

The special meal

The young woman

v12 The king is at his table.

The smell of my *perfume is in the air.

v13 My lover is like a collection of *perfumes.

This lies all night between my breasts.

v14 My lover is like a bundle of henna flowers.

These flowers are from Engedi.

It is where people make wine.

Solomon

v15 How beautiful you are, my *dear!

Oh! How beautiful!

You have eyes like *dove’s eyes.

The young woman

v16 You are so handsome, my *dear;

You are such a delight to me.

Our bed will be green.

v17 We can have wood from tall trees.

We can use it in our house.

We can use other types of wood for our ceiling.

Verses 12-14

Song of Songs 2:4 also seems to describe a special meal. Perhaps the meal begins at 1:12 and continues until 2:7.

Engedi is a place with many beautiful gardens. But its situation is unusual. It is in the middle of a desert. It would be difficult to get flowers from Engedi. So the flowers are a special gift.

The *perfumes also seem to be a special gift. And the woman will keep them next to her heart.

Verses 15-17

This is a very happy conversation. We think that, perhaps, the couple are using friendly humour.

Solomon says that the woman’s eyes are like doves (birds). Of course, doves live outside. So she jokes that the couple would need a green bed, like grass. Then the couple imagine the house. It could have tall trees for its walls. And its roof would be branches that spread out.

So the couple joke that they should not really be inside. She has already explained that she has to work outside (verse 6). And he replied that he wants her to join him in his outdoors work (verse 8).

Chapter 2

The young woman

v1      I am only a wild flower from Sharon,

a wild flower of the valleys.

Solomon

v2 You are like a wild flower,

a wild flower among *thorns.

You are my very *dear woman among women.

The young woman

v3 You are like an apple tree.

This tree is among the trees of the forest.

This is what you are like among young men.

I sit in your shade with great pleasure.

Your apples taste good. They are sweet.

v4 He has taken me to his house.

It is where he has special meals.

Everyone can see how much he loves me.

v5 He has made me strong again with his fruit.

I feel much better with his apples!

I am weak with love.

v6      His left hand is under my head.

And he touches me softly with his right hand.

v7 Women of Jerusalem, make a promise to me.

Think about the wild *gazelles and *deer as you make this promise.

Do not think about love until the right time.

Verses 1-3

The couple continue their happy conversation. But the subject changes. The couple talk about special plants that grow among wild plants. A beautiful wild flower could grow among *thorns. A fruit tree could grow in the forest. But we do not usually find such special plants among wild plants. It would be a rare and wonderful event.

Solomon and the young woman had discovered each other. So they were very excited.

When we discover God’s love, we are very excited. It is wonderful to know that God loves us. But God is also very pleased that we are starting to love him (Luke 15:4-7, Luke 15:21-24).

Verse 4

Many young women like Solomon (1:3; 2:2). But this young woman is very special. Solomon makes a party for her. And he wants everyone to know that he has chosen her.

Verse 5

But this young woman does not seem to appreciate Solomon’s attention. She is not still excited. Instead, she complains that she feels weak. Solomon has provided wonderful food to make her strong.

Verse 6

Perhaps this woman is so weak that she falls. Perhaps Solomon has to hold her so that she does not hurt herself. His touch is gentle.

She should be very excited that he is touching her. But instead, she seems afraid. Their love seems to be developing too quickly. She is not sure that she is ready for him yet.

Verse 7

So she asks the other women to make a promise. She reminds them about wild animals called gazelles and deer. These animals do not mate before the proper time of year. And, like them, she does not want to marry Solomon until she is ready.

This young woman is not yet ready to be Solomon’s wife. She loves him. But her attitudes are not yet mature enough.

As Christians, we often love God deeply. But our attitudes are not always mature. God invites us to serve him. But we hesitate. God wants us to work for him. But we have other ideas. So we do whatever we want to do. We are not always loyal to God. But God still loves us. And he will teach us to love him better, if we are ready to learn.

Solomon proposes to the young woman

The young woman

v8 Listen! My lover!

Look! Here he comes!

He is jumping across the mountains.

He is jumping over the hills.

v9 My lover is like a *gazelle.

Or, like a young *deer.

He is like an animal that can run fast.

Look at him, as he stands next to the wall.

He looks in through the window.

He looks through the wooden bars.

v10 My lover speaks to me.

Solomon

Come then, woman whom I love.

My *dearest, come with me.

v11 Look, the winter is over,

the rains have come and gone.

v12 Flowers appear in the country;

birds are singing.

In the fields, people can hear the song of *doves.

v13 Young *figs are growing on the *fig trees.

Smell the flowers on the*vines.

Get up, my *dear, my beautiful lady.

Come with me.

v14 You are like a *dove that hides in holes in the cliffs.

It is as if you are hiding in secret places in the cliffs.

Let me see your face.

Let me hear your voice.

Your voice is so pleasant,

and your face is so lovely.

v15 Catch the foxes for us.

These little foxes spoil the *vineyard.

There are flowers in our *vineyard now.

The young woman

v16 My lover is mine,

and I am his!

My lover eats among the *lotuses.

v17 Turn, my lover,

until the day begins.

And until the shadows go away.

You should be like a *gazelle,

or a young *deer on the mountains of Bether.

Verses 8-9

Solomon visits the woman. But he does not enter her room. He stands outside and he calls her.

His character reminds her of a shy animal. He seems to behave like the animals that she spoke about in verse 7.

We think that Solomon was simply behaving politely. He did not want to be alone with the young woman. He wanted to be fair to her. He did not want to force her to join him. He simply wanted to invite her. She could either agree to or refuse his invitation.

God is also very gentle with us. He does not force us to obey him. He wants us to obey him because we love him. So he allows us to choose what we shall do.

Verses 10-13

This is a beautiful invitation. It is a description of spring. Solomon starts with a description of the country at the end of winter. Then he describes the start of spring. And now it is the time when animals mate. In fact, it is the time when she expected to be ready for him (verse 7).

Verses 14-15

So he is now inviting her to join him. There is work for them to do together. She suggested that she wanted to look after her *vineyard (1:8). In springtime, the farmers need young workers to look after the *vineyards. They have to chase away the foxes.

Of course, Solomon was the king. So we do not really suppose that he had to chase the foxes. But the couple always used events in the country to describe their love. So perhaps Solomon really wanted her to help with other problems.

God is very great. He does not need our help to do his work. But he chooses to work with us. He gives us responsibilities. And this is a great honour for us (Matthew 25:34-40). God will reward us when we do his work (Matthew 25:21).

Verse 16

The young woman does not seem to think seriously about the invitation. She does not agree that the time is right. Solomon said that she was like a flower (2:2). But she said that he had plenty of flowers to look at. He was like a wild animal that lived among the flowers. In other words, she was saying that he had other women to look at. She was speaking as if she were as important as him. Or, as if his invitation did not matter to her.

Verse 17

So she told him to go away. If he was like a shy animal, then he should go back to the hills. She would not join him.

Her decision was stupid. But he respected her. He went away.

Sometimes we may refuse to allow God to work in our lives. God will allow us to do our own things. But he still loves us. He still encourages us to trust him.

And when we are ready, he will be waiting for us.

Chapter 3

The young woman looks for Solomon

The young woman

v1 At night, when I was on my bed, I looked for my man.

He is the man that my heart loves.

I looked for him, but I did not find him!

v2      I will get up now.

I will go round the city.

In the streets and squares,

I will search for the man that I love.

So I looked for him but I could not find him.

v3      The guards who go about the city found me.

I asked them, ‘Have you seen the man that I love?’

v4      As soon as I left the guards, I found my man.

I found the man that I love.

I held him, and I would not let him go.

Then I took him to my mother’s house.

It was the room where I was born.

v5      Women of Jerusalem, make a promise to me.

Think about the wild *gazelles and *deer as you make this promise.

Do not think about love until the right time.

Verse 1

After Solomon proposed to the young woman (2:12), she sent him away (2:17). Soon, she is sorry about her decision. She cannot sleep. She hopes that he will return to her. But she is afraid that she may never see him again.

Sometimes we may think that God has left us. Perhaps we do something wrong, so we feel guilty. But God still cares about us. He wants us to confess our wrong actions to him. Then he will gladly forgive us (1 John 1:9).

Verses 2-3

The woman got up very early in the morning. The time was so early that the guards were still working. Their job was to protect the city during the night. She is looking everywhere for Solomon. And she asks the guards to help her. She seems desperate.

Solomon could have waited at the door. But he did not. He went away from her. He did not go far. But he still left. So she had to look for him.

Sometimes it feels as if we must look for God. Perhaps we refuse to obey him. And then we are sorry. We pray. But perhaps we do not feel that we are close to God again. God wants us to be humble. When we apologise to God, we must be sincere. God is always kind. He will not refuse us if we are humble. But he will oppose us if we continue to be proud (James 4:6-10).

Verse 4

When the young woman finds Solomon, she is not still proud. She now realises that she needs him. And she wants to be his wife. Last night she sent him away. Her proud words were very foolish. But this morning she invites him into her home. She wants him to meet her mother. It was the tradition that parents would arrange for the couple to become engaged (Judges 14:2; 2 Samuel 13:13).

Verse 5

The woman repeats her words from 2:7. But the meaning seems slightly different. She agrees that now is the right time for her and Solomon to become engaged. Their love feels wonderful. And she now knows that she needs him.

The procession

The young woman

v6      Somebody is coming from the desert.

And men are coming with clouds of smoke.

They come with *myrrh and *incense.

They have a wonderful smell.

v7      Look! It is Solomon’s carriage!

Sixty (60) soldiers guard it.

They are the best soldiers in Israel.

v8      All of them are skilful with the sword.

People have trained them to fight.

Their swords are at their sides.

They are ready for any danger during the night.

v9      King Solomon made the carriage for himself.

The wood came from Lebanon.

v10    He made the poles from silver.

And it has a gold base.

A purple cloth covers the seat.

The women of Jerusalem made the beautiful inside of the carriage.

They made it with grace.

v11    Women of Zion, come out and see King Solomon.

Look at the crown that his mother put on him.

This is the crown for his wedding.

And he is so happy because of his wedding.

Verse 6

The people in Israel loved special processions (Judges 21:19-23; 2 Samuel chapter 6). And they would organise processions for many reasons. So we cannot be sure about the reason for this procession.

Perhaps the procession is because the king and the young woman are engaged. Or perhaps it is their actual marriage procession.

Whatever the purpose of the procession may be, it reminds us about Solomon’s importance. Often in the Song, he behaves like any ordinary young man. But Solomon was not merely an ordinary young man. He was the king. In fact, he was Israel’s greatest king.

So Solomon has his wonderful procession. The procession even smells wonderful. The couple often speak about *myrrh and *incense. Such beautiful smells seem to describe love well. Their love, like a beautiful smell, makes them happy. And their love, like a beautiful smell, brings joy into the lives of other people too.

Verses 7-8

An ordinary young man would ask his friends to lead him to his bride. But Solomon’s procession is much better. Israel’s best soldiers act as his guard. They are wearing their uniforms. They are carrying their swords. These soldiers impress everyone who sees them. Everyone will realise that this is an important procession.

Verses 9-10

The carriage is beautiful. Solomon designed it himself. He used the best materials. He wants the procession to be perfect. He wants to impress his young woman. And he wants everyone to know that they are engaged.

Everybody is glad because of their good news. So other women help Solomon to make the carriage beautiful. Perhaps they arranged the flowers in the carriage. Perhaps they made beautiful things for the carriage.

Verse 11

The smell is wonderful (verse 6). Perhaps people could smell the procession even before they saw it.

Then the people would see the soldiers. They are impressive (verses 7-8).

Then people would see the carriage. It is beautiful (verses 9-10).

At last, people would see Solomon himself. He is wearing a crown.

And it is a special crown (verse 11).

Chapter 4

Solomon’s beautiful words about the woman whom he loves

Solomon

v1      My *dear, you are so beautiful!

Oh, you are beautiful!

Your eyes are behind your *veil.

They are like *doves.

Your hair is like a group of goats.

They are coming down from the mountain called Gilead.

v2      Your teeth are white like sheep whose wool is clean and neat.

Each sheep has its *twin.

None of the young sheep is alone.

v3      Your lips are like a red ribbon.

They are so lovely when you speak.

Your cheeks are red behind your *veil.

They are like a *pomegranate.

v4      Your neck is like a strong building.

This building stands above the castle that David built.

Your neck is round and smooth.

A thousand *shields hang on it.

All these *shields belong to soldiers.

v5      Your breasts are like two young *gazelles.

A *gazelle can have *twins.

