Arise My love, My beautiful one,
My dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
Song of Songs 2:13-14 (Holman)
Our own Rebecca found this lovely photograph from 1912 of a woman tentatively coming out of the cleft of a rock in Hawaii. It so vividly portrays the fear we have in leaving our idols and going higher with the Lord. But Rebecca is a living illustration of how God will indeed meet us when we arise and follow Him. I’m excited to show you two videos this week by going to this website:
https://vimeo.com/timmahony/albums
Under Dee Brestin ministries first watch Rebecca’s video. (Even if you saw it before — watch it again, because it is better!)
These video testimonies will be a part of the Idol Lies curriculum. This weekend we filmed the rest. I have felt like the Shulammite maiden in the cleft of the rock — afraid of all the things that were out of my control — and there was so much! But God has met me — has met us. I cannot even begin to tell you how well it went — beyond my hopes. (I have only seen some of the footage — didn’t want to see myself — but the scenery Ben caught and one little clip of a nine-year-old boy walking on a thin fence (to illustrate the narrow way of the gospel — and how you can fall off to the side of rebellion or self-righteousness) and the way he captured it, his feet in slow motion…And two women from Moody from Thailand and Trinidad came and gave such good comments….My friend Cynthia was here and was AMAZING –and her husband cooked five fabulous meals that blessed us all. This morning I realized this video could be adapted, with my son’s help, for the prisons. God has met me — and all He asked of me was to release control and move out toward Him.
We’ve been learning from Jonah that “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Rebecca ties this into the Song of Songs, where at first the Shulammite refuses to come out of the cleft, for it seems safer to cling to her idols.
Even if you saw Rebecca’s old video — please watch the new one before you begin. Click here:
https://vimeo.com/timmahony/albums
This is from Rebecca:
“Let’s pray for a heart ready for any world to come-let’s pray for a new level,
let’s move up, grasp the grace of god so we are fearless enough and humble
enough to handle the world whatever it is-salvation is from the Lord.”
Tim Keller
God has shown me that a little grasp of Grace is not enough before a Tsunami.
My Tsunami came when I married. My stepdaughter suffered with anorexia; later, a son diagnosed with Autism-I feared, I crumbled. My little grasp of Grace wasn’t enough, and I began to run from God and into the cleft in the arms of my idol.
But He came and pulled me out plunging me into the wild waves of His Grace –Layer by layer the depths of the Cross. What love is this to plunge this white clothed sinner deeper still? Who am I?? I am finding strength as I slowly grasp deeper my need and His cost-yet I have so much deeper to go. He loves me despite me and I am confident He will take me higher for He calls me beautiful. Salvation is from the Lord!
Sunday/Monday
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? (Choose Rebecca’s words, her video, the photograph — or all of the above!)
2. Share a recent time when you either:
A. Clung to your idol in the cleft of the rock and suffered
B. Came out of the cleft, fearful yet trusting, and experienced grace
Bible Study:Monday-Wednesday
3. Read Song of Songs 2:8-12
A. This is both a portrait of an earthly bridegroom and of Jesus.
Find evidence that she admires him, loves him, and is pleased by him.
B. Challenge: Write your own prayer of praise to Jesus, based on the above verses.
4. Read Song of Songs 2:10-14
How does he attempt to persuade her to come out of the clefts to go higher with him?
5. It seems, by the sense of his absence in Song of Songs 3, that he failed to persuade her to go higher with him.
We can love the Lord, and still cling to our idols, forfeiting the grace that could be ours. How did you cling to
an idol last week? Result?
5. Read Song of Songs 5:6-7
A. How does she have a change of heart, as evidenced by verse 5?
B. This is when we find out where he was asking her to go with him. What do you think is meant by “the
mountain of myrrh?
C. How does he respond to her coming out of the cleft?
Jesus went ahead to The Mountain of Myrrh — and now calls us to follow. New Song has a song in which they imagine God the Father singing these verses to Jesus. To watch, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHyGh0RgCA
Thursday-Friday (Rachael’s Story) Go to the same link and under Dee Brestin ministries, listen to Rachael’s story. https://vimeo.com/timmahony/albums
Rachael was in my face to face study with Rebecca in Kansas City. There were seven women — and five had dramatic changes in their lives. Rachael is a godly young woman, yet her life was changed. She has such depth, that I am going to break this video into three pieces and use it all in Idol Lies.
6. In the first part of the video Rachael discovers, through Powlison’s questions, that Jesus is often not her refuge. Where was she going for refuge? How did she begin to see this and then change? Do you identify?
7. Rachael has severe chronic health problems. How did she begin to see these differently? What do you think?
8. Rachael underwent a change in the way she related to her children. What did the Lord show her, and how is her relationship different now?
