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Four Points Church in Acworth, Georgia.
Episodes
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Monday Nov 18, 2019
This passage opens with Solomon continuing in his pursuit of his Shulamite bride. Verse eight of chapter four is the first time in the book that Solomon calls the Shulamite “his bride,” which is the word kallah in Hebrew. This word is literally translated as “bride” or “young wife,” thus acknowledging the public status of their relationship. The two have now joined and have become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). This union results in abundant delight and pleasure (5:1). Sex was meant not only for procreation, but also for pleasure between a husband and wife. The intimacy we experience in sex with our spouse was designed to point us to a greater intimacy that we will experience when our Savior appears for His bride at the second coming. He has united us to Himself, and empowered us with His Spirit to battle our sin and glorify Him in our lives and marriages. Jesus didn’t do all this because we were beautiful and unstained. He did this to make us beautiful. The gospel renews what sin has distorted!
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
The bride has longed to be one with her love, Solomon. Solomon has also greatly desired his bride. Time has not allowed them the intimacy they both crave. They have labored for their chastity, but that will change now, as the springtime of their love has finally come. It is the day of their wedding (vs. 11), and Solomon arrives in the splendor of his kingly office. Those in attendance can smell the many pleasing aromas of the king as he made his approach. He is being carried upon a specially-made carriage for this occasion. Sixty mighty men surround Solomon—more than double the mighty men of his father, David (2 Samuel 28:13). The carriage was built with the finest materials the ancient world had to offer, the accessories and decor inlaid with skill and precision.Solomon’s entrance demonstrated the opulence of his stature and the excellency of his rule. The daughters of Jerusalem loved their king and were eager for him to experience the joy of his wedding.
Sunday Nov 03, 2019
Sunday Nov 03, 2019
Chapter three begins with the Shulammite bride alone in the privacy of her bedroom. Some commentators view the next passage as a dream and some view it as a reality. Nevertheless, the point of the next five verses is evident. The bride deeply desires to be with the one she loves. She leaves the comforts of her house and ventures out into the dangers of the city at night to find Solomon. Keep in mind the city streets and squares at night were not the safest of places, especially for young women during this time. She is willing to risk her safety to find her love, and she will stop at nothing to pursue him. When she finds Solomon, she clings to him desperately. She then takes him back to the intimacy of her mother’s house. Of course there is a sexual connotation here, but that is not the point. She desires sex in the appropriate context, the context of marriage and family. Her mother’s house was the house were she was born. It is the house that is so closely connected to her and her past. Her desire is for her husband to truly be united to her, not just physically. This reminds us of God’s design and plan for marriage found in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” However, the time for their marital consummation is not yet, as love has not quite been awakened (3:5).
Monday Oct 28, 2019
Monday Oct 28, 2019
We now see the bride take her own advice. Solomon comes to her. She sees him on the other side of the wall and peering through the lattice to get her attention. He calls out to her. His words are sweet poetry that would melt the heart of any young maiden (vs. 10-13). His intention is clear. He wants her to come to him. The time is right he proclaims. “The spring is here and everything is in blossom and so should our love also bloom,” he says. He longs for her and he is ready for her. We know from chapter one that the bride shares the same desires to be with her groom. However, she answers him, “Not yet.” Her response is not a harsh rejection. She reminds him that she is his as he belongs to her (vs. 16).
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Monday Oct 21, 2019
The scene begins with a response from Solomon to his future bride, who is seeking out the one she loves in the heat of the day. Penned in this passage of Scripture are the words of these two future lovers to each other that paint a beautiful picture of intimacy within marriage. As this passage reveals, intimacy is far more than sexual desires or strong emotions. It is a deep longing for another individual that is rooted in a selfless desire to serve and to sacrifice for the good of another. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that has devalued and degraded marriage and emphasized personal gain and contentment at all cost. Self is often at the center of our decisions, emotions, and actions. Combine this with the stain of sin that still dwells in us, and we are forced to admit that we tend to seek for intimacy outside of the means that God has graciously provided. God has uniquely designed marriage between a husband and a wife as an avenue for gracious intimacy that our souls desperately need.
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Song of Solomon is part of the wisdom literature within the Old Testament. While many mistake it as a book, it is actually a song—and not just any song. The opening line of this song is a superlative that declares it to be the “song of songs.” We find examples of other superlatives throughout the Scripture, such as “holy of holies” and “King of kings” (Exodus 26:33; Revelation 19:16). These superlatives suggest something is the greatest of the great. In the case of this song we are about to study, it is the greatest song of any songs. Songs are poems written to be accompanied by music and because of this, a great deal of imagery and literary devices commonly associated with poetry should be expected as we move forward.
Monday Oct 07, 2019
Monday Oct 07, 2019
Our text begins quite symbolically with the dawn of a new day. This first day of the week would come to be known as the “Lord’s Day” where Christians would gather in the name of Jesus for the next two thousand years and counting (John 20:1; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). This new day of worship is significant in at least two ways. First, death has always been an enemy to humanity. Second, there is incredible hope for the believer, not only for eternity, but also in this life now. It does not matter what trials or sufferings you face. What matters is that you know Jesus will bring you through them and you will be stronger on the other side. This is our hope in this life, as well as in eternity.
Monday Sep 30, 2019
Monday Sep 30, 2019
This text is the pinnacle of Matthew’s gospel. In fact, the crucifixion (and resurrection) of Jesus is the apex of the Bible and all of Human History. Jesus came to lay his life down in the place of guilty sinners. All of Matthew has been building to this point and the events found in this passage. Jesus demonstrates to us how His death satisfies the tension between God’s Holiness and steadfast love towards His sinful people. Jesus traded places with us to satisfy the debt that we owe but cannot pay. Everything that Jesus endured during these dark moments in history should have been given to us. But praise be to God that Jesus took our place!
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Monday Sep 23, 2019
During the time of Jesus, Israel was under Roman control. When Rome conquered a territory, they would always send a Roman official to serve as governor of that area. Pontius Pilate was that official. However, Israel was not a prestigious appointment. History tells us that Pilate served there for 11 years, which was much longer than any of the governors before or after him. This means that Pilate wasn’t that great of a governor and couldn’t get promoted to a better post. He provoked the Jews in numerous ways that led to numerous insurrections and a great deal of social unrest. He would steal from the temple treasury to pay for his building projects and even allowed the Romans to worship Caesar in front of the temple. Pilate’s career ended when he was eventually fired and banned from government work by the Roman Emperor Caligula.
Monday Sep 16, 2019
Monday Sep 16, 2019
Jesus and His disciples end their final Passover meal with singing. This was common practice in Judaism during the first century. The Jewish hymnbook was the Psalms. Psalms 113-118 were known as the “Hallel” or “praise psalms” and traditionally sung at Passover. If Jesus followed the custom, Psalm 118 would be the hymn that was sung in this text. Jesus then took His disciples to the Mount of Olives. Once there He laid another bitter truth on the disciples. He told them, “they would all fall away this very night” (vs. 31). Peter becomes the focus of their prophesied failure, but “all” the disciples claim their loyalty, and they “all” fail their Lord (vs. 56). Jesus took His inner circle, Peter, James, and John, into a garden to pray.