Illus: A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
• After explaining the commandment to, "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
• Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
Some Books of the Bible are more difficult to understand than others, but every Book of the Bible has a very special message for us.
The book of Solomon has a very special message. It is different from all the other Books of the Bible.
• It is not like the Book of ACTS that tells us of the activities of the New Testament church.
• It is not like the Book of REVELATION that tells us of the end time events that are yet to occur.
• It is not like the Book of Proverbs that is written that we might know wisdom and instruction.
• It is not like the Book of Job that helps us to understand that Satan cannot bring financial and physical destruction upon us unless it is by God's permission.
The book of Solomon has a very special purpose, and once you begin to understand that purpose, you can understand why some people consider this book to be one of their favorites.
WHAT KIND OF BOOK IS THE BOOK OF SOLOMON? It is a book that tells us what GOD THINKS OF YOU AND ME.
We all care about what others THINK OF US! I know there are some folks who will say, “I do not care what others think of me!” But there is not an ounce of truth to that statement.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK OF THEM? Because these same people will not leave the house each day until they look their best, wear their best and drive their best so others will think well of them.
Some people care so much about what others think of them:
• They have gotten themselves deep in debt buying things they should have never bought
• They are afraid to do the right thing because they are afraid someone might think badly of them
We all care a great deal about what others think of us.
Illus: This is one of the problems this nation has in the wars we now fight. We know what needs to be done, and we have the military power to do it, but we are afraid if we do what needs to be done, other nations will not like us.
Of course they won’t, but we should not base what is right on what is popular. We have to do what is right and let the chips fall where they may.
We really only need to consider two things each day:
(1) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?
(2) WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF YOU?
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT GOD THINKS OF YOU? The Book of Solomon tells us! We need to consider three things, such as:
I. WE HAVE A COMPARISON
In Solomon 2:1-2, God’s love for us is so great that God says, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”
God’s love for us is compared to a beautiful flower. Each day God gives His beautiful love to us. God compares His love to a “Lily among thorns”.
Illus: Life is filled with comparisons. People have been complaining about the rising price of gasoline recently. "Auto Week" magazine tries to make us feel better when we compare gas to other things, such as:
• Diet Snapple 16 oz for $1.29 = $10.32 per gallon
• Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz for $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon
• Gatorade 20 oz for $1.59 = $10.17 per gallon
• Ocean Spray 16 oz for $1.25 = $10.00 per gallon
• Quart of Milk 16 oz for $1.59 = $6.32 per gallon
• Evian (water) 9 oz for $1.49 = $21.19 per gallon
• STP Brake Fluid 12 oz for $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon
• Vicks Nyquil 6 oz for $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon
• Pepto Bismol 4 oz for $3.85 = $123.20 per gallon
• Whiteout 7 oz for $1.39 = $254.17 per gallon
• Scope 1.5 oz for $0.99 = $84.84 per gallon
So next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on Nyquil or Scope or Whiteout!
Sometimes we compare things to see which is THE WORST. Sometimes we compare things to see which is THE BEST.
But when it comes to what God thinks of us, HE COMPARES HIS LOVE FOR US TO SOMETHING GOOD….FLOWERS!
WHY DOES A MAN WHO LOVES A WOMAN GIVE HER A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET OF FLOWERS? Someone said, “When a man brings his wife flowers for no reason - there's a reason.” Flowers sends a POWERFUL MESSAGE!
Illus: On opening his new store:
• A man received a bouquet of flowers. He became dismayed on reading the enclosed card. It expressed, "Deepest Sympathy".
• While puzzling over the message, his telephone rang. It was the florist, apologizing for having sent the wrong card. "Oh, it's alright." said the storekeeper. "I'm a businessman and I understand how these things can happen."
• The florist said, "But, I accidentally sent your card to a man who had the name as you at a funeral home."
• "Well, what did it say?" asked the storekeeper. "Congratulations on your new location" was the reply.
Flowers sends a POWERFUL MESSAGE. If a man walks up to woman and give her a hand full of “Stink weeds,” that would send a powerful message he might not want to send. But if he gives her a bouquet of beautiful flowers, that would send the message he wants to send.
Illus: Flowers are like the text messages that we send on our telephones. Here are some text messages that conveyed powerful messages.
• The rain makes all things beautiful, the grass and flowers too. But if rain really makes all things beautiful, why doesn't it rain on you?
• You've got sex appeal, you've got style, you've got intelligence, and you've got class. You've got the face and you've got the body but I've got the wrong number!
• I'm sure you were born in this world as a cute baby. Now that you're a grownup, I have one question..... “What happened?”
• Someday you may lose your hair, you may lose your teeth, your money and even lose your mind. But one thing you will never lose - your good looks, cuz you can never lose what you don't have!
• What is the difference between cute and feeling cute? Cute is the one who sent this and feeling cute is the one reading this.
• You think I'm nice, I think you're nice. You think I'm kind, I think you're kind. You think I can be trusted, I think you can. You think I'm cute, and I think you're right.
