Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz19951210.htm

THRU THE BIBLE SYNTHESIS
"Part XIII: Song Of Solomon - Correcting The Nimrodian Apostate Abuse of Human Sexuality"

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Though God obviously condones human sexuality as He created man and woman naked in Eden (Gn. 2:20b-25), and called it "very good" (1:31), our world's history has seen extensive abuses of it:

up from 6.8 % to 15 %!

one million condoms distributed by Planned Parenthood in New York City are being recalled because they are DEFECTIVE!

(3) But if a couple is tested so they can have premarital sex just between themselves, there still exists a big problem: Felicity Barringer of The New York Times News Service reports recent studies have discovered that " . . . those Americans who lived together before marriage separate and divorce in significantly greater numbers than couples who go directly to the altar."

married people are unfulfilled. The Dear Abbey column was deluged with similar confessionals from wives when she printed a note from a spouse in Dallas who admitted faking lovemaking arousals to keep her husband loyal to her.

(4) The crisis increasingly takes on ghastly proportions:

Newsweek (Dec. 4, '95, p. 63-66) reports that as Britain's Prince Charles carried on his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, so that, as Princess Diana said, "There were three of us in this marriage . . . " Diana responded by going o n eating binges and then throwing up, doing so four to five times a DAY for YEARS!

father who had gone through an intentional sex change. He was too humiliated to be with "Dad"!

one million American children have been sexually abused--most of them at home!

Is there a solution to this world's misuse of sexuality?! If God created human sexuality as "good," does HE have any detailed, significant suggestions on its proper use?!"

(We turn to the "Need" section of the message . . . )

Need: "God sanctions sex or He wouldn't have created both man and woman naked and called it 'very good' in Genesis 2:20-23 and 1:31! But in view of its tragic misuses through history, does the CREATOR have any input favoring its WHOLESOME use?!"
  1. The Song of Solomon counters the misuse of sexuality in history.
    1. Though God created the world and set man up as His deputy, sin deposed him, so Satan became ruler on earth, Gn. 1-5; 2 Cor. 4:4.
    2. The Lord renewed history through the Noahic flood, Gn. 6:1-9:7.
    3. Yet, Noah's descendant, Nimrod, began an apostasy through a lie by his wife, Semiramus, Gn. 10:8-10; 11:1-9; Rv. 17:5-6. She was with child via adultery but claimed that her act's offspring, Tamuz, was virgin born, The Two Babylons, Alex. Hislop, 1959. Her lie created a cult which spread by the fuel of lewd rites, Ibid. The cult appeared in Canaan as Baalism, Shaw & McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 159.
    4. God chose Abraham to counter Nimrodian evil worldwide by raising up the nation, Israel through him, Gn. 12:1-3. Yet, by many conflicts, Israel fell into sin by Baalism's lewd appeals, Gn. 12:4-2 Chronicles.
    5. Since God CREATED sex FOR man (Gn. 2:21-25), but since its MISUSE was a stumblingstone against advancing God's rule (cf. Amos 2:7b), God desired to state its CORRECT use to counter its MISUSE. The Song of Solomon (S/S) is that statement as follows:
      1. Contrary to many, this author believes the S/S is a musical poem describing wholesome lovemaking between a bride & groom*:
        1. The Hebrew title in S/S 1:1 is a superlative, meaning the loftiest of love songs; since other songs are about love, this one must be about love's ultimate subject, lovemaking itself!
        2. The expressions in S/S 2:6 and 8:3 describe a reclining lovemaking posture for LOVERS ONLY!
        3. If applied to lovemaking, the S/S's symbols fit foreplay topics minus actual copulation. As foreplay is the spiritual battlefield of choosing EITHER immorality OR sinless marital copulation, copulation itself being too late for that choice, it follows that Solomon would omit detailing copulation here anyway!
      2. The S/S thus teaches the following on wholesome sexual foreplay:
        1. To START, these righteous factors must previously exist! (a) Both Bride & Groom must have self esteem, 1:17; 2:1. (b) Each must highly regard the other, and that regard is built upon mutually good reputations, 1:2b-3; 1:8-10. (c) BOTH must have self control & patience if the Bride's arousal is to fulfill them BOTH, 2:3-4; 8:13-14; 4:6. (d) Abstaining from premarital foreplay is needed for full marital bliss, 4:12,15; 8:9
        2. Then, the Groom dines his Bride to start true foreplay, 1:12-14
        3. Mentally stimulated at dinner, the Bride requests arousal, 1:2ff
        4. They next enter His bedroom, showing us they are married, 1:4
        5. There follows a period of self-controlled, mutual VERBAL stimulation before the couple recline in bed, 1:5-2:5.
        6. Once in bed, there are unhurried, escalating stages of mutual physical activities while continuing to converse verbally: thus, they perform (1) casual petting (2:6-4:15) then (2) increasingly intensive mutual fondling causing mutual, sexual arousal (4:16-8:12). (3) Ultimately the Bride suggests copulation, 8:13f
        7. Solomon then concludes that mutually considerate foreplay in permanent, heterosexual, monogamous unions that are pure of premarital foreplay yield ultimate sexual fulfillment, 8:6-12.
    6. Lest we think the S/S applies only to young couples, Pro. 5:15-20 teaches sexual fulfillment is obtainable throughout a marriage as a prescription for mastering the appeal of adultery while married!
  2. S/S's "thread of redemption" is its promotion of righteous sexual conduct to edify Israel's marriages and thus leave the seed of Abraham intact to produce the Messiah, Mal. 2:14f & Rev. 12:1-5!
Application: To deal with misused sexuality no matter WHAT has happened to date, (1) believe on Christ as Savior from sin to become a new creation, Jn. 3:16; 1 Co. 6:9-11 (Ry. St. B., KJV ftn. at 6:9). (2) Then, (a) confess any sins we now do (1 Jn. 1:9) and (b) rely on the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23) to provide ((a)) the self-control and ((b)) self esteem and value of our partner (Ep. 5:18-33) to ((c)) apply the S/S! (3) If past events make applying all of "I,E,2" impossible now, correct what we can, and go on in GOD'S grace, Phi. 3:13f; 4:11-13! (4) If what the partner now DOES limits our ability to apply "I,E,2", claim Rev. 3:14 since Christ CONTROLS him/her and use 1 Cor. 10:13 for living above our trials!

