Psalm 16
Song of Songs 5:9- 6:3
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Paul describes the gospel in 1 Co 15: 3-4 on these terms :
“That Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was
raised on the third day according to the scriptures.
We are in Easter season. I would like to take up the message of resurrection. We in the Christian family have accepted and believe in the fact of Christ’s resurrection. One of the working out of that truth is that we will enjoy the miracle of resurrection ourselves.
There was a time when I found it difficult to comprehend and accept the promise of the resurrection of the dead. This life is trouble enough. Why would I want this life to be prolonged indefinitely into eternity !
WRONG !
The other two passages of scripture today give us some idea on why I am or was wrong.
Psalm 16 is primarily a psalm of faith in God’s protection in times of danger. Psalm 16:11 gives us an inkling of why God would protect the psalmist :
“ you (God) has made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your
presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”.
The purpose of our salvation , as God sees it, is so we can walk with him in the path of life and to enjoy eternal pleasure in his presence. Our eternity is not only secure; it is full of joy and pleasures.
The passage in the Song of Songs 5: 9-6: 3 indicates how we are to embrace this gift of eternity.
The detail description of the lover by the bride is full of hyperboles showing the bride’s perception of the loveliness of the lover as well as the preciousness of the lover to the bride. The bride and the bridegroom are incessantly seeking each other and praising each other.
We can compare this passage to our relationship with Christ (the lover and the bridegroom) and the Church ( the beloved and the bride). As Christ seeks us in our lostness, do we , as the Church and individually) seek Christ above everything in the world and enjoy his presence ?
Our salvation does not only changes the way we think, it changes the way we feel too.
Living eternally is no longer a duty, or an arbitrary gift that I do not want, or just an add on to the whole project of salvation. To realize this is to see our life now as a passing guest. Our home is from God and to God. Emmanuel is our bridegroom, now and forever,