Lesson 2 Name, His Character Pleased Her
“Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:3
The maiden in the Love Song thinks about the king as he is being anointed and a fire above all other starts to burn in her heart as she thinks of him. He was single and was to succeed his father David as the 3rd king of a united Israel. Solomon, the son of David, was the promised Messiah, so they anointed him. His name was pleasing to her. The special holy ointments used for anointing Solomon were the best smelling ointments. The combination of oils was designed by God and was to be used only for specific and important occasions. Messiah, or in Greek, Christ, means “anointed one.” The name of the anointed one was pleasing to her.
Context in History
David was dying. Solomon is anointed and crowned co-regent. The maiden is at the anointing and desires to be married to new single king of Israel and be kissed by him over and over again because of the superlative delightfulness of his love and pleasing nature of his name. She also has no fear, but trusts him because he has a good name. It’s a true love story between a slave girl and Israel’s 3rd Messiah. When the object of her heightened affections is near the thought of his name is pleasing to her. He belongs to her as her king but she wants him as more than that she wants him as a husband, shepherd, lover and best friend.
Context in the Love Song
The “arousal” section of the Song. Where he arouses her affections for him and she arouses his love and affection for her. Its love at first anointing.
This is the beginning where they meet and she falls in love with him. She desires physical intimacy with the new king in marriage due to his love being more delightful than wine and his name, character or reputation being pleasing to her. What we have an account of here is her feelings towards him and why she desired him. What was it about him and his love that made him so attractive and desirable? They start off separated he knows very little about her, she knows more about him. She is a Gentile enslaved in the promised land and gets the Love of God dwelling in her heart. Song 8:6-7. Now will love in her heart she falls deeply in love with the newly anointed young Solomon.
She says of him,
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips”
then to him she says,
“for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments. Your name is like ointment poured forth.”
Noticing all the other maidens love for the newly anointed king Solomon and being pleased with his “name”, she continues,
“No wonder the maidens love you.”
Not wanting to waist any time getting closer to Israel’s Messiah the young lady lets us know whats in her heart by ardently asking him to,
“Draw me after you and let us run together!“
The scene changes from being at his anointing to now being in his chambers.
Not waisting any time in answering her request to “draw her away with him” and “run together” we find out that,
“The king has brought me into his chambers.”
In his chambers their are people who rejoice in the king and are glad and, they promise to extol or praise his love more than wine.
“We will rejoice in you and be glad;
We will extol your love more than wine.”
The young maiden notices the good moral nature of their love and delight in him and praise of the kings love and says,
“Rightly do they love you.”
It is moral right for them to love a king with a holy name.
Then the slave girl gets stared at by the daughters of Jerusalem and makes her peace with them by giving her testimony. Then she goes on her first date with the king which ends with them in a banquet hall and her passing out do the overwhelming experience of being aroused by his love in courtship. He proposes to her, she shy’s away, they talk it out and get engaged, they get married and become as close as a soul is to a body due to the “superlative strength of their love, unquenchability of it, priceless value and its holy jealousy being as cruel as Sheol.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 8:6 The Song ends with her yearning for his presence.
Our focus
To see what it was that brought the two really close so that those who want a closer more intimate relationship with the one/One they love can get closer by doing similar things.
In the first lesson we learned that Being loved makes her happier than wine! Therefore make each other happier than wine/anything else. For she said, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine.”
In this lesson we will focus on why the mention of his name drew out her affections for him. Because it was his virtuous character that pleased her.
What made her desire him? What was it about him that fired her up and aroused her feelings for him?
1 The experience of his love being more delightful than wine.
2 His name being pleasing to her.
His name. His name pleased her.
In this lesson we will see that the newly anointed king whom she desires has a good name or reputation. Having a good name makes one desirable, therefore we ought to seek a good name so that closeness in any of our relationships will grow.
Look at the verses again and see why she desired him other than the superlative delightfulness of his love.
