BY PASTOR MARK HOPPER
Pastor Mark Hopper
We are continuing our one year journey through the Bible at our church on Sunday mornings.
I have enjoyed studying and teaching about each book along with the other pastors at our church.
There are five poetical books in the Old Testament: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
You are probably familiar with some of these books. Many people turn to the Psalms to find help and hope in times of difficulties. Psalm 23 is one of the best known writings in the world, as David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd.”
The book of Job records the suffering and tragedy experienced by a remarkable man named Job. Proverbs is filled with helpful lessons and insights for daily living. And, Ecclesiastes records King Solomon’s interesting perspective on work, family, life and death.
The one poetical book that people are probably most unfamiliar with is the Song of Songs, or also known as the Song of Solomon. This is the story of King Solomon’s love for a beautiful young woman. It contains some remarkable descriptions of their courtship and marriage. The author uses vivid word pictures to describe their romantic relationship. They were lost in love.
But the book also includes some of the problems and difficulties that the King and his new bride experienced. There were seasons where indifference and selfishness began to take root in their relationship. There were times when they did not communicate effectively.
These same problems can weaken married couples today. Couples that are engaged or newly wed are lost in love. But, they can not foresee that there will be challenges and difficulties in the future.
Marriage is more than love and romance. Marriage also involves a commitment between a husband and wife to stick together through the good times and the bad.
If you have not read the Song of Solomon before, let me encourage you to dust off your Bible, use the table of contents and find this short book in the middle of the Old Testament. You may not understand all of the imagery and figures of speech, but I think you will be surprised at how the Bible tastefully addresses romance and marriage. You, too, may find yourself “Lost in Love.”
Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.