Saturday:
9. What’s your take-a-way and why?
232 comments
5. Read Song of Songs 5:6-7
A. How does she have a change of heart, as evidenced by verse 5?
B. This is when we find out where he was asking her to go with him. What do you think is meant by “the
mountain of myrrh?
I was slightly confused by the reference to verses 6-7 and the question being about verse 5 and I couldn’t find the words mountain of myrrh, but I managed:)
She finally arises to let him in and he is gone, only leaving myrrh on the door handle. When I think about myrrh being symbolic of death then the passage seems kind of creepy. Christ calls us to die to ourselves when we follow him. He didn’t force his way in (which I’m sure in that culture would have been his right) and Christ doesn’t force himself on us. He calls, he stands at the door and knocks, he coaxes us out.
She was late getting there and now she has to face danger to obtain what she now REALLY wants.
Dee, Have you had any updates from/about Tammy?
I have not! Maybe Susan has?
Thanks! Out of town again now. Will be back on as I have Internet access (away for next week).
No, Dee, I’ve not heard from Tammy at all. I think of her often, though…
Me too!
4. Read Song of Songs 2:10-14
How does he attempt to persuade her to come out of the clefts to go higher with him?
He calls to her to come with Him. He tells her to open her eyes and see the good things He has brought her. He calls to her gently, lovingly. I love that He leaves no room for doubt that He really wants her with Him, no room for her insecurity.
5. It seems, by the sense of his absence in Song of Songs 3, that he failed to persuade her to go higher with him.
We can love the Lord, and still cling to our idols, forfeiting the grace that could be ours. How did you cling to
an idol last week? Result?
I let my mind fill with worry and doubt instead of rising up and following Him when He called. The result was a lonely, downcast spirit in me.
5. Read Song of Songs 5:6-7
A. How does she have a change of heart, as evidenced by verse 5?
She hears him knocking (5:1) and then he puts his hand through the lock (vs 4)—so she stands up to go to him, but finds him gone.
B. This is when we find out where he was asking her to go with him. What do you think is meant by “the
mountain of myrrh?
I think I’ve heard that referred to the Church. But here I’m wondering if it is that he is saying—come and fellowship with me. In chapter 4 he says he is going to the mountain of myrrh and incense—reminds me of His birth, yet the myrrh represents death, the incense is sweet . So perhaps it is the call to give up our lives as he did, ‘die to self’, and experience the life that comes through death. OK, I think I’m really stretching here, better stop—I’m definitely not the poetry interpreter!
C. How does he respond to her coming out of the cleft?
He has gone when she first arises to follow him—I need help with the end of chapter 5. Going ahead to when she finds him, in chapter 6, he is in the garden—preparing the space for her, he welcomes her and covers her with love.
Rebecca–I want to say again how encouraged I am every time I watch your video. You have such a gift of coming to life on camera–your warmth just draws me in. I forget it’s even a video–really. It just feels like I am right there with you and you are humbly pouring out your heart. I am SO excited for how I know God will use it in the lives of so many women. Thank you for allowing Him to use you–it blesses me.
It has blesses me also:)
This question was for sure a challenge for me because I found it hard to speak as to a lover rather than to God. With that said, it was one of the best exercises I have ever done. It helped me to see Jesus as one who loves me just as I am. Love does not see imperfections and what a heart of love He has! The question is why do I want to hide? I have a sense we will be looking into that. So here is my prayer. I wrote 4 but I think this one comes closest to answering the question.
B. Challenge: Write your own prayer of praise to Jesus, based on the above verses.
My Love, You are so beautiful! What is there in heaven or on earth that I can compare to the riches of knowing You? Are You like the majestic pine, tall and straight with beautiful, soft, fragrant fronds swaying in the breeze? No You are more, much more. Are You like the Hope diamond on its pedestal, brilliant new facets displayed as it turns? Or the majestic horse, 2nd only to man in creation, strong and beautiful in form, noble of heart. Man who is the crown of creation, created in Your image, able to think and create. All of these and so much more give me only a hint of who You are my love. Lord, I feel unworthy and afraid because You are so magnificent and holy. Who am I Lord that You gave Your very life to bring me into Your presence? Do you really love to hear my voice? I will sing more. If You think my face is lovely I will not call it imperfect. How rich in love Your heart is Lord that You would love one so imperfect. Help me not to hide but to come boldly into Your arms, unashamed. Amen
What a beautiful prayer, Anne…and from your heart, which is lovely, too!
I think you did an amazing job in writing this prayer!
me too
“If You think my face is lovely I will not call it imperfect.”
this is powerful!
Wow Anne, this is a beautiful, wonderful prayer-“help me not to hide but to come boldly into your arms unashamed.” I also loved how you adored him above all here-so good.
Beautiful Anne!
Anne, That was a beautiful prayer…I loved it and want to pray to to my Lord too and will later…thank you!