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth. No wonder the maidens love you.” Song 1:2-3
When his name was mentioned it pleased her and all the other single ladies at his anointing.
The comparison
The comparison is that of between the name of the Messiah and his anointing oils. She compares the two and concludes that both give her pleasure, for she says, “Pleasing is the fragrance of you ointments your name is like ointments poured forth.” His ointments are pleasing to smell and his name is pleasing to think of.
When thoughts of who he was and what he was like were in her mind she felt a pleasure similar to that of when she smelled his anointing oils. Both his name and the anointing oils gave her a sense of pleasure and delight. Solomon, the king of peace, was the most desirable single Messiah/man alive due to so many wonderful and delightful things attached to his name.
When truths about him and what he was like went forth in her mind, they were pleasing to her. His name was like ointments poured forth. The coming king of Israel was Solomon, the king of peace. The mention of his name, was pleased, satisfying and appealed to her, thus she wanted a closer more intimate relationship with him as soon as possible.
What’s in a name?
Titles, character and great things prophesied that he would do.
What was it about Solomon’s name that pleased her so much?
Solomon had titles that made him desirable.
Titles
Titles Solomon had at the time of his 1st crowning made him desirable. Titles like Messiah, “son of David”, and co-regent king.
Titles are included with someones name. The title of Messiah made the name Solomon pleasing to her. Solomon’s title was “Messiah” or in Greek, “Christ” which means anointed one. She would be marrying a man anointed for a specific holy role. Set apart for the purposes of God. She desired a man with a high and holy calling. Being anointed by God through a prophet meant you had an extra ordinary calling and were blessed by God. So she wouldn’t be marrying any ordinary person.
Marrying a Messiah of Israel would also mean that she would be a mother in the line of The coming Messiah and may even be the mother of The Messiah. This would be the greatest blessing a woman could have. To be the mother of Israel’s Greatest Messiah!
“Son of David” was also a title that had Messianic overtones with it as well. The young maiden more than likely knew Solomon”s father King David.
“King” was also another title that made Solomon’s name pleasing to her. King of Israel. She wanted the closest most intimate relationship with a man who was the 3rd Christ of Israel, king, son of David, preacher, prophet and many other good titles. Royalty. Solomon was of royal blood. Im sure the fact that Solomon was of royal blood help in making him the most desirable single man alive! Being married to Solomon would make her QUEEN, which is the highest most glorious position a woman could have. She would go from being a lowly slave girl to being queen!
So she is on fire and in love with a young, co-regent king, newly anointed Messiah, who is God’s representative on earth.
Solomon had other titles like prophet and preacher etc, but these weren’t until after his first marriage.
Character
Second lets look at young Solomon’s character.
“Loved God and kept the statutes of David” 1 Kings 3:3
Solomon was holy. Holiness consists in love to God and young Solomon “loved God and kept the statutes of David.” Only another holy person could truly delight in another holy person. To have a delight in someone due to their holiness is the same as having a “love of complacency” in them. Her complacency is in his holiness. Her loving nature in her agreed with his love in his heart for they both had the same love dwelling in them that was “superlatively strong, unquenchable, and priceless” Song 8:6-7
Not only did Solomon love God but Solomon had a special place in the heart of God. God wanted Nathan the prophet to give Solomon another name, Jedidiah, which means “beloved son of God”. 2 Samuel 12:25 “and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.”
Solomon means peace, so he would be a man who was at peace with God and other’s. Although it is possible that the young slave girl new Solomon to have been peace loving by personal experience. It is more likely that she knew he would be a man of peace from now on because of the prophecies about him in 2 Samuel 7.
Solomon’s other name was Jedidiah, meaning “beloved son of God”. Solomon had a love relationship with God. Solomon “loved God and kept the statutes of David”
Not only did Solomon have some of the most majestic titles and a peace loving character but was also prophesied to do great things as king. Like build a temple for God come dwell in. Which would allow God to be closer to Israel than ever before.
