Three Words We Hate

Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

Song of Songs 3:5

Within this beautiful line of poetry found in Song of Songs, there are three words we seem to hate. Within our culture, these words just seem to rub us the wrong way:  "do not…until".  To put it bluntly, the root issue is that we just hate to have anyone tell us what we can and cannot do and when we can and cannot do it. Too often our culture defines the words "do not" as narrow and restrictive. Frequently, the idea that God would command us to do anything is met with immediate displeasure.  Likewise, we live at a pace that abhors the word "until". In our culture, delayed gratification just seems so unnecessary. Rather than save money, we buy with credit. Rather than invest in relationships we take costly shortcuts. Patience is a nuisance. Waiting…why would anyone want to wait? We prefer to find a way to satisfy our desires immediately. As a result we choose our own desires instead of the plan of God. Both Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are connected with King Solomon. Ecclesiastes ends with a summary statement to “fear God and keep His commandments”. Song of Songs begins with an invitation to a kiss and a description of the delightfulness of love. It’s a beautiful reminder that is reinforced throughout Scripture that discussions about love, sex and desire are connected with a fear of God and a reverence for His commandments. Discussions about love and desire are not taboo in the Bible. But, those discussions do not occur apart from the context of God’s good plan for our lives. For example, the significant consequences of King Solomon’s sinful choices are recorded for our consideration. God created us and I certainly believe that God understands our desires and our passions. But, God does not abandon us to be ruled by our desires. Thankfully, we have received guidance and grace from God.