I put these Lily of the Valley here, because I remember Dee saying that they grow wild all over Steve’s grave, once a year. To me I pictured God covering this wonderful man with beauty for all eternity, by having the lily of the valley come up every year there.
I wanted to share another daily devotion that Anne’s prayer reminded me of, and that I love:
Open your hands and your heart to receive this day as a precious gift from me. I begin each day with a sunrise, announcing My radiant Presence. By the time you rise from your bed, I have already prepared the way before you. I eagerly await your first conscious thought. I rejoice when you glance My way.
Bring Me the gift of thanksgiving, which opens your heart to rich communion with Me. Because I am God, from whom all blessings flow, thanksfulness is the best way to draw near Me. Sing praise songs to Me; tell of My wonderous works. “Remember that I take great delight in you; I rejoice over you with singing.”
Psalm 118:24 Psalm 95:2 Zephaniah 3:17
Page 184 in “Jesus Calling” Devotions by Sarah Young
I loved this Joyce, thank you for sharing it.
Sweet you remember about the lillies of the valley on Steve’s grave…
You have a calmness in your spirit that comes from intimacy with Him, Joyce.
Thursday-Friday (Rachael’s Story) Go to the same link and under Dee Brestin ministries, listen to Rachael’s story. https://vimeo.com/timmahony/albums
First off, I love Rachael and wish she lived closer to me! When I first met her she was really going through some heavy trials and I was moved at how she didn’t put on a mask rather she just opened up-she was so willing to let God chisel away at her heart.
6. In the first part of the video Rachael discovers, through Powlison’s questions, that Jesus is often not her refuge. Where was she going for refuge? How did she begin to see this and then change? Do you identify?
Rachael would go to her computer when she felt stressed trying to fix problems in her life. She got away from her computer on lent and realized she was taking refuge in her computer rather than in the Lord. She realized God was calling her to take refuge in Him-so she began going to the Lord instead of other things. She began reading the word, focusing on Him.
Yes, I do identify with her-except she wasn’t as stubborn as me.:-) God opened her eyes and when they were opened she responded right in the middle of a heavy storm.
7. Rachael has severe chronic health problems. How did she begin to see these differently? What do you think?
She went on a quest trying to fix them. She thought there was a way out of it-but through the study with idolatry she realized her trials are her friends and they are bringing her more and more into closer intimacy with Him.
I liked when she said she realized she was living for this hope of a pain free, trouble free life instead of seeing her suffering and trials as his mercy that draws her closer to him. Yet she needed to get to the bottom to see it.
8. Rachael underwent a change in the way she related to her children. What did the Lord show her, and how is her relationship different now?
She was making an idol out of what she wanted her children to be, act and become. Instead of accepting them for how God has made them. I loved what she drew out of Paul Tripp’s book-it has stuck with me too. He said when we serve our idols we see our children as enemies because they are keeping us from what we want and we get angry at them instead of showing them grace and fighting for them instead of against them-oh how I can relate and this helps me when frustration bubbles up-I can see it and think the truth-my boys aren’t trying to annoy me or frustrate me. Why am I getting frustrated and angry over this-what idol are they threatening?
Rachael thought she could control people and fix things in her life but she found she was making herself miserable and everyone around her miserable. Her idol failed her, and brought harm to her instead of the joy and intimacy the Lord brings when we run to him.
Her husband gave testimony of how things have changed. When he comes out in the morning the atmosphere is pleasant, there is more love visible. There used to be friction and intense discussion going on.
Rachael’s testimony is so good, so relate-able and at the same time so deep. I can relate with her control idol with her children-oh my! Yes, there is friction and hurt when that idol is active.
So good, Rebecca.
I was listening to a clip this morning from the gospel coalition from Kevin Twit and two other men on why hymns are so important — one interesting thing they said is that contemporary music tends not to embrace suffering as the hymns do…
I know there are exceptions, but isn’t that interesting?
A. How does she have a change of heart, as evidenced by verse 5?
She wanted to let Him in, she was felt ready for Him. But He was gone.
B. This is when we find out where he was asking her to go with him. What do you think is meant by “the mountain of myrrh?
I knew myrrh was bitter, but beyond that I wasn’t sure. I went searching and found different commentaries, one on which suggested that this pictures Christ’s temporary separation from the church, His bride. That we can catch a glimpse of Him now, we can have our hope kindled by this, but the fullness of knowing Him is to come.
I thought a lot about the part of verse 9 in chapter 2 where she says “he stands behind our wall”, I wondered if this represents her sin, keeping them apart, but then I would think it would say ‘my wall’ instead.
C. How does he respond to her coming out of the cleft?
With silence, I thought how this separation would cause her to value Him all the more, to realize what she was forfeiting.
First I want to say, in case Rachael is reading–Thank You.