So even though Solomon was young and single when the young maiden desired him, he had a name sweeter than any other, which is why all the other women loved him as well. Notice in the next verse that the other young maidens loved Solomon as well due to his name.
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth. No wonder the young maidens love you.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:2-3
Prophecies about him. 2 Samuel 7
The young slave girl, though she was a Gentile, now had faith and love, so she believed the promises about Solomon in Scripture. Therefore his name was exceedingly pleasing to her not only for his character and titles but also for the prophecies of God that would be fulfilled in Him.
1 In the future Solomon would “establish God’s kingdom” on earth. 2 Sam 7:12
2 In the future Solomon would “build a house” for “God’s name” v. 13
3 In the future Solomon’s “throne” would be established by God “forever”. v. 13
4 In the future Solomon would be like a son to God. 2 Sam 7:14
5 In the future God will be like a father to Solomon, which means Solomon, when he sinned would be disciplined by God. God would make Solomon holier and holier. v :13
6 David’s house, kingdom and throne will be established forever through the king of peace, God’s beloved son, Solomon. This speaks of never-ending covenant keeping love. For God promised Solomon’s father David that God’s lovingkindness will never leave them. 2 Sam 7:15
David would have a ruler forever on the throne. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” Solomon being the son of David. Therefore the promise of 7:16 continues through Solomon and his child Rehoboam. And so on to Jesus Christ who fulfills every jot and tittle of the prophecy.
All this so that God could “make a name for Himself” v. 23
Solomon would live out his name and be peace loving. God loved Solomon. Solomon loved God. Solomon was chosen by God. Solomon would build a house for God to come down and dwell closely with man! Solomon was a king. Solomon would be king during a time of peace and rest from enemies. A king would come through Solomon that would reign forever. Solomon was a holy man. Solomon was set apart for the purposes of God. Solomon was single, therefore his name was pleasing to hear. And this is young Solomon he isn’t king yet but the night after being king he gets unmeasurable wisdom! To hear the name of the king of peace and love was pleasing to the single slave girl.
Side note.
His unmeasurable wisdom isn’t included in his name at this point.
Solomon’s unmeasurable wisdom was not in her thoughts of him at this time because Solomon didn’t have unmeasurable wisdom until after his wedding day. Solomon was “made king twice” 1 Chronicles 29:22. The first one is Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:2-3 compare with chapter 1 of 1st Kings. The second one is in Solomon’s Song of Songs 3:11 and 1 Chronicles 29:22. I say this because the day after Solomon’s wedding God comes to Solomon and gives him unmeasurable wisdom because Solomon asked for it. So Solomon name wasn’t pleasing to the young maiden because of his unmatched wisdom and promises of riches because that did not happen til after their wedding. They are just meeting for the first time when she says to him “Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments. You name is like ointment poured forth.” Song 1:3
I don’t include Solomons unmeasurable wisdom into the pleasure of his name because Solomon didn’t have wisdom til after his second crowning and wedding in Song 4:11.
Add the fact that Solomon was given “unmeasurable wisdom” 1 Kings 4:29 (Solomon was given wisdom beyond the sand of the sea sometime after Chapter 4 of the Song), then I believe that Solomon would have been the greatest type of Jesus Christ to have ever lived! Mainly because no one else had as much wisdom and depth of love. Yes, the constancy of his love failed at the end of his life in 1 Kings 11:4 probably after his first wife died. But all the other types of Jesus sinned only the Anti-type Jesus didn’t sin. Combine the wisdom given him in 1 Kings 4:29 and the Love he had in his heart of Song of Songs 8:6-7 and these two factors alone make Solomon in my book the greatest type of Jesus Christ to have ever lived. There are many similarities between Solomon and Jesus Christ.
Use of information for men in courtship, husbands, women in courtship, wives and Christians.
Men in courtship.
