SOS Lessons: If you Don’t Need It Now, You’ll Need It Later

Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you will not awaken love or arouse love before its proper time! – Son 8:4 (GW)

Three times in Canticles (2:7; 3:5; 8:4), the maiden begs that love be not stirred up until the “proper time”. Indeed, the author of Canticles most famously stated in another of his books, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecc 3:1).

I find it humorous and ironic that the same pastor that frowns on the young men and women of his church reading Canticles tries to force them to read the same book years later – now that they’re married and are having quarrels in their homes; (because it’s difficult – if not impossible – to read Canticles ALOUD to your spouse while still holding a grudge against them).

This fact alone reminds us not to be myopic when it comes to scriptural revelations. The Bible is an inspired book that is relevant for all times, for all ages and for all seasons. If you don’t need or like what you’re reading now, don’t tear it off, or rewrite it, or twist it out of shape; because God in His omniscience and wisdom knows you’ll need it later.

Half a century ago, the eminent Bible commentator Finis Dakes proposed two (now seen to be) aberrant doctrines due to the limited scientific knowledge then. He misinterpreted clearly written out words of scripture because they contradicted ‘science’; but scientific knowledge has moved on, and proven that scripture was right after all.

In contrast, the early reformers seriously thought there was a contradiction between Paul’s justification by faith and James’ justification by works and doubted James’ place in scripture. But unlike Dake they stuck to what was patently revealed – no matter how unpalatable and contrary it felt to them back then – and James is still a book in the Bible.

Sadly, even today, many doctrines, teachings and Bible translations contravene clearly spelt out scriptures just because they supposedly do not make sense or counter their theology.

Beloved, “let God be true, but every man a liar;” (Rom 3:4). Even in our private Bible studies, let’s allow the Word to teach us; and if we don’t like what we’re reading now, let’s give it time. Because God knows that we’ll need it later.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

SOS Lessons: If you Don’t Like It, Don’t Rewrite It

“You cannot be more catholic than the Pope” – English saying

·         The Jehovah’s Witness “New World” translation of John 1:1 ends with “and the word was ‘a’ god”

·         The Catholic Church’s version of the 10 Commandments omits the 2^nd commandment about “graven images” and splits the 10^th one into two to make it up.

·         Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism)’s translation of the KJV contains a variety of “important clarifications and inspired interpretations.”

·         Because the Book of Esther does not mention God anywhere, some persons decided to re-write it, appending verses to each chapter – 105 in all – and inserting ‘Elohim’ and ‘Jehovah’ at least 45 times! (This version of ‘Esther’ is found in some Apocryphal Bibles).

There’s an English saying that one should not try to be more catholic than the Pope is; similarly, with respect to scripture, we should not presume to be holier, wiser or more ‘spiritual’ than the Holy Spirit who inspired the authors to write in specific ways, (2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 1:19-21).

This is a lesson we must take away from the controversial book of Song of Solomon. Reading the Canticles in some Bible translations is like reading a comic satire. In an attempt to veil the subject matter, almost every word is changed to the point that some verses are totally unrecognizable.

There’re several uncomfortable facts in the Bible, and some of them may not go down well with us – or our “Theology”. But here’s a simple rule:

IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, DON’T REWRITE IT

Leave it the way it is; if you’re not blessed by it, it will bless someone else.

The great reformer Martin Luther had a real issue with the book of James and seriously wanted it removed from the cannon; (James’ “faith without WORKS is dead”, (Jas 2:22-26) didn’t go down well with Luther’s “justification by faith alone and not works” theology). But 500 years down the line, we’re glad he decided to leave the book the way it is.

The Bible is meant to change us, not us change the Bible. It’s only when we approach it with humility and honesty can it truly shine its light into our hearts and transform us into being what God wants us to be.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

“SOS 4:4” – A Go-To Verse for Hermeneutics

“Your neck is like the tower of David...” – SoS 4:4

I think someone should have told Solomon that though there may be several ways to charm a lady, telling her that her neck is like a “tower” certainly isn’t one of them! But That’s exactly what Solomon said to woo his beloved!

I consider Sos 4:4 an excellent resource in explaining the rules of hermeneutics because that one verse alone applies at least FIVE.

1 – The rule of USAGE: “The tower of David” is a Jewish idiomatic expression. It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and for Jews. The words and idioms may not make sense to us today, but it certainly made sense to them back then. Similarly, most of the New Testament was written in a milieu of Greco-Roman (and to a lesser extent Jewish) culture and it’s important to not impose our modern usage into our interpretation.