6. In the first part of the video Rachael discovers, through Powlison’s questions, that Jesus is often not her refuge. Where was she going for refuge? How did she begin to see this and then change? Do you identify?
She was running to her fix on the computer—facebook, coupon sites, and researching an answer to her chronic health problems.
Yes, I identify! About 15 years ago, when I was first diagnosed with several “conditions” within a year, I became consumed with finding an answer. Instead, I travelled down a path filled with fear and costly ‘remedies’. I have one story that clearly shows how the enemy craftily used a very specific fear to imprison me. The Lord pulled me out of that tornado of fear, but in the past 6 months as these new symptoms popped up, and doctors started once again using the phrases that terrify me, it has been my challenge to respond differently this time. I have not been 100% successful, but, with the help of my husband’s accountability, and my running to specific scriptures when the cloud starts forming—I have experienced much peace.
7. Rachael has severe chronic health problems. How did she begin to see these differently? What do you think?
She realized she had been living for the hope of a pain-free, trouble-free life, thinking that was the goal, instead of seeing the suffering and trials as His mercy, bringing her closer to the Lord. She began to see her trials as her “friends”—for they were being used to draw her to deeper intimacy with her Lord.
I cannot say that I always feel this—but for the first time in my life, I have had more and more moments of believing this in my own life.
8. Rachael underwent a change in the way she related to her children. What did the Lord show her, and how is her relationship different now?
She began to realize she was making an idol of who she wanted her children to be instead of just accepting them as God made them to be. Through Paul Tripp’s book, God showed her that when we’re serving our idols, we begin to see our children as enemies, because they get in the way of our idol. God showed her she needed to be fighting for them, not against them. She realized she was making herself and everyone around her miserable. Her idols were failing her, bringing her harm; yet when she ran to the Lord, she experienced His love and intimacy. Her interactions with her children changed from intense discussions to tender, grace-giving ones.
I appreciated when she said it’s a daily process of turning to the Lord—and the encouragement that she senses God calling her to go higher with Him and hide in the shadow of His wings.
I am glad Elizabeth that you are ‘responding differently’, that your own husband is an accountablity partner for you, and that you are experiencing a measure of peace in the midst of your trial.
I have thought of how in many ways your life and your spirit parallels Rachael’s, Elizabeth. You both have such a heart for Him — I love that about both of you.
9. What’s your take-a-way and why?
I will never find what I really want, what I was created for, by staying where I am—clinging to my idol, hiding in the cleft. I will not find it on the computer, or in doctors, or through a TV escape. There is only One Who can free me, Who wants to give me love beyond belief. The One Who has fields of wild flowers waiting for me. Why does it take so long to learn? And then, even when I do know the truth, and experience it, why do I run back to the cleft and hide, over and over again? I wish it could be a one time decision. Instead, I know it is daily, hourly, minute by minute repentance. Loosening my grip on my idols, freeing me to grasp His hand.
Today I read this—it’s what He’s reminding me of this week:
Psalm 146
1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
8 the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Elizabeth, that was beautiful, thank you for posting Psalms 146.
I can see your growing closer and closer to the Lord through your pain you have to endure.
I love this, what you said…..”I appreciated when she said it’s a daily process of turning to the Lord—and the encouragement that she senses God calling her to go higher with Him and hide in the shadow of His wings.” I can see you doing the same thing, Elizabeth….you give me so much encouragement! Thank you!
I must be tired, I forgot to sign in and lost all I had written.
Tomorrow we begin selling. Happy 4th of July, sisters. So thankful for our free country.
Skimming the comments and praying. See you in a week.
kim, every time I pass a fireworks stand (a TON around here!) I am praying for you!
Kim called me today and said they got moved and ready for their two trailors of fireworks…all in 100 degree weather… I don’t know how they do it. She said they just got their internet up at their house. They start selling fireworks tomarrow. Keep praying for them!
Kim, me too about the fireworks tents. I will pray for you every time I pass one.
Praying everytime I see one too, Kim…especially your two trucks with the big Black Cats! Kendra get’s so excited when she see’s yours as they are the most colorful ones and she loves the cat!!!
I read Psalm 147 this morning and was so blessed by it that I came on to share it. I like it much more than my own prayer which seems so raw and broken. The Psalmist does such a beautiful job of pulling together different aspects of God’s glory and blessing to us. I hope you can read it. I don’t have time to type it in here. I see that Elizabeth shared 146 yesterday 🙂
Blessings today~
6. In the first part of the video Rachael discovers, through Powlison’s questions, that Jesus is often not her refuge. Where was she going for refuge?
Mostly to her computer
How did she begin to see this and then change?
She fasted from her computer during lent & realized she needed to take refuge in Him instead of the computer
Do you identify?
I do, I have had at various times in my life different areas in my life that I thought would give me satisfaction, my idols have been food, a clean house, exercise, alcohol.
