PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 “Arise, my love...”

Time to reflect: This is probably the oddest book in the Bible. The poems in it were originally bawdy love songs. We are not sure if they were officially love songs of a king, bar-room songs or satire. (Scholars are generally slow to recognize satire in the Bible, but in the Hebrew this is actually a rather amusing set of poems and a lot cruder than they appear in English.) So what in the world are they doing in the Bible? Early on they became interpreted metaphorically, viewing God as the suitor and Israel as the bride. The Early Church kept the book and the metaphor, making Christ the suitor and the Church as the bride. Read this way, the book becomes a meaningful as well as entertaining book and worthy of the Bible – even if it is difficult for those who want to read everything literally.

Moving through the day: To take the metaphor one step further, picture yourself as the young woman being pursued by Christ who is calling you to a joyful life of faithfulness.

Scripture:

Listen! My lover!
       Look! Here he comes,
       leaping across the mountains,
       bounding over the hills.

  My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
       Look! There he stands behind our wall,
       gazing through the windows,
       peering through the lattice.

 My lover spoke and said to me,
       "Arise, my darling,
       my beautiful one, and come with me.

  See! The winter is past;
       the rains are over and gone.

  Flowers appear on the earth;
       the season of singing has come,
       the cooing of doves
       is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit;
       the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
       Arise, come, my darling;
       my beautiful one, come with me."