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Context Matters: The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things

March 14, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that our hearts are deceitful, wicked, and sick beyond all cure. You’ve been taught that our desires should always be questioned and our impulses should always be doubted. Anything we want—because that want blooms in our heart—should be suspect.

This is no inspirational teaching, so you won’t spot it on posters or mugs. But I see this verse dashed into arguments like salt in soup. Are we using using this verse properly? When we learn to read the Bible like a book and not as isolated bullet points, we’ll see that some familiar phrases don’t mean all that we’ve always assumed.

The Immediate Context

The verse in question is found in Jeremiah 17:9. Here it is with some surrounding context.

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:5–10)

We first observe the connection between a man’s heart and his trust. A “man who trusts in man” is one whose “heart turns away from the Lord” (Jer 17:5). This man is cursed. In contrast, the man is blessed who “trusts in the Lord,” and from the structure we infer that his heart does not turn from the Lord.

This connection is essential to a proper understanding of this passage, and it is evident throughout Jeremiah’s prophecy as well. (More on this later.) This is also true in the larger context of the Bible—the heart is not primarily the origin of feelings; it is the control center for trust and worship.

We further see that the question asked in verse 9 (“who can understand it?”) is answered in verse 10 (“I the Lord”). Even if man cannot know his own heart, the Lord understands it well enough to treat everyone “according to the fruit of [their] deeds” (Jer 17:10).

Before moving on, we should examine the paragraph just prior to this passage. God is speaking, and he says that “the sin of Judah” is “written on the tablet of their heart” (Jer 17:1). The children of Judah have altars and Asherim (wooden idol-worship poles) “beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country” (Jer 17:2–3). Turning away from God involves both turning to other people and turning to idols.

The Broader Context

In Jeremiah 16, the Lord tells Jeremiah what he should say when others ask what sin the people have committed against God.

Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. (Jeremiah 16:11–12)

The primary way that God’s people rebelled against him in Jeremiah’s day was to forsake him, turning to and serving other gods. As we can see from earlier in this prophetic book, it is the people’s hearts that lead them astray.

The “people [have] a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.” They do not fear the Lord (Jer 5:23–24).
The people “stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them” (Jer 9:14).
“This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them” (Jer 13:10).

There are numerous other examples in the first 16 chapters of Jeremiah which mention Israel’s idolatry and turning away from God. (Most of Jeremiah 10:1–16 is a contrast between the Lord and idols, showing just how ridiculous it is to prefer idols over God.)

Conclusion

Modern Christians like to seize upon the word “heart” in Jeremiah 17:9; they point it as an accusing finger and waive it as a grand caution flag. But this verse was written to a particularly idolatrous people in a specific time. Jeremiah had exhorted them repeatedly about the tendency of their hearts to prefer other gods to the Lord.

This does not mean that 21st century Christians are exempt from warning in this passage. God’s people were led by their hearts away from him before, and the same can (and does!) happen to us. We also must watch our desires, our trust, and our security. But this verse does not teach that we must be suspicious of our every thought or emotion.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Context Matters: O, Death, Where is Your Sting?

February 25, 2022 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Clint Watkins. Clint is a missionary with DiscipleMakers in Lancaster, PA. His passion is to help sufferers find hope through honest wrestling. He blogs at frailfather.com, and you can find him on Instagram @clintdwatkins.

Perhaps you’re familiar with these hopeful and defiant questions: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” You may have sung them on Easter Sunday to revel in Jesus’ triumph and deliver death a lyrical one-two punch. Or maybe you have stood silent as others around you sang victoriously—you believe that Jesus overcame death’s power, but you have felt defeated by death’s pain.

Whatever your experience is with these questions, they reverberate with hope. Jesus conquered the grave. The tomb is empty. We’ve been set free.

But could our taunting of death be premature?

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible as it is—not merely as an archive of lyrics for happy songs—we may find our most cherished verses to provide even deeper hope than we imagined.

Resurrection Matters

These rhetorical questions come from 1 Corinthians 15, one of the most important chapters in your Bible. Some believers were saying Christ did not rise. So Paul realigns their history and theology.

If there is no resurrection then we have some serious issues: preaching is pointless (1 Cor 15:14), faith is worthless (1 Cor 15:14), we’re still in our sin (1 Cor 15:17), and the dead have perished forever (1 Cor 15:18). If Jesus did not rise then we have no hope beyond the grave and Christians are “of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor 15:19). So we should just party hard until we die (1 Cor 15:32).

Christian faith rests entirely on Jesus’ resurrection. If it did not happen, we are magnificent fools. But Paul establishes the historical fact of the resurrection, verified by hundreds of eyewitness accounts (1 Cor 15:1-11). The empty tomb changes everything.

Jesus’ resurrection reverses the curse of sin. Death is mere sleep for those who are in Christ—just as he rose, so will we (1 Cor 15:20-22). We will exchange our broken frames for glorious bodies (1 Cor 15:35-49). Jesus’ resurrection means life has purpose—what we do matters. Instead of indulging every craving, we ought to live holy lives (1 Cor 15:34) driven by the grace of Jesus’ victory (1 Cor 15:57). Preaching the gospel is not pointless, but is “of first importance” (1 Cor 15:3). So we should “always [be] abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58).

