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M O O D Y B I B L E I N S T I T U T E ‘ S When I found T TOODDAAYY the one my heart IINN..THTHEE loves, I held him and would not let him go. Song of Songs 3:4 WOWOJUNE R2004RDD SONG OF SONGS: THE WISDOM OF LOVE TODAY WITH PRESIDENT STOWELL PASSIONATE LOVE I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me. — SONG OF SOLOMON Do you know that you are desired? Do you What an astounding, amazing type feel completely and passionately loved? As of Love! believers, we often talk about the love of God, This month we will study the Song of but rarely do we see it as a deeply felt con- Solomon—a celebration of the love suming love. We reserve that type of love for between a groom and his bride. Song of romance. Instead, we tend to see God’s love as Solomon centers on the “beloved,” and the something safe and warm, reserved for the word is repeated more than 32 times in the calm confines of the church. book. As we study the text, we cannot help But, this spring, Mel but notice that this love between a man and Gibson’s acclaimed movie The a woman is also a striking representation of Passion of the Christ, broke deep love of Christ for us. through our safe view of Christ’s In the text, Solomon writes of the con- love. As our hearts were broken nection that exists between himself and his by the sight of our suffering bride. He extols her virtues and her beauty. Savior, the movie reminded us The woman celebrates their bond: “I belong again of just how much Jesus to my lover, and his desire is for me” loves us. (7:10). Why did God’s only Son suf- The intimate relationship between fer and die on the cross? He Solomon and his bride is an accurate por- took on the burden of our sins trayal of Christ’s love for us. Jesus loves us because He loves us. Intensely. completely as no one else has ever done. God’s love is not something we deserve. It is His love is not based on how we look or not a response to something we have done or act, or how we make Him feel. He loves us earned—it is a gift. The apostle John writes, despite who we are. Even better, He loves us “This is love, not that we loved God, but that completely and thoroughly because we are he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning His. This is a love worth cherishing. sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). As the hymnwriter so aptly expressed in In their book The Sacred Romance, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, it is in authors Brent Curtis and John Eldredge dis- viewing Christ’s sacrifice that we will realize cuss how God’s sacrificial passionate love res- at last the depth of His love for the church onates in our hearts at an intensely deep level. and for us. It is this unsurpassed love that How wonderful to be loved like that! They excites our deepest, most loyal response. write, “Someone has noticed, someone has “See, from his head, his hands, his feet / taken the initiative. There is nothing we need sorrow and love flow mingled down./ to do to keep it up, because his love for us is Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, / or not based on what we’ve done, but who we thorns compose so rich a crown. Were the are.” In his book The Problem of Pain, whole realm of nature mine, / that were an C. S. Lewis agrees: “It passes reason to offering far too small; / love so amazing, explain why any creatures, not to say so divine, / demands my soul, my life, creatures such as we, should have a value my all.” ■ so prodigious in their Creator’s eye.” by John Koessler ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Omniscience Does God know what kind of day you had yesterday? Does He know what kind of day you are having today? More importantly, does He know what kind of day you will have tomorrow? The answer to these questions relates to the divine attribute of omniscience. To say that God is omniscient implies that He knows all that can be known: past, present, and future. In Isaiah 46:10 He declares, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” God knows our thoughts before we think them, our words before we speak them, and our actions before we implement them (Ps. 139:1–4). He discerns the secret motives of our hearts (Ps. 139:23; Prov. 16:33). The biblical truth that God is omniscient would have been especially comforting during Isaiah’s day, as the northern kingdom of Israel was carried into captivity by the Assyrians, and the people of Judah were warned that they would suffer a similar fate at the hands of the Babylonians. Divine omniscience meant that God’s purpose for them, based upon His comprehensive knowledge of their future, would be fulfilled. Why Theology Matters The fact that God knows all is amazing enough. But there is an even more amazing truth. The same God whose knowledge is so comprehensive that it encompasses past, present, and future, also knows you by name. Every minute detail of your life is clear to Him, even those things that are hidden from you. He hears when you pray, discerns the true motives behind the words, and knows just how to answer. For Further Reading To learn more about God’s omniscience and other divine attributes, read Our Awesome God by John MacArthur (Good News). MBNEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTSI TAT MOODYoday BIBLE INSTITUTE JUNE 2004 Behind the Scenes at Proclaim! By Lisa Ann Cockrel Margianne Alfonso argianne is a faithful listener to the MProclaim! radio program featuring works out with the teaching of MBI’s president Dr. Joseph Stowell and co-hosted by Wayne Joseph Stowell Shepherd. She recently wrote to let them know how much she enjoys their work. “I every morning . hear you at 5:30 am as I go to the gym. Because I don’t want to miss your messag- sort of. es, I am a regular attender at the gym. If it weren’t for your program I would be tempted to skip working out!” Margianne’s enthusiasm for Proclaim! is echoed across the world where the pro- gram is heard by thousands of listeners through 446 different broadcast outlets and CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 June 1 TUESDAY Read: Ephesians 5:22–33 TODAY IN THE WORD known as the Mishnah quote the King Edward VIII of second-century Jewish rabbi The wedding England shocked Aquiba as saying, “All the ages of the Lamb the world when he are not worth the day on which abdicated from the the Song of Songs was given to has come, and throne in order to marry the Israel; for all the Writings are divorced American socialite holy, but the Song of Songs is his bride has Wallis Warfield Simpson. Some the Holy of Holies.” years later he gave marital God’s people need not be made herself advice to a group of his close embarrassed by the portrayal of friends about how to stay on human love found in this book, ready. good terms with one’s spouse. for it points to a higher love that “Of course, I do have a slight can only come from God. Its REVELATION 19:7 advantage over the rest of you,” description of the groom’s pas- he admitted. “It does help in a sion for his bride is a reflection pinch to be able to remind your of Christ’s deep love for the bride that you gave up a throne church. It is a love that will not for her.” be denied. It calls forth the best Believers also have a vivid in those who are loved. Christ’s reminder of what it cost Jesus love is stronger than our incon- Christ to make the church His stancy, doubts, and fears. His bride. He did not give up His love is stronger than death. throne forever, but He did lay aside the prerogatives of divinity and took upon Himself a human nature (Phil. 2:5–8). Being fully human and fully God, He sub- mitted to a brutal death on the TODAY ALONG THE WAY cross in order to purify the Do you know a cou- church and present it to Himself ple who reflect the as a spotless bride (Titus 2:14). biblical picture of a In many ways, this is also loving relationship? TODAY AT MOODY the drama played out in the bib- Ask them to tell you their story. lical book Song of Songs, also How did they meet? What was it Dr. Thomas Cornman, called the Song of Solomon. One like to fall in love? What kinds of Vice President and of the most mysterious and con- challenges have they had to Dean of Undergra- troversial books of the Bible, its overcome in order to keep their duate School, invites message has something to say love for one another strong? you to praise God for about both human marriage and As you listen, take note of the successful educa- the divine love God has for His any parallels to Christ’s love for tion ministry He has church.