SoS 5-8 The Groom/King comes to seek His bride, but she has not prepared herself for him. (One author said perhaps she has a headache š )
As we read this, we are reminded of the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise and collected oil for when the groom would come for her, but five were foolish, unprepared, and told to gather some for themselves. Their unpreparedness and delay cost them entrance into the kingās banquet. Everyone had been invited, but only the āfiveā who were prepared could enter and enjoy. He who delays is lost! Are we prepared? Is our lamp filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit?
In chapter eight, we find the protective brothers over their virgin sister lest she loses her virginity through rape. Yet where were the protective brothers for Dinah, daughter of Jacob? She not only lost it because of the brother’s lack of her care but also her foolish decision to enter Shechem unprotected. In the end, she brought shame to her family. Worse than that, the brothers took it upon themselves to avenge her rape and did so through murder. Just as the saying goes, two wrongs do not make a right! š
Jesus is not only our Messiah King coming for us, but in the meantime, He is our protective brother. He is always there, but we must also desire His protection. Do we desire that, or do we foolishly seek to protect ourselves like Dinah did and fall into the wrong hands?
Tumbleweeds are a strange phenomenon.These are plants that seem to have no root and just seem to have lost their anchor. In fact, it is true Ā that once they have matured and dry,Ā they detach from the mother plant and blow away. Throughout the Bible, we are forewarned to stay close to the source of life, God Himself. But, sometimes the tumbleweeds of life, the trials, come tumbling across our path. Which brings us to the question of the day. What kind of theology do you have when the tumbleweeds come floating across your path? Is it the armchair theology where you are comfortable with God as long as you are safely in your recliner letting the world go by? Or do you have an ivory-tower theology where you think of yourself in privileged seclusion from the real world?