They all turn around and bite one eventually. I have struggled with the shame of being overweight, finding myself crying at night over the way I was yelling at my children because my clean house was way to important to me, suffering with shin splints & a rotator cuff tear from overzealous exercise, and feeling unable to relax without drinking wine.
None of those pursuits are inherently bad things. I just had times in my life when I magnified them to a place of looking to them as essential to my identity, my sense of well being was bound up in them in a way that is unhealthy and more importantly blocks intimacy with the true source of my identity.
7. Rachael has severe chronic health problems. How did she begin to see these differently?
She stopped seeking so hard after the answers that would make her life trouble free, and began to see the trials as a mercy, something God was using to draw her near to Himself.
What do you think?
This is a hard one for me to answer.
If this life really is short and how we spend it will matter for all eternity, then anything that takes our eyes off of vain things and fastens them onto out Savior, is a good thing. Trusting Him means we can open our hands & our hearts to see even the hardest trials, things no one would ever ever choose for themselves, as something God is using for the best possible good for us & glory for Himself.
This is a beautiful sentence, Chris. It really speaks to me. “Trusting Him means we can open our hands & our hearts to see even the hardest trials, things no one would ever ever choose for themselves, as something God is using for the best possible good for us & glory for Himself.” I am going through a hard trial right now that I definitely would not choose. I see no good in it at all. Lord, help me to see my trial as something you are using for “the best possible good” for me and for Your glory. I cannot do this on my own. Help me, Lord. Help me to turn my eyes constantly to You and thank you that my trial forces me to look full in Your wonderful, glorious face.
Lord, I pray with Diane, for her, to sense Your presence, Your peace, Your sustaining Love in this trial. And Lord, I pray You would bring resolution and healing to whatever this trial she is facing, and that You would be glorified through it. Thank You for her faith Lord.
chris–this is incredibly profound “then anything that takes our eyes off of vain things and fastens them onto out Savior, is a good thing”
i need to keep that before me, thank you
Chris, I love your comment there at the bottom…it is so true…thank you for that.
8. Rachael underwent a change in the way she related to her children. What did the Lord show her, and how is her relationship different now?
He showed her that her children & her ideas of who they should be were idols for her. She felt if she could control them she would be happy.
She has I think begun to see her children as individuals created by God to be who & how He made them to be. What an incredible turning in her, what a gift this is to her children & how much better equipped adults they will be as a result.
Her husband’s testimony was a powerful addition to the video. I love that she brought out that her idols fail her, that the turning from them is a daily battle.
We sing this song in church, I kept thinking of the lyrics as I did this lesson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H47RJg82eM
Give Us Clean Hands
We bow our hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes
From evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
So give us clean hands
and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands
and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh God let this be
a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
thanks for the song, Chris. Your words and sharing richly bless me. Thank you for helping me focus on him today.
My take away: I was awe struck at how windy it was in Angela’s video yet her hair remained perfect 😛
That’s hysterical!
Hello sisters! Pat and I are in and out of service. We are in God’s country though at yellowstone! We can’t watch the video yet…..we will try when we are in the Tetons tomorrow. Long week but nice. We have been blessed with a wonderfully diverse, but good group of people from all over the country. Lots of time to reflect.
Thank you for continued prayers for us and my daughter Sarah. She has been gone all week and not in contact with my husband. She finally texted my son to let us know she is camping. I am sad. God has plan though. I’m sure of that. Pat and I read Proverbs from the physical Bible this morning. Wisdom. It touched our hearts.
So good to hear from you. I will keep praying for your family.
Diane wrote…… “I am going through a hard trial right now that I definitely would not choose. I see no good in it at all. Lord, help me to see my trial as something you are using for “the best possible good” for me and for Your glory. I cannot do this on my own. Help me, Lord. Help me to turn my eyes constantly to You and thank you that my trial forces me to look full in Your wonderful, glorious face.”
Diane, I’m praying for you!
Also praying for, Lily, Cyndi. And for Joe and Josh for Chris and for Sarah for Laura Dancer and their trip. Dawn, Bless you as you fight with depression and Renee for your small business. Praying also for Laura Marie to have a special friend, altho I’d give anything to be your friend where you are..sounds so lovely!!
thank you Joyce, is your pain diminishing a bit?
Yes it is getting better, thanks!!
I really like the song “Arise My Love” by Newsong. It is so wonderful that Jesus has paid the price and God has said to Jesus, “the grave no longer has a hold on you, no more death sting, no more suffering. Arise”. I so look forward to the day when this will be true of me as well, true of all of us who are his children. One day He will say, “Arise, my love,” to me. So awesome!
I do too Diane. I am still singing it and will be for a while.
5.She comes to the door to open to him but he is gone. Verse 4 says that her feelings were stirred for him.