Tense Matters

This brings us to our refrain of questions, which occur in Paul’s crescendo at the chapter’s end. Take note of the verb tenses in this passage:

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
1 Cor 15:51-55

Do you notice how much of this is future tense? We shall not all sleep. We shall be changed. The trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised.

Paul gazes down time’s corridor and describes an unimaginable scene: We are alive, and death is dead.

The resurrection accomplishes the unbelievable. But not all of these promises have been fulfilled yet. This includes the defiant questions we sing so often. Quoting Isaiah 25 and Hosea 13, Paul says, “then shall come to pass the saying that is written.” You might expect him to say these promises have been fulfilled because of Jesus’ resurrection. And that’s how we often use these verses—as a present reality. But Paul’s eyes remain on the future.

We will, one day, mock death at its defeat. We will taunt, “Where is your sting? Where is your victory?” But that day has not yet come.

Death Matters

Why is this distinction important?

In a passage like this, we should hesitate to claim future promises as present reality. We don’t, afterall, profess that our bodies have already been transformed or that Jesus has already returned. These things, including death’s final defeat, are our inheritance in Christ—guaranteed, but not yet dispensed.

Specifically, to declare that death’s sting has already vanished can lead to a casual posture toward death. Excessive triumph can promote Christian dismissiveness. This leads some believers to avoid sorrow while others feel guilty for their grief.

But this passage is not about how to grieve. Elsewhere, we see that Paul does not treat death casually. Losing people hurts. He himself spoke of “sorrow upon sorrow” when he considered his friend’s potential death (Phil 2:27). And he encouraged the Thessalonians to grieve—with hope—for those who died (1 Thess 5:13).

This lines up with how Christ encounters the grave in John 11. How does Jesus respond to death, even when he knows resurrection is imminent? He weeps (Jn 11:35).

As Tim Keller says,

Death is not the way it ought to be. It is abnormal, it is not a friend, it isn’t right. This isn’t truly part of the circle of life. Death is the end of it. So grieve. Cry. The Bible tells us not only to weep, but to weep with those who are weeping. We have a lot of crying to do.

You do not have to dismiss the pain of losing someone you love. Wisdom weeps. Godliness grieves.

We need not ponder where death’s sting has gone. It’s still here. For a little while longer.

Hope Matters

Recognizing this does not dampen resurrection hope—it deepens it. Because the gospel holds our pain in tension with God’s promises. It permits honesty in the face of grief yet assurance that God will resolve our sorrow one day. We still wait for death’s final defeat. Until then, its sting runs deep. Yet the empty tomb of our risen king declares that the sting won’t last forever.

Context matters.

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For more examples of why context matters, click here.

The Fragility of Hope in Lamentations 3

February 4, 2022 By Peter Krol

Last year, my collaborator Ryan wrote a wonderful piece on why context matters in Lamentations 3. We sing Chisolm’s comforting poetry (“Summer and winter, springtime and harvest … Great is Thy faithfulness!”) but can easily miss how hard-fought and hard-won such hope really is.

The hope of Lamentations 3 is not the hope of a college acceptance letter or a career promotion. It is more like the cautious and suspicious hope of a positive pregnancy test for a chronically infertile couple. Or the slippery and fragile hope of a brand new widow learning how to manage the finances that had been handled all those years by her dearly departed. Yes, there is hope of good things to come. But such hope has come at great cost.

I encourage you to read Ryan’s piece before continuing, because I would like to build on what he wrote there.

Photo by **RODNAE Productions** from **Pexels**

What is Good, Good, Good

Study Bibles are typically quick to point out that chapters 1 through 4 of Lamentations are all acrostics in the original Hebrew, where each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order. In other words, if it were English, verse 1 would start with the letter A, verse two with the letter B, and so on. However, chapter 3 triples the pattern, which is why that chapter has 3 times as many verses. In that chapter, verses 1, 2, and 3 all start with the first letter of the alphabet, verses 4, 5, and 6 with the second letter, and so on.

Now while studying Lamentations 3, I recently read Christopher Wright’s commentary (Bible Speaks Today series), and he observed that there are two places in the chapter where all three verses in a group start with not only the same letter but with the same word. That more emphatic repetition draws closer attention to those stanzas.

The first such stanza is Lam 3:25-27, which all begin with the Hebrew word that gets translated as “good.” Good is Yahweh to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him (Lam 3:25). Good it is that one should wait quietly for Yahweh’s salvation (Lam 3:26). Good it is for a man to bear the yoke in his youth (Lam 3:27).

These three reminders of what is good, good, good, take on a crucial role in the poem. In the first 18 verses, the poet took a number of metaphors from the Psalms, such as “Yahweh is my shepherd” and “Yahweh is a mighty warrior,” and he gave them a sinister spin, such that this shepherd has apparently turned the weapons of his warfare against his own sheep. In the midst of such raw feelings and wrestlings, it is critical to recall what is good, good, good.

And note that he does not say that “my suffering is good.” No, he says Yahweh is good. And it is good that my suffering makes me wait for him to show up and rescue. And it is good to learn such patient waiting while we’re young. All of this deepens our trust that our greatest hope is not even the fact that Yahweh’s love and mercy never cease (Lam 3:22-23); our greatest hope is that, at the end of all this suffering and waiting, we get more of him as our share of inheritance (Lam 3:24). Yahweh is my portion; therefore I will hope in him.