These *twins eat among the flowers.

Your breasts are like these *twins.

v6      I will go to the mountain of *myrrh.

I will go to the hill of *incense.

I will go there until the day begins.

I will go there until the shadows disappear.

v7      You are beautiful, my *dear!

How perfect you are!

Verses 1-3

The couple often use descriptions that seem strange to us today. But they are describing things that they considered beautiful.

For example, wild goats on a mountain may not seem beautiful to us. But people who have seen the goats may think differently.

We also need to realise that this is not the record of a conversation. The Song of Songs is a poem. So the poet could write words that the couple would be too modest to say. The poet was not merely trying to record their words. He was also trying to show their attitudes.

Verses 1 and 3 mention a *veil. Young women used to cover their faces when a young man was present. Perhaps they wanted to show that they were modest. Or perhaps they did not want the man to stare at them. After the wedding, they might remove the *veil. In Genesis 29:18-25, Jacob could not recognise Leah because of her *veil. In some countries, women still wear *veils today. Solomon cannot see her entire face because of the *veil. But he still thinks that she is very beautiful.

Verse 4

Solomon seems to be describing her collar. The materials seemed to shine. Or perhaps she had precious stones on a chain round her neck.

This sight reminded Solomon about part of David’s castle. When the soldiers did not need their *shields, they would hang them on the wall. Everybody who saw the *shields would be glad. They would know that the country was at peace.

Verse 5

In other words, she is still very young. Compare 8:10. In chapter 8, she will be a mature woman. And she will be a good mother.

Verse 6

Solomon reminds the woman about her words in 2:17. Then, she told him to go away to the mountains. But now she wants him. So he jokes that he will go to the mountains. But he is not going away from her. Instead, he chooses the wonderful places where there are lovely smells. These smells will remind him about their love.

Verse 7

In chapter 4, Solomon chooses nice words when he speaks to the woman. These words remind her that they are engaged. (Or perhaps, they are married.) He calls her:

·     My *dear (verse 7). This means, ‘the woman whom I love’.

·     My sister (verse 10). Of course, she was not really his sister. But he could speak to her as easily as he could speak to a family member. And he could relax when he was with her.

·     My bride (verse 10). This could mean that the couple were already married. Or perhaps Solomon was excited to think that they would soon be married. So he was already calling her ‘my bride’.

Solomon

v8      Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.

Come with me from Lebanon.

Come down from the top of Amana,

from the top of Senir, the top of Hermon.

Come from the lions’ cave.

And from where *leopards live in the mountains.

v9      I want to love you with all of my heart, my sister.

I want to love you, my bride.

You gave me one look with your eyes,

You showed me one stone of your *jewels.

v10    Your love is a delight, my sister, my bride!

Your love is so much better than wine!

Your *perfume smells better than any *spice.

v11    Your lips are sweet.

They are like honey, my bride.

Honey and milk are under your tongue.

Your clothes have the smell of Lebanon.

v12    My sister, my bride, you are like a garden.

This is a garden that someone has locked.

You are like a place where there is fresh water.

It is a private place.

You are like a fountain that someone has closed.

v13    These plants grow in your garden:

·     *pomegranates with the best fruit

·     bushes and flowers that have a beautiful smell

·     v14 *perfume bushes and other flowers

·     many *spices

·     trees with *incense

·     *myrrh and the best *spices.

v15    You are like a fountain in a garden.

You are like a well of fresh water.

This water comes down quickly from the Lebanon mountains.

The young woman

v16    Wake up, north wind!

Come, south wind!

Blow on my garden.

Then its smell can spread everywhere.

Let my lover come into his garden.

Then he can taste its pleasant fruit.

Verse 8

We do not really think that the woman lived in these places. These are wonderful places. But they are also dangerous places.

We think that Solomon was saying, ‘You are so beautiful. I am surprised that someone so beautiful has come from my own country. I would imagine that you have come from elsewhere. I would like to imagine that you are from Lebanon. There the mountains are high. And the plants have wonderful smells. But there are also many dangers in those mountains. So let me rescue you! You will be safe with me.’

Verses 9-11

Their love seems very special:

·     She glanced at him. So he loves her.

·     He saw the chain round her neck. And he wanted her to be his bride.

·     He prefers her love rather than the best wine.

·     He prefers her *perfume rather than any other smell.

·     Her words seem so sweet (pleasant). He jokes that they are sweeter than honey.

·     In the mountains of Lebanon, many plants have beautiful smells. See verses 6 and 8. She seems to come from such a place. When he is with her, he seems to be able to smell the air from the mountains.

We might think that we are not important to God. Or, that God does not really care about us. But the Bible teaches that such ideas are wrong. God really does love us. He loves us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). God loves us, and he wants us to love him too (Mark 12:30).

Verses 12-15

In fact, the woman did not come from Lebanon. So Solomon uses another description. Solomon had great knowledge about plants (1 Kings 4:33). He knew about plants with beautiful smells from many countries.

Solomon imagines that the woman has collected these plants. He imagines that she has a wonderful garden. But the garden is a secret garden. Its gate has a lock. Nobody can enter the garden to smell its plants.

Such a garden would need a good supply of water. Israel is often a dry country. And these plants would need plenty of water. So Solomon imagines a fountain in the garden. If the woman is not from Lebanon, then perhaps her water comes from Lebanon!

Of course, this garden does not really exist. Solomon is using his imagination. Really, Solomon is saying, ‘You are very special. I love to be in gardens. I love to smell the beautiful plants. I love to see plants from distant countries. But I feel happier with you than I have felt in any garden. Unusual plants interest me. But you interest me more. Beautiful smells make me happy. But when I smell your *perfume, I am even happier. I am happier, because you are near to me.’

Solomon’s words about the water mean, ‘A garden can become dry. Then its plants will die. And everyone will leave the garden in despair. But I shall never leave you. I always feel delight when I meet you. You always surprise me. I am always excited because of your love.’ Jesus used a similar description in John 7:37-39.

Verse 16

Solomon’s words are wonderful. But the young woman’s reply is also wonderful. She is pleased with Solomon’s words. She wants him to share her life. So she pretends to invite Solomon into her garden. And she tells him to enjoy the fruit.

But the young woman is not selfish. She wants everyone to be happy because of their love. She did not think that a beautiful garden should be secret. She wants everyone to smell the beautiful smells.

Solomon is pleased because of her reply. Her attitudes are the same as his. He is the king. And he believes that he should work hard. Then all the people will benefit. And she is starting to have the same ideas.

Chapter 5

Solomon

v1      I have come into my garden, my special young woman, my bride.

I have gathered my *myrrh and *spice.

I have eaten my honey.

I have eaten where the *bees store honey.

I have drunk my wine and milk.

Friends

          Friends, eat and drink!

Drink until you are full of love!

Verse 1

In 4:12-15, Solomon said that the young woman was like a beautiful garden. He described such a garden. It had beautiful fruit. And the plants smelled wonderful.

In 4:16, the woman pretended that she had such a garden. She invited Solomon into the garden. And she told him to taste the fruit.

Probably this garden did not really exist. The couple were merely pretending. This idea of a garden seemed a wonderful description of their love. In 5:1, they continue with this description.

Solomon says that he is now in the garden. She does not disappoint him. And her garden does not disappoint him. He says that he has found *myrrh and *spices. These plants smell wonderful. He has found honey, wine and milk. Solomon would be very happy in such a garden. Of course, he really means that he is very glad to be with this young woman.

And the couple’s friends encourage them. The friends can see that the couple are in love. And the friends are happy because of Solomon’s love for the young woman.

Solomon invites the young woman for the second time

When Solomon first proposed to the young woman, she refused him (Song 2:17 to Song 3:4). She soon felt sorry. She was sure that she had made a terrible mistake. So she searched for him. And the couple were engaged.

We think that perhaps Solomon now wants her to become his wife. He visits her again. But again, she is not ready for him.

The young woman

v2      I slept but, in a dream, I awoke.

Listen! My lover is knocking.

‘Open to me, my special young woman, my *dear,

my *dove, my perfect young woman.

My head is wet with *dew.

My hair is damp because of the night.’

v3      I have taken off my dress,

I do not want to put it on again.

I have washed my feet.

I do not want to make them dirty.

v4      My lover put his hand through the opening.

I was excited because he was near.

v5      I got up to open (the door) for my lover.

*Myrrh was falling off my hands.

Liquid *myrrh was falling from my fingers.

It fell onto the handles of the lock.

v6      I opened for my lover.

But my lover had left. He had gone.

I was so sad because he had gone.

I looked for him but I could not find him.

I called for him but he did not answer.

v7      The guards found me as they walked round the city.

They hit me and they bruised me.

There were guards on the wall.

They took away my coat.

v8      Make a promise to me, women of Jerusalem.

If you find my lover,

Tell him that I am weak.

I am weak because of love.

Verse 2

Perhaps the young woman has gone to bed early. This fact may seem unimportant. But the perfect wife in Proverbs 31:10-31 did not go to bed early. The perfect wife was still working even by night. And the perfect wife was never lazy.

But this young woman is already sleeping when Solomon visits. So the author of the Song shows us that she is not yet mature.

Solomon knocks at her door. The passage is like Revelation 3:20. In Revelation, Jesus asks us to invite him into our lives. Jesus is like someone who knocks at a door. And our lives are like that door. We have a choice. We can invite Jesus into our lives. Or we can refuse his love.

Solomon does not order the woman to open the door. Instead, he gently appeals to her. He reminds her about their love. He speaks beautiful words to her. He calls her ‘my *dear’. He calls her ‘my *dove’. And he calls her ‘my perfect young woman’.

Verse 3

We hear the woman’s reply. And we can hardly believe her to be the same young woman whom Solomon loves. She seems not to care about him. She is only thinking about herself.

Her excuses seem very unimportant. She does not want to put on her dress. And she does not want her feet to touch the ground. She has no proper reason to send Solomon away.

There are never any proper reasons to refuse God’s love. We may tell God to go away because we are lazy. We may refuse to spend time with him because we have other plans. But such explanations are merely poor excuses.

Verse 4

Solomon tries to open the door. But there is a lock on the door. He cannot enter. In 4:12, he said that she was like a garden. But there was a lock on the gate. She replied (4:16) that she wanted him to enter. And she wanted everyone to smell her beautiful plants.

These thoughts were wonderful. But they were merely ideas. The real test was in verse 2, when he actually came to her door. But she has a lock, so he cannot enter. She had said the right things. But the reality was different.

We may make wonderful promises to God. And at church, we may speak words of love to God. But the real test happens when we have troubles. Perhaps we are at home or we are working. Our behaviour then should show our love for God.

The young woman is excited when she briefly sees Solomon’s hand. Her attitudes change quickly. But she has already sent him away. She has already failed her test.

Verses 5-6

The woman does not hesitate now. Her excuses do not matter now. She rushes to prepare to see Solomon. She puts *myrrh, which has a beautiful smell, on her hands. And she opens the door. But nobody is there. She is too late.

Jesus told a story like this in Matthew 25:1-12. We must be careful not to miss the opportunities that God gives us. We should always be ready to do the things that God wants.

So the young woman is alone. She wanders round the city. She walks through the streets. There would not be any lights in the streets. So the city is dangerous at night. It is especially dangerous for a young woman who is alone.

Verse 7

This is a very sad verse. The guards are very cruel. Their behaviour is terrible. They laugh at the young woman. They hurt her. They hit her. They even take away her dress, so that she is ashamed.

The guards thought that the woman was very stupid to be out during the night. Only bad women would be outside during the night (Proverbs 7:9-10). Only evil people had a reason to be outside (Job 24:13-16).

Perhaps the guards do not believe that the woman is looking for Solomon.

Perhaps they think that she has spent the night with another man.

Perhaps they imagine that she deserves punishment.

As we become more mature Christians, our responsibilities increase (James 3:1).

And the devil may oppose us more (1 Peter 5:8-9).

New Christians make many mistakes. They do not need to worry about their errors. We simply teach them to confess their evil deeds to God. Then God forgives them, and they can learn to do the right things. It is as if God is waiting for them to trust him again (3:4).

Mature Christians should not make the same mistakes as new Christians. God will still forgive a mature Christian when that person confesses his errors. But the results of these errors may be more severe. God is training that person to be more responsible.

When Peter met Jesus, Peter was afraid. He told Jesus to go away. But Jesus was not angry. He simply told Peter not to be afraid (Luke 5:8-10). Later, Peter tried to tell Jesus that he was wrong. Jesus was stricter. He warned Peter that Peter’s ideas came from the devil (Mark 8:32-33). After the soldiers arrested Jesus, Peter was afraid. Three times, he denied that he knew Jesus (Mark 15:66-72). John’s behaviour was much more mature (John 19:26-27). So Peter was afraid when Jesus died. After Jesus became alive again, Jesus called Peter to serve him for a second time (John chapter 21).

