"CHAPTER EIGHT"

THE SONG OF SONGS (Chapter Eight)

  "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalms 103:1-5)

  Whatever you were expecting to happen, what happen was meant for good; somehow and someway, it is for the good of the church, and it will somehow also be good for Israel. I was reminded about that will listening to Pastor Jeff yesterday, as he explained the verse from Jeremiah 29:11 was given in a time of great despair and calamity for Israel; yet God says: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end." As some may interpret the events, that God is giving the people what they want, as if to say, 'You won't acknowledge Me and give Me the praise and worship I deserve, then have it your way!' 

  There are some serious issues we are needing to be held accountable for; nothing gets done and is not going to be dealt with without consequences and some sort of outcome that hurts a little. No matter if you are saved or not, you still need to deal with the consequences of sin; we that are saved, get to come out of the fire unscathed and smelling free from smoke! Just a little bit of relief, incase you were feeling some heat or worried about anything that might happen to you in this life; this life will have no affect upon your eternal life in Christ! 

  As you might know, Solomon was not a man of war; he may have had horses and chariots, and even held them up as something of power; but it was never ever in his heart to go to war. But he sure did like to show off the greatness and splendor of his kingdom. Material things can have that affect on the human heart; no matter who you are or how much you might have, once you start collecting, you can't get enough. Call it materialism if you want, because in the case of Solomon, it became his tendency to want more; because more was something that brought pride and power.

  To be perfectly clear, God is not the least bit against blessing us with more, as long as we keep wanting more of Him! Some people learn that the hard way, after all that they have is taken away; and some people learn it at the top of the heap, once they realize that all that stuff did nothing to bring peace and joy. As Solomon put it, in perfect clarity: "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now." (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 NLT)

  I know, you think this was old news, and that we have somehow entered into a whole new era of power and inventions that surpass any other time in history; that Solomon had now idea what he was saying or what might take place in the future. Well, as far a material things go, this might be the case; but if you are speaking about the life of the person, it's the same old basic instinct, just another way to display new toys and fantasies. It is all going to be dissolved! The same final result: a pile of ashes and a puff of smoke. 

  The soul, on the other hand, it has a different set of standards; a little more long lasting and harder to kill. As a matter of fact, it might not be able to die at all! It will live on and on, into eternity! Crazy thing to think about, but it is very clearly the case! Jesus said with complete clarity: ""Then they will reply: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."" (Matthew 25:44-46 NLT) 

  Matthew Henry finishes off the commentary for the last chapter, as such: "Those that truly love Christ will think all they have, even their most pleasant fruits, and what they have treasured up most carefully, too little to be bestowed upon him, and he is welcomed to it all; if it were more and better, it should be at his service. It is all from him, and therefore it is fit it should be all for him." Thus we move into the new day with a new expectancy: If it is going to be new, it is going to old news to God! Everything is His; everything is in His control; and nothing, absolutely nothing, happens outside of His will! No matter how evil it might appear, or how destructive it might become, there is nothing new to the reason that God allows everything to happen...

"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:22-25)