So when we go through hard times, let’s make sure to get our definitions right of what is good, good, good.

What It’s All For, For, For

Wright observes that the second stanza with a repeated word at the start of all three lines is Lam 3:31-33. And that word is typically translated as “for.” But this stanza is the second one we should look to for special emphasis.

In these three verses, the poet takes the glorious truths of Lam 3:19-30 and applies them to the dark feelings of Lam 3:1-18. This stanza shows the poet in action, fighting vigorously for that fragile hope in the midst of his agony. This is what it looks like to take truth and apply it to circumstances or feelings.

According to Lam 3:31, the Lord is, without question, the one who has cast him off. His circumstances are not the product of blind fate, angry enemies, or a callous universe. His situation has been decreed from God (“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?” Lam 3:38). The Lord has cast him off. But he will not do so forever. His mercies never come to an end.

According to Lam 3:32, the Lord is the one who has caused the poet grief. But that is not the end of the story. His steadfast, covenant love never ceases. This love is so abundant that it is bound to spill over and pour out in compassion.

According to Lam 3:33, the Lord afflicts and grieves the children of men. Again, they are not victims to competing forces of good and evil striving for supremacy. No, the Lord has done it. But he does not do it from his heart. His heart toward his people is not one of disappointment and condemnation. His heart of hearts is one of compassionate love.

Fight for Hope

So often in life, hope comes only after a hard fight. Fight to admit how hard life really is. Fight to believe what you know to be true. Fight to confess God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the one behind all you are going through. If he is responsible for having gotten you into this mess, then only he can truly be responsible to get you out of it. Jesus died and rose to make it happen. The process of learning this and waiting for him to show up and make it right is so good for you and me. That is what inspires us to hope and to trust that what we most need is more of the Lord himself. However fragile that hope may be amid deep affliction.

Context Matters: Righteous Deeds Are Like Filthy Rags

January 31, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Adapted from Erich Ferdinand (2010), Creative Commons

Perhaps you’ve heard that all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before God. You’ve been taught that God looks at our works and sees something unclean, a pitiful offering not worthy of his attention.

This phrase is often used to urge sinners to embrace Jesus’s work instead of their own for salvation. But is this a correct use of Isaiah’s words? When we learn to read the Bible as a book and not a loose collection of verses and phrases, we’ll see that some familiar sayings take on different meanings than we’ve always assumed.

No Salvation by Works

This memorable phrase comes from Isaiah 64.

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

I often hear this verse cited to emphasize the emptiness of pursuing salvation by works. The speaker usually comments on how the “polluted garment” may be the Old Testament version of a menstrual cloth—a vivid and effective image. (In my memory, this was an ingredient in the first presentation of the gospel to which I responded!)

The problem, as you may have guessed, is that this verse is often pulled out of context. And when that happens with this particular phrase, young disciples may be left questioning their efforts to obey God. If God views our deeds as bloody rags, why should we try to do anything righteous?

The Meaning of “Righteous”

How could God hate righteous deeds? We only need to look at the surrounding verses to answer this question.

You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? (Isaiah 64:5)

The first clause in verse 5 shows that God is not against every attempt at righteousness. Further, this helps us understand that the “righteousness” in Isaiah 64:5 cannot be the same as the “righteous deeds” in Isaiah 64:6. God cannot embrace what he calls unclean.

The “righteous deeds” of verse 6 must be ceremonial tasks (or something similar) done by those who have been in their sins a long time (Isaiah 64:5–6). God hates these deeds because they are not righteous at all.

God Our Father

Another key observation about this passage is how the Lord is being addressed. Yes, the people have sinned and turned away, but the prophet (on behalf of the people) is calling on God as “Father.” (This shows up twice in Isaiah 63:16, and also in Isaiah 64:8.)

The rebellion of God’s people can be so great that “righteous deeds” are like polluted garments. This would not be a surprise to Isaiah’s audience, as it formed the spine of his argument in Isaiah 1:10–17. God wanted offerings, incense, and assemblies to stop because the people did them in vain, with their hands full of blood. Going through the motions without love for the Lord is worthless.

God’s people were privileged to call him “Father,” and as their father he wanted their whole-hearted worship. Offering disjointed obedience to the Lord after being seduced by sin is offensive to the One who has been compassionate and merciful (see Isaiah 63:7–14).

In the modern church, the phrase about righteous deeds being like filthy rags is often used to persuade unbelievers. But in the context of Isaiah 64, God’s people are in view. Unlike unbelievers, they knew what righteous deeds were, but they carried them out with cold hearts.

The Dangers of Sin

There are several passages that could be used to instruct unbelievers about salvation by faith alone. That is a glorious truth, and the church should teach it! But we need not resort to pulling this colorful simile out of context to make the point.

The sobering truth of this passage is that God’s people can be deluded. We can chase after sin so much that our attempts to worship and glorify God are offensive to him.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Psalm 91: Salvation for Those Who Make the Lord Their Dwelling Place

January 17, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Some psalms are on everyone’s list of favorites. They contain evocative phrases and describe jaw-dropping promises.

Sometimes we love these psalms—or portions of these psalms—without looking at them carefully. Today we’ll take a close look at Psalm 91.