2 – The rule of CONTEXT: The meaning must be gathered from the context. Every text must be understood in the light of what comes before and after it. A “tower of David” neck might sound like an insult, but its immediate context hints otherwise, even if one knows nothing about ancient Jewish culture.

3 – The rule of HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: The spiritual principles of a verse are timeless, but often can’t be properly appreciated without some knowledge of the background in which it was written. We must have some awareness of the life of the times in which a passage was written. If we have in our minds what the writer had in his mind when he wrote, then the true thought of the Scripture can be captured resulting in an accurate interpretation.

4 – The rule of LOGIC: Bible interpretation is merely logical reasoning. When interpreting Scripture, the use of reason is everywhere to be assumed. Does the interpretation make sense? (Why would a Lover insult his intended bride’s neck?) The Bible was given to us in the form of human language and therefore appeals to human reason – it invites investigation. It’s to be interpreted as we would any other volume: applying the laws of language and grammatical analysis.

5 – The rule of INFERENCE: An inference is a fact reasonably implied from another fact. It’s a logical consequence. It derives a conclusion from a given fact or premise. It is the deduction of one proposition from another proposition.

Even a complete novice to scripture would’ve INFERRED that “The tower of David” must be an expression of affection. 

Virtually every heresy and false cults’ doctrine purportedly gotten from the Bible come as a result of flouting one or more of the above rules. Applying them will make for a richer Bible study and will spare us from wandering into error.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

SOS Hermeneutics: “What Does this Mean?

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for your love is better than wine. – Son 1:2

Any study of Scripture must begin with a study of words. Define your terms and then stick to the terms defined. What does “propitiation” mean? Who is an “Advocate”? And what does “manger” mean? Really.

This is the area where we need to remind ourselves that the scriptures were not written in King James’ English but in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament).

Our standard English Bibles are, of course, faithful translations of the original terms; but once in a while we get to be reminded of nuances and thoughts that are “lost in translation”. A popular example of this is the fact that the Greek Bible uses several different terms that are all translated as “love” in the English. The Hebrew language, too, has several terms for “love”, (ALL appearing, of course, in Song of Solomon), that includes a broad spectrum of meanings.

The Canticles, however, is probably not a good place to practice this discipline; considering that our ‘poor’ English translation of its words already makes uncomfortable reading.

Or maybe it is.

Because when the original denotation, sense and thought of the Bible author is explicitly spelled out, it becomes even more difficult to wrest the clear message out of scripture in order to twist and turn it to give it some fantastical, esoteric meaning.

The English say we should call a spade a spade; good hermeneutics says we should call a “kiss on the mouth” exactly that – a kiss on the mouth.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

What Songs of Solomon Teaches Us about Hermeneutics

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feeds among the lilies. – Son 6:3

**Warning: uncomfortable Bible references ahead; (that’s if you aren’t already uncomfortable with the anchor verse).

Also known as “the Song of Songs”, “the Canticle of Canticles” or just “Canticles”, the Song of Solomon is one book many of us frankly seem to be embarrassed by. The Canticles’ catalogue of unvarnished expressions of affection between two lovers is unparalleled in all of scripture. Many scholars and commentators have gone to great lengths to make sense of this strange book because it, (apparently), shows no interest in the Law, the Covenant, or even God; nor does it teach or explore Wisdom like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes.

But make no mistake about it, the problem with the Canticles, is not because it’s difficult to understand; in fact, it’s the opposite. Canticles, may be laden with much symbolism, but it’s definitely not Revelations. Whereas the job of the theologian in Revelations is to explain the symbols, the job of the average commentator in the Canticles, it seems, is to try to divert you away from the uncomfortable obviousness of its symbolic references.

This is where the Canticles, has something to teach us about Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is “the science and methodology of interpreting texts, especially the books of the Bible.” And the first rule of hermeneutics is strict adherence to the basic or literal sense of a word.

If John 11:35 says “Jesus wept;” then regardless of the apparent incongruity or strangeness of that statement, it means JESUS WEPT. The “King of Babylon” of 2Ki 24:17 is literally the ruler over the ancient Babylonian empire, NOT a demonic spirit of confusion; and the “lilies” of Son 6:3 are NOT “a parabolic depiction of the lost condition of the people of Israel”!

The path to heresy and aberrant doctrine always begins with cherry-picking Bible texts, tampering with texts that don’t go down well with us, or insisting that texts mean something entirely different from what they manifestly state.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN