Gods Love? Song of Songs

[dgolvach]

I have been spend spending some time in Song of Songs as of late. I understand that it was a play that Solomon wrote but since its in the Bible, its obviously is more than just theater. I have heard various commentaries on this book. Some say that the "beloved represents Israel or the Church". Other suggest that the allegory is directed towards individuals. (We who are his children through Christ)

I have my own thoughts on this but I would like to get other opinions. I don't want to get into the sexual aspects of this book because thats a whole different subject. To me, this book is revealing that God has a great passionate love for something. Other books of the Bible describe the church as the bride of Christ. So here goes.

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

Thanks

Dan

[stan4257]

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

I believe neither, though, of course, it is easy to extrapolate from either to create either of your propositions.

In my thoughts this is a straight forward basic to nature beautiful story of love between a man and a woman that can easily be understood by any man or woman who has ever been in love. It epitomises the essence of love, and in doing so wakes us who know the joys of real love to the emotions of the love our loving Heavenly Father has for his children.

But I know that because of the sexual connotations in this story, many shy away from the facts, but I know of no reason for doing so. Love is so essential to the character of God that including a story like this one is almost an essential part of understanding how great the love of God is to us.

[dgolvach]

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

I believe neither, though, of course, it is easy to extrapolate from either to create either of your propositions.

In my thoughts this is a straight forward basic to nature beautiful story of love between a man and a woman that can easily be understood by any man or woman who has ever been in love. It epitomises the essence of love, and in doing so wakes us who know the joys of real love to the emotions of the love our loving Heavenly Father has for his children.

But I know that because of the sexual connotations in this story, many shy away from the facts, but I know of no reason for doing so. Love is so essential to the character of God that including a story like this one is almost an essential part of understanding how great the love of God is to us.

Hi stan... I think I blew it by even listing the Song of Songs in the title of my thread because my question is really just the A or B and my title imlpies that my question is specific to this one particular book when it really isn't. Im trying to understand the difference between Gods love for the Church and Gods love for us as individuals. Any thoughts?

Dan

[stan4257]

Hi Stan... I think I blew it by even listing the Song of Songs in the title of my thread because my question is really just the A or B and my title implies that my question is specific to this one particular book when it really isn't. I'm trying to understand the difference between Gods love for the Church and Gods love for us as individuals. Any thoughts?

OK. But I don't feel that my answer will be much different, Dan. I know from personal experience, based on facts and not simply ideals, that my Heavenly Father loves me as an individual loves an individual. Doesn't make sense but it is a fact.

And wrapped up in that answer is another fact. What I know about God's love for me is not exclusive to me or it would make even less sense. That love applies individually to all my brothers and sisters in Christ who together make up the church. Each one of us is loved as an individual.

And, dare I say it without stirring up too much controversy, I know that God loves individually all those who are oppressed or poor or caught up in an environment of hopelessness and need. How do I know? How does any born again Christian know? Well, to start with that love for the poor and the oppressed and the bound is inherently the Spirit of God. It says so in scripture. But even more than words, many of us have experienced the feeling of God's love as the Spirit of God takes over our emotions when we meet a need. It is a one-on-one individual meeting through us of God's love for somebody in need as an individual. When coming across such a situation, and more than that, creating opportunities to do so, the Holy Spirit takes over our emotions. My heart and yours and anybody else of the same persuasion leaps out to meet that need with a love that could only be an expression of God's love to that person in need as an individual.

There is nothing corporate about God's love, nor need we put limits on our understanding of our Heavenly Father's love by suggesting his incapacity to be anything less than loving to us all as individuals.

Sure, our Heavenly Father's love for so many at the same time becomes a group pouring out of the Spirit, but not one of the individual concerns is lost in the process.

That is why I thought that the thread you introduced with reference to Song of Songs was so relevant. It is all about individual love and a reminder of how individual our Heavenly Father's love is for us as individuals.

Lots and lots and countless numbers of us, but all individuals in the matchless and boundless love of God.

[Afal]

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

Thanks

Dan

B

I believe that God loves each one of us as individuals because we are individuals. This reminds me of a human father with 3 or 4 children. He loves all of his children the same and yet he loves them all in a different way because they are all different. That might sound like a contradiction, but it is not. God's love to us is also like this - except that it is perfect, unconditional love; love greater than anyone can really comprehend. :taped:

[sweetycakes]

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

Thanks

Dan

B

I believe that God loves each one of us as individuals because we are individuals. This reminds me of a human father with 3 or 4 children. He loves all of his children the same and yet he loves them all in a different way because they are all different. That might sound like a contradiction, but it is not. God's love to us is also like this - except that it is perfect, unconditional love; love greater than anyone can really comprehend. :emot-hug:

I think you said it best

[Afal]

I think you said it best

Thank you

[nebula]

I have come to learn that the depth and closeness of our relationship to God depends on us.

Yes, He loves us with an undying love and longs to be with us . . .

But relationships being the two-way street that we are, His end is there, but our end determines how close we actually get to Him.

[Guest shiloh357]

Which of these do you believe?

A. God passionately loves all of his believers (church) in one big lump and values less one mere believer. This means that believers in heaven will perhaps meet God but it won't be one on one. It will be more like it is when a great leader appears to a huge crowd of his supporters. The relationship is between the leader and the crowd.

B. God passionately loves his church but has the same passion for each of his children in an individual way. This means that while the great leader loves his crowd of supporters as a whole, he also has a on going individualized intimate relationship with each and every supporter thats differs from all of the others.

Thanks

Dan

From the Scriptures, I see both occurring simultaneously. God loves us collectively as the Body of Christ, but at the same time, He has a personal relationship with each person in the Body of Christ. That is the beauty of serving and loving an infinite God.

[stan4257]

Which of these do you believe?

From the Scriptures, I see both occurring simultaneously. God loves us collectively as the Body of Christ, but at the same time, He has a personal relationship with each person in the Body of Christ. That is the beauty of serving and loving an infinite God.

That sums it up perfectly, Shiloh. It is the unlimited, infinite capacity of God that makes possible what would be impossible for humans, except in the limited concept of a human family. That is the difference.

We all know that however much we love our family as individuals we could never love all our brothers and sisters equally, even in our local church, let alone all our brothers and sister in Christ who constitute the world church, but God can.

Glad beyond words that my Heavenly Father has the infinite capacity to love me as an individual, because I know that he does, even though I also know that he loves all of us in the same way.