To Dwell and Trust

The first two verses of Psalm 91 function as a summary of the entire poem.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1–2)

For those that know and love the Lord, closeness to him is precious. Given the cause-and-effect in verse 1 (dwell in his shelter then abide in his shadow), the reader naturally wants to know, How do I dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

This question is answered at several points in the psalm, including in the following verse! In part, we dwell in God’s shelter by trusting him as our refuge and fortress (Psalm 91:2). This means we trust God for rest (as our refuge) and protection (as our fortress).

Deliverance from Snares and Fears

In Psalm 91:3–8 we read some of the implications of abiding in the “shadow of the Almighty.”

God will deliver from traps and disease (Psalm 91:3). Like a mother bird, he will protect his children (Psalm 91:4). Because he is our refuge, he will take away fear of attack and sickness (Psalm 91:5–6). Though tragedy may strike many nearby, it will not touch us (Psalm 91:7–8).

One quick observation. We can follow the structure of this psalm by paying attention to the pronouns. After the header (verse 1), the psalmist speaks to the Lord (“my God”) in verse 2. Then in Psalm 91:3–13 the author writes of God in the third person (“he”) and addresses a reader (or perhaps himself) in the second person (“you”). In the final section of the song, Psalm 91:14–16, the Lord speaks in the first person (“I”) and discusses a loyal follower (“him”).

No Evil Will Befall You

In the next section (Psalm 91:9–13), the psalmist continues to enumerate the blessings of being protected by the Lord. Yet the stakes (and the help) are not just more of the same.

In verse 9, the poet reiterates that God shows his goodness to those who have made the Lord their dwelling place. If that is the case, no plague will come near, and no evil will befall you (Psalm 91:10). Why? Because God will command his angels to take care of you (Psalm 91:11–12). Think how dear his people must be in order for the Lord to deploy his heavenly army for protection! (If you’re curious about how these verses are used by Satan to tempt Jesus, read this article.)

From scores of Bible passages we know that Psalm 91:10 is not a promise of an easy, curse-free life. The language of this psalm, particularly as it escalates in these verses, points us to eternal rather than temporal fulfillment of God’s promises.

This section discusses evil and angels, so the psalmist has not just earthly but cosmic conflict in mind. Verse 13 may pick up on that theme. A blessing of dwelling with the Lord is trampling on the young lion and the serpent (Psalm 91:13). So God may be enlisting his children (and foreshadowing the Lord Jesus) in turning back evil.

Blessings of Holding Fast to the Lord

In the final stanza of the psalm we read of God’s blessings from his perspective. We also have a fuller answer to our earlier question of how someone would dwell in God’s shelter.

God gives three indicators in these final verses of how to be blessed. Such a person must hold fast to God in love, he must know God’s name, and he must cry out to God in trouble (Psalm 91:14–15). In response, the Lord promises blessing upon blessing: he will deliver, protect, be with, rescue, and honor him. The final verse of the psalm is the culmination of all these blessings: “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16).

We must not forget Jesus as we interpret any portion of Scripture. To “hold fast” to God demands that we do so as he stipulates. And Jesus tells us that we must abide in him (John 15:4). The good news of the gospel of Jesus is that our blessings depend on his faithfulness, not ours.

Application From a Favorite Psalm

It’s easy to see why this psalm is a favorite. Especially for those who are fearful and those who need protection, God gives deep and sweeping promises. What is the psalmist’s main point?

There is salvation for those who make the Lord God their dwelling place.

What are some possible applications? For personal/inward application, I landed on some challenging questions. Here’s just one: Do I trust the Lord and treat him as my refuge and fortress? If I am failing to trust the Lord, it might be helpful to list as many reasons as possible—from the Bible and my walk with God—that he can be trusted to provide rest and protection. Remember, it is God’s faithfulness that is a shield for us (Psalm 91:4).

There are numerous outward applications as well. Our friends and neighbors may dwell in the shelter of many things aside from the Lord. Whether we have a Christian or non-Christian friend in mind, Psalm 91 offers a compelling argument to make “the Lord your dwelling place” (Psalm 91:9).

Song of Songs: The Intoxication of True Love in its Time

January 14, 2022 By Peter Krol

When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth, there was only one thing that he declared was not good: the man’s being alone. So God promptly invented romantic love, and his word is very clear about how such love works. It begins with the problem of loneliness, which is not a result of sin but simply a result of being a created being. It proceeds when boy meets girl, and things start to feel really awkward. And the only way to make progress is with poetry, song, and celebration. The World’s Greatest Song (aka The Song of Songs) is here to help.

Literary Markers

The poetry in the Song of Songs flits about from character to character, as the woman, the man, and the daughters of Jerusalem all lift their voices in an intricate back-and-forth befitting the subject matter. As a result, the poetry can appear quite mysterious and dense. Thankfully, the poet makes use of two refrains that serve, with minor variations, as paint blazes on the trail to help us follow his train of thought.

Each refrain occurs three times in the book. The first refrain is “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (Song 2:7, 3:5, 8:4). The second refrain is “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song 2:16, 6:3, 7:10). These two refrains provide the chief applications to the unmarried (do not awaken) and the married (join in mutual possession). And in addition, they help us to mark many of the book’s divisions.

In addition, the flow of most of the poems moves from separation to union (or reunion). The arcs of each section follow this general pattern where the lovers begin apart from one another and move toward one another to be together.