Verse 8

In 2:5, the young woman was also weak because of love. Then Solomon’s love seemed too great for her. She was with the man whom she loves. And she was afraid.

Now she is weak again because of love. But Solomon is not with her. She is again afraid. She worries that she has lost him. And she is afraid that she will never be with him again.

In 2:7, she asked the women of Jerusalem to make a promise. She did not feel ready for love. She repeated these words in 3:5. But then she wanted his love. She was glad to be engaged to Solomon.

Now she asks the women of Jerusalem to make another promise. This promise seems very sad. She does not dare to ask for Solomon’s love again. She merely asks the other women to remind him about her. She simply asks them to tell him about her sad state. She seems to have hardly any hope.

Sometimes there can seem to be an interruption in our love for God. The fault is always ours. God’s love is always perfect. But if we do not confess our errors, the interruption may continue for years. In fact, the interruption may seem permanent. We might believe that we are not still real Christians. Or, that we shall never again love God as we used to. But God is very kind. He does not forget us. He still wants us to trust him again. He still wants us to know his love. He still wants to forgive us. So we should confess any evil deeds. And we should trust him again. God is waiting for us to return to him. He will not refuse us.

The young woman describes Solomon

The women of Jerusalem

v9      Beautiful woman, how is your lover different from other men?

Is your lover better than other lovers?

Is that why you ask us to make this promise?

The young woman

v10    My lover is fair and red.

He is noticeable among ten thousand men.

v11    His head is like the purest gold.

His hair has curves.

It is black like a *raven.

v12    His eyes are like *doves.

The *doves are by a stream.

The white part of his eyes is like milk.

It is as if someone has set his eyes like *jewels.

v13    His cheeks are like *spices in a garden.

Their flowers give a *perfume.

His lips are like *lotuses.

Liquid *myrrh seems to fall from his lips.

v14    His arms have a good shape.

They are like gold.

*Jewels cover his arms.

His stomach is like smooth *ivory.

He has covered it with *jewels.

v15    His legs are like *marble columns.

Someone has set them on a gold base.

He stands tall.

He is like the finest *cedar tree in Lebanon.

v16    Yes, women of Jerusalem, this is what my lover is like.

He has the sweetest mouth.

Everything about him is lovely.

Verse 9

The poet who wrote the Song is very clever. While the woman is still thinking about herself, she cannot find Solomon. She feels very unhappy, because she sent him away. But the poet wants her to think about Solomon. When she praises Solomon, she will find him.

When we think about ourselves, our thoughts are often selfish. But selfish thoughts are not the right attitudes for a person who loves.

Sometimes we can only think about our own troubles. We may blame other people. Or we may blame ourselves. Such thoughts are, in fact, selfish, because we only want to think about our own situation. Instead, we ought to pray, or, we ought to praise God (James 5:13).

The other women seem to have doubts about Solomon. They do not love him like the young woman. They suppose that he is actually like any other man. They make her explain why he is special to her.

But their words of doubt seem to encourage her to trust Solomon again. Because of their doubts, she begins to praise him again. And she again speaks the words of a woman who is in love.

Other people are often doubtful about our love for God. Their doubts can upset us. But their doubts can make us more confident to speak about God. If we concentrate on their doubts, we shall be sad. But if we think about God, we shall be more confident.

Verses 11-16

The woman describes Solomon to her friends. Her description may seem strange to us. But she is describing things that people thought to be very beautiful. Or, things that were very special.

Some of her descriptions sound like gardens. There are trees and flowers. There are beautiful smells. There are birds. And there are streams of water.

Other descriptions sound like a building. And the building contains the most expensive materials. There are gold and *jewels. There are *ivory and *marble. There are bases and columns.

Solomon was a very rich king. His workmen built great palaces and other buildings in Jerusalem. He used wood from Lebanon. The workmen cut flower shapes into the wood. And he used much gold (1 Kings chapters 6-7). So perhaps the woman was describing an actual building in Jerusalem. Or perhaps she was describing the gardens near the great buildings (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6).

‘Everything about him is lovely’ (verse 16). These are good words for Christians to use when they praise God. God is perfect. He deserves our honour. Nobody is like him. He is really wonderful. We should always praise him.

Chapter 6

The young woman meets Solomon again

The women of Jerusalem

v1      Where has your lover gone,

most beautiful among women?

Tell us which way your lover went.

Then we can help you to look for him.

The young woman

v2      My lover has gone down to his garden,

to the places where *spices grow.

He will eat food from the garden.

He will gather flowers there.

v3      I belong to my lover

and my lover belongs to me.

It is he who eats near the flowers.

Verse 1

The women of Jerusalem have heard the young woman’s description of Solomon. But they still do not realise why he is special. He seems to them like any other man (5:9). They do not love him, as the young woman does. But they are willing to help her. The man that she loves seems to have gone away. And the women of Jerusalem think that they can find him.

People who do not love God cannot explain our attitudes. They do not know why we love God. Perhaps they admire our sincere behaviour. Perhaps they would even like to be like us. But unless they themselves trust God, they will never really know God’s love. Until then, they will never know how anyone could be in love with God. Even the idea will seem strange to them.

Verses 2-3

The women were kind when they offered to help. But the young woman does not need their help. She remembered Solomon’s character. So she already knew where Solomon would be.

Jesus spoke about Christians as if they were sheep. At that time, a man would look after a small group of sheep. The man would lead the sheep into the fields. The sheep knew the man’s character. And they could even recognise his voice (John 10:2-5). So Jesus said, ‘My sheep (people) listen to my voice. I know them. And they follow me’ (John 10:27). As Christians, we learn God’s character. We learn how to trust him. And we learn to obey him.

The woman is right about the place where she can find Solomon. He is not angry with her. Instead, he speaks kind words to her again. He still loves her deeply.

Solomon’s kind words to the young woman

Solomon

v4      You are beautiful, my special young woman.

You are as beautiful as Tirzah,

as lovely as Jerusalem.

You are as wonderful as those great cities.

v5      Turn your eyes away from me.

They excite me too much!

Your hair is long.

It is like a *flock of goats that are coming down from Gilead.

v6      Your teeth are like a *flock of sheep.

Their wool is clean.

Each sheep has its *twin.

None of the sheep is alone.

v7      Your cheeks are red behind your *veil.

They are like the halves of a *pomegranate.

v8      There might be 60 queens.

There might be 80 women who live in the palace.

There might be too many *virgins to count.

v9      But my *dove, my perfect young woman, is special.

She is the only daughter of her mother.

Her mother prefers her to any other person.

The young women see her and they praise her.

There are queens and women in the palace.

They praise her too.

Verses 4-7

Solomon was speaking to the young woman who had just sent him away. But you would never guess this fact from his words. He speaks as if she has always obeyed him. He has many kind words to say to her. He repeats some phrases from chapter 4. He loves her as deeply as he used to love her. They had been apart. But their love was still the same.

Some couples always remind each other about their past mistakes. But God does not behave like this. He really forgives us.

Verses 8-9

In the end, Solomon would have 700 wives. And 300 other women lived with him in the palace (1 Kings 11:3). So we can see that Solomon is still a young man in this Song.

Solomon married these women for political reasons. They came from many countries. Solomon married all these women so that his country would be at peace. For example, he married the daughter of the king of Egypt. So Solomon’s country was at peace with Egypt. We do not think that this was a good plan. But this was how Solomon behaved.

So Solomon had many wives. These women lived in his palace. They were important women. But they probably did not really love Solomon. And he probably did not love them. But the young woman in Song of Solomon was different from these other women. Solomon really loved her. Everyone in the palace realised this fact. Even the other queens approved of Solomon’s love for this woman. They all knew that she really was special.

Many Christians behave rather like Solomon’s other wives. Such Christians like to be Christians. And they are glad to receive God’s good gifts. But they do not love God deeply. They do not try always to please God. They will never become mature Christians. In fact, they do not even want to be mature Christians.

We should be like the young woman who really loved Solomon. We should want to obey God. We should try to become mature Christians. We should learn the lessons that God teaches us.

Jesus taught us to love God with all our heart. And with all our mind. And with all our strength. Jesus said that this is God’s most important command (Mark 12:28-29).

The young woman’s beauty

The women of Jerusalem

v10    Who is this woman?

She seems to shine like the dawn.

She seems as beautiful as the moon.

She seems as bright as the sun.

She is as wonderful as the stars.

Verse 10

Solomon may be the speaker. But we think that this verse is probably the words of the other women. Solomon said in verse 9 that they were praising the young woman. She impresses them. And they seem curious about her.

At the start of the book, only Solomon could see the young woman’s beauty. The other women did not seem to think that she was beautiful. People might stare at her because her skin was dark (1:6). Even the young woman herself did not seem sure that she was beautiful.

But at the start of the book, the young woman was still a girl. Now she is older. And she is more mature. She has spent time with the king. And she has learned how to make herself beautiful.

Now other women can see her beauty too. They do not still complain that her skin is too dark. Instead, she is so beautiful that they compare her with the brightest lights.

The young woman becomes Solomon’s bride

The young woman

v11    I went down to the group of nut trees.

I went to see the young plants in the valley.

I went to see if the *vines were beginning to flower.

Or the *pomegranates were beginning to flower.

v12    Then my hope came true.

I was next to my prince.

We were in a *chariot.

The *chariots belonged to the king.

I was with people that I knew.

This happened before I realised it.

The women of Jerusalem

v13    Come back, come back, *Shulamite.

Come back, come back. Then we can stare at you.

Solomon

          Do not stare at the *Shulamite!

Do not stare as she dances the Mahanaim dance!

Verse 11

Solomon wants to check whether it is spring again. The couple often considered that spring would be the right time for their marriage (2:7, 2:10-13). Solomon often used *pomegranates as a description of the young woman’s face (4:3, 13; 6:7). Now he wants to see if she is ready for love.

Verse 12

Solomon is in a carriage again. There seems to be a procession. Everybody is very happy for the king. He had waited for a long time to be with the woman that he loves. But now she is ready for him. Now, she wants to go with him.

At a wedding, the tradition was that the bridegroom would go to the bride’s home. Then he would take the bride to his own home. And everyone would be very glad.

Verse 13

The other women do not want her to leave. They still want to enjoy her beauty. They ask her to stay with them. But perhaps they are merely pretending to ask her to stay. They know that she is now Solomon’s bride. So they must expect her to go with him.

Solomon replies. She is his bride. So now, he himself will look at her. He wants to enjoy her beauty.

The woman may be called the Shulamite because she comes from a town called Shulem. King David was Solomon’s father. When David was very old, his servants chose a woman called Abishag to live with him. Abishag was also a beautiful young woman. It seems that she came from the same town (1 Kings 1:1-4).

However, the word Shulamite is similar to the name Solomon. The couple are now married. So perhaps she now uses her husband’s name. In many countries today, women use their husband’s surname after marriage.

We do not know anything about the Mahanaim dance. But perhaps it was like the dance of the girls of Shiloh (Judges 21:21). As the girls danced there, the men chose their wives.

Chapter 7

Solomon describes the young woman, who has become his bride

Solomon

v1      You have *sandals on your feet.

Your feet are as beautiful as the feet of a prince’s daughter!

The curves of your legs are like *jewels.

They are like the work of a skilled worker.

v2      Your stomach is like a round cup.

It shall never have a lack of wine.

Your *waist is a heap of wheat.

Flowers are in a circle round it.

v3      Your breasts are like two young *gazelles.

A *gazelle can have *twins.

Your breasts are like these young*twins.

v4      Your neck is like a high, round building.

Someone has made the building with *ivory.

Your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon.

These pools are next to the gate of Bath Rabbim.

Your nose is like a high round building.

This building is in Lebanon.

It points towards Damascus.

v5      Your head is better than a crown.

It is like the mountain called Carmel.

Your hair is like silk.

It is long and smooth.

Although I am the king, I am excited to see it.

v6      You are so beautiful!

And you are so pleasant!

My special young woman, you are a delightful young woman!

v7      You are tall,

as tall as a *palm tree.

And your breasts are like its plentiful fruit.

v8      I said, ‘I will climb the *palm tree.

I will hold its fruit.’

I would like your breasts to be like groups of *grapes.

I would like your breath to smell like apples.

Verse 1

Solomon describes his beautiful bride. Perhaps he begins with her feet because she is dancing (6:13). Her movements are very graceful.