A bad or sinful character in courtship brings up yellow and red flags. Any woman desiring the deep and constant love and intimacy in the Song will first look to your current character. Are you trustworthy? Do you show up on time? Can you keep a job? Do you keep your promises? Are you faithful? Do your friends, family, co-workers, discipler and church family approve of your character? Is your name pleasing to them? Is your character getting better and better? When she adds up everything she knows about you does the mention of your name please her? If you love her and desire a closer more intimate relationship you must have a name that pleases her. Everything you think, feel, believe, say and do matters. Seek a name more valuable like gold and smells pleasing like myrrh rather than dirt and trash.
Homework for husbands
How would I describe my character?
How would my wife describe my character?
Would the mention of my name be pleasing to my wife?
Seek a good name and let love and faithfulness never leave you will win her favor.
How can I love my wife like Jesus Christ loves His Bride?
It what ways did Solomon love his bride that are similar to how Jesus loves His Bride?
Is Jesus patient, gentle and humble in heart so that His Bride is encouraged to yoke herself to Him. Matt. 11:28-30
Don’t stop wooing her closer with your acts of love! “Kisses” is plural. She wants multiple display of love in your words and actions, so don’t stop loving her over and over again. It is your role, your job, your duty, your delight, the way you protect the relationship and deepen the level of intimacy is to keep your love as immutable as possible, like the Love of Jesus Christ! His Love doesn’t change and it will accomplish it’s purpose.
Homework for Wives
How would I describe my character?
What are the strengths in my character?
What are my weaknesses?
How would my husband describe my character?
How can I love my husband like the Bride of Jesus Christ loves Jesus?
Would the mention of my name be pleasing to my husband?
What is it about my husband that pleases me?
When we first met, what was it about him that drew you closer? Was it a title? Was it his character? What holy things did he do that pleased you? What Christ like characteristics does your husband have?
How can I use this information right now to make any relationship I am in better?
Homework together
Questions to answer together with your spouse
1 In what ways has having a loving character drawn you closer to each other?
2 In what ways has having a faithful character drawn you closer?
3 How have these virtues helped draw you closer in the past? Patience, forgiveness, gentleness, being slow to anger, not keeping a record of wrongs,
Use of information for the Christian
Knowing his titles, holy character and promises about him made his name pleasing to her.
You can cultivate a deeper love and desire for Jesus Christ by thinking of His Titles, Holy Character and everything related to His Name!
Think about Jesus “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Thinking about the name of a great type of Jesus Christ was pleasing to the young maiden. How much more pleasing should the thoughts of The Anti-Type, Jesus Christ, be to us when we hear His Name because He is Greater than Solomon?
In order for us to get a better idea of Jesus we can think of how Solomon was like Jesus and then argue from the lesser Christ to the Greater Jesus Christ. In this way we get a clearer view and idea of Jesus so that our affections can be drawn out at the sight and delight of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that transforms us from one level of glory to another deeper level of love. Even a sight of the reflected Glory of God in the face of Solomon is transforming as well. You get a better name by becoming more like the One you love and beholding with delight the excellencies of His Name.
Solomon was like Jesus Christ in many ways. The women loved Solomon due to his good name. How much more so should we love Jesus due to his name being “greater“. See how much she was on fire for Solomon due to the delightful experience of God’s love through him and pleasant nature of his name. How much more delightful would it be to experience God’s love through Jesus Christ?
What is it about the Titles of Jesus that make him greater than Solomon?
What is it about the Character of Jesus that makes him greater and more desirable than Solomon?
What is it about the things Jesus did that make Him Greater than Solomon?
Single ladies.
Your looking for a Christian and he should be desirable for who he is and the life he lives based on Scripture.
Seek a man with a Christ like character.
A Christian grows in their love for God. A Christian with a proven good name will sin but in time they will sin less and less because Jesus will be saving them from their sins if He is their Savior.
A Christian man can be desirable due to the titles and description of them in the Bible.
