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Day 11: The significance of wine (SoS 1:2b)

Song of Songs 1:2 reads:

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— For your love is better than wine."
Song of Solomon 1:2

In ancient times, there was no feast without wine. Jews believed wine was the highest expression of pleasure. It was also a representation of not the essentials of life but of the extras, the blessings of life. The things that are not essential for human survival but make life sweeter. In that light these are the two meanings of wine:

1. Wine signifies the blessings of God:
Jesus says in John 16:24 to ask that our joy might be full, acknowledging that other things gladden a man's heart and that God is ready and willing to give these things.

God is not an enemy of enjoyment. Solomon is proof of that. He asked for wisdom, and God gave wisdom and riches. Then gave peace to enjoy wealth. I don't believe Solomon was poor before that encounter. No poor king can sacrifice a thousand burnt offerings, yet God took Solomon from a place of wealth to exceeding great wealth.

Nothing opens the door of pleasure like wealth, being able to afford whatever you want yet God gave it to Solomon without him asking. As stated in a previous lesson, God finds pleasure in our pleasure when we find pleasure in His pleasure. Such was the case with Solomon. The greatest challenge however which Solomon failed was to retain the disposition that God's love is better than the material blessings He gives.

Our obedience and commitment must not waver because of the blessings and answered prayers we receive. We must seek God above the blessings and the miracles He gives because when the focus is no more God we will certainly lose our way just like Solomon did.

2. Wine represents the counterfeit pleasure of sin
Wine also represents drunkenness. Drunkenness is a result of using wine irresponsibly and inappropriately. In simple terms, it's when we use the things God created in ways contrary to His commandments. That is sin in its simplest terms: disobedience.

Sin at the moment it's being committed usually gives the soul false satisfaction just like being drunk with wine. Noah got drunk on the fruit of his vineyard and exposed his nakedness. He must have felt good at the moment but it brought shame to him and eventually led to one of his sons being cursed. Drunkenness and abuse of God's blessings will always hurt you and other people.

God designed us to desire pleasure just like Him. He created all things for His pleasure, including man. So creation cannot find pleasure in creation, creation must find its pleasure in God.

If we will overcome sin and walk in righteousness, we must know that God's love is more than capable of giving what sin promises at the moment. When a man takes His focus off God to His own perceived need, pleasure starts to get perverted. The strength of sin lies in its ability to appear more pleasurable than God's way. We must settle it in our minds that God's love is better than the pleasures of sin and disobedience.

PRAY WITH ME:
Thank God for the blessings, miracles, and answered prayers I have received from you. Thank you for those still pending. I choose to love you today more than anything you can give or do. I choose to love you more than I desire the pleasures of sin. Bring me to a place where I sincerely can say your love is better than wine.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • Can you truly say that you want Jesus above that which you're expecting from Him?
  • Is there anything He has given in the past that has taken your eyes off Him?
  • Readjust your focus today because all is vanity without the everlasting King. 

 

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