Verse 2

He associates her *waist with wine and wheat. People make wine from the fruit called grapes. Fruit and grain were the most important crops in ancient Israel. Solomon speaks about plentiful wine and wheat. So, he was describing a good harvest.

This verse is like 5:1. The woman does not disappoint Solomon. She is able to provide everything that he needs. She will work hard to supply everything for their family. But she is not merely a servant of her husband. All her actions show grace and love. She is like someone who arranges flowers round the wheat harvest.

Our work for God should not be merely a duty. We work for God because we love God. Every action should be an expression of our love (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Verse 3

This young woman is almost perfect for Solomon. But there is one problem. She is still very young. Solomon needed a son, who would be the king after him. But Solomon’s bride is not yet ready to become a mother. Solomon waited eagerly (verse 8).

In the Song, Solomon often has to wait. He needed to be patient twice when she sent him away. Now he must be patient again while he waits for her to become a mother.

God is very patient with us. He wants us to learn many new qualities (2 Peter 1:5-8). He wants us to be mature Christians (Hebrews 6:1). In the end, we shall be perfect for him (1 Corinthians 13:9-13).

Verses 4-6

This woman reminded Solomon about the country that he ruled. Solomon was a good king. He felt as if he belonged to his country. This woman was now his bride. And Solomon felt as if he belonged to her, also. But Solomon’s duty to his country did not oppose his duties to his bride. Because of his bride, Solomon would love his country better. She would help him as he ruled his country.

When he saw his bride, he also thought about his country.

And God does not love us less because he also loves other people. God wants us all to receive everything that he has for us. So we should be glad when other people trust God (Romans 11:11-12). God cares about people from many nations (John 10:16). We should be glad when God sends us to work for him. We should even be glad to go to people whom we may not like (Acts 1:8; John 4:9).

Verses 7-8

The woman’s problem is that she is not yet ready to become a mother (verse 3). But Solomon knows that the woman’s body will soon become mature. He speaks about the *palm tree. The fruit on the *palm tree is plentiful. He says that she will be like the *vine. The *vine also has plentiful fruit. So he is confident that she will have children.

The fruit on a tree is very small before it is ripe. But the fruit develops quickly. It becomes much bigger. The young woman was not yet ready to be a mother. Her breasts were not yet ready to feed a baby. But Solomon was confident that they would not have to wait long.

The young woman’s new attitudes as Solomon’s wife

The young woman

v9      I would like your mouth to smell like the best wine.

I hope that the wine goes straight to my lover.

I hope that it flows gently over his lips and teeth.

v10    I belong to my lover,

and he desires me.

v11    Come, my lover, let us go to the country.

Let us spend the night in the villages.

v12    Let us go early to the *vineyards.

We will see if the *vine has begun to flower.

Perhaps the *vines have flowers.

We will see if the *pomegranate trees have begun to flower.

There I will give you my love.

v13    You can smell the *mandrakes.

And you can smell all the special fruits that are near us.

Yes, I have saved many pleasant things for you, my lover.

There are both old and new things.

Verse 9

The young woman wants Solomon to receive everything that she can give to him. She does not want to keep anything for herself.

Verse 10

This verse shows how much her attitudes have changed:

·     In 2:16, she spoke as if her opinions were as important as his opinions. So, she had the right to send him away. She was glad that she impressed this noble young man. But her feelings about him were not mature.

·     In 6:3, her ideas are similar. But she does not speak as if she is so important. Solomon’s attitudes seems much more important to her than her own attitudes.

·     In 7:10, her attitudes are mature. She is not still thinking about herself. Her own feelings do not seem important. Solomon’s love for her seems more important than anything else. She does not even mention her own emotions.

When we first become Christians, our attitudes are not mature. We are glad that God loves us. But perhaps we do not really want to give him an important place in our lives. We may care more about our own feelings than we care about God.

As we become mature Christians, our attitudes change. We do not still care about our own feelings. Our only desire is to serve God. And our most important emotion is that we appreciate God’s great love.

Verses 11-12

The young woman is now showing the attitudes of a good wife. Like him, she wants to look at the plants. Like him, she wants to work in the country. Like him, she wants to know the state of the fruit plants. These are the attitudes of the perfect wife in Proverbs 31:10-31.

Of course, Solomon was not really a farmer. He was a king. But to Solomon, a king’s work seemed like a farmer’s work. Both kings and farmers look after the land. Of course, they do this in different ways. Farmers look after the soil and the plants. Kings look after the people who live on the land. And kings look after the borders of the country.

So perhaps the woman really means that they should make a royal visit to the country. They can see whether the people have problems. If so, the king may be able to help them. Christians look after other people because God loves us. We show our love to him by helping other people (Matthew 25:34-45).

Verse 13

The mandrake was a special plant. People used it to help women to have babies (Genesis 30:14-16). So we can see that Solomon’s bride now wants to become a mother.

She adds that she has many beautiful things to share with Solomon.

Jesus seems to refer to this verse in Matthew 13:52. He speaks about a man who has studied the Bible. This man has learned about God’s law. So he has learned to obey God. But this man has now learned from Jesus. The man has heard about God’s rule in heaven. And the man has gladly believed Jesus. Jesus said that such a man has many good things. They are both old and new things. It is as if the man has a store room. And the room is full of good things.

We should not merely obey God. We should also love God. Then we too will have many beautiful things for his delight.

Chapter 8

The young woman’s pleasure in her work for Solomon

The young woman

v1      I wish that you were like my brother.

My mother fed him at her breasts.

Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you.

Nobody would say that it was wrong!

v2      I would lead you to my mother’s house.

She is the person who taught me.

I would give you wine with *spices.

And you could drink wine from my *pomegranates.

v3      Your left arm is under my head.

And your right arm holds me.

v4      Women of Jerusalem, make a promise to me.

Do not think about love until the right time.

Verse 1

Solomon said that the young woman was like a sister to him (5:1). In chapter 8, she copies this idea. She pretends that he is her brother. But her words may surprise us. She pretends that she is a young girl. And that Solomon is her little brother. She pretends that Solomon is younger than her.

At the time of the Bible, parents wanted to have very large families. For example, King David had 7 brothers. But the parents would not look after all the children constantly. Instead, they taught the older children to look after the younger children (1:6). So a little girl would look after a younger brother. This young woman has become Solomon’s wife. She believes that she must work hard in order to look after Solomon (Proverbs 31:10-31). But her many duties do not upset her. In fact, she is very happy. She is so happy that her work seems like a game. She speaks as if she is merely playing, like a little girl with her brother.

Her pleasure is immense. A little girl may kiss her younger brother as she plays. And so the young woman kisses Solomon. She is working hard. But whenever she has a spare moment, she expresses her love to Solomon.

In the book of Philippians, Paul had been working hard for God. Paul even called himself ‘a servant of Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 1:1). Now he was in prison because he was a Christian (Philippians 1:7). But Paul was not sad. He was still working for God continuously (Philippians 1:12-13). And he felt great joy (Philippians 1:4, Philippians 1:18, Philippians 2:2, Philippians 3:1, Philippians 4:4). He trusted God completely (Philippians 4:12-13). He loved God deeply (Philippians 3:8-11). He prayed often. And he always prayed with joy (Philippians 1:3-4).

Verses 2-3

The young woman continues to speak as if she is Solomon’s older sister. She would take her little brother back to her mother. This is a clever description. The young woman is reminding Solomon about 3:4. Then, she took Solomon to her mother. We think that the couple became engaged then.

The young woman prepares a beautiful drink for Solomon. Pomegranates are a special fruit. Solomon spoke often about his love of pomegranates (6:7, 7:12). The juice of pomegranates smells very beautiful.

In verse 3, the young woman repeats 2:6. Then he held her because she was too weak. Now she is strong. And she is working hard. But there is still time for their love. In fact, their love seems better than in chapter 2. Then she was not sure about him. And now she really enjoys his love.

Verse 4

She has said similar words before, in 2:7 and 3:5. But now her meaning seems different. Then she was not ready for Solomon. But now she knows his love. Perhaps she is advising the other women. They must not let emotions control their behaviour. They should decide carefully about marriage.

When we choose to love God, we are making a very important decision. God asks us to give our whole lives to him (Luke 14:25-30). Buy many people allow their emotions to guide them. Sometimes they are for God. And sometimes they are against God (Revelation 3:15-16). God wants us to trust him completely. So we must decide carefully. God promises wonderful things to the people who love him (1 John 5:2-5). But if we only want to satisfy our own desires, we do not really love God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Love and reality

The women of Jerusalem

v5      Who is this coming from the desert?

She is leaning on her lover.

The young woman

          I woke you under the apple tree.

It was the place where you were born.

It was the time when your mother struggled at your birth.

v6      Keep me near you like a *seal.

Keep the *seal on your arm

because love is as strong as death.

Strong love is as strong as death.

It quickly becomes like a flame.

And that flame becomes a great fire!

v7      If love were like fire, then even plentiful water could not put it out.

A river can be powerful.

But nothing can stop our love.

A man might offer all his wealth for love.

But someone else would not want this offer.

Verse 5

The young woman is joking that Solomon is like her younger brother. But the other women can see the reality. Really, she depends on Solomon. She has to lean on him. He is strong, and he supports her.

We have the same experience as we work for God. We may work very hard. But we are not working alone. We can only do God’s work because he supports us. We depend completely on him.

The couple are coming from the desert. They have been visiting the country that Solomon rules (7:11). They have seen the beautiful places (7:12). But now they are also visiting places where there are serious problems.

As we become mature Christians, God may prepare more difficult tasks for us (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But God never sends us alone to do his work. God is always with us (Matthew 28:20).

The young woman continues her story about the children. But now her story seems more serious. She speaks about the struggle when a baby is born. Now she is not merely playing. Sometimes a girl must work hard when she looks after her baby brother. Sometimes the mother is too weak to help the girl. So the girl cannot play. She must stay with her younger brother continuously. The two must always be together.

The young woman needs to be with Solomon continuously. They must not leave each other. Their work is difficult. She depends on him.

Verse 6

People used a *seal instead of an envelope. The *seal would attach the papers firmly. The sender would place his own mark on the *seal. Nobody else would use the same mark. Solomon was the king. So his mark was very important. Solomon would place a *seal on each new law that he made. People knew that the law was genuine because of Solomon’s mark.

The young woman wants to be like a *seal. It is as if she wants to have Solomon’s mark.

The Bible also expresses such ideas elsewhere. It is as if God places a mark on his people (Galatians 6:17; Revelation 7:3-4). But it is as if the devil also places a mark on his own people (Revelation 13:16-17).

In Ephesians 1:13-14, God’s *seal means the gift of the Holy Spirit. God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us to know him better (Ephesians 1:17). God’s Holy Spirit will protect us through this life (Ephesians 6:10-18). The Holy Spirit helps Christians to love each other (Ephesians 4:3). The Holy Spirit teaches the Bible to us (Ephesians 6:17) and he helps us to pray (Ephesians 6:18).

Verse 6 becomes very serious. The young woman has been very happy with Solomon. But her attitudes are now mature. She realises that she will not always be happy. They may suffer terrible troubles. She cannot depend on her feelings. Her love for Solomon is not a mere emotion. She has decided to be his wife. Whatever happens, she will still love him. Nothing can ever change her mind.

Love is like death because her decision to marry was permanent. A dead person cannot return to life. And she can never return to the same state that she had before her marriage.

Love is like fire because love is very powerful. Her love for Solomon will not reduce because each day she will work to increase their love for each other. Her happy feelings will not last. But she realises that love is not merely happy feelings. Love is the decision that they made to look after each other. And even if they have troubles, that decision will become stronger. In fact, their troubles might even make their love stronger.

Our decision to love God should not be merely an emotion. Instead, we should make a firm decision always to trust him (James 1:6-8). We cannot forget him if we have problems. Instead, we should trust him more because of our troubles.

Verse 7

Water can put out a fire. But nothing can stop real love.

‘Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. Trouble cannot separate us from Christ’s love. Pain cannot. People who oppose us cannot. Hunger cannot. Even if we are naked, there is no difference. Even danger and war cannot separate us from Christ’s love’ (Romans 8:35).

God loves us deeply (John 3:16). Jesus died for us because of his love for us (1 John 4:10). And we must trust God’s love (1 John 4:16).

Love is precious. It is more valuable than anything that we can own. But nobody can buy love. And nobody can buy God’s gifts (Acts 8:18-22). God’s love is a free gift (Isaiah 55:1-3).

A young sister

Friends

v8      We have a young sister.

And her breasts are still small.

A man might ask her to marry him.