Ultimately I think the mountain of myrrh is Golgotha but I am not sure in the context of Solomon and the Shulamite. I noticed that her hands were also dripping with myrrh. I agree that there is some significance to myrrh being used to prepare bodies for burial. I am guessing but I wonder if love and sacrifice may also be part of its significance because of the way her hands were dripping with it when she rose to open the door for him.
When she comes out of the cleft he is not there.
6. When Rachael gave up computer time for lent she found that she had a lot of free time. That is when she realized that she was taking refuge there instead of in the Lord. The biggest part of the battle was seeing what she was doing. When she saw, she began to make conscious decisions to go to the Lord when she needed refuge. Yes I do identify.
7. Rachael began to see her suffering as making her holy and bringing her into dependence on and intimacy with the Lord. When she was able to see that she stopped thinking that she had to get out of her circumstance to be happy. She saw that in the midst of it all she could be near the Lord which is the source of joy, I think she is absolutely right but I also think that it is easy for me to say from here. To live it is quite a bit harder but possible in the Lord.
8. The Lord showed Rachael that her children were idols in her life. She was trying to control them to make them what she wanted them to be rather than the people that God created them to be. When she stopped trying to control and gave them the freedom to be themselves their relationships improved dramatically so that her husband could clearly see the change.
Good notes — like your observation on hands dripping with myrrh…
We are so afraid of sacrifice, and yet, every death leads to a resurrection! Oh deliver us from lies, Lord!
Here is one of Kim’s Firework trailor’s
Dee is Idol Lie’s out yet for sale? I don’t get out much and haven’t been to our “Solid Rock” bible book store in awhile. I’d love to give it to a 40some yr old guy. He is my cousin’s nephew in Mississippi, named “Sunshine” and goes by Shine. I’ve never met him personally but I’ve witnessed to him on fb! We have some good talks about God there! So fb can be very good too. He is stuggling with some idols as most of us are, but he doesn’t understand about idols. I noticed your book is aimed at women mostly, but why couldn’t men use it too? We all have idols, men and women. Or would you recommend another book for men…maybe Keller…does he have one on Idols? Just wondering. I can’t wait to get the book for myself!
Joyce — it’s scheduled release is 9/11
Keller’s book on idols is Counterfeit Gods. If he’s not a reader, you could give him Keller CD’s — his one on Colossians 3 and idols is esp good.
Thank you, I’ll order the CD’s just in case he’s not a reader.
I have part one of “Removing Idols from the Heart” and am ordering part two. Thank you, Dee
Reading comments above from Diane, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Chris about suffering
I mentioned this above to Rebecca — but some of you might be interested in this 10 minute video and how the hymns tend to embrace the theology of suffering that most contemporary music does not.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/videos
3. Read Song of Songs 2:8-12
A. This is both a portrait of an earthly bridegroom and of Jesus.
Find evidence that she admires him, loves him, and is pleased by him.
The way she is so excited and thrilled when she is aware that he is coming to see her, exclaiming “Listen, My beloved! Behold, he is coming…” It’s like she wants us to catch the excitement, too. She pictures him as a young stag, leaping, strong, surefooted. I imagine her heart was racing!
B. Write your own prayer of praise to Jesus, based on the above verses.
OH Lord Jesus, I can only imagine The Day when You will return, when I will say, “Listen! My Beloved! Behold, He is coming!” My heart will be leaping and racing within me, my skin tingling, my eyes longing to finally see Your face. And You will come, strong, leaping over the mountains, brilliant and victorious and shining, and my love will mix with fear and trembling because You are all glorious to behold. YOU ARE GOD. Holy, Awesome, Mighty, Powerful. It will be with awe and wonder that I will hear You say, “Arise, my darling, My beautiful one, and come along. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.” Your love and mercy and grace are unfathomable. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
9. What’s your take-a-way and why?
I want a heart ready for any world to come and in order for my heart to be ready I need to pray for a new level of moving up with Him, but I have to be willing to daily sacrifice myself-death to self and my idols. I also need to be willing to trust Him with the pain in the turning from my sin.
I am learning I am SUCH A CHILD STILL and I haven’t really grasped enough Grace for the bigger Tsunami’s yet. So when more Tsunamis come, and they will, I want to already be hiding in the shadow of His wings rather than in the cold, destructive cleft of the rock.
Those are two good contrasting word pictures: cold cleft, warm shelter of his wings…
I was thinking of the picture above with the woman coming out of the cleft. The stone is cold, and dead-she looks tentative, and unsettled. I Contrasted with that picture you had a while back of the bird sheltering the little ones under her wings-the wings are warm, and alive-the baby birds are sure, and content. May be stretching a bit, but just a thought. 🙂
This prayer I read the other day from “The Valley of Vision”. It is applicable to our study in regard to turning from our idols-dying to self-coming out of the cleft. It spoke to my heart so I will share.
