1. Song of Songs – Friday Night Genesis – Friday, Feb 7, 2014
Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, as it’s sometimes called, is a very unique
book that we rarely look at or read in our churches. Which is kind of ironic
because it is a work in the most popular genre of all – love. So many poems,
songs, books and movies about love and romance, yet when we find it in the
Bible, we shy away from it. Admittedly, it is somewhat risqué, and it may make a
saint blush to pronounce those verses in public, but then again, is not love and
admiration between two people a natural order of things? A word of caution,
however. If you are looking for some inspiration on what to say or write to your
beloved, Song of Songs may not be the best place to go to. I guess they talked a
little bit differently back then and appreciated a different kind of imagery, which
today we would find peculiar at best. How about these lines to get that romantic
spark going: “How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from the hills of Gilead.
2
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
not one of them is alone.
3
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
4
Your neck is like the tower of David,
built with courses of stone ;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors.
5
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle
that browse among the lilies. (Song of Songs 4:1-5)” I am admittedly
romantically challenged, but even I have enough sense to see that this would not
be a hit in today’s world. So as a book of pickup lines it would be somewhat
disappointing.
[a]
The other challenge with this book is that, like the book of Esther, it does not
even mention God. And this whole journey through the Bible is for the purpose of
seeing the picture of God in the books of the Bible. So I have to admit that I am

2. looking forward to getting into Isaiah and other prophets in coming months where
God directly speaks and interacts, which makes it a lot easier to see a clear
picture of God.
Having said all of that, do not discount Song of Songs just yet. In the Jewish
tradition it is highly regarded, so much so that it is traditionally read on the
Sabbath of the Passover. The book is regarded as an expression of God’s love
towards His people, and for a Jew, that was most evident in the way God
rescued them from slavery in Egypt, hence the reading at Passover, when the
event is commemorated. Following this tradition, you may find similar headings
in your Bible, depending on which translation you have: “God’s love for the
church”, “God’s love for his people”. Reading the text however, it is hard to get
away from the impression that this really is about two young people deeply in
love with one another, plain and simple.
Since love is an integral part of human life and we devote so much time and
effort in pursuit of love in our everyday lives, why do we suddenly get all shy and
embarrassed about it when it is given voice in our Bibles? Truth is, God is love
and He has created us to love and be loved. Therefore it is no coincidence that
more or less in the middle of our Bibles we find an expression of love between a
young man and a young lady. It is perfectly natural! God created us to be that
way.
Maybe what we are embarrassed about are the many perversions that have over
the years come to be called “love”. As I was preparing for this program, the
January 2014 edition of Popular Science magazine hit my mailbox and a small
headline on the front page caught my eye: “Robot love. Can you fall for an
operating system?” Turning to the article on page 32 the title really got my
attention: “Can a human fall in love with a computer?” The article went on to
explain how since the 1960’s programmers have been developing these
computers, “chatbots” as they call them, which can interact and hold intelligent
conversations with humans. Part of the trick is to ask lots of questions, eliciting
responses from humans, allowing the computer to gather data about them from
which it can develop the conversation. The upshot is that here is something that
is talking to you and taking an interest in you rather than talking about itself,
something that I, as a human, still have trouble with. People have found this
appealing and researches have found that people were more likely to open up to
one of these “chatbots” about personal stuff, such as sexual activity and
substance abuse, than to real humans. So is this really love? If you programmed
a chatbot to become increasingly seductive in its approach as the conversation is

3. progressing, would that mean that the relationship is growing and it is really
starting to like you? No, you programmed it to do that, or someone did! The
wretched machine wouldn’t even know, let alone care, if you kissed it, slapped it,
bore out your heart and soul to it or just shut it off. It is not aware of you, except
as an input source, nor does it have any feelings towards you. Yet, researchers
say “it is plausible” to fall in love with a computer.
So what really is love and why is it so central to our life? Why did God create us
with not just the capacity, but a need to love and be loved? And why do we find
such an open account of love between a young man and a young lady in the
middle of the Bible?
In seeking to answer this, forgive me if I go over some ground that we have
covered in previous months, but I do believe it is important to be familiar with the
framework within which we are looking at this. Throughout the Bible we see
evidence of a conflict over God’s character and government that had engulfed
the Universe. When our world was created, there was already an enemy in the
Garden of Eden who alleged to Adam and Eve that God was a selfish tyrant
holding them down for His own personal aggrandizement. Rather than merely
declare to us “I am love”, God set out to show us His heart. Love is not a tree
with a trunk and branches and leaves that you can touch and see. It is an
abstract concept, so how does God teach us and show us what that looks like?
Especially the three-in-one part, which to this day we struggle with. Yet it is that
three-in-one circle of love that exists within the Trinity that makes true the
statement: “God is love”.
In order to show us His heart, God elected a powerful teaching method that we
often refer to as “hands-on experience”. And so we read: “So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them.” (Genesis 1:27). Adam felt lonely, even in the short time he was on the
planet he already felt that need to have a companion, to love and be loved. And
so God made Eve as a companion to him. When Adam first saw Eve he
exclaimed “Wow! Man!” And that’s how we get our term “woman”  Right after
this the Bible says: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Now,
obviously, Adam and Eve didn’t morph into a single physical being, they
remained two distinct individuals, just as Kelley and I remained two distinct
individuals when we got married. But we did also become one. We are now a
single unit, commonly referred to as “The Lorencins”. And while we are not
always perfectly loving and in one accord as the three persons of the Trinity are