But we will not know what to do.

v9      If she becomes like a wall,

we shall build her a silver *parapet.

If she becomes like a door,

we shall put *cedar boards round her.

Verses 8-9

This young sister is still a child. Once, Solomon’s wife was like this girl. Solomon’s wife was not always a mature woman (4:5). But now she is mature. And she has become the queen. So she is the model for this young girl. The girl’s relatives hope that the girl will also marry well. They want to work out how the girl can become a beautiful woman. Then perhaps she will be able to marry a great man like Solomon.

So the relatives have a plan for the girl. They will make her more beautiful. And they will improve her until she is perfect for marriage.

Silver is an expensive metal. And *cedar is an expensive wood. People did not use such materials in ordinary buildings. But they might use such precious materials for a palace.

God does not want Christians to be selfish. He offers his love to everyone. As Christians, we should tell everyone about God’s invitation (Revelation 22:17). And we should teach newer Christians how they can love God more.

Solomon’s wife makes him content

The young woman

v10    I am like a wall.

And my breasts have grown strong.

They are like the buildings that defend a wall.

I have made my husband content.

v11    Solomon had a *vineyard in Baal Hamon.

Men rented his *vineyard from him.

And each man brought fruit to him.

This fruit was worth 1000 pieces of silver.

v12    But my own *vineyard is mine to give.

The 1000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon.

And 200 pieces of silver can pay the workers who look after the *vineyard.

Verse 10

At the start, perhaps we were not sure whether the young woman would ever become the queen. She was very young. Her attitudes were not mature.

But now we can see that she is a mature woman. And she is also a mother. Her husband is content because she has provided a child for him. The Bible does not actually mention the child. But we know about people’s attitudes at the time of Solomon. Solomon needed a son who would be the king after him. So, when the boy was born, Solomon would be content.

As our love for God increases, we do not want to satisfy our own desires. Instead, we gladly do whatever God wants us to do. We forget our own plans. His plans are much more important.

Verses 11-12

Many people produced fruit for Solomon. His palaces were large and he needed plenty of fruit. For most people, the production of fruit was just a business. They were working for the king. But they did not love the king.

The queen’s own *vineyard also produces fruit for Solomon. So she too is working for Solomon. But there is an important difference. She works for Solomon because she loves him. So she does not ask for any money. She gladly gives everything that she has to him.

The queen’s *vineyard is better than the other *vineyards. Their fruit is only worth 1000 pieces of silver. But the fruit from her *vineyard is worth 1200 pieces of silver. Her *vineyard is more successful because of her love. And she is generous with her workers.

Many people know God, but they do not really love him. Some people work for God merely in order to earn money. Perhaps they are selfish. Or perhaps they are not yet mature Christians (Philippians 1:15-17).

But people who really love God are glad to work for him. They do not care about money (Philippians 4:12). They only care about God’s plans.

A final word

Solomon

v13    Let me hear your voice from the garden, my *dear.

My friends are waiting to hear you speak.

The young woman

v14    Come with me, my lover.

Be like a *gazelle

or a young *deer on the mountains of *spice.

Verse 13

Solomon asked his queen to end the Song. Her words were special to him. And God also wants to hear our prayers (Luke 11:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Revelation 5:8).

Verse 14

The queen reminds Solomon about her earlier words in 2:17. At that time, she told him to go way. But now she invites him to join her.

Together, they will be like strong, graceful animals. They will climb the most wonderful mountains (4:8). They will enjoy the smells of beautiful plants (4:13-16). They will explore the country that Solomon rules (7:11). And they will learn to love each other even more deeply.

Jesus said, ‘Love God. Love him with all your heart. Love him with all your spirit. Love him with all your mind. Love him with all your strength… And love other people as much as you love yourself. No other laws are as important as these laws’ (Mark 12:30-31).

Word List

bee ~ a type of insect.

cedar ~ a type of tall tree, or wood from the cedar tree.

chariot ~ a vehicle with two wheels. A horse pulls it.

dear ~ someone that you love in a special way.

deer ~ an animal.

dew ~ small amounts of water that appear on the ground during the night.

dove ~ a bird.

fig ~ a fruit.

flock ~ a group of sheep, goats or other animals.

fragrance ~ a smell, usually good.

gazelle ~ an animal.

grape ~ a small soft fruit.

incense ~ a *spice that produces a sweet smell.

ivory ~ part of an elephant (called the ‘tusk’). It is hard and white. People use ivory to make beautiful things.

jewel ~ a precious stone.

leopard ~ a dangerous animal.

lotus ~ a flower.

mandrakes ~ a plant with white flowers; part of the plant can look like a person.

marble ~ a very hard material; it is similar to stone; it can have colours.

mare ~ a female horse.

myrrh ~ something that comes from trees; people use it in *incense.

necklace ~ precious stones that people wear round their neck.

palm ~ a tree.

parapet ~ a low wall at the edge of a roof.

perfume ~ a sweet smell.

pomegranate ~ a fruit which is the size of an orange.

raven ~ a black bird.

sandal ~ a shoe that is open at the top.

seal ~ a material, usually with a design. People use it to make an envelope, or something similar, safe.

Shulamite ~ the woman may be called the Shulamite because she comes from a town called Shulem.

shepherd ~ someone who looks after sheep.

shield ~ a piece of metal that a soldier uses to protect himself.

spice ~ a special plant that has a strong smell and taste. People use spices to make *incense and *perfume.

symbol ~ something that represents something else; a sign of an object; something that actually means something else.

testament ~ collection of books in the Bible.

thorns ~ plants with sharp points that can hurt.

twin ~ one of a pair – both come from one mother in one birth.

veil ~ a piece of cloth; a woman wears it over her face; it is possible to see through it.

vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.

vineyards ~ a place where *vines grow.

virgin ~ a woman who has never had sex.

waist ~ the middle part of the body.

watchman ~ someone who guards a city or town. He looks for thieves.

Book List

Christ in all the Scriptures by A.M. Hodgkin

Various writings and sermons by C.H. Spurgeon, J. Wesley, G. Whitefield and other important writers

Various articles from The Temple Bible Dictionary edited by Ewing & Thomson

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown

Young’s Analytical Concordance

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon by B. Davidson

Bibles – NIV, KJV, TEV, RSV, occasional use of Hebrew text, and other translations

Related articles

• Jesus from Genesis to Revelation (paulmarcelrene.wordpress.com)
• Christ – There’s No One Like Him! (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)

100 Most Important People of all time

Reblogged from Thoughts and Truth from the Impossible Life:

The 100 Most Important People of all time

1. Jesus Christ – Son of God, Savior of Mankind, origin of all moral and behavior codes
2. Socrates - Philosopher. Taught western society to question and think.
3. Johannes Gutenberg - Inventor of the Printing Press.
4. Abraham - Father of Monotheist religions of Christianity and Judaism .
5. Isaac Newton - Physicist.

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Women in Islam

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Presenting the references that many Islamic authors deliberately avoid when they write their books about the place of women in Islam.

 

BEATING

Muhammad beat his wives.

… He (Muhammad) struck me (Aisha) on the chest which caused me pain … (Muslim: bk. 4, no. 2127)

Muhammad’s companions also beat his wives and other women.

… (Umar) found the Prophet sitting sad and silent with his wives around him. … (Umar) decided to say something which would make the Prophet laugh, so he said, “Messenger of God, I wish you had seen the daughter of Kharija when she asked me for extra money and I got up and slapped her on the neck.” God’s messenger laughed and said, “They are around me as you see asking for extra money.” Abu Bakr then got up, went to A’isha and slapped her on the neck, and Umar did the same to Hafsa. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 2, p. 690; Muslim: bk. 9, no. 3506, Siddiqui)

Narrated Aisha: A necklace of mine was lost at Al-Baida’ and we were on our way to Medina. The Prophet made his camel kneel down and dismounted and laid his head on my lap and slept. Abu Bakr came to me and hit me violently on the chest and said, “You have detained the people because of a necklace.” … (Bukhari: vol. 6, bk. 60, no. 132, Khan)

Muhammad’s companions beat their own wives.

Iyas b. Abdullah reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not beat God’s handmaidens;” but when `Umar came to God’s messenger and said, “The women have become emboldened towards their husbands,” he gave licence to beat them. Then many women went round God’s messenger’s family complaining of their husbands, and he said, “Many women have gone around complaining of their husbands. Those are not the best among you.” Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Darimi transmitted it. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 2, p. 692)

In the Qur’an Muhammad commanded that beating was part of the process for controlling a rebellious wife.

And those (wives) you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. (Qur’an 4:34, Arberry)

`Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “A man will not be asked about why he beat his wife.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 2, p. 693)

A woman has the right not to be hit in the face.

Hakim b. Mu`awiya al-Qushairi quoted his father as telling that he asked, “Messenger of God, what right can any wife demand of her husband?” He replied, “That you should give her food to eat, clothe her when you clothe yourself, not strike her on the face, and do not revile her or seperate from her except in the house.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 2, p. 691)

The husband’s right to beat his wife is Shariah law in every school of Islam.

appendix on beat Here is every other use of the word in the imperative 2:60, 2:73, 4:34, 7:160, 8:12, 18:32, 18:45, 20:77, 26:63, 36:13, 38:44 Volume 6, Book 60, Number 466: Narrated Abdullah bin Zama: That he heard the Prophet delivering a sermon, and he mentioned the shecamel and the one who hamstrung it. Allah’s Apostle recited:– ‘When, the most wicked man among them went forth (to hamstrung the she-camel).’ (91.12.) Then he said, “A tough man whose equal was rare and who enjoyed the protection of his people, like Abi Zama went forth to (hamstrung) it.” The Prophet then mentioned about the women (in his sermon). “It is not wise for anyone of you to lash his wife like a slave, for he might sleep with her the same evening.” Then he advised them not to laugh when somebody breaks wind and said, “Why should anybody laugh at what he himself does?”

SATISFYING THE MAN’S SEXUAL DESIRES

The Qur’an, speaking figuratively about sex, says of women:

Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields whence you please. (Qur’an 2:223, Dawood)

Muhammad gave strong warnings to women who would not accommodate their husband’s or master’s desire.

Talq b. `Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a man calls his wife to satisfy his desire she must go to him even if she is occupied at the oven.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 2, p. 691)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (p.) said, “if a man invites his wife to sleep with him an she refuses to come to him, then angels send their curses on her till morning.” (Bukhari: vol. 7, bk. 62, no. 121, Khan)

VIRGIN WOMEN ARE A REWARD IN HEAVEN

Lo! those who kept their duty will be in a place secure amid gardens and water-springs, attired in silk and silk embroidery, facing one another. Even so (it will be). And we shall wed them unto fair ones with wide, lovely eyes. (Qur’an 44:51-54, Pickthall)

Surely for the godfearing awaits a place of security, gardens and vineyards and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age, and a cup overflowing. (Qur’an 78:31-33, Arberry)

Perfectly We formed them, perfect, and We made them spotless virgins, chastely amorous, like of age for the Companions of the Right. (Qur’an 56:34-35, Arberry)

Anas reported the Prophet as saying, “In paradise the believer will be given such and such power to conduct sexual intercourse.” He was asked whether we would be capable of that and replied that he would be given the capacity of a hundred men. Tirmidhi transmitted it. (Mishkat Al-Masabih: vol. 3, p. 1200)

It has recently been fashionable in some circles to say that the Qur’an does not promise Muslim men virgin women in paradise. Instead it is argued that the word for “spotless virgin/maiden” should be translated as “white raisins”. However, just reading these verses in context shows that this is a false translation, for white raisins do not have swelling breasts or are chastely amorous, and you certainly cannot marry raisins. The inescapable truth is that Muhammad claimed that Allah will reward Muslim men with virgin women in paradise. This is part of the way that Islam thinks about women.

Koran 78:31 As for the righteous, they shall surely triumph. Theirs shall be gardens and vineyards, and high-bosomed virgins for companions: a truly overflowing cup. Koran 37:40-48 …They will sit with bashful, dark-eyed virgins, as chaste as the sheltered eggs of ostriches. Koran 44:51-55 …Yes and We shall wed them to dark-eyed houris. (beautiful virgins) Koran 52:17-20 …They shall recline on couches ranged in rows. To dark-eyed houris (virgins) we shall wed them… Koran 55:56-57 In them will be bashful virgins neither man nor Jinn will have touched before. Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny ?” Koran 55:57-58 Virgins as fair as corals and rubies. Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny ?” Koran 56:7-40 …We created the houris (the beautiful women) and made them virgins, loving companions for those on the right hand.. ” Koran 55:70-77 “In each there shall be virgins chaste and fair… Dark eyed virgins sheltered in their tents whom neither man nor Jin will have touched before.. Volume 6, Book 60, Number 402: Narrated Abdullah bin Qais: Allah’s Apostle said, “In Paradise there is a pavilion made of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner of which there are wives who will not see those in the other corners; and the believers will visit and enjoy them. And there are two gardens, the utensils and contents of which are made of silver; and two other gardens, the utensils and contents of which are made of so-and-so (i.e. gold) and nothing will prevent the people staying in the Garden of Eden from seeing their Lord except the curtain of Majesty over His Face.”

