Connect Song of Solomon 6:4 with Ephesians 5:25 on love and admiration. Scripture Passages • Songs 6:4: “You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, majestic as an army with banners.” • Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” A Portrait of Admiration: Songs 6:4 • The bridegroom showers his beloved with layered praise—beauty, loveliness, and majesty. • “Tirzah” and “Jerusalem” were renowned cities; the comparison lifts her dignity to royal heights. • “Majestic as an army with banners” pictures awe-inspiring order, strength, and splendor, not mere outward appearance but a presence that commands respect. • The verse celebrates verbal admiration—spoken affirmation that builds up (Proverbs 18:21). The Model of Sacrificial Love: Ephesians 5:25 • Husbands receive a clear mandate: love modeled on Christ’s self-giving at Calvary (John 15:13). • Love here is not abstract feeling but decisive action—“gave Himself up.” • The verse protects admiration from becoming shallow flattery; it roots it in costly commitment (1 John 3:18). Threading Admiration and Sacrifice Together • Songs 6:4 shows the heart’s delight; Ephesians 5:25 shows the hands’ devotion. • Admiration without sacrifice can feel insincere; sacrifice without admiration can feel cold. • Together they mirror Christ’s relationship with the church: He delights in His bride (Zephaniah 3:17) and dies for her good. What This Means for Marriage Today • Speak life: regularly verbalize specific admiration—character, faith, gifts, appearance. • Serve sacrificially: look for tangible ways to “give yourself up” (time, convenience, ambitions) for your spouse’s growth. • Celebrate dignity: treat your spouse as royalty, reflecting their God-given worth (1 Peter 3:7). • Combine awe with tenderness: strength (“army with banners”) expressed through protective, honoring love. Echoes in the Rest of Scripture • Genesis 2:23-24—delight and union established from the beginning. • Proverbs 5:18-19—rejoice continually in the spouse of your youth. • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7—love described in action and attitude. • Colossians 3:19—“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” • Revelation 21:2—ultimate picture: the New Jerusalem, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,” uniting admiration and sacrificial redemption forever. |
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