Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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Scratching
the Surface of the Song of Songs
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I'll never forget
going to see the Broadway production of Stephen Schwartz's Pippin with my female French professor back
in 1972; featuring the original cast directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse
that included Ben Vereen, Jill Clayburgh, Leland Palmer, Irene Ryan, John
Rubinstein, Ann Reinking, and so many rising stars of stage and screen.
And I'll never
forget the ooooooohs and
aaaaaaahs and
swooning sighs in the audience as
well as in the seat next to me as Clayburgh and Rubinstein sang Love Song.
Though it ain't
Jill and John, the next video will, uh, help, uh, illustrate, uh, what, uh,..
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Pretty, uh,
romantic stuff from the guy who wrote Godspell.
Actually, the
Bible is full of romance with Solomon's Song
of Songs at the top of the hit parade.
If it weren't in
the Bible for reasons that I picked up while scratching the surface, it could/would have been picked up by a scriptwriter for
AMC, FX, HBO, or Showtime.
It's flirty,
real, and even erotic in describing courtship, celebrating a satisfying sexual
relationship, and marriage with the four essential emotional, intellectual,
spiritual, and physical components.
Several
conclusions about sex for a believer can be reached by a contextual reading of
this book.
First, there is
monogamous marital intent: "My heart is your captive..."
Second, the
conclusion of Genesis echoed by Jesus is confirmed throughout the book without
exception: "Haven't you read that in the beginning God created humanity
male and female? Don't you remember what the story of creation tells us
about marriage? 'For this reason, a man will leave his mother and father
and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' What God has
brought together, let no one separate.'"
Third, the best
time for sex is within the covenant of marriage - not before or apart from the
covenant of marriage - between a woman and man who acknowledge God as Source,
Starter, Sovereign, and Savior: "I charge you not to excite your love
until it is ready...Don't stir a fire in your heart too soon..."
The sexual
component of marriage is a gift from God for wife and husband; moreover, along
with the emotional and intellectual and spiritual components, it is an
essential component of marriage.
As long as both
wife and husband are able, they are expected to be willing.
Whether it's this
book or Proverbs or the apostle or common sense related to human behavior, it's
undeniably clear that a woman and man called to spend the rest of their lives
together in marital bliss have an emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and
sexual bond and passion for each other; desiring and not denying the
celebration of that emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and sexual bond.
Let me be crude.
If they ain't,
they ain't.
A healthy and
balanced marriage - emphasizing, again, both wife and husband being able - will
include all four components; and if any component is missing, the marriage is
not healthy or balanced and vulnerable.
That's a big part
of what this book says and it is confirmed within the context of the whole
book.
Surely, I'm not
suggesting this one book or these few paragraphs just scratching the surface of it are comprehensive to the subject of sex in marriage; but I am saying He's saying through
this book confirmed by the rest of the book that a healthy marital sex life is
one of the best barometers of a marriage's health as confirmation of God being
the Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior of the marriage.
Bluntly, as I
recall Barth writing, "A divorce only occurs where a marriage never
existed."
Within the
context of this book within the context of the whole book, marriage includes
sex.
If not, not!
Let me be even
more specific.
According to the
book, marriage must include sex along with or as measurement of the emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual bond.
Not good sex.
Great sex!
It's right there
in the book!
One more thing.
Like other books
in the Bible, the Song of
Songs may use romance and marriage as a metaphor for God's lavish
love and marital-like commitment to His people and vice versa.
This mutual
fidelity includes total commitment to each other.
God proved His
part by total commitment to us in Jesus.
We prove our part
by our total commitment to Him - emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and
physically.
It works either
way.
Either way, it's
a very, very, very inclusively big match made in heaven.
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...to be continued...
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Blessings and Love!
4 comments:
How troubling it is for men and women that this beautiful gift from the Father is so often abused and misused! How tragic that most young people learn all the wrong lessons about sex from TV, movies, the internet, magazines, books, and "friends." How outrageous that pulpiteers and pewsitters rewrite and twist what God said about sex to suit the sinful inclinations of our flesh and our culture. How sad that fallen human beings are so adept at turning God's gifts into curses.
Witness, brother!
Bob,
The world (and some of us) have taken something that was beautiful and soiled it with perversion. But God's plan is still perfect and lovely. Amen!
Sadly, you are correct, my dear friend.
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