MONOGAMY OR POLYGAMY?

Muhammad’s sunnah (practice) was polygamy, the Qur’an instructs about polygamy, there are Muslim leaders in the West who want polygamy, Islam is a polygamist religion, and the Qur’an promises Muslim men many virgins in heaven. From beginning to end, Islam is a polygamous religion.

The Muslim male is allowed multiple wives and an unlimited number of slave girls:

And those (men) who preserve their chastity Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy. (Qur’an 70:29-30, Pickthall)

However, while Muhammad had many wives and slaves girls, and taught this in the Qur’an, he would only allow his son-in-law, Ali, to have one wife. Why? Because Ali was married to Muhammad’s daughter, Fatima.

Narrated Al-Miswar bin Makhrama: I heard Allah’s Apostle who was on the pulpit, saying, “Banu Hisham bin Al-Mughira have requested me to allow them to marry their daughter to Ali bin Abu Talib, but I don’t give permission, and will not give permission unless ‘Ali bin Abi Talib divorces my daughter in order to marry their daughter, because Fatima is a part of my body, and I hate what she hates to see, and what hurts her, hurts me.” (Bukhari: vol. 7, bk. 62, no. 157, Khan)

What hypocrisy!

Polygamy is fundamentally different to monogamy. In a monogamous marriage the man and women both promise to be sexually faithful to each other and to bind themselves to each other alone. However, in a polygamous marriage only the woman is bound to the man and must be sexually faithful to him. The man is free to keep looking for other women. Polygamy completely changes the way a man thinks about women and what it means to be faithful to them.

Islam is polygamous and monogamous Some say that the polygamy was only for a certain situation of too many women but paradise has polygamy. Muslims men use the promise of polygamy to entice men to embrace Islam http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2422121.htm polygamy – find verse on do not deny what Allah has not lawful. 66:1 A man is allowed to have other women and Muslim men know that they are allowed this. Muhammad never stopped looking for new wives. Any attractive woman he took. (Hadiths from Ibn Sa’d about Muhammad liking women and perfume) He is a bad example for us. Polygamy is a man’s right in Islam, 33:50, 66:1 Polygamy is natural; women want one man and men want many. But do women want their man to have many? None of Muhammad’s wives expected Muhammad to be faithful to them alone. Many Muslims may choose not to practice polygamy but the Qur’an and Sunnah do teach it. 66:1 says that you not deny what Allah has made lawful and in the context this refers to polygamy. This does not honour women. Muhammad does honour women by doing this, this is not good guidance Volume 7, Book 62, Number 7: Narrated Said bin Jubair: Ibn ‘Abbas asked me, “Are you married?” I replied, “No.” He said, “Marry, for the best person of this (Muslim) nation (i.e., Muhammad) of all other Muslims, had the largest number of wives.”

MUHAMMAD’S ADVICE FOR MARRIAGE ccccccc child brides

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah: When I got married, Allah’s Apostle said to me, “What type of lady have you married?” I replied, “I have married a matron’ He said, “Why, don’t you have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them?” Jabir also said: Allah’s Apostle said, “Why didn’t you marry a young girl so that you might play with her and she with you?’ (Bukhari: vol. 7, bk. 62, no. 17, Khan)

This is a very disturbing statement by Muhammad. Don’t just ignore it or make excuses for him; it is Muhammad himself who says that he has a preference for young girls. And this is what he did when he was 52 years old.

Narrated Hisham’s father: Khadija died three years before the Prophet departed to Medina. He stayed there for two years or so and then he married ‘Aisha when she was a girl of six years of age, and he consumed that marriage when she was nine years old. (Bukhari: vol. 5, bk. 58, no. 236, Khan)

You may say that Muhammad’s sexual relationship with a 9 year old girl when he was 52 was just part of the culture of that time. It may have been part of the culture, but this is not the reason that Muhammad gives. He said it was Allah who revealed and justified this relationship:

Narrated ‘Aisha: That the Prophet said to her, “You have been shown to me twice in my dream. I saw you pictured on a piece of silk and some-one said (to me). ‘This is your wife.’ When I uncovered the picture, I saw that it was yours. I said, ‘If this is from Allah, it will be done.” (Bukhari: vol. 5, bk. 58, no. 235, Khan)

Muhammad actions are more than just cultural; they are believed to be the revelation of the perfect Muslim life; they are the basis of Islamic law and attitude to marriage. This is why Imam Bukhari included them in his collection. This was the character of Muhammad and part of the way that orthodox Islam treats women.

Surah 2:228,child bride

ABDUCTING A WOMAN FOR MARRIAGE

Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 86, Number 100: Narrated Abu Haraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “A lady slave should not be given in marriage until she is consulted, and a virgin should not be given in marriage until her permission is granted.” The people said, “How will she express her permission?” The Prophet said, “By keeping silent (when asked her consent).” Some people said, “If a man, by playing a trick, presents two false witnesses before the judge to testify that he has married a matron with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage, and the husband is sure that he has never married her (before), then such a marriage will be considered as a legal one and he may live with her as husband.” ——————————————————————————– Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 86, Number 101: Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle said, “It is essential to have the consent of a virgin (for the marriage). I said, “A virgin feels shy.” The Prophet; said, “Her silence means her consent.” Some people said, “If a man falls in love with an orphan slave girl or a virgin and she refuses (him) and then he makes a trick by bringing two false witnesses to testify that he has married her, and then she attains the age of puberty and agrees to marry him and the judge accepts the false witness and the husband knows that the witnesses were false ones, he may consummate his marriage.”

DIVORCE

Easy

TEMPORARY MARRIAGES

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 139: Narrated Abdullah: We used to participate in the holy wars carried on by the Prophet and we had no women (wives) with us. So we said (to the Prophet ). “Shall we castrate ourselves?” But the Prophet forbade us to do that and thenceforth he allowed us to marry a woman (temporarily) by giving her even a garment, and then he recited: “O you who believe! Do not make unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you.” find other hadiths saying not to do it. How is this different from prostitution. Is the West really decadent or just honest.

CIRCUMCISION

The Qur’an never mentions circumcision. The practice of male or female circumcision comes from the Hadith, Shariah and the consensus of Islamic communities.

The Hadith

Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband. (Abu-Dawud: bk. 41, no. 5251, Hasan)

The Shariah

The following reference to Shariah comes from Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, Reliance of the Traveller – A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. This book comes with the approval al-Azhar University.

Arabic Text	As translated in the book	What the Arabic actually says
	e4.3 Circumcision is obligatory (O: for both men and women. For men is consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women, removing the prepuce (Ar. bazr) of the clitoris (n: not the clitoris itself, as some mistakenly assert). (A: Hanbalis hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but sunna, while Hanafis consider it a mere courtesy to the husband.) (p. 59)	Circumcision is obligatory (for every male and female) by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, but circumcision of the female is by cutting out the clitoris (this is called khufaad).

It is interesting to notice how this translator has softened the Arabic to make it more acceptable to a Western reader. However, the fact remains that female circumcision is Shariah law for several of the main Sunni schools.

Female circumcision is practiced in many Islamic countries, for example, Egpyt, Sudan, Iraq and Somalia.

He made it a law that they be circumcised and the women, too, and he ordered them not to keep the Sabbath and not to be baptized. http://www.trueorthodoxy.org/non_christian_islam_stjohndamascus_fountain_knowledge.shtml Add the hadith about circumcision from bukhari and show how it does not specify men or women and that women have to do what they can. compare to Bible which says only male.

BEING RECOGNISED IN PUBLIC

The head covering is so that women cannot be recognised. Find verse and hadith. No public identity. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2007/05/al-azhar-fatwa-on-adult-suckling.html Muslim 3425

MENTAL CAPACITY

The Qur’an says that the testimony of a woman is not equal to that of a man. It says that the testimony of two women is required to be equal to the testimony of one man.

Call in two male witnesses from among you, but if two men cannot be found, then one man and two women whom you judge fit to act as witnesses. (Qur’an 2:282, Dawood)

Why is it that the testimony of a woman is only worth half that of a man? Muhammad explains in the following hadith.

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, “Isn’t the witness of a women equal to half that of a man?” The women said “yes”. He said “This is because of the deficiency of the women’s mind.” (Bukhari: vol. 3, bk. 48, no. 826, Khan)

Volume 9, Book 88, Number 219: Narrated Abu Bakra: During the battle of Al-Jamal, Allah benefited me with a Word (I heard from the Prophet). When the Prophet heard the news that the people of the Persia had made the daughter of Khosrau their Queen (ruler), he said, “Never will succeed such a nation as makes a woman their ruler.”

BEAUTY TREATMENTSMMMMMMMMM

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 408: Narrated Alqama: ‘Abdullah (bin Masud) said. “Allah curses those ladies who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those ladies who remove the hair from their faces and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth in order to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah’s creation.” His saying reached a lady from Bani Asd called Um Yaqub who came (to Abdullah) and said, “I have come to know that you have cursed such-and-such (ladies)?” He replied, “Why should I not curse these whom Allah’s Apostle has cursed and who are (cursed) in Allah’s Book!” Um Yaqub said, “I have read the whole Quran, but I did not find in it what you say.” He said, “Verily, if you have read it (i.e. the Quran), you have found it. Didn’t you read: ‘And whatsoever the Apostle gives you take it and whatsoever he forbids you, you abstain (from it). (59.7) She replied, “Yes, I did,” He said, “Verily, Allah’s Apostle forbade such things.” “She said, “But I see your wife doing these things?” He said, “Go and watch her.” She went and watched her but could not see anything in support of her statement. On that he said, “If my wife was as you thought, I would not keep her in my company.” ——————————————————————————– Volume 6, Book 60, Number 409: Narrated Abdullah (bin Mus’ud): Allah’s Apostle has cursed the lady who uses false hair.

WOMEN ARE UNCLEAN

O ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when ye are polluted, save when journeying upon the road, till ye have bathed. And if ye be ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Lo! Allah is Benign, Forgiving. 4:43

THERE ARE MORE WOMEN IN HELL AND LESS IN HEAVEN

Ibn Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger said: I had a chance to look into paradise and I found that majority of the people was poor and I looked into the Fire and there I found the majority constituted by women. (Muslim: bk. 36, no. 6596-6601, Siddiqui)

(Muhammad) passed by the women and said, “O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Apostle?” He replied, “You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.” The women asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?” He said, “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her religion.” (Bukhari: vol. 1, bk. 6, no. 301, Khan)

WOMEN HAVE A CROOKED NATURE

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness.” (Bukhari: vol. 7, bk. 62, no. 113, Khan)

CONCLUSION

Has Islam brought light into the world and lead humanity out of ignorance regarding women? Is the harsh treatment of women in Islamic countries just a matter of culture and not religion? In order to answer these questions you must consider all of what the Qur’an and Hadith teach and not just a select few verses. Dr. Badawi, and Islamic writers like him, only tell half the truth. They select references which make Islam appear attractive. The references I have presented are the other half of what Islam teaches. This teaching becomes important to Muslim leaders not when they are promoting Islam but when they are in power.

Conclusion – It is not hard to find out what the Qur had say. Therefore why do Muslims say this is the culture not book? Muslims are in denial about what the qu The culture is very often much better than the religion. Most Muslim men treat their wives better than the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadith.

FURTHER READING

The Place of Women in Pure Islam by P. Newton.

REFERENCES

Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, Reliance of the Traveller – A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law (Translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller) Maryland, U.S.A.: Amana Publications, 1994.

Mishkat Al-Masabih, Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1981, (translated by James Robson).

Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari (translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan).

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim (translated by Abdul Hamid Siddique).

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Correct Understanding of Music in Islam

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The correct interpretation is music that teaches or increases knowledge of islam is permitted, regardless of instrument. When music is for pure pleasure or distracts from islam, then it is all haram. Also, the place for appropriate music must also be permitted. Obviously, no muslim should ever be inside a place that serves alcohol at all, thus even appropriate music would be haram there.

