Song of Solomon: Week 1

The Art of Attraction

The art of attraction is the beginning of romance.  Each should ask “What kind of person am I attracted to?” and “What kind of person is attracted to me?”  Attraction is about becoming the person God wants you to be and allowing God to bring to you the ind of person he knows is best for you. This is the foundation for this entire study.

Song of Solomon chapter 1: 1-7

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. 

2 “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.
3 “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love you. 

4 “Draw me after you and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”
“We will rejoice in you and be glad;
We will extol your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.” 

5 “I am black but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon. 

6 “Do not stare at me because I am swarthy,
For the sun has burned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard. 

7 “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,
Where do you pasture your flock,
Where do you make it lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who veils herself
Beside the flocks of your companions?”

1)  There are three sections to the Old Testament.  What books are included in each?

Historic:

Poetic:

Prophetic:

2) What are two of the qualities Abraham looked for in a wife?

3)  Vs. 1:3; “Your name is like purified oil.”  What does this mean?

4)  Vs 1:6; “My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me caretaker of the vineyards…”  What does this mean?

5) Vs 1:7; “For why should I be like the one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?”  How does Tommy interpret this?

Questions to consider

1) How is God sovereign over your love and passion?

2) Why does the leader say “If he will not obey God as a single he will break your heart as a married man?”

3) Do you find yourself pressing your partner morally?  why?  Is your partner pressing your morally?  Why?

4) How does God want you to deal with your desire/passion?

5) What differences are there in the way this couple attracts versus the way the world tells us?

6) “Charm is deceitful and beauty is in vain.”  Why do we look to ourselves and the world (magazines, movies, etc.) rather than to the Word of God for answers to our relationship questions? 

7) How much time do you spend worrying about your looks vs. your character?  Why?

8) What is meant by, “it is worse to be lonely and single than lonely and married?”

9) How do you allow Christ to fulfill the loneliness that can come with being single?

10) Prioritize the qualities you are looking for in a mate:

11) Prioritize the qualities you are looking or in a friend:

12) How can you remain accountable to these priorities? Be specific.

13) What qualities do you have to offer to a mate?

14) What qualities do you have to offer to a friend?

15) Vs 1:3, “Your name is like purified oil.”  A man’s name is his character/integrity.  Are people attracted to the value of your name?  Why?  Why not?

16) What do you think God would say about your character?

17) What do you know about the character of God?  Be specific.

18) What do you think he means when he says “Sin is always ugly in the dark?”

19) What sin do you need to bring out of the dark?

Key Questions

Are you running in the Race for God?

How?

Is your mate?

Are you friends?

Do you know someone who isn’t?

What can you do to help others run the race?

Key thought

“All that glitters is not gold;  al that is gold does not necessarily glitter”

Memory Verse

MEN:  Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”  Prov. 31:30

WOMEN: What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar.”  Prov. 19:22

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ANSWERS:  

1)  Historic: Genesis through Nehemiah, 2) Poetic: Esther through Song of Solomon, 3) Prophetic:  Isaiah through Malachi

2)  Servant to God and Believer in God.

3) A man’s name is a man’s character

4) She obeyed the authority over her.

5) This is what the prostitutes did.  Wearing veils, they would follow after the flock and give themselves to the shepherds.