As a Lily Among Brambles

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As a Lily Among Brambles

Song of Solomon 1–5

March 3, 2024 • Song of Songs 5, Song of Songs 1, Song of Songs 2, Song of Songs 3, Song of Songs 4

THE SONG OF SOLOMON has layers of meaning. On the surface, it’s a beautiful depiction of the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. At a deeper level, it’s a picture of the mutual love between Christ and his church.

We discuss the first five chapters and note the bride’s description of herself as “very dark, but lovely,” which is not based on racial characteristics but implies one whose skin is darkened by the sun—a laborer, one of lower social status than her husband. Nonetheless, the husband, who may be Solomon, is clearly in love with his bride.

The Assembly of the Rephaim

August 11, 2024 • Proverbs 21

THE SPIRITS of the giants destroyed by the Flood were venerated by the Amorites who dominated the culture around ancient Israel. The Hebrew prophets and psalmists condemned the cult of the dead, but you have to know what you’re looking for to find those scriptures. We find one of them in Proverbs 21: The man that wandereth out of the way of wisdom shall abide in the congregation of the dead. (KJV) One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead. (ESV) The word translated “dead” is Rephaim. These were not spirits of the human dead, but those of the monstrous Nephilim who died in the Flood. Further, it was believed by the pagan Amorites (and later by the Greeks and Romans) that the spirits of those hybrids—demigods like Perseus and Heracles—would intercede for the living as long as you offered them sacrifices and worship. This is confirmed by religious texts from the Amorite kingdom of Ugarit, where the last king of that city-state, Ammurapi III (a name that means “my fathers are Rephaim”), was inaugurated with a necromantic ritual that summoned the Rephaim, calling some of them by name, and the “council of Ditanu”—a name from which the Greeks got the name of their old gods, the Titans. In short, the Ditanu/Titans and the Rephaim/demigod heroes of the Amorites and Greeks were the sons of God and the Nephilim from Genesis 6:1–4, and Proverbs 21:6 is a warning that wanting to join the assembly of the Rephaim after death, like the Amorites, is stupid. That echoes the additional calls for wisdom in Proverbs 21, which we’ve seen throughout the Proverbs to this point. This week, however, Proverbs 21:30 reminds us that despite the critical importance of wisdom, no human understanding can prevail against the Lord.

Wine is a Mocker, Strong Drink a Brawler

August 4, 2024 • Proverbs 20

THE FIRST VERSE of Proverbs 20 expresses a truth we’ve all seen at least once: Drunkenness leads to bad behavior. But there’s more to it. In the Semitic world around ancient Israel, pagans practiced a ritual called marzeah, referenced in Amos 6:7, that was apparently intended to induce an altered state of consciousness to allow participants to communicate with the spirits of the dead—which were actually the demonic spirits of the Nephilim destroyed in the Flood. We also discuss verses related to commerce, such as God’s disapproval of dishonest weights and measures; the value of hard work and avoiding idle gossip; and allowing the Lord to work in His own time instead of taking it upon ourselves to execute what we think is His judgment. Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to http://gilberthouse.org/hopeforsarah.

A Fool's Lips Walk Into a Fight

July 21, 2024 • Proverbs 18, Proverbs 19

THE DANGER OF acting without thinking is a theme that runs through this week's study in the Book of Proverbs. The value of wisdom and prudence is emphasized throughout Proverbs, and the foolishness of pride or trusting in one’s wealth instead of God are repeated throughout these chapters. It may seem repetitious to hear the same concepts again and again, but given that so many of us have failed to learn the lessons Solomon committed to papyrus nearly 3,000 years ago it seems the repetition is necessary to drive the points home.