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Proofs the Holy Bible is uncorrupted

John Revelator – FACEBOOK 

Before i begin my research in the corruption of the bible i would ask my fellow christians to take heed in the verse below . Therefore put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13 NIV)

The muslim believer always claims the bible to be corrupt fair enough however a statement this big is saying to the people “i am God believe me” not once is there even a solid argument in regards to the manuscripts, scholars, even names of authors of the bible i saw debate where the muslim debater said “who is 1 john could be john from the other village”. Ah read what 1 John as to say and you will quickly know that it is john the faithful witness of jesus christ.

Something i have already point out is the famous “Lie, Fabrication,translation and they just telling you that”. However it became more evident even when quoting from islams earliest sources or muslims who are renowned as great muslims in the islamic and modern islamic world they say its a “false, Hadith,false surah” and so on.

Muslims believe in order for a source to be correct it most be a later one notice what i said the islamic source most be later not earlier but later sources. This rings a huge bell as every prominent historian will tell you to verify facts and text or whatever it is not recommended but the only way to confirm is to go to the earliest sources.

I’m going to present proof from own islamic sources that bible is indeed not corrupted and not even a letter has been changed by some of islamics prominent scholars, teachers even the prophet mohammeds cousin. ALSO KEEP IN MIND THE QURAN NEVER MENTIONS IN ARABIC THE WORD “TAHRIFF” WITH CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES (THE BIBLE)

Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, Muhammad’s cousin and one of his companions
“They corrupt the word” means “they alter or change its meaning”, yet no one is able to change even a single word from any Book of God. The meaning is that they interpret the word wrongly.”[1]
“The word “Tahrif” [corruption] signifies to change a thing from its original nature; and there is no man who could corrupt a single word of what proceeds from God, so that the Jews and Christians could corrupt only by misrepresenting the meanings of the word of God.’[2]
Al-Razi (865 – 925) One of the most famous Muslim scholars, called “the Imam of Muslim Imams”.
“How could there be any alteration in the Book whose words’ sharpness has reached a great level of circulation in the East and in the West? … For no change can occur in a book that is well circulated among men. Every wise man can see that the alteration of the Bible was impossible for it was well circulated among men of different faith and backgrounds.” [3]
Al Tabari (838 – 923) openly acknowledged that the authentic Taurat and Injil remained in the hands of the Jews and the Christians. His only charge was that they did not always understand or accept the true meaning of their teachings
“… the first one which came into existence, is the Torah, which is in the hands of the People of the Book…As to the Gospel which is in the hands of the Christians, the greater part of it is the history of the Christ, His birth and His life.”[4]
Fakhruddin Razi (1149 – 1209), was a Persian Sunni theologian.
“The Jews and early Christians were suspected of altering the text of the Taurat and Injil; but in the opinion of eminent doctors and theologians it was not practicable thus to corrupt the text, because those Scriptures were generally known and widely circulated, having been handed down from generation to generation.”
Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817 – 1898), was a prominent and influential Muslim modernist
“As far as the text of the Bible is concerned, it has not been altered. No attempt was made to present a diverging text as the authentic one.”[5]
Ibn Muniyah
“Ibn Mazar and Ibn Hatim state, in the commentary known as the Tafsir Durr-I-Mansur, that they have it on the authority of Ibn Muniyah, that the Taurat (i.e. the books of Moses), and the Injil (i.e. the Gospels), are in the same state of purity in which they were sent down from heaven, and that no alterations had been made in them, but that the Jews were wont to deceive the people by unsound arguments, and by wresting the sense of Scripture … Shah Waliyu ‘Illah (in his commentary, the Fauzul âl-Kabir), and also Ibn ‘Abbas, support the same view.”[6]
T. P. Hughes in “Dictionary of Islam”
Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub (born 1938), is a Muslim scholar and professor of Islamic Studies and Comparative Religion at Temple University. (USA)
“Contrary to the general Islamic view, the Qur’an does not accuse Jews and Christians of altering the text of their scriptures, but rather of altering the truth which those scriptures contain. The people do this by concealing some of the sacred texts, by misapplying their precepts, or by altering words from their right position.”[7]
“… both the Hebrew Bible and the N.T. took their final form long before the rise of Islam. The Qur’an speaks of both the Torah and the Gospel as in them is guidance and light. It calls on the two faith-communities to judge by what God had revealed in their Scriptures. It also speaks that both Jews and Christians altered words from their right places and had forgotten some of what God had revealed for them. This does not mean distorting, adding, and deleting of the Scriptures. Therefore, Qur’anic references to tahrif, or alteration, are more to interpretation rather than changing the texts.” [8]
Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849 – 1905), was an Egyptian jurist and religious scholar
“… the charge of corruption of the Biblical texts makes no sense at all. It would not have been possible for Jews and Christians everywhere to agree on changing the text. Even if those in Arabia had done it, the difference between their book and those of their brothers, let us say in Syria and Europe, would have been obvious…We believe that these Gospel accounts are the true Gospel.”[9]
Mawlawi Muhammad Sa’id
“… as God says in the beginning of the Qur’an: “And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.” (2:4,5) ”Some Muslims imagine that the Injil is corrupted. But as far as corruption is concerned, not even one among all the verses of the Qur’an mentions that the Injil or the Tawrat is corrupted. In the concerned passages it is written that the Jews – yes the Jews, not the Christians – alter the meaning of the passages from the Tawrat while they are explaining them. At least the Christians are completely exonerated from this charge. Hence the Injil is not corrupted and the Tawrat is not corrupted. For it does not necessarily follow that these Scriptures are corrupt because of the wrong opinion of some uninformed persons.”
Ibn Kathir
‘David died in the midst of his friends. They were not led astray, nor changed [their books]. The Friends of Christ stayed in His ordinances and guidance for two hundred years’[10]
Quoting Muhammad talking of the Jews and Christians
Sayyid Ahmad Husayn Shawkat Mirthi
“The ordinary Muslim people acknowledge that the Injil is the Word of God. Yet they also believe through hearsay (taqlidi ‘aqida) that the Injil is corrupted, even though they cannot indicate what passage was corrupted, when it was corrupted, and who corrupted it. Is there any religious community in this world whose lot is so miserable that they would shred their heavenly Book with their own hands, and then, after restlessly patching it with sackcloth, they must throw dust in the eyes of the people? True, some religious communities change the meaning (tahrif-i ma’nawi) of their Scriptures. To say that God has taken the Injil and the Tawrat into heaven and has abrogated them is to defame and slander God. It is to pour ridicule not only upon the Qur’an but upon all the Books. Abrogation always arises because of error. Laws of earthly kingdoms are abrogated because experience has proved that they are harmful. But God makes no mistake, nor does He lack experience.”
Mawlawi Chirag ud-Din
“The Qur’an commands us to believe and to honour the previous Scriptures and apostles. According to Surah (Nisa): “O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime.” (4:136) ”When, therefore, it is commanded to believe in these Holy Scriptures, why consider the study of these Scriptures reprehensible? For when the order to believe the Qur’an and the Holy Scriptures is one and the same, how can one conclude that reading the Qur’an is a meritorious act, but that reading the Holy Scriptures is a punishable offence?”
Prof. Abdullah Saeed, PhD
A significant point of tension between today’s Muslims and the ‘People of the Book’ (Jews and Christians) is the common Muslim belief that the Jewish and Christian scriptures that exist today are corrupted and cannot be relied upon in any matters of faith, religion or law. Although this is a popular view, most classical scholars of the Qur’an were far more cautious in their understanding of Qur’anic texts on this issue. This article explores the Qur’an’s references to distortion of scriptural meaning and text, and the views of scholars, particularly Tabari, Qurtubi, Razi, Ibn Taymiyya and Qutb. Qur’anic words such as tahrif are popularly accepted today as referring to deliberate distortion of scripture; however, classical scholars have interpreted the Qur’an’s references in a number of different ways.Almost all suggested that distortion occurred mainly through interpretation and not in the text itself. Although the Qur’an refers to tahrif (distortion), it also exhibits the utmost respect for previous scriptures. Early Muslims adopted a narrow view of scripture, partly because of the nature of the Qur’an, and also in response to the more established religions of Judaism and Christianity, to assert the ‘purity’ of the Qur’an and Islam. Saeed notes that the Jewish and Christian scriptures that exist today are, according to most scholars, largely unchanged since the time of Muhammad and should be respected now as they were then.[11]
Introduction to Abdullah Saeed’s “The Charge of Distortion of Jewish and Christian Scriptures”
Now some muslims will say but there are proofs and surrahs to say the christians scriptures are corrupted will is this not a contradiction has your hadiths say no the christian scriptures are not corrupted produce a solid arguments show me the in jill allah intended for humanity..??

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• Was the Bible corrupted as Muslims claim? (paulmarcelrene.wordpress.com)
• My Final Thoughts (christianreadsquran.wordpress.com)
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Muslim Children in America are Being Taught to Hate

Muslim Children in America are Being Taught to Hate.

Paul taught exactly that which the Son of God Jesus did

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THE APOSTLE PAUL TAUGHT WHAT JESUS TAUGHT!!!

Jesus taught and argued with Jews (Matt. 23).
Paul taught and argued with Jews (Acts 17:11-12)

Jesus taught to obey Governing authorities (Matthew 22:21)
Paul taught to obey governing authorities (Romans 13:1)

Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22)
The Jews are God’s people (Romans 11:1)

Jesus taught you must be born again (John 3:3)
Paul taught you must be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).

Jesus said to let your good works (Matthew 5:16)
Paul says that rich in good works (1 Tim 6:17-19)

Jesus taught that he would lay down His life (John 10:17)
Paul taught we are saved by the life of Jesus (Roman 5:10)

Jesus taught that all have sinned (John 3:19)
Paul taught that all have sinned (Romans 3:23)

Jesus taught against false prophets (Matthew 7:15)
Paul taught against false prophets (2 Cor 11:13)

Jesus taught that He is God (John 14:9, John 10:31, John 8:58
Paul taught that Jesus is God, (Romans 9:5)

Jesus taught to love your enemies, (Luke 6:27-28)
Paul taught to love all people including enemies, (2 Cor 10:4)

Jesus taught prayer in secret places (Matthew 6:6)
Paul taught prayer away from public places, (Acts 16:13)

Jesus taught prayer and fasting is powerful (Matthew 17:21)

Paul taught prayer and fasting is powerful, (1 Cor 7:5)

Jesus taught to pray always (Luke 21:36)

Paul taught to pray always (2 Thess 1:11)

Jesus taught to put out the immoral sinner from the church.(Matthew 15)
Paul taught to put out the immoral sinner from the church (2Cor 5:5).

Jesus claimed to be from heaven, (John 6:51)
Paul claimed that Jesus was from heaven (1Cor 15:47)

Jesus the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20)
Paul taught the New Covenant (1Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:6)

Jesus taught that the sheep (followers) will not perish (John 10:27-28)

Paul taught that there is no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ, (Rom. 8:1-2)

Related articles

• Islam can not deny Jesus Is God (paulmarcelrene.wordpress.com)
• Matthew the Publican Becomes a Disciple (brakeman1.wordpress.com)
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SIOTW Interviews Walter Brown ADL Founder

SIOTW Interviews Walter Brown – ADL Founder

JANUARY 21, 2012

This is an interview with Walter Brown, founder of The American Defense League (ADL)

When and why did you get involved in the anti-Islamic movement?

I am not just opposed to Islam, I also oppose any and all philosophies which are detrimental to the founding (natural-law) principles of the United States. I took an oath to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic in 1986 when I joined the US military and again in 1987 when I was commissioned.  I am no longer in the US military but military oaths don’t have an expiration date.

Islamophobia is an irrational fear or prejudice towards Islam and Muslims. Are you an irrational Islamophobe?

I am not afraid of Islam; I am opposed to Islam because it has produced an uninterrupted track record of violence and repression traceable directly to the dictates and practices of Mohamed. Islam is a mess; it has been used as the justification for more murder and misery than any other political philosophy. If Muslims want to continue worshipping Islam, they need to reform it – and fast. The world is catching on to the true nature of Islam and the time to reform Islam and prevent the world from dealing with it like the world dealt with Fascism is running out. I could care less if people want to worship Mohamed’s philosophy as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others – which has clearly not been the case.  Mohamed spread Mohamedism with the sword and his minions continue to spread it using violence and every other criminal and repressive method known to man. I am neither irrational nor afraid – I am completely rational and opposed.
Did you receive any threats from Muslims or others because of your involvement in the anti-Islamic movement?

No, I don’t.  I don’t consider all or even most Muslims to be threatening; like most rational people I am opposed to the results of the same defective parts of Islam that any other reasonable person would be opposed to. I could care less about the clothes they wear, what they eat, where or how they pray – as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.