“Bride” “Child of God” “Children of the Light” “Chosen of God” “majestic ones” Psalm 16:3
“believers in the Lord” Acts 5:14 “beloved of God” Romans 1:7
“brethren” 1 Cor. 15:58 “sister” in the Lord Solomon’s Song of Songs 4:9, 10, 12, 5:1
What is it about these titles and descriptions that make a Christian man desirable and his name pleasing to hear?
Why would you fear a man that had a bad character?
Why would his name not smell good to you?
Side note
In a Christian marriage, both spouses have some of the most glorious titles and should be treated by the other person in a manner consistent with who they are in Christ. Bride of Christ. Your wife is a Bride of Jesus Christ. A queen. How would you treat a queen of the highest King. Joint heirs with Christ. How would you treat a joint heir to the kingdom of God. Royal children of the highest King of kings. How would you humbly act if you knew you were royalty? You are a child of the Highest King and you are His Bride. He owns you and you own Him.
Verses
Proverbs 3:3-5 NIV
3 “Let love(/kindness) and faithfulness(/truth) never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and (repute or understanding) a good name
in the sight of God and man.”
Is the level of physical intimacy ruined in your relationship? Check your character. Sin separates but love unites. Are you being faithful, loving, kind, forgiving, selfless etc. ? Are their so many bad things attached to your name that its hard to see the good?
Seek to have a name that pleases her more now than before.
Contents of this post
The Verse
Context in History
Context in the Song
Our focus
His name pleasing her
What’s in a name? Titles, Character and Prophecies
Side note about Solomon’s unmeasurable wisdom not applying to his name until later.
Use of information
Lesson 3 Run Together
Categories
Uncategorized
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Saved in 2000 at age 27. Nearly immediately I fell in love with the Song and grew very fast the first two years memorizing large portions of scripture purifying my mind the started chewing on meat to soon and struggled for 12 years and Christ has me on track like always but I just took the long way around and now I love leading others closer to Christ by seeing His love reflected in Solomons love for an enemy slave girl.
I have experienced God's love to me in the Song in ways that words can't express. There are many portion of the Word where she experiences extra ordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God. If you have a burning desire for a close intimate relationship with God by experiencing His Love to you over and over again at greater and greater heights, depths, lengths and breaths then The Song of Songs is where you need to be.
I can help you with this process of Growing in the experience of God's love. As of 7-23-16 I have experienced everything prior to chapter 8. The Song of Song is progressive in experience. Meaning that if you are mature then you can experience the joys and extraordinary outpourings of God's Love shed abroad in your heart.
If you are not so mature then the delights in the first chapter of the Song will satisfy your thirst for experiencing the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Many Christian are living in sin because they do not know how to experience God's love and get hooked on Loving Him. It feels good to be loved and to love Him. His burden is not heavy and His yoke is light, Jesus said in Matt. 10:28
I believe God wants to use me to help beautify His Bride through the Song of Solomon.
If you see the book literally you will not understand nor grasp the Love God has for you. If you see the book and the verses in it relating to Christ's love to you then I would love to show you how to experience this Love to the fullest. I will pray for you daily and guide you every step of the way.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I grew up going to church but was a hypocrite. I lived my life how I chose but went to church on Sunday because my family went.
Mom and Dad divorced when I was about 5.
About this time I was sexually abused by "Bob" a made up name. This incident changed my life for the worst. I had no clue how to deal with it.
As I got older I grew in my hatred for Bob. I didn't blame anyone of my family because I was to young to know any better. Some of what happened during the abuse was in a bathroom. So overtime I would use the bathroom and look at my private parts that night would replay in my mind. My hatred for Bob would continue to grow each time.
Now I know this only happened to me one night. I can't image the pain other's go through who have had this happen to them over and over. Even as I write this now I cry with many tears for those hurting. God love you even though you may not know it or feel it. Go to Him in your time of need.
I was a really bad teenager. I only cared about myself and not even my family. I always came first in my mind. Even at the expense of hurting others. I was growing in my hatred for God by now.