Walkthrough

The chief audience for the Song of Songs is the virgin daughters of Jerusalem, who are addressed all throughout the book. In this way, this book is something of a complement to the book of Proverbs, whose chief audience is the young men of Israel. This doesn’t mean that men have nothing to gain from the Song, but it helps us to understand why the woman is in the spotlight for much of the book.

After the book’s title (Song 1:1), we’re immersed right into the intoxicating nature of love, which is better than wine (Song 1:2-4). Then in the first main poem, the couple delights in the playful back-and-forth of getting to know one another and finding ways to spend time together as their attraction develops (Song 1:5-2:3). As they draw close, however, and move into a place of profound intimacy (Song 2:4-6), the woman emerges from the chamber to warn the virgins of Jerusalem not to awaken such love in themselves until the time is right (Song 2:7).

The second poem (Song 2:8-3:5) focuses on the wooing and courtship, but completely from the woman’s perspective. She describes the man coming to see her (Song 2:8-9), before quoting what he says—or what she hopes he’ll say?—to win her heart for life (Song 2:10-15). She longs for them to achieve mutual possession of one another (Song 2:16) but must still say goodbye at the end of the evening and send him back to his home (Song 2:17). This leads her to dream of what life would be like without him—a reality she cannot bear to accept (Song 3:1-4). Upon consummation of their love for one another, she emerges once more to adjure the maidens of Jerusalem not to awaken such love until the time is right (Song 3:5).

The third poem (Song 3:6-5:1) opens with a question: Who is this coming up from the wilderness, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense? (Commentaries will point out that this question is identical in wording to Song 8:5, and is most likely asking who and not what.) We will get the answer momentarily, when the naked woman is covered in myrrh and frankincense (Song 4:6). But first, the poet wishes to take a gander at the lavish and luscious bed of Solomon, “inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.” Yeah, that bed has every appearance of a seedy honeymoon suite in Las Vegas, where the “love” comes and goes with each new addition to the harem. But in contrast to the polygamous, cheap lust of Solomon, the undefiled sexuality of the Song’s couple is a glorious paradise. No shame. No fear. No violation. Sheer beauty and delight (Song 4:1-5:1). It was worth it to wait for this.

The fourth poem (Song 5:2-6:3) describes the sanctifying effect of conflict. The opening scene shows that the honeymoon has definitely come to an end, as the couple’s miscues lead to sexual tension and disappointment. But conflict is part of God’s plan to make relationships stronger than they were before. That sanctifying strengthening occurs when the daughters of Jerusalem compel the woman to answer two questions: What makes your man so great (Song 5:9-16)? And where is this relationship heading (Song 6:1-3)? In other words, now that you’ve had this fight, should we expect divorce papers? Is it all over?

The fifth poem (Song 6:4-10) provides a brief intermission highlighting the woman’s uniqueness.

You are beautiful and awesome (Song 6:4-7)
- Many queens, concubines, and virgins (Song 6:8)
  - My dove is unique and pure (Song 6:9a)
- Many queens, concubines, and virgins (Song 6:9b)
You are beautiful and awesome (Song 6:10)*

The sixth poem (Song 6:11-8:3) highlights the exclusivity of this relationship, despite the many things and people that might pull them in different directions. She goes down to check him out (Song 6:11-12), but the daughters of Jerusalem want her to return to their friend group, putting her in a tug-of-war between her friends and her lover (Song 6:13). He wins her with his praise and passion (Song 7:1-9), achieving mutual possession of one another (Song 7:10). Then the two of them celebrate their continued passion in both field (Song 7:11-13) and village (Song 8:1-3). Such fiery passion requires careful guarding, so as not to awaken it before the time is right (Song 8:4).

The final poem (Song 8:5-14) states the conclusion of the matter, reflecting on the principles that undergird the rest of the book. It is here that we learn what true love is, as defined by God, in contrast to the cheap lust of the world (as exemplified by Solomon himself). True love recognizes its own power—which is strong as death—and isn’t naive about the control it can have over a human heart (Song 8:5-7). True love esteems the virtue of virginity, as the unmarried wait for the right time and hold out for a godly partner (Song 8:8-10). True love repudiates cheap lust. Solomon is welcome to have his thousand-piece harem, but this woman’s vineyard is her own, to be given to one and only one (Song 8:11-12). True love anticipates something even better, as the book concludes with a final bit of flirting, suggestion, and innuendo for what is yet to come in the relationship (Song 8:13-14).

Conclusion

Church history is filled with the debates over whether to read this book as an allegory of God’s love for his people or as a literal picture of human marriage. Frankly, I’m not convinced we have to choose only one of those options. If it’s not about human marriage, then the metaphors of God’s relationship with his people would make no sense at all. And if it’s not also about God’s relationship with his people, then Paul, Hosea, and Ezekiel (among others) wouldn’t have gone there. This book gives us much wisdom for dating, marriage, sex, and conflict. And in so doing, it shows us the paradise of knowing Christ and being known intimately by him.