What aspects of Islam do you find most problematic and disturbing?

I find the political and legal nature of Islam to be most problematic. Islam is an ideal system for establishing an absolute dictatorship, in that it entrusts total authority for governance in one individual empowered to decide any and all issues that are not specifically covered by Mohamed’s ramblings in the Koran or his personal idiosyncrasies found in the Sunnah. As Mohamed was extremely violent, vindictive and self-centered, his dictates and practices included many activities such as murder and robbery that were and still are wrong. To make matters worse, there are many situations that Mohamed didn’t specifically address and much of what he decreed wasn’t intended to establish broad legal principles but rather to provide narrow justification for the crimes he had just committed or intended to commit. Consequently, there are many undefined issues and no limits on the power entrusted to frequently self-appointed and violently installed religious leaders. All of which is an ideal machine for producing absolute theological dictators.
I am also troubled by the fact that the terrorist’s Islamic supremacy world view is a correct and logical conclusion that any serious methodical study of the Koran following tenets of Islam will produce. This is particularly troubling because it makes Islamic terrorism a self-starting phenomena, all you need to do is study, have the intelligence to understand what you are reading and the naiveté to think it’s true.

Do you think Israel is a good ally in the struggle against Islamization?

Israel is an important ally in this struggle, they have managed to survive a continuous Islamic onslaught since the first wave of Zionists began buying land and returning to Palestine to escape the pogroms in Eastern Europe in the 1880’s. Israel is a big thorn in the side of Islam because it is an economic success and by far the best place to live in the Middle East and it is very decidedly not an Islamic country. Israel’s sectarian western style government has produced a much better quality of life for its residents than any of its much larger neighbors including those with immense natural resource wealth, a fact that Islamists don’t want to be recognized. Islamists have made Israel and the US enemies number one and two, for this and many other reasons Israel and the US need to be strong allies. In general, Islam has chosen virtually the entire world as its enemy and there should be no shortage of allies – nor little chance of Islam prevailing once the other 80% of the world decides they have had enough of its antics.

Who is a moderate Muslim?

I suspect that most Muslims in non-Muslim societies are moderate. Studies have shown that Muslims become more fundamentalist as their demographic percentage increases, there is a ton of evidence to support this and I have no reason to doubt it.
Moderate Muslims, fortunately and contrary to their own claims, truly don’t understand Islam. They don’t see the whole picture because the mosques they attend fortunately and thankfully give precedence to the peaceful aspects of Islam and downplay the violent aspects. Unfortunately, virtually all of them teach that the Koran, which contains both peaceful and violent decrees, is the unadulterated word of god. Legally, the most recent positions abrogate earlier positions, which has the effect of giving the later violent decrees precedence over the earlier more peaceful ones.

Another group of moderate Muslims are those that recognize that Islam has serious problems and seek to reform it, these are extremely courageous individuals, what they are seeking to do is patently blasphemy and it is punishable by death in many places if not specifically by law then by mob justice.

Mohamed was not a moderate by any stretch of the imagination, he invented Islam and it’s safe to say he understood it. In the Koran, Mohamed established himself as the ideal model for a Muslim and that’s also a big problem considering his many immoral practices.

How do you see the future with current immigration policies? And what needs to be changed?

I worry about cutting off the escape route for Christians and Jews suffering persecution in Muslim dominated countries. Our immigration policies since 1965 have focused primarily on reuniting families, which caused the infamous “chain immigration problem”, versus providing an open door to persecuted peoples. It is more difficult for a Coptic Christian in Egypt to emigrate to the US than it is for a fundamentalist Muslim.  We need to stop being so politically correct and pretending that a person’s philosophical orientation isn’t important. I am not in favor of ending immigration from Arab, Asian or North African nations because they are exactly the place where the worst persecution is occurring. I am in favor of tighter restrictions on travel, temporary worker and student visas from all of these places and a more open policy towards victims of persecution. I don’t believe that any resident or citizen should expect the government to take care of them and it is exactly this welfare-state mentality that keeps America’s doors tightly shut to people that would be good to have in the US. Imagine the size of the pool of language and culture specialists that would be available to US military and intelligence services if we allowed more of the persecuted people into our country. These are people that really understand what is going on, where it is happening, who is doing it, when and why. The inscription on the statue of liberty explains what our immigration policy should be, open and welcoming to the down trodden victims of persecution and a brick wall to their persecutors.

What do you see as the biggest challenge when it comes to informing people about the dangers of Islamization?

Patience is the biggest challenge. It takes time to digest the facts and information needed to get to the bottom of the Islam problem. Trying to do something before you’re ready is a recipe for bad results. Most people, Americans included, don’t have a lot of time to study and understand the issue. There is a lot of sounds-good, feels-good, superficial denial and apologetic propaganda hiding the truth that a person must overcome before accepting the truly grotesque realities of Islam.
Allied soldiers that liberated the Nazi concentration camps literally couldn’t believe their eyes and they had seen a lot of death and killing before arriving there. Humans have a protective mechanism that blocks out things that are beyond our ability to deal with.

Islam is the biggest mass murdering philosophy in the world, it has been the proximate cause for the systematic killing of well over 270 million people. Nothing else even comes close, for comparison purposes, Communism (Marxism & Socialism) has less than half as many victims at 110 million (median estimates).
During WWII, few people were able to accept let alone believed the rumors about the holocaust because it was too horrible to accept, and this is part of the problem we face in informing people about the dangers of Islam. It’s a completely foreign subject, it takes time to assimilate and the nature of the material naturally turns a lot of people away.
To help people overcome these barriers, we focus on publishing current news, historical and analytic articles associating terrorism, genocide and other human rights violations with Islam to provide an overwhelming and irrefutable causal connection between them. It is our belief that Islam as it currently exists is unacceptable and incompatible with civilized society, moreover it won’t change on it’s own, it’s going to take massive public pressure. We aim to help people understand what Islam really is and help bring about change.

What do you say to people calling you a racist or a Nazi because you oppose Islamization?

Doesn’t happen very often, I just ignore it. Considering that the Nazis and Islamists were partners it doesn’t make much sense to call someone a Nazi for opposing Islam.
There are a number of people working together as administrators on our FB page and we work hard to keep racist sentiment off our wall. We have deleted tons of followers for making racists comments. We’re not playing baseball, you don’t get three strikes if you make racist or violence inciting comments your history. We are also not a debate group, if someone wants to defend the merits of Islam they can do that on their own wall or page.

Do you think mainstream media is pro-Islam biased?

I think the mainstream media is out of touch with reality and in denial. Those that understand don’t want to touch this issue because it’s a political hot-potato and being seen as coming out against Islam is taboo for our mainstream media which jumps onto the bandwagon of every cause that has a chance of helping them advance their Socialist/Marxist world views even if they don’t recognize or admit that’s what they support. I think they work hard to hide the Islam connection to criminal activity in the same way they hide the juvenile to criminal behavior prevalent in all virtually the groups they favor.
They think they are doing Muslims a favor by helping them hide their problems when they are in actuality just depriving them of moral support that they need to reform Islam.

Muslims want to use Sharia (Islamic law). In what way does it clash with our Western civilization and our laws?

The degree to which Muslims want to live under Sharia law is not universal and if you pick and choose the ordinances it could be quite reasonable; the problem is, it is general public doesn’t get to pick the ordinances and it isn’t their opinion that matters. What matters is their religious leaders interpretation of Sharia and consequently passivity can turn to aggression overnight. Full blown Sharia doesn’t recognize equality and as such it is fundamentally incompatible with all Western civilization, it also doesn’t accept the validity of any contradictory laws.
A lot of people, myself included, have argued that teaching Islam is sedition. Unfortunately, it’s not the only seditious philosophy threatening the US and at least for the moment the likelihood of using a sedition strategy to constrain Islam is not good.

How do you see the future for ADL and how can ADL help stop islamization of America?

For the moment we are focusing on education I think that this the most effective thing we can do for now. We get calls to do EDL type events but I am very reluctant to do them because they would almost certainly end up doing more harm than good. As long as we’re not threatening anyone and just building a case against Islam in the court of public opinion, we are on solid ground. I am strongly opposed to hooliganism and getting a whole bunch of people together and riling them up over something that they can’t do anything about at the moment is worse than short sighted, it’s dangerous. This is how the Pogroms of Europe and Asia and the KKK got started. We are opposed to Islamists in part because they do this kind of thing, if we will not stoop to their level.

Is Islam a religion of peace? 

Islam is neither a religion nor is it peaceful. There are a lot of peaceful Muslims that practice a limited, technically-incorrect and consequently blasphemous form of Islam that is peaceful, but there are also entire countries that commit immense violence up to and including crimes against humanity because it is not only justifiable but the duty of faithful followers of Mohamed.
Muslims still consider Korans to be the unadulterated word of god even with all of the internal and external contradictions. Considering that God is all knowing and Korans provided contradictory answers to the same question based on which ever position was more convenient for Mohamed at that moment, the net effect of all this effectively makes god a liar or Islam a fraud.
The Italians removed tax-exempt status for Islam because it was becoming too much to pretend that it was a religion and not a political organization. Islam is the philosophy that operates numerous countries, it has religious aspects but calling it a religion is like calling an invading army a benevolent organization because it serves free lunches to its soldiers.

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Islam is not compatible with civilized society

Most people have not made it their business to learn about Islam, and therefore, have reached the wrong conclusion that it is like every other religion, and our foreign policies have caused these problems around the world. It’s quite frustrating, and I have been vilified too. A logical mind who has read the Qu’ran, the hadith, Reliance of the Traveller, and many books written by Islamic scholars both pro and anti, cannot conclude anything other than Islam is incompatible with civilized society. Unlike other religions, Islam has never undergone any reform, and merely suggesting reforms is blasphemy. Leaving Islam and converting to a different faith is apostasy and punishable by death.

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make the erroneous conclusion that everyone else is as indifferent to their religion as they are, and refuse to entertain the notion that for fundamentalist Muslims, religion is literally a life and death matter.

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• Islam: Penalty for Apostasy? Answer via Richard Dawkins (futuretwit.com)

Islam can not deny Jesus Is God

 

Jesus was worshiped regularly from the moment of His birth. And because He knew He was GOD and worthy of worship, He NEVER rebuked His followers for worshiping Him:
Matthew 2:11 “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and WORSHIPED Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Matthew 8:2 “And behold, a leper came and WORSHIPED Him, saying,“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Matthew 9:18 “While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and WORSHIPED Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

Matthew 14:33 “Then those who were in the boat came and WORSHIPED Him, saying,“Truly You are the Son of God.”

Matthew 15:25 “Then she came and WORSHIPED Him, saying,“Lord, help me!”

Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and WORSHIPED Him.

Matthew 28:17 “When they saw Him, they WORSHIPED Him; but some doubted.”

John 9:38 “Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he WORSHIPED Him.”

John 20:28-29 “And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Yet Jesus tells Satan that only GOD is to be worshiped: “Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall WORSHIP the LORD your God, and Him ONLY you shall serve” (Luke 4:8). So my question for Muslims is this: Why would Jesus allow Himself to be worshiped over and over again if He believed He was unworthy of worship?

Original Poem I saw beauty today

I saw beauty today
Where it had been hiding
Lost amongst weeds of debris
from modern society’s castoff
was the beauty of the divine
And this beauty spoke
a whisper barely heard
a cry to be acknowledge
and I embraced this divine beauty
small and warm and needy
my newest friend
my newest companion
lost divine beauty found
she meows to me now
she rescued me, not me her
I saw beauty today
and she has claimed me as hers.

Psalm 19

Psalm 19:1-4 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (2) Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. (3) There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. (4) Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, New King James Version In Psalm 19, we have the example of a man who is really tuned into God, which resulted in him writing about one-half of the 150 Psalms. To David, the immense size, radiance, and regularity of the heavenly bodies spoke to him of the wisdom, power, and steadfast character of the God of creation, and he was thankful because he knew that God, and God only, had given to him this perspective. Recall that in Deuteronomy 8:2-3, the reason that God humbled the Israelites—and now humbles us too—is because He wanted to test them so that they would know that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” That was His ultimate reason. In other words, He did what He did so that they would listen to what He said. Here in Psalm 19, David demonstrates that he had been listening! He heard the “voice” of God revealing Himself, not in audible sound, but in what can be observed in the creation, and it resulted, among other things, in greater understanding, praise, and thanksgiving. All too often, we allow the events of life to distract us from the glory of God in what He has made and in what He is doing, permitting them to divert our attention from Him and His purpose. Because of a lack of faith, we look away from the light and focus our attention on the dark, and we soon become unthankful. We would do well to imitate David in this regard.