Song of Solomon

Peace With Your Past, Present, and Future

July 31, 2024 • Scott Richards • Song of Songs 8:8–14, Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 30:7–9, 1 Corinthians 2:9

The Song of Solomon ends with the Shulamite in a place of peace and security in her relationship with Solomon. Solomon himself is in a place of security and contentment where he can simply listen to and minister to his bride. The Shulamite has come to the kind of peace only God can provide regardless of and in light of her past and future. 1. People can't be Jesus. But Jesus can be Himself through us. 2. Don't ignore your past. Learn from it in light of what God has done. 3. The perfect marriage in this life is merely foreshadowing eternal life with Jesus.

I Want To Know What Love Is

July 24, 2024 • Scott Richards • Song of Songs 8:5–7, 1 Corinthians 13:4–8, 1 Peter 3:7, Romans 8:38–39

The Shulamite makes an observation about love that parallels with Paul's definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. With seven points of comparison, she emphasizes all of its aspects with direct parallels to the power and nature of God. Apart from God, love is impossible. The best we can do apart from Him are the feelings that come and go without understanding their purpose. 1. Love comes from God. 2. Love lasts because of God. 3. Love is based on the nature of God.

Operation Appreciation

July 3, 2024 • Scott Richards • Ecclesiastes 4:12, Ephesians 5:22–33, 1 Peter 3:7, Song of Songs 7—8

The Shulamite and Solomon's relationship reaches its peak from two perspectives. Solomon has learned more things he admires and expresses about his wife, and his wife has learned to focus more on him than herself. This growth didn't happen overnight, nor did it take place naturally. Marriage and intimacy both require a conscious and purposeful effort with God as the center to make it an effective demonstration of His character. 1. A growing relationship is one that continues to learn about each other. 2. Men desire respect. Women desire love. Both require the Holy Spirit. 3. Pursue marital intimacy intentionally or it will quickly be drowned out by the other things that distract us from ministry.

I'm Married, Now What

June 26, 2024 • Scott Richards • Isaiah 16:10–11, Proverbs 31:29, Ecclesiastes 4:9–11, Song of Songs 5—6

The Shulamite has her second dream following her and Solomon's first major fight. We aren't explicitly told what caused it, but we are told how they resolved it. Because God was the center of Solomon and the Shulamite's relationship, He was there to bring both of them together and motivate the same kind of grace He has shown all of us. 1. Conflict is inevitable. What needs to follow is reconciliation. 2. Remember the reasons you loved each other at the beginning. 3. God should be the foundation and center of every relationship.

Bring Me A Higher Love

June 19, 2024 • Scott Richards • Song of Songs 4—5, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 19:4–6, Genesis 2:23–25

Solomon and the Shulamite enjoy their wedding night. With a godly model of a man that focuses entirely on the needs of his spouse, we find that God isn't against the concept of sex. He is simply in favor of purity and exclusivity over the twisted counterfeits this world tries to claim will satisfy the way only God's way can. 1. The best way to have your needs met is to focus on the needs of others. 2. It's never too late to do the right thing. 3. Jesus is the model for anything and everything we do in this life.

Perception from a Procession

June 12, 2024 • Scott Richards • Exodus 30:34–38, Philippians 1:6, Revelation 19:9–10

Solomon sending for his bride serves as a beautiful foreshadowing of the day when Jesus will send for us to be brought to His presence in glory. While biblical symbolism is something we need to handle carefully, the reality is plain. Heaven leaves us with a lot to look forward to. If for no other reason than Jesus is going to be there waiting for us. 1. The smells that accompanied Solomon's bride are commonly used to illustrate prayer and intimacy with God. 2. The security that accompanied Solomon's bride are pictures of His personal involvement seeing us home. 3. The crown of Solomon that his bride saw wasn't one of power, but of love and restoration through the grace of God.

Pieces of a Dream

June 5, 2024 • Scott Richards • Song of Songs 3:1–5, Ephesians 4:26–27, Micah 6:8, James 1:5–8

God uses a dream in Solomon's Song to communicate to the Shulamite the division between her and Solomon leading up to their wedding and healed those anxieties by focusing her instead on their marriage. 1. Dreams from God can happen. 2. Dreams from God will always challenge us personally and practically in our walk with Him. 3. Dreams from God will always confirm what we have written in His Word.

The Challenge of Courtship

May 29, 2024 • Scott Richards • Psalm 121, James 1:2–4, 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Song of Songs 2:2–17

Solomon and the Shulamite enter their dating phase where there is undeniably physical attraction and desire between the two of them. Yet in the midst of these legitimate gifts from God, the time and place are also considered. Their regard for God's standards before marriage will be reflected in how well they honor them during marriage as well. 1. Feelings are good servants, but poor masters. 2. Delayed gratification is a lost virtue that deserves a comeback in Christian circles. 3. Deal with little problems early before they become big ones.

A Blast From The Past

May 22, 2024 • Scott Richards • 2 Corinthians 5:17, Song of Songs 1—2, Proverbs 5:15–19, Psalm 141:2

Solomon and the Shulamite's dating life continues with an exchange of compliments to things they enjoy. The more these realities of their love for each other are proactively expressed, the more their insecurities and anxieties are put in their proper place as well. 1. Jesus knew what He was getting into when He saved us. 2. Attraction should be towards someone's character as much as appearance. 3. Jesus' words should bear more authority on who we are than our feelings.

Getting Traction on Attraction

May 15, 2024 • Scott Richards • Song of Songs 1:2–8, Hebrews 13:4, Proverbs 18:1, 1 Peter 3:3–4

Solomon's song begins with the woman expressing a physical attraction and desire for Solomon. She has issues and history, but seeks Godly counsel and pursues Solomon in such a way where both are able to experience and acknowledge the emotions that will naturally accompany attraction to each other. God isn't against these things. The challenge is balancing a desire to be with someone and committing to their walk with God as one you'd want to emulate as well. 1. God considers marriage, sex, and physical attraction as honorable. Not sinful by nature. 2. Everyone has issues. What makes someone exceptional is if they bring them to God or not. 3. Every relationship should be built on common ground.

The Birds and the Bees and The Song of Solomon

May 8, 2024 • Scott Richards • Genesis 2:18–25, 1 Kings 4:29–34, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Song of Songs 1:1

From courtship and engagement to the passionate and sustainable love of marriage, the book of Song of Solomon is the lyrics to the most significant divinely inspired song composed by the wisest man to ever live. The content conveys the profound truths about authentic love and the sanctity and pleasure of marriage while also metaphorically illustrating God’s love for His people. 1. God is just as involved with our sex lives as any other part of our lives. 2. Solomon's perspective on relationships came from experiencing God's ideal and the World's as well. 3. Don't just know what God says about marital intimacy. Understand and live accordingly.

Calvary Christian Fellowship of Tucson, AZ

Romance, Revelation and Reviving Your Relationships