Fierce Love 3 – The Unstoppable Love of Husband & Wife

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The Bible teaches us about Fierce Love! The book, Song of Solomon, teaches us to have this passionate, bold, and fiery love in our marriage. Pastor Chris Fluitt teaches us about a love that is stronger than death and more jealous than the grave.

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano TX. My Name is Chris Fluitt and we have been talking about fierce love.

Fierce Love

In week 1 we told you about the love of a warrior.

In week 2 we talked about kindness & strength in a love that defends.

Today I am excited to tell you about an unstoppable love.

Unstoppable Love

We are going to be talking about a very different book in your Bible today. Let’s turn to Song of Solomon 8:6-7.

Song of Solomon

King Solomon wrote 3 books in your Bible. They are all considered books of poetry.

Proverbs – a very logical book filled with wisdom for living.
Ecclesiastes – I consider it to be the most negative book in the Bible. It teaches you more about how NOT to live, than how to live.
Song of Solomon or Song of Songs – What I consider to be the most optimistic book in the Bible.

Song of Solomon 8:6 (NIV) 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.

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV) Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Song of Solomon is also known as the Song of Songs… the song above all songs… the most beautiful and meaningful of songs. The poetry of the book is considered to be one long song and it features 3 voices – the voice of a young man, the voice of a young woman, and a chorus of united voices who sing together in response.

Church leaders have often not known what to do with this book of the Bible. This book never mentions God directly! It is one of 2 books that make no mention God; the other is Esther.

Some Church leaders fought against this books inclusion in the Canon of scripture. Some have trouble understanding why this book is in the Bible, at all.

This Song of Solomon is about love between a man & a woman. The book doesn’t just talk about a gentle hallmark greeting card love… But the love in this book is passionate, fiery, romantic, and at times even erotic. There are times where the young couple talks about each other’s bodies. To put it in everyday language… this book is hot. These characters are hot for each other. And now, perhaps you can understand why it made pious church leaders nervous…

Some people categorize their lives into the spiritual & the physical and allow no crossover. The same people often deem the spiritual good, and the physical bad. The early Church dealt with this false teaching called Gnosticism. And although no one here may claim to be a gnostic, we may have a hang-up where we deem physical love as a negative.

If that is you? You probably don’t like the Song of Solomon…

Because of this struggle with physical love, the majority of interpretations on the Song of Solomon have been that it is merely an allegorical expression of God’s love for His Church. We don’t disagree with this application, but we also believe that we should always try to interpret Scripture literally.

Unstoppable Love: Husband & Wife

The love between a husband & wife ought to be bold, passionate, un-apologetically intimate. In everyday language, this relationship should be hot! Husband & Wife, you should be hot for each other.

The way you treat your spouse… the way you think about your spouse… the way you speak to and about your spouse… the way you look at your spouse. You should be bold, passionate, and un-apologetically intimate with each other.

Place me like a seal over your heart & arm…

Israel was commanded to Love God with all their heart, mind, & strength. (This is our Bible by Heart memory verse btw). Israel was also commanded to create a reminder and put it in places where they would be reminded of this command to Love God. They placed it in their homes, on door posts, and on their right arm near their hand. This was a continual reminder and a sign to others that their love belonged to God.

In Marriage there is also a sign given that is worn upon the hand to remind and convey the message that their love belongs to one another. The wedding ring is that sign.

Signet

It is more than a sign; it is also a seal: a signet. A ring that would bear a symbolic name and would be dipped in wax to form a signature seal. It represented the authority of the name of the person who sent the letter with the expectation that only the intended recipient of the letter would break the seal and read the letter.

Place me as a seal, a sign, a wedding ring, signet… not just on your arm but on your heart.

Seal your heart

Warriors, is there a seal upon your heart?

Does your heart just open for anyone? Have you sealed your heart for your spouse?

Sorry, but this heart is reserved! The way I treat my spouse… the way I think about my spouse… the way I speak to and about my spouse… the way I look at my spouse. THIS IS RESERVED WITH A SEAL UPON MY HEART!

Warriors, how strong is your love? Is it as strong as death?
Warriors, are you jealously desirous for your love?

Jealous Love

‘Jealous’ is a difficult word that brings about negative pictures of controlling and often abusive relationships.

God is described as jealous. (Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 5:9, Deuteronomy 6:15) The Biblical use of ‘Jealous’ is ardent & zealous devotion, and watchful, careful, & guarding. If you have something you value & are trying to protect, you are “jealous” of it.

Warriors, we need a jealous love for our spouses. We need a jealous love for those in our homes.