I was going to church and was learned that God was in control. I thought well, if God was in control then He must have let me be sexually abused. I didn't understand this, How could a good and loving God allow this. I hated Him for it. My hatred for Bob grew as well. I was still using the bathroom and memories kept coming back. My heart grew even harder for Bob and God. As far as I was concerned God would have nothing to do with my life so I lived even worse. I thought I would be in jail or dead and I really didn't care, I thought it could be much worse than reliving your painful past over and over again. Little did I know that God's plan later would be to use these events to give me a burning passion for the closest most intimate love relationship with Himself through Christ mainly through the love poem in the Song of Songs in the Bible.
I remember hating Bob so much that the only thing that would relieve my pain was actually thinking he would suffer forever for what he did. I grew so much in my hatred for him that I had to continue to think that he would get even worse than what I imaged before. After some time I would only be relieved of hatred for him unless I thought he would burn in a hotter and hotter hell for all the suffering he put me through.
I never told my mom or family what happened, although I think some of them knew something had happened.
I grew up quite rebellious and even went to jail at the age of 20. I was living the fast life pursuing all my sinful desires and wanting more. It never seemed to be enough. I was quite happy in my sin but I just wanted more of it.
I lived life thinking I would die at a young age, riding motorcycle and living on the edge put me in the hospital many times and I should have been dead.
California at age 26.
I moved to California for a job opportunity at the age of 27. While trying to figure out what radio stations to program in my car, I ran across a RC Sproul talking about "people who have the faith that saves and people who only say that have faith" only the people who have the faith that saves will go to heaven. I thought "I don't think I have the faith that saves because my life was so bad." I searched the scriptures to try to get this faith. I found a church and thought people there could help me get this faith that saves. All along God kept showing me how sinful I was and that I deserved punishment from Him for living my life hating Him.
One weekend I read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John desperately trying to find out how to get this faith that saves. By now I knew that if you had the faith that saves that Jesus would be saving you from a life of sin. I still liked my sin and Jesus sure wasn't saving me from a life of sin, so I rightly concluded that I didn't have the faith that saves.
By the time I got to John, I saw "believe" everywhere. John 3:16 and other verses and wow the whole book was written so that you may believe. John 20:31 "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." So at night I would pray "I believe Jesus died for me, I believe, I believe. This was just an intellectual belief. I knew that in history and the Bible that Jesus died for everyone, so I believed it. But this belief did not change my life.
I would go on night after night saying the same prayer only to wake up the next day wanting to fulfill my sinful desires. The prayer wasn't working so I started to word it different each time hoping some prayer would work. After about 2 weeks of this I was fed up with it all, nothing was happening. I still was living in my sin and wanted more of it. A Christian hates their sin and does something about it, and certainly they don't continue to make plans to sin. The prayers weren't working so I gave up. I thought to myself "God, I tried with all my might, I searched the Scriptures, went to church, read the Bible and prayed all to no avail. If Im going to be saved your going to have to do it because I tried."
So I quit praying but still the Bible kept calling me so I read more. 3 Days later I was laying in a tanning bed and God convicted me really hard that I had offended Him by the life I was living. I was so scared of God, where could I run. You can't hide from God. It seemed like forever that I was under these terrors of being punished by a Holy Angry God. This lasted about 10 minutes then this is how I understood it. God let me understand that all that anger that He had for me for all my sin should come my way but He had poured that anger out on Jesus 2,000 years ago. I immediately started weeping an couldn't stop for about 20 minutes. All the sins that I could think of I confessed for that 20 minutes one after another after another, I was so sorrowful and grieved it physically hurt inside.
After I stopped crying I thought that was the weirdest thing that ever happened. I walked out of the tanning salon and stood outside and everything seemed so beautiful, the tree's, the birds, even the air seemed pleasant. Now I was really wondering what was going on.
I pondered all of this as I drove to work that day. I brought my Bible to work and was thinking what am I doing, I want to take my Bible to work so I can read it. As soon as I got to work I started reading my Bible. I couldn't believe what I was reading!! It all was so wonderful. It felt so good to just read my Bible. My client showed up and as I was training them the only thing I could think about was getting back to my Bible. I read all night and slept about 2 hours and was reading again.
