Today's Reading September 23

Good morning on the Lord's Day.
This morning's reading completes the Song of Solomon, chapters 6, 7, and 8. This is an interesting part of Scripture, as I hope you've discovered. And there is and has long been a good bit of discussion over just what it all means. As a description of love and the human level, it is pretty heady stuff. But there are those - and I count my poor self as one - who see other things there. There are those who see this also as allegory, quite a number of Jewish theologians are joined with Christian ones, and this goes back quite a long way. The allegory theories see this as symbolic of the love of the Lord for His people and their longing for Him. The Christians see a Christ-figure here. I don't know, not sure I ever will. But it's intense reading. And the Jews have a good reason to be reading it often - every Friday evening among the Sephardim. I do know this - the love that the Lord has for His people and His people for Him, these are not bland and superficial, the love is complete and passionate and strong. I'm glad of that.

Chapter 6
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.
12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

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This evening's reading is Paul's letter to the Galatians, chapter 1
Galatians is an important and powerful part of Christian Scipture. Read sometime the great influence it had on Martin Luther, who found there the convincing proof of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith, not of works. There are a few parts of this short section that just always jump out at me:

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

and the final verse of this passage:

24 And they glorified God in me.

Who among us has a personal testimony so powerful that others hear it, and praise God? Actually, probably a number of us do, we just hide the fact, and so steal the glory that is rightly His.