Interpretive Outline

Title – Song 1:1
Intoxicating attraction – Song 1:2-2:7
- Climax: Do not awaken love – Song 2:7
Springtime courtship – Song 2:8-3:5
1. Her perspective on his wooing of her – Song 2:8-17
  - Climax: Mutual possession – Song 2:16
2. Her dream (nightmare?) of life without him – Song 3:1-5
  - Climax: Do not awaken love – Song 3:5
Undefiled sexuality – Song 3:6-5:1
1. Not worth admiration: Solomon’s bed – Song 3:6-11
2. Worth admiration: Naked, unashamed intimacy – Song 4:1-5:1
  - Climax: Command to eat, drink, and be drunk with love – Song 5:1
Sanctifying conflict – Song 5:2-6:3
- The honeymoon is over – Song 5:2-8
- What makes this person so great? – Song 5:9-16
- Where is this relationship heading? – Song 6:1-3
  - Climax: Mutual possession – Song 6:3
Dazzling uniqueness – Song 6:4-10
Committed exclusivity – Song 6:11-8:4
- Her insecurity overcome by his desire for her – Song 6:11-7:10
  - Climax: Mutual possession – Song 7:10
- He wins the tug-of-war with her friends – Song 7:11-8:4
  - Climax: Do not awaken love – Song 8:4
True love – Song 8:5-14
- Recognizes its own power – Song 8:5-7
- Esteems the virtue of virginity – Song 8:8-10
- Repudiates cheap lust – Song 8:11-12
- Anticipates something even better – song 8:13-14

*I am grateful to my colleague Ryan Shreckengast for showing me the structure of this poem.

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Arise My Love — Part 3: Application

December 17, 2021 By Peter Krol

I’ve already shown you some of my observation and interpretation of Song of Songs 2:8-3:5, which led me to the following as the poet’s main point: A couple’s purpose in pursuing a romantic relationship ought to be the movement from separated togetherness to the mutual possession of marriage. Now it’s time to connect this main point to the gospel of Jesus Christ so I can apply it to today.

Gospel Connection

I try to avoid following my imagination from any old detail in the text to the message about Jesus. Instead, an important discipline to develop is to reflect on how the main point of the passage directs us to the gospel. In the case of the Song of Songs, I do not want to ignore or bypass a literal reference of the text to human relationships. But I also can’t avoid the fact that the Bible clearly describes how human relationships are meant to be pictures of God’s relationship with his people (e.g. Hos 1-3, Eph 5:22-33).

Therefore, the clear and selfless direction of a godly romance (toward the mutual possession of marriage) ought to be a signpost pointing the way to Jesus’ clear and selfless pursuit of his bride, the church. When Jesus invites people into a relationship with him, he’s not messing with them from selfish motives, but he’s wooing them into a covenant of mutual possession. He became a man and died to overcome our separation from him, so we can now be his forever. Because of his pursuit, through death and resurrection, the chief promise of God’s covenant is now fulfilled; the Song’s “my beloved is mine and I am his” becomes our “he is our God and we are his people.”

Application

Now that we’ve considered the main point through the lens of the gospel, how will I apply it today? Application is always tricky because it depends so much on context. And my context — situation, circumstances — differs from yours.

But here’s what has struck me as I’ve studied this text: I’m mostly impacted by it personally in the outward heart and outward hands boxes on the application matrix. In particular, I have an opportunity show my children the problems with the world’s way of mating, and to show them the delightful glory of God’s plans for his people. I want to dig into this passage with my children to show them how delightful God’s plan for mating is. I want to expose the failure of the world to find true delight in exchange for cheap counterfeits (hooking up, one-night stands, etc.). I want to draw the connection between how we mate as Christians, and what that tells the world about Christ’s love for his people.

In particular, we don’t date people just to feel close to them or to have fun being together. We date in order to purse a clear and selfless direction toward marriage. That is, the purpose of dating (or whatever we want to call it) is to discover whether marriage is a good idea.

And we can navigate the ups and downs and awkwardness of human romance because we stand fast in the reality that Christ is ours and we are his. He will never let us down, reject us, or break up with those who trust him.

Arise, My Love — Part 2: Interpretation

December 10, 2021 By Peter Krol

In a previous post, I pulled back the curtain on my observation of Song of Solomon 2:7-3:5, yielding the following structure:

Song 2:8-9 – her (daydreaming?) delight in the voice of her beloved
- Song 2:10-15 – the contents of her beloved’s voice
  - Song 2:10-13 – Arise and come away
  - Song 2:14-15 – Come out and catch up
- Song 2:16-17 – her declaration of mutual possession with her beloved
Song 3:1-4 – her dream of seeking and finding the one her soul loves
- Song 3:5 – her oath for the other young women not to stir up love yet

Now I’d like to show you how I move further into interpretation and application.

Her Daydream

The chief goal of interpretation is to arrive at the poet’s main point. And to grasp the main point of the entire poem, it helps to first grasp the main points of each of the stanzas. So I investigate each stanza with the chief goal in mind: What is the main idea here?

Song 2:8-9: Why is her leading statement regarding “the voice” — and not the character, presence, or intimacy — “of my beloved”? Apparently, she is very much looking forward to what he will say to her in Song 2:10-15. What she daydreams about is those things he will say to her. But in these introductory verses, the emphasis is on the distance between them. He comes … He stands behind … gazing through … looking through … A barrier of miles separates them at first. And even when he arrives at her home, a barrier of brick and mortar continues to separate them. So she wants him close, but he can’t get too close yet.

