Sermon Central
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Wedding Day Series
Contributed by Shawn Drake on Feb 22, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: This is the 4th study in the study "Intimacy". In this study we find the Wedding Procession of the Shulamite woman and Solomon. I also take time to look at a Wedding ceremony and some funny stories.
WEDDING DAY
The one day that most girls dream about growing up is their Wedding Day. They dream of beautiful white dresses, long trains, beautifully decorated churches, etc¡K On the other hand most young men dream about their Honey Moon. Most men could skip the Church Wedding ceremony, elope, and go straight to the Honey Moon.
In this study we come to the Wedding ceremony of Solomon and the Shulamite woman. It is interesting that we are told about the Wedding procession and then are taken directly to the Honey Moon. This shows us that the Wedding ceremony is a public symbol of two people being united, but is not what makes a couple married in the eyes of God.
This is a good opportunity for us to be reminded of what happens in a wedding ceremony and the vows that a couple takes. I will also share some comical wedding stories with you that are true stories.
The Procession
Song of Solomon 3:6-11(NKJV)
THE SHULAMITE
6 Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant¡¦s fragrant powders?
7 Behold, it is Solomon¡¦s couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh Because of fear in the night.
9 Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin:
10 He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart.
Song of Songs 3:6-11(The Message)
What¡¦s this I see, approaching from the desert, raising clouds of dust, Filling the air with sweet smells and pungent aromatics? Look! It¡¦s Solomon¡¦s carriage, carried and guarded by sixty soldiers, sixty of Israel¡¦s finest, All of them armed to the teeth, trained fro battle, ready for anything, anytime. King Solomon once had a carriage built from fine-grained Lebanon cedar. He had it framed with silver and roofed with gold. The cushions were covered with a purple fabric, the interior lined with tooled leather.
Come and look, sisters in Jerusalem. Oh, sisters of Zion, don¡¦t miss this! My King-Lover, dressed and garlanded for his wedding, his heart full, bursting with joy!
At any Wedding ceremony one of the most exciting moments is when the bride comes in with music playing, with the guest standing, with the groom watching in amazement. Most women look their very best on their Wedding day. At Solomon¡¦s Wedding it wasn¡¦t any different. We find the Shulamite woman being carried into the ceremony on a special couch that Solomon had made. This couch had silver and gold on it and the seat was purple which represents royalty. There were poles on this couch and some of the guards carried this couch with the bride on it while there were 60 honored soldiers escorting the bride.
After the Wedding procession was a ceremony in which the bride and groom made commitments to each other. Our text leaves out this couple’s Wedding ceremony, but we are going to look at an example of the Wedding ceremony and what it represents.
The Ceremony
PROCESSIONAL
MEANING OF MARRIAGE
„« We are here assembled in the presence of God to unite _______ and ________ in marriage.
„« The Bible teaches that marriage is to be a permanent relationship of one man and one woman freely and totally committed to each other as companions for life. Our Lord declared that man shall leave his father and mother and unite with his wife in the building of a home, and the two shall become one flesh.
„« Who gives the bride to be married? (Bride¡¦s Father): [I do].
[PRAYER]
HAND ILLUSTRATION
„« _______ and ______, the Bible has much to say about marriage ¡V directly and indirectly. The very first people of creation were brought together by God who saw that it was not good for man to be alone. Eve was created to be Adams companion and his helper in all things. Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding. Some of His most famous parables flow out of the context of marriage.
„« As you stand here today, it is your desire that this ceremony not only reflects your commitment to one another but your individual and shared commitment to Christ. Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of hearts, the union of two lives becoming one. This marriage will stand by the strength of your love and the power of faith you have in one another and also in God.