We need a love that is every bit as strong as death. Our culture would have fewer divorces if we shared a love that was as strong as our vow: “till death do us part.” We need a strong love: As Strong as death!

We need a jealousy that is demanding as the grave. When the grave grabs hold of you, you are not likely to get free from that hold. Only Jesus can extricate you from your cemetery plot. Other than the resurrection of Jesus Christ, nothing can escape the jealousy of the grave.

Warriors, we need a love strong enough to not lose.
Warriors, we need a love so persistent that it never gives up.

Unquenchable Love

The world is used to a passion that burns hot for a brief time. Society is not shocked at divorce anymore; they are shocked when marriages last more than a decade. Our culture is not stunned when people sleep around, but confounded when someone saves themselves for marriage.

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV) Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

There is a fiery love that never burns out. There is a red hot love that cannot be extinguished. Many waters cannot quench this love.

Does your marriage relationship have this unquenchable love? Many waters cannot quench this love the Bible is talking about. What does that mean? It means… for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is your solemn vow.

It means it doesn’t matter what life throws at us, our love is a burning, blazing, passionate love that will not be snuffed out.

And finally the scripture says..

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV) Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

A love that can’t be bought

In the words of the Beatles, “I don’t care to much for money. Money can’t buy me love.”

The Word of God declares a love so valuable that if you took everything you own and combine it with your family lineage (your house), and you tried to give it as a gift in order to earn this love… that offer would only scorn, disdain, make a mockery of this love.

This love is not built on material gain, bank accounts, stock markets; housing values… those things can change rapidly. Economics can be quenched very quickly.

Do you have this love that is strong as death, and jealous as the grave? Is this love sealing your heart? Do you have an unquenchable love?

Song of Solomon 7:10 (NIV) I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.

You who are married – Do you feel this way? Do you belong to each other? Is your desire for one another?

You who are not married, but hope to be one day, Do you want to feel this way? Is this your goal?

These people in the Song of Solomon are madly in love. These characters aren’t satisfied to be in the same area… they want to be closer than this. Their hearts, bodies, and minds are focused for each other. They are hot for each other. And God is happy about it! God wants that for you.

You & Your Spouse
God & You

We understand from Apostle Paul’s teaching the love relationship between a husband & a wife is truly fulfilled in Jesus’ love for the Church.

Ephesians 5:25 (NIV) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Ephesians 5:28 (NIV) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

We are to have this love in our marriages and homes, but understand that the true picture of love is found on the cross.

You are fiercely loved by Jesus Christ!

Let’s apply everything we read in the Song of Solomon 8:6-7 to the true fulfillment. Let’s apply it all to Jesus Christ.

Jesus has placed you as a seal. There is a sign on the hands of Jesus that reminds Him and conveys to others his willingness to love you. His nail pierced hands are that sign. His disciples asked to see the sign of His nail scarred hands. (John 20)

Don’t you know that His heart is sealed for you? You are all He ever thinks about. Hebrews 7:25 says that He always lives to intercede on your behalf.

Is the love of Jesus as strong as death? I would argue that His love is stronger than death! In His love He was willing to die!

Is the love of Jesus as jealous as the grave? I would argue that His love is more jealous than the grave. In His love He will one day rip us from the grave and draw us to His side. And we will be with Him forever!

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV) Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Does His love burn like an unquenchable fire? Can many waters quench His love?

In Hebrews 13:15 He says NEVER will I leave you! NEVER will I forsake you! In Matthew 28 He says “I am with you ALWAYS!”

Romans 8:35 (NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Romans 8:37 (NIV) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:38 (NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

Romans 8:39 (NIV) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

His love for you is a blazing fire! Nothing can separate you from His love!

Sin created a wall of divide between us, but Jesus knocked down the wall. He took on the cross. He took on the grave. He took on Hell and kicked the doors down and stole the keys. He did it all for you! You are fiercely loved by Jesus Christ!

What he did for us could not be bought…

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV) Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Jesus stared down Satan face to face. Satan offered Jesus all the nations of the World if Jesus would only kneel and worship Satan. Jesus replied, “Get away, Satan” And then Jesus quotes from the same passage that says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, Mind, & Strength.” “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” (Matthew 4, Deuteronomy 6:4, 13)

When offered all the nations of the world, Jesus chose His Father, and Jesus chose you.

Song of Solomon 7:10 (NIV) I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.

You are fiercely loved by Jesus. His desire is for you.
How do you need to respond to this Word of God today?

How are your physical relationships?
How is your relationship with Jesus?