The Joy and Wonder of Love
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Key Verse: “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” Selected Scriptures: |
IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED that this particular love song belonging to Solomon was intended to present the love that the church has for her Lord and Master, Jesus. The many expressions of love that human beings can understand from experience are intended to convey to our minds the intensity of love Jesus has for the church, his bride, and that the church has for her Master. The marriage relationship in men’s lives was intended by God to illustrate this love. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”—Eph. 5:25-31
The love bond that is generated by marriage is not easily explained. As Paul writes, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (vss. 32,33) The Scriptures tell us “God is love.” (I John 4:8) Love is the basic principle in the union of Jesus and his bride, the church. All the graces of the Spirit are tied together by love which is the motivating force in all relationships brought about by the Father. The emotions engendered by love are described in the woman looking for her lover, and his taking her out to enjoy the springtime of the year in the orchard and vineyard. (Song of Sol. 2:8-13) The same setting is given later.—chap. 7:10-12
The Key Verse speaks of having the church set as a seal upon her Lord’s heart and as a seal upon his arm. Such a strong desire should be in the hearts of all the Lord’s followers. It also speaks of jealousy such as can arise when one competes with another for the affections of a young woman or man. Such jealousy can be devastating and lead one to death.
God is spoken of as having jealousy. This is not a jealousy of self-interest. It is a jealousy for the good of the other party. Jealousy in the Lord’s case is different from that of our own self-interest. We must be sure that it is not a jealousy of another, but jealousy for another.
The first commandment given to Israel (Exod. 20:3-6) said that they were not to have any other gods before him, because he was a jealous God. The gods of stone, silver, or gold had no power like that of the Supreme Creator to bless those that worship. Hence it was for their good to worship Jehovah.