Photo by **Maksim Kolykhanov** from **Pexels**

Song 2:10-13: The bookends on his first stanza appear to be the main idea: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away” (Song 2:10, 13). Everything in between is in support, providing the reasons he believes will persuade her to come away with him. For him, it is no longer time to avoid awakening love (Song 2:7); the season for love is in full bloom. It’s as though he says [translated into modern jargon]: “I like you. Do you like me? Check one: YES or NO.”

Song 2:14-15: The second stanza of his speech continues his persuasion. First, he proves to be a patient and gentle suitor, cherishing her like a precious dove hiding within the cliffside. Second, he asks for help with finding the things that will spoil their vineyards. Commentaries inform me that the verbs in v.15 are plural, so he is no longer talking to her alone, but to a group of others — most likely the daughters of Jerusalem. And it doesn’t matter whether verse 15 is spoken by the man (as suggested by the ESV headings) or the woman (as suggested by CSB headings): either way, the point is that this couple invites others to hold them accountable and help them protect one another’s bodies (as “vineyards” have been metaphors of bodies thus far in the Song – Song 1:6, 2:14).

Song 2:16-17: She describes their relationship as one of mutual possession of one another (v.16), which sounds a lot like the arrival and consummation of marriage. However, in v.17, she wants him to “turn” and do his gazelle-thing on cleft mountains — at least until the morning comes. Some think the “cleft mountains” are a metaphor for her breasts. This makes sense, as his gazelle-ness on mountains is clearly a picture of marital bliss in Song 8:14. However, in Song 2:17, the main verb is the imperative to “turn.” And the reference to “mountains” connects back to where he came from (Song 2:8). So it’s more likely that, in contrast to chapter 8, in this poem she recognizes that marriage has not yet come. They are not yet married, and they must say goodbye at the end of their time together.

Main Point of Song 2:8-17: This relationship is not yet a marriage relationship, but it is clearly heading in that direction. She daydreams about his invitation to join her in the season of awakening love. But though it is spring time, it is not yet morning. They are beginning to “possess” one another (to treat one another differently from how they treat others), but they are not yet fully there. Separate togetherness is the unfortunate reality of their relationship (Song 2:8-9). He makes a risk request (Song 2:10-15). She has clarity on the desired, though not yet present, result (Song 2:16-17).

Her Dream

Song 3:1-4: We now move into a full-fledged dream, as she “seeks” him on her bed by night. She can’t find him in her bed (Song 3:1). She can’t find him in the streets (Song 3:2). She can’t find him among the night watchmen (Song 3:3). But when she finally finds him, she clings to him and refuses to let go (Song 3:4). Until she brings him into her mother’s chamber (apparently quite romantic and not awkward at all in that culture) — so her dream’s end goal is the full consummation of marriage. She doesn’t want to have to say goodbye at the end of the evening any longer!

Main point of Song 3:1-4: She aligns her dreams for the relationship with the direction in which it ought to head: toward marriage and the intimacy of the marriage bed.

Her Charge

Song 3:5: She puts the young women of Jerusalem under oath not to enter this season of love until the right time. She understands how difficult and stressful that can be, but she understands how much it is worth it.

Main point of Song 3:5: Forsake all counterfeits to such love (which is heading in the direction of God-honoring marriage).

Conclusion

I’ve written this post according to the stream of my consciousness as I worked to figure out the main point of each stanza. But I’ve arrived at the following interpretive outline:

Godly relationships pursue a clear and selfless direction – Song 2:8-17
1. The unfortunate reality of separate togetherness – Song 2:8-9
2. The risky request to join the season of awakening love – Song 2:10-15
3. The desired result of marital possession, which is almost but not yet here – Song 2:16-17
Align your dreams of romance with that direction – Song 3:1-4
Forsake all counterfeits – Song 3:5

How does all of this add up into a main point for the entire poem? Main point: A couple’s purpose in pursuing a romantic relationship ought to be the movement from separated togetherness to the mutual possession of marriage.

In a future post, I’ll walk through my thinking on connecting this main point to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then applying it to today.

The Overlooked Origin Story of Jesus

December 6, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

As the calendar flips to December, many Christian churches turn to the birth story of Jesus in their teaching and preaching. And though there are four Gospels, one is far underrepresented from the pulpit during this season.

Matthew and Luke both contain the narratives about Jesus’s birth, so the early chapters of these Gospels are in heavy rotation for sermons. We hear from the opening verses of John as well, as the lyrical description of Jesus as the Word made flesh practically jumps off the page. All the while, Mark’s Gospel seems to stay closed.

Beginnings Matter

Beginnings matter, particularly the beginnings of books of the Bible. There the author has the chance to frame their work and set up their argument.

For the sake of this article, let’s refer to “Act 1” of each gospel as all that precedes the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. What does Act 1 of each gospel look like?