<:#568,7344>Lesson: Since man's misuses of human sex cannot fulfill and cannot rival his Creator's S/S marital ideal, may he perform the ideal INSTEAD!

*A detailed translation/commentary on the S/S is available upon request.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 (1) Sharon A. Sheehan of Newsweek (July 13, 1992) published a story entitled "Another Kind of Sex Ed" where she learned a lesson from formerly working for the State of California to help stop the teen pregnancy problem there. She stated that the officials considered sexual activity "as a given", so she had to work from this premise: "Teen-age pregnancy is a problem. Birth control is the solution. Shame is the barrier to applying the solution. Therefore, eliminate shame" in the teens so that they will use condoms!

However, Ms. Sheehan discovered in talking with teens in local high schools that "Many were offended by the adult assumption that most teens are sexually active. . . 'It's like the adult world is invading our world,' (one) . . . girl commented." S he concluded as one boy who told her, said: "(In speaking of his wish that happily married couples might come into the school sex ed classes) I'd like to hear how they met, how they kept the love alive."

(2) Well, we have the answer to this need that teens are seeking today. Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family magazine, in its September 1994 issue reports that psychiatrist and medical researcher David Larson and Mary Ann Mayo are working on a book which makes the following conclusion: "The most religious women were most satisfied with the frequency of intercourse and felt free to discuss sex openly with their husbands, and, most surprisingly, were more orgasmic than were the nonreligious." Additionally, this article reports that a study by the Family Research Council titled "What's Marriage Got To Do With It?" found that "72 % of all married people who strongly believe out-of-wedlock sex is wrong report high sexual satisfaction. This is roughly 31 percentage points higher than the level registered by unmarried 'non-traditionalists.'"

God offers the solution to the misuse of sexuality not by squelching it, but by teaching us WHERE and HOW to use it in the Song of Solomon. It shows us the effective use of sexuality in properly functioning marriages so that Nimrodian lures towards its misuse cannot COMPETE, and righteousness wins all around!