Divine Mercies
Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of the ocean’s ‘lip’ as number thy favors towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank thee for personal mercies, measure of health, preservation of body, comforts of house and home,
sufficiency of food and clothing, continuance of mental powers,
my family, their mutual help and support, the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
the seats now filled that might have been vacant, my country, church, Bible, faith.
But O, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness, the days that add to my guilt,
the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without, condemn me-
The sun which sees my misdeeds,
the darkness which is light to thee,
the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
the good angels who have been provoked to leave me,
thy countenance which scans my secret sins,
they righteous law, thy holy Word,
my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life,
my neighbors, myself- all write dark things against me.
I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess, ‘father, I have sinned’.
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to thy outstretched arms; thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
thou wilt not condemn me, for he died in my stead,
thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin, for he leveled all, and his beauty covers my deformities.
O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross, hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.
4. Read Song of Songs 2:10-14
How does he attempt to persuade her to come out of the clefts and to go higher with him?
The first verses remind me of the saying, that you can catch a lot more flies with honey… He calls her “my darling, my beautiful one”. He’s encouraging her by letting her know how much he loves her. Never once do his words show impatience or irritation. He is patiently wooing her. He uses word pictures to describe how lovely it will be if she comes out – warmth, flowers, birds singing, ripening fruit, fragrant blossoms.
He assures her of her physical beauty in his eyes; he wants to see her body, wants to hear the sweetness of her voice. He assures her in every way that she is pleasing to him. (I’m getting a little faint reading this!)
5. It seems, by the sense of his absence in Song of Songs 3, that he failed to persuade her to go higher with him.
We can love the Lord and still cling to our idols, forfeiting the grace that could be ours.
How did you cling to an idol last week? Result?
I don’t have to think back to last week, it’s a daily battle! It’s a daily choice whether I spend time with Him or not. My comfort idol can say “a little more sleep…” or my approval idol can say “if you would just get this house in order – get busy, you don’t have time this morning, you can do it later”, or in the evening when I’m sitting by myself in the family room, I can “sit in my pain” or browse through catalogues instead of choosing to say okay Lord, I’ll spend this time with You.
Anytime I don’t choose Him, I forfeit the grace that could be mine and I fail to be led higher with Him.
5. Read Song of Songs 5:6-7
A. How does she have a change of heart, as evidenced by verse 5?
It says, “I arose to open to my beloved…”
B. This is when we find out where he was asking her to go with him. What do you think is meant by “the mountain of myrrh”? “Mountain of myrrh”? I’m not sure what this means. My Bible says that she got up to open the door, and “my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.”
She finds that she is too late – “my beloved had turned away and had gone!” She searches for him but can’t find him, calls him but he does not answer. I am not sure why, in verse 7, as she is looking for him, the watchmen in the city find her, strike her and wound her, and take away her shawl.
I see in others’ posts that myrrh is symbolic of death. I don’t know if I’m on the right track, but in verses 6-7, I see a shadowy picture of Christ – when he suffered and died, He cried out to His Father but the Father turned away; the images in verse 7 of being struck, wounded, and having the garment taken away. The imagery of the myrrh dripping from hands- love and sacrifice mingling together. Anne said maybe the Mountain of Myrhh is Golgotha. Is this, then, symbolic of where Jesus asks us to go? He went to the Cross – we don’t have to go to the Cross, but to follow Him it will cost us; we will have a cross to bear.
C. How does he respond to her coming out of the cleft?
She comes out, but he has already gone. Okay, going back to “B”, and I saw that Dee said that Jesus went ahead to The Mountain of Myrrh, but what it costs us to follow Him can be “death” in many ways; dying to self, suffering ridicule, persecution; the Shulammite followed after him but it was hard – she was beaten. So myrrh is dripping all over the place here.
Great answer to C — and all of them, thoughtful Susan!
I was just relistening to all three women (Rebecca, Rachael and Angela) talk about their idols and how they see themselves in them and how they are working on them and really what a struggle it is to replace them with Jesus, daily! I wish there was a simple way to give them up and forget them forever! But they just keep coming back and back to me and I feel frustrated. I want to just spend time with Jesus and not let them get in our way! It’s like trying to break old habit’s, it’s very hard to do. My earthly body wants to run to the idols for comfort and my heavenly body wants to run to Jesus for comfort. I’m having a battle between my earthly and heavenly bodies! I’m struggling so with my idols! I have the controll, the comfort and the approval and everything else I can think of! I start each day asking for help in the battle. What else can I do? I’m full of bad habit’s since birth in this earthly life! It’s a constant, conscious, effort and I am more aware of them than ever now, but I feel hopeless:(
It is such a daily battle. But I find I’m a quicker repenter and truly am seeing progress, though I often take steps backward and hate it!