In Matthew, Act 1 stretches through Matt 4:11, a total of 76 verses. There, we read Jesus’s genealogy (Matt 1:1–17), his birth (Matt 1:18–25), the visit of the magi (Matt 2:1–12), the flight to Egypt to avoid Herod’s murderous decree (Matt 2:13–23), John preparing the way for Jesus (Matt 3:1–12), Jesus’s baptism (Matt 3:13–17), and Jesus’s temptation by Satan (Matt 4:1-11). Along the way, a careful reader will notice just how much Matthew’s narrative is driven by fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

Act 1 of Luke is the longest of all, lasting until Luke 4:13, a total of 183 verses. After his dedication (Luke 1:1–4), Luke writes about the predictions of John’s (Luke 1:5–25) and Jesus’s (Luke 1:26–38) births, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and song of praise (Luke 1:39–56), John’s birth and his father’s prophecy (Luke 1:67–80), Jesus’s birth and the immediate reaction (Luke 2:1–21), Jesus’s presentation at the temple (Luke 2:22–40), his twelve-year-old venture to the temple (Luke 2:41–52), John preparing the way for Jesus (Luke 3:1–22), Jesus’s genealogy (Luke 3:23–38), and Jesus’s temptation by Satan (Luke 4:1–13). In these opening chapters, Luke shows how God’s blessing is extended beyond physical Israel.

Act 1 of John is shorter, only the first 34 verses of chapter 1. There we read of the Word made flesh (John 1:1–18) and the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:19–34). After this, Jesus calls his first disciples and followers (John 1:35–51) and then performs his first miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–12).

Compared to these accounts, Act 1 in Mark is miniscule, a mere 13 verses.

Act 1 in Mark

If you haven’t already read Peter’s excellent interpretive outline of Mark, by golly do so post haste. Mark’s aim throughout his Gospel is to show Jesus as God’s king. In the opening act of his book, Mark introduces us to Jesus so that we will see this king.

One of Jesus’s titles in Mark 1:1 is “the Son of God,” a royal title that looks back to 2 Samuel 7:12–16. This king has a long-promised messenger going before him, preparing the way of the Lord (Mark 1:2–3). This messenger, though looking a little rough, was in the wilderness baptizing, preaching, and telling of the glorious one to come (Mark 1:4–8).

Mark doesn’t spend a lot of time in character development. In the same way that John “appeared” (John 1:4), Jesus simply showed up and was baptized (Mark 1:9–11). No human backstory accompanies either man, and yet we do hear from Jesus’s father at his baptism. A voice from heaven calls him “beloved Son” and says “with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).

The Spirit that came upon Jesus at his baptism (Mark 1:10) then drove him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan (Mark 1:12–13). There is quite a cosmic hue to this initial chapter, as we read about the Spirit, Satan, and angels (Mark 1:13).

Finally, John was arrested and Jesus begins to proclaim “the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). Notice that Jesus is taking part of his preaching cue from John (compare Mark 1:15 to Mark 1:4).

Jesus’s Origin in Mark

The opening to Mark’s Gospel doesn’t make Advent sense. We don’t know what to do with a story that jumps so quickly into the action at a time where the church calendar says we should be learning to wait.

But because Mark’s is one of the four Gospels, this is one of the ways we should think about Jesus’s beginning. He had a royal herald smooth the way before him and let everyone know of his greatness (Mark 1:7). Jesus was anointed for his kingly mission with water and the Spirit, and he was declared the beloved Son of God, the king (Mark 1:11). He was victorious over the devil in the wilderness and ministered to by the angels (Mark 1:13).

Finally, at the end of Act 1 in Mark, Jesus himself sums up his origin story and his enduring message: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Arise, My love, My Beautiful One, and Come Away

November 26, 2021 By Peter Krol

I am very grateful to the Lord for the rich diversity of literature contained within the Bible. Not only do we have the narratives of Israel’s history and Jesus’ ministry, or the discourses of the law and letters, but we also have the wildly foreign yet lovely verse of the prophets and poets. Let me pull back the curtain for you on my own process for Bible study.

Right now, I’m studying Song of Songs 2:8-3:5 and trying to find my way. What clues can I find to show me how this text is organized, so I can follow its train of thought?

First, I notice the repetition of the label “my beloved,” from the woman regarding her man (Song 2:8, 9, 10, 16, 17). They are somewhat spaced out and appear likely to trigger a new thought or idea.

Second, I observe that the man never speaks in this passage as an independent character (as he does before and after this in the book). Instead, what we have is the woman’s report of what he says (Song 2:10: “My beloved speaks and says to me…”). Or is this more about what she wants him to say? She appears to be dreaming in Song 3:1-4 (especially see Song 3:1); could Song 2:8-17 be something like a daydream?

Third, though Song 2:10-15 is all one speech by the man (at least according to the ESV editors; the CSB suggests that the man’s speech ends with verse 14), I observe the verbatim repetition of “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away” (Song 2:10, 13). That repeated phrase wraps verses 10-13 like bookends, suggesting that Song 2:14-15 contain a second stanza within his speech.

Fourth, the poem reaches a clear climax in Song 3:5, when she puts the daughters of Jerusalem under oath not to stir up love.

All of this yields the following group of stanzas:

Song 2:8-9 – her (daydreaming?) delight in the voice of her beloved
- Song 2:10-15 – the contents of her beloved’s voice
  - Song 2:10-13 – Arise and come away
  - Song 2:14-15 – Come out and catch up
- Song 2:16-17 – her declaration of mutual possession with her beloved
Song 3:1-4 – her dream of seeking and finding the one her soul loves
- Song 3:5 – her oath for the other young women not to stir up love yet

So much for an observational outline of the poem. What about an interpretive outline? What is the point of each stanza, and how does the train of thought move from one stanza to the next?

That will require more work, so I’m back at it. At least I have some handles on the text to guide my questions and answers.

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