• Everything about you is perfect - your lips, your skin, your eyes, your body. You're lucky to be born beautiful, not like me. I was born to be a big liar.
• This message was sent exclusively for the handsome and the beautiful. We have obviously sent it to the wrong number. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience.
• A husband comes home from confession and lifts his wife and carries her on his shoulder. Wife: “Did the priest tell you to be romantic like this?” Husband: “No, he told me to carry my cross.”
Text messages on our cell phones can send a POWERFUL MESSAGE, but so can flowers.
When God wanted us to know how much He loves us, He sends a POWERFUL MESSAGE by comparing His love to flowers.
Let me show you several reasons why God compares His love for us to flowers!
A. FLOWERS ARE KNOWN FOR BEAUTY
Illus: When I ride down the interstate highways in South Carolina and see where our tax money has been used to plant beautiful flowers along the interstate, I feel the money is well spent. It is something every one of us can enjoy.
God’s love for us is like a beautiful bouquet of flowers that we can all enjoy! Every day we GET HIS ATTENTION! He sends us His love!
B. FLOWERS ARE KNOWN FOR FRAGRANCE
How many times we have picked up a flower and held it close to our nose and that beautiful fragrance goes up our nostrils?
Illus: In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, they have a perfume factory. They take different kinds of fragrances and mix them together and pour them into bottles and sell them.
One lady that works there says that it is a wonderful place to work…she says sometimes the fragrance that permeates the air is almost overwhelming! She said that some days she hates to go home.
In the Old Testament, God required the people of God to send up sacrifices to Him.
2 Cor. 2:15, we read, “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ,….”
We have seen that WE HAVE A COMPARISON. Also -
II. WE HAVE A CONTRAST
Look again at Solomon 2:1-2, we read, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”
Notice why God’s love for us is COMPARED to flowers. THE BRIDE IS COMPARED WITH THORNS. While FLOWERS are beautiful, THORNS are ugly.
WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US? God is telling us that He is not attracted to us because of WHO WE ARE but because of WHO HE IS!
Illus: Can you imagine the most beautiful woman on the earth madly in love with the ugliest man on earth?
It is difficult for us to imagine that the most beautiful woman on earth could love the ugliest man on earth. But we have all seen some very attractive women holding hands with some very ugly men. Why? Because that beautiful woman sees something in that man that we can not see.
This must be where the saying, “Love is blind” came from. Listen, I can not explain it, but God sees something in us that He loves so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us.
God’s love for us is compared to beautiful flowers and we are compared to thorns.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THORNS DO?
• Thorns are a mark of the curse
• Thorns are painful
• Thorns are fit only for the fire
Illus: None of us have walked into someone’s home and seen a vase full of “thorns” to be admired. There is no redeeming value in thorns! NONE!
Jesus is the LILY AMONG THORNS! There are certain aspects of our relationship with Jesus that bring joy and comfort to our hearts tonight. They are:
A. HE CHOSE TO LOVE US
One of the great mysteries of the world for us to consider is, “WHY WOULD GOD LOVE SOMEONE LIKE US?”
Illus: Dr. R.A. Torrey was asked about the most profound concept he had ever learned from the Bible. Without hesitation, Mr. Torrey replied, “The most profound truth I have ever encountered in the Word of God is this: “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so!”
In the Book of Solomon, THE BRIDE’S self-confidence is pretty well shot. She thinks she is ugly and unappealing.
Look at Solomon 1:5-6, we read, “I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”
B. HE CONTINUES TO LOVE US
He loves everyone of us, not just some of us.
Look at Solomon 1:8-11, we read, “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.”
A lot of young people have fallen madly in love with someone of the opposite sex, and later in life they discovered that the person was not what they thought they were. They later say, “If I knew he was like that before I married him, I never would have married him.”
God knows us with all of our flaws, and yet He continues to love us.
• He knew me before He saved me and He saved me still!
• He knew that I would fail Him daily, but He loves me still!
JESUS FEELS THIS WAY ABOUT HIS BRIDE! THIS OUGHT TO MAKE US FEEL SPECIAL!
Most Christians have no idea about how much God loves them. They are totally ignorant of what is going on in their life.
Illus: They remind me of the prisoner in jail that receives a letter from his wife:
• "Dear Husband, I miss you so much and I am having a hard time functioning. There are so many things to do that I do not know WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT! For example, I have decided to plant some lettuce in the back yard. When is the best time to plant it?"
• The prisoner, knowing that the prison guards read all mail, replied in a letter: "Dear Wife, whatever you do, do not touch the back garden. That is where I hid all the money."
• A week or so later, he received another letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, You wouldn't believe what happened, some men came with shovels, and dug up all the back garden."
• The prisoner wrote another letter back: "Dear wife, now is the best time to plant the lettuce."
There is so much we do not know, but we all need to know that God loves us each day of our life. He loves us with the beauty of a lovely flower, even though we are no more then a bunch of worthless thorns.
Conclusion:
We see that -
I. WE HAVE A COMPARISON
II. WE HAVE A CONTRAST