Oh Joyce, you are in good company….the apostle Paul had the same struggles between his flesh and the Spirit!
Maybe reading Romans 7, where Paul describes his struggle, will encourage you. You are right, it is a daily struggle. We are all in this together! Praying for you, too!
Oh, Joyce. I can so identify with the weariness of the daily battle. But listen to your sisters here and don’t feel hopeless. Focus on Him. Turn your eyes daily, minute by minute. It may not feel like it at the moment, but the fact that you are continually running back to Jesus means you are actually gaining ground. And someday you will look back and see how far you have come, while you may have felt you are making no progress at all. Father, give Joyce a clear touch from You, a sense of hope in the midst of her struggle. Lord, we wish the battle was over, but help us not to give in to despair.
I’m pressing on the upward way
New heights I’m gaining every day
Still praying as I’m onward bound
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on Heaven’s table land
A higher plane than I have found
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Joyce, I find it very hard too and a constant battle with my idolatrous heart. I am sorry you are feeling hopeless right now and I will pray for your faith and encouragement. I know the others will have some great advice. I have found it very helpful to put on my armor each morning. I don’t mean it in a simplistic superstitious way but simply as a way to protect your heart through the trials of the day. My problem has been that I am often caught with my guard down and it happens much less often when I am prepared in this way. Another thing that has happened as a result of this daily practice is that I often have a renewed sense of wonder over each piece.
My oldest is leaving for Brooklyn this morning. The truck is loaded and ready. I can’t sleep. Just waiting for him to get up. He is driving alone and will probably not have any help to carry his stuff up 5 flights.
Joey’s appt with the neurologist is on the 31st.
Father, I pray that you will give Anne’s son safety and surprise help when he arrives in Brooklyn.
And anoint Joey’s neurologist next month, O Lord.
Yes, father, I lift both boys up to you, Lord. Ease Anne’s troubled heart, as mom’s we can’t seem to stop worrying over our children, no matter how old they are. I so understand that! Give Anne’s son traveling mercies and prepare extra help for him when he gets there, even if it’s someone who needs a few dollars for alittle help…pave the way for him, please Father! Be with Joey on his appt on the 31st and bless his feet unto you, Lord! May the Dr. know the perfect way to treat him. Praise God.
Last night I was praying for Kendra’s feet/ankle’s as they are weak and she hates the leather braces that lace up, but do give her strength there. I think of Joey and pray for him also, as he has simular problems. I will keep both your son’s in my prayer’s Anne…love you!
Anne,
I’ll pray for his safe travel to New York, and yes, a kind and gracious person to help him move in! And for peace of mind for you.
I too pray for safety for Anne’s son as he travels, as he embarks on this new journey in his life. Thank you that you send your angels to prepare the way ahead of him. Protect him as he travels, as he moves in, as he settles in and he seeks to find his place in his new part of the world. And be with Anne as she misses him and releases him to Your protection anew.
Thank you for the appointment for Joey. Guide the doctors. Help Anne and Joey to trust you as they wait, to know you have it in Your control.
6. In the first part of the video Rachel discovers, through Powlison’s questions, that Jesus is often not her refuge. Where was she going for refuge? How did she begin to see this and then change? Do you identify?
Rachel was going to her computer for refuge – checking email, facebook, coupons, and researching things to help solve her problems. She realized it when she fasted from the computer during Lent, and saw just how much time it had taken up. Now, she had more free time to spend with the LOrd.
Yes, I can identify. When I feel restless, bored, don’t have anyone to talk to, I too will get on the computer. The things you can browse for information is endless – health issues; like Rachel said, looking for a way to fix something. Or, I’ll start “window shopping” and often end up buying something online.
7. Rachel has severe chronic health problems. How did she begin to see these differently? What do you think?
I found her shift in thinking to be amazing, and I know, from God! She actually said that she began to see her trials as “friends”. Only God could change a person’s thinking like that! Before, she said she wanted just to find a way out, and was living for the hope of a pain-free life someday. But she began to see her problems as God’s mercies, drawing her closer to Him.
I find this very encouraging. My first reaction to pain (and often continued reaction to it) is “I want this to end”. Like, I’ll start to really live once I get through this. Oh, that I could get this truth into my own heart, to see pain and suffering as God giving me opportunity to be closer to Him!
8. Rachel underwent a change in the way she related to her children. What did the Lord show her, and how is her relationship different now?
Wow, this was eye-opening, too. She saw that she made an idol of how she wanted her children to be, how she wanted them to act, and what she wanted them to become. This caused a lot of conflict as she wasn’t accepting them as the Lord had made them.
Through a book, she saw how we actually fight against our children as if they were enemies when they are blocking our idols. Now she is “fighting for them”, and learning to release them to be who God made them to be. Her husband noticed the conflict was less frequent.