I had sinful things in my apartment and I rounded everything evil up and threw it in the garbage. It was weird I was thinking but it felt good so I left it all in the garbage. I called my girlfriend to break it up and she thought I had another girl, I said no, I just think this is wrong we shouldn't be sleeping together. She didn't understand so I told her I was a Christian now and she still thought I had another girlfriend. She said "Im glad your a Christian, so am I" I thought to myself, "I have a strong conviction that sleeping together is wrong and she thought it was okay" I wondered how she could think that. Anyway we broke up.
I kept reading my bible and repenting, there was so much to repent of and I had lived a very sinful life. I was a thief for some part of my life and all the people I stole from kept coming to mind. I owed so much money. I was instantly in debt about $80,000. As I could I paid them back. As of 7-18-2016 I still owe about $25,000 but it sure is a joy to be paying them back.
The first week of being saved a car just about ran me over, they hit me but I wasn't hurt at all. The guy in the car felt so bad. I just looked at him and said "God bless you and have a great day, I am okay" smiled at him and moved on. Now I was really wondering what was going on because I normally would have cussed him out left and right and instead of cussing I blessed him. That was so weird. But again it felt good. I learned to do good by what my conscience told me was good and that it felt good. I got hooked on this feeling good by doing good and did it more often.
About two weeks after being saved I thought of Bob. I immediately prayed for him, something like "Lord help him.." then I stopped praying and said out loud "What am I doing?" I'm praying for a man that I hated my whole life, but it feels good and right, so I did it again. I stopped again midway in the prayer and started pacing around. I was trying to make sense of what was going on and couldn't figure it out. But again it made me happy to pray for him so I did. Bob would often come to mind when I went to the bathroom and each time I would pray for Him. The more I did this the less weird it got. And the greater my love grew for him.
I started memorizing large portions of scripture and this was wonderful because it felt like the words were cleaning my mind and as Proverbs 2:10 "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." I wanted more and more of this pleasantness. So I memorized even more and the joy got more and more.
Then this life changing advice came:
A friend from church told me to find a book of the Bible and really understand it. Read through the Bible and pick one and read it over and over and study it and really get it. So I started in Genesis and read through. When I got to Proverbs I really liked it so I thought that would be the book. I started by memorizing all of Proverbs chapter 3. After that I thought maybe there is a better book than Proverbs. So I read on. Then I came to Song of Solomon. I read it with quite some confusion. It wasn't as good as the other books, I didn't know why. So I bought a commentary on it. George Burrowes commentary on the Song of Solomon.
In the commentary I found that George and other saw the book as illustrating God's love to the Church. And not only illustrating it but displaying the Love of Christ better than any other book. This caught my attention big time, because I was having a burning desire for a closer relationship with God and desperately learning about His Love so that I could Love God. You see I had hated Him for so long that God used that old hard heart to spur me on in loving Him. I so much did not want to hate God anymore that I was on fire to learn to Love Him as much and as fast as possible. So here was a book that would help me do that. So I landed on the Song of Solomon. I committed to learning as much of this book as possible.
I memorized the first chapter and would repeat it often throughout the day. I didn't know much of what I was repeating but it sure made me happier and on fire for God. I grew so fast repeating the first chapter over and over again all day, like a dozen times a day at least. It felt so good and I never found any other book that caused me to weep so much. I would often weep everyday just reading it. I was to immature to know what was going on. Even though it hurt to weep so much, I felt like my heart was being cleansed from the filth that was in it by repeating it over and over again so I did. As I read the commentary I understood more and more. What God was doing in me through the Song was greater and faster than any other portion of Scripture so I tended to stay there often. I was so excited about God that I thought it funny that other's in church weren't the same way. Some where happy but it seemed most of them didn't seem to care much about God. They would talk about work, football the weather. The only thing I wanted to talk about was Jesus and God and how can I grow closer to Him.