4. in their oneness, through our love and marriage we can begin to at least glimpse
the heart of God, and how three can be one. Just as God created new worlds
and new beings with whom he could share His love, so we too have been given
the ability to become one in love and marriage and create beings in our own
image to share that love with. Low and behold we have two daughters. Caroline,
our oldest, is by all accounts a little mini-me in her appearance. But as we have
watched her develop, both of us have also noticed some of our personality traits
coming out in her. In the same way, I believe that when God created us in His
image, that image was more than skin deep.
God created us in His image and gave us marriage and family in order that we
can understand His heart, to understand that other-centeredness that we call
love which makes God tick. We, hopefully, get to experience the feeling of having
our attention totally centered on another person, the beauty of working and acting
in unity as one for the good of the entire family and a myriad of other little
nuances that are difficult to explain, but are intrinsically experienced in the
confines of a marriage. And then there’s kids. Sometimes it’s hard to understand
what would even compel someone to embark on the madness that is having and
raising kids. But to then experience the love for this little being that has come
from you and that is completely dependent on you is something that is poorly
expressed in words. To understand the process of teaching them about life,
about avoiding the dangers around them, the frustration of having your kids
stubbornly refuse your guidance and then getting into difficulties, and experience
the love that you have for them in spite of this. For all of this there is just no
substitute for hands-on experience. Having read the historical portion of the Old
Testament, I’m sure that when we stood back and saw what was going on in the
history of Israel, many of the parents among us recognized in Gods actions our
own dealings with our children. Teaching, establishing rules, establishing
rewards and punishments for compliance or breaking of said rules, all the while
working and hoping that our kids will grow up to see and understand the intrinsic
consequences of their actions that lie beyond the rules which protected them
while they were growing up. All of that is a part of the experience, and the reward
is that those kids will hopefully choose to love us back. We may also experience
what it’s like when your kids choose not to love you back. This is probably the
most salient point of all. Satan would have us believe that God is up there in
heaven, completely aloof, needing to be appeased and begged for a morsel of
love and grace. Should we openly rebel against Him he will execute severe
punishment on us. Yet in our own experience as parents and spouses we find
ourselves acting much better towards those we love than what we ascribe to
God. I recently saw a few friends of mine post this cartoon on Facebook. God

5. forgive us if that is how we have portrayed Him! God created us in His image and
through marriage and family enabled us to experience a glimpse of His heart
towards us, and if that experience has taught us anything it is that we do not
have to be begged for our affection towards those we love, nor do we actively set
out to harm those that we love, even if they choose not to love us back. There
may come a point in time when there is nothing left to do but sadly let them go
their way. And if you have had a misfortune to experience that, you have gained
the clearest understanding of what God feels towards those who have rejected
Him. God will spend eternity missing many of His dear children.
All of this and much more is wrapped up in the fact that God created us to love
one another in His image. This is not just my speculation. When I saw the little
headings about “God’s love for His people” the thought crossed my mind that this
was way too risqué and intimate to be that. Song of Songs are, without a doubt,
the words of two lovers who are eager to see each other and spend time
together. But then another thought crossed my mind. How many times does God
refer to His people and His church as His bride, to Himself as their husband? So I
had to concede that yes, God is that intimate. And why not? If there is anyone
who knows you better than you know yourself, if there is anyone who can
anticipate your reaction, your next move, if there is anyone who can read your
mood, if there is anyone who can finish your sentences for you – it is God. If
there is anyone who knows all your faults and loves you unconditionally in spite
of them – it is God. If there is anyone who longs to be with us and spend time
with one another – it is God. He loves us and longs to be known by us and loved
in return.
This is most clearly seen in the book of Hosea, which we will get to look at in a
few months. The image threading through the whole book is that of God as the
husband and Israel as an unfaithful wife running after different lovers. God
continually pursues her, asking her to return to Him. After she comes to ruin and
finally returns to God this is what God says: ““In that day,” declares
the LORD,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master. ’
19
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
20
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.
21
“In that day I will respond,”
declares the LORD—
“I will respond to the skies,
[d]
[e]
[f]
[g]

6. and they will respond to the earth;
and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and the olive oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
23
I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one. ’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people, ’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”
(Hosea 2:16,19-23)”. Isn’t that beautiful? And it’s in the Old Testament!
22
[i]
[j]
Jesus too referred to the oneness that He hoped would exist between God and
His people. Listen to His prayer in the upper room. “My prayer is not for them
alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me
and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave
me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—
so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will
know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved
me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I
am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you
loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though
the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you
have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to
make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in
them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-26).
So as we read and consider Song of Songs and watch these young lovers
appreciate each other for their beauty and virtues, how they long to be with one
another, how completely they are engrossed in their love for one another, we
don’t need to be shy about it. God created all of that – in His image. He gave us
all that so that we would experience and understand His heart for us. And as we
watch love blossom through these two young lovers, we may have the assurance
that God’s feelings for us are just the same. God longs to be one with us, just as
the members of Trinity are one in each other, and just as the husband and wife
voluntarily unite in love and become one.

7. and they will respond to the earth;
and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and the olive oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
23
I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one. ’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people, ’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”
(Hosea 2:16,19-23)”. Isn’t that beautiful? And it’s in the Old Testament!
22
[i]
[j]
Jesus too referred to the oneness that He hoped would exist between God and
His people. Listen to His prayer in the upper room. “My prayer is not for them
alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me
and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave
me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—
so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will
know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved
me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I
am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you
loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though
the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you
have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to
make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in
them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-26).
So as we read and consider Song of Songs and watch these young lovers
appreciate each other for their beauty and virtues, how they long to be with one
another, how completely they are engrossed in their love for one another, we
don’t need to be shy about it. God created all of that – in His image. He gave us
all that so that we would experience and understand His heart for us. And as we
watch love blossom through these two young lovers, we may have the assurance
that God’s feelings for us are just the same. God longs to be one with us, just as
the members of Trinity are one in each other, and just as the husband and wife
voluntarily unite in love and become one.