Friday, February 15, 2013

God's Love is an OASIS

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.  Song of Solomon 8:6-7

On a day when our culture encourages anything but biblical love, I was reflecting today on the Source of love from these verses, in the Song of Solomon. (The theme verses for the book). I fashioned the acronym OASIS to help me remember how God loves me:

Overt: Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm… In Solomon’s day, to possess someone’s seal was to be given access to everything a person represents, all that a person owns.  In saying this, Ms. Solomon is saying that she deeply and openly longs for oneness and intimacy with Solomon.  The same is true for us.  I still am blown away that the same love the Father has for Jesus, Jesus has for us. (John 15:9)

All Consuming: for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.  At first glance, this may not seem all that romantic!  Imagine saying to your spouse that your love is as strong as terminal cancer!   But think for a minute what she is saying:  Death is final, permanent, and irreversible!  She was stating to Solomon that their future together is secure because her love was irresistible, resolute and unshakeable!  What security this truth provides for any relationship. 1 John 3:16 lifts Jesus as the model of love and says, This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. It doesn’t get any more all consuming that that!

Sacred: It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  The Hebrew word mighty flame is a compound word speaking of an extremely intense flame with the suffix Yahweh added to it, denoting the Source of the fire.  It literally can be translated God-Flame.  Let me state this clearly: You cannot match love when God is at the center, fueling the relationship.  He creates a flame like no other! God has no impure motives with His love…there is no hidden agenda. God’s love is holy and transformative.

Indestructible: Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. Usually when one sees a flame they douse it with water.  But Ms. Solomon says that even a raging river could not extinguish the flame of their love.  She is saying that the flame of their love, with God at the center fueling it, will triumph and overcome all adversaries. Paul testifies in Romans 8:37-39 that NOTHING will separate us from God’s love.

Supreme: If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. Ms. Solomon is stating that if she were offered all the gems of the world, all the wealth of the universe, it wouldn’t even begin to match the value of  her God-centered love relationship with Solomon.  God loves us as we are right now as much as He ever will…His love is eternal and in a category that surpasses any earthly love you and I will ever experience. Doubt me? Read Romans 5:8.

So Happy Valentine's Day, PCC!  You are loved by your pastoral staff but more importantly and more powerfully--you are loved by God through Jesus.  I am looking forward to being back with the PCC community this weekend as we unpack the most challenging parable Jesus ever taught.  Check out Luke 16:1-13.

I love being your pastor!