About this time there was a mission trip to Ireland.
I started to have convictions that I should try to find Bob and witness to him. I kept praying for him but how could he be saved if he hadn't heard the Gospel that has power unto salvation. So I asked family if they had any information. Like me before, my family hated him and thought he deserved hell. After some time I got his name but no location or phone number. Either they didn't know where he was or didn't want to tell me. I prayed some more and then started to get stronger convictions to do something about finding Bob.
So I went on the internet and typed in "his name and child molestation sex offender court" thinking that some court record would have some info leading to where I may find him" I even talked to a private eye and he couldn't help. So I googled some key words and spent hours each day looking through each page. I believed it was God's will for me to witness to Bob. I wanted him to be saved. Really bad. So much so that I thought God would save Bob if I were to witness to him. So I didn't stop searching for him. I kept my computer on each day and went page by page. It took two years to go through about 15,000 pages but I found someone who matched his name in a prison for molesting his grandchildren. I wrote the prison and he wrote back. All kinds of emotions went through my body when I saw his letter from the jail. I didn't open it right away but two hours later God gave me enough courage to face my fears again and I opened the letter. He admitted to being the one who molested me. We wrote back and forth I told him I was angry before but now I was saved and that I loved him and believed God wanted me to talk to him. He read my letters over and over again. I shared the gospel in each one.
I got mad at Bob 2x. Once he said that he love me. I got really angry with him. He didn't love me. That night it was hard to love Bob, I had to call a friend to pray for me to repent, after he prayed I felt greater love for Bob. Then I wrote him back saying "I'm sorry but you can't say that you loved me. You did not love me you lusted after me." He admitted he didn't love as he should have and admitted that it was lust and sinful. Finally some conviction. Yet I only thought he was saying that because I was being nice to him. All his family had left him and he said I was the only "friend" he had.
Wether or not it was true Bob said that he had cancer in his arm and that the help the prison gives was not enough and if he had money he could see a different doctor and get help. I sent him some money and since I was in jail before I knew what it was like to be in there without money, so I sent him money.
About 4-5 months in the economy went down, it was 2008. Work was hard. I still sent him money and I had to work harder. This was a really good lesson for me because I had to "work hard for the benefit of someone who did not deserve it." This was one of the greatest blessing ever because I realized with great certainty that Jesus was in me. This is what Jesus did. Jesus worked his whole life for me and I didn't deserve it!! Christ was in me! This was one of the best feelings ever and it put me in worship for months.
Then a mission trip to Croatia.
Each time I had to leave my business and amazing as it is I was completely okay each time. I am a self employed personal trainer and it is normally absurd to just leave and start over, but each time I had enough work within 2 weeks of coming back. This is a flat out miracle. I trusted God to provide and he did. How many people can start up a business in 2 weeks. Only with the help of God. God was teaching me early on in my walk that as long as I did what He wanted me to do then I had nothing to worry about.
About 3 years saved now.
I Taught the 4 year old's at church Sunday morning for 10 years.
Left my business 2x for mission trips and God miraculously provided when I came back.
I taught 5 x a week plus held a job.
Sunday morning to the kids.
Sunday night with the 5th graders
Friday afternoons at Good News Clubs. Sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship.
Friday Nights with the Kids teaching through Pilgrims Progress, I did this 2x
Teaching Monday afternoons at a nursing home. I taught through the Song of Songs once then John, then Romans then back to the Song again! I love the Song of Songs.
I grew up hating God for what happened to me, and now I love Him because He first loved me. My passion is for children to grow up loving God and not hating Him.
My other passion which has become ever greater is to help others see the Love of Christ to His Church in the Song of Songs!!
I would love to help you, just let me know and I will lead you and pray for you.
God demonstrates His love to us in sending His one and only Son to suffer in our place, taking our sins upon Himself so that whoever believes they get to heaven because of what He did for us will not perish but have everlasting life.