Song of Song 2:2 - Thirsty People Grow Thorns

This is the Truth Network treasurers. The song of songs, which is another spectacular first and second verse and the second chapter of the song of Solomon and clearly this has much to do with our quest to understand the statutes of the hundred 19 Psalm but you know, also in so many ways just to get some other ideas that you know dots that connect throughout the Bible as we learn these things that are taught so beautifully here in this love song and so here in response to what we talked about yesterday that I am a rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley is is what we the beloved said to Jesus, being again.

Maybe I should've focused in more on the idea that the planes of Sharon are sort of a deep place.

In fact there were many swamps there, but it certainly flat and it's low and it's almost as if he's taking his day personally goes from the planes down into the valleys with the Lily of the valleys you know where like John Bunyan pointed out so well in Pilgrim's progress that you know the soil is so much better in the Valley and it certainly is in the Boggs and the swamps and you know the whole idea of the parable of the soils comes in the clue here is that you know the soil that's wash down from the mountains in all comes down into the valley of humiliation and down there in the valley of humiliation on the soils wonderful.

I'm sure if you're like me and you spent some time down there. You do tend to sink your roots down deeper into that particular soil and so the second verse the you know Jesus gives us more understanding of that same idea of what we call ourselves lilies.

He was like oh yeah, he says in the second verse in English as the lily among thorns is so my love among the daughters answer. I had a lot of fun this morning studying thorns and that whole idea of what's the real purpose of thorns and what might be Jesus talking about here.

And of course you can't help but think about the crown of thorns and and oh my goodness, all the books that have been written about the lily among the thorns because it's just wonderful imagery in that there is such a stark in no contrast between a Lillian thorns well I decided well you know what is up with thorns out of that exactly work in a plant went to the actually do and it's an interesting thing because as I as I started to think about what's actually going on here is is quite often especially in desert climates. Cactuses grow thorns and a course that whole area around Jerusalem is covered in desert, so there probably a lot more familiar with thorns, and those who live in North Carolina now that we have our share of thorn bushes but not like these, we don't have and so the idea of thorns and a cactuses he got this idea very dry arid situation and I am shocked to know this, but is conical, the number one purpose for thorns on a cactus, especially certain kinds of cactuses is to break the airflow in of the wind from stealing the moisture okay and and it creates sort of a human little atmosphere down there for the plant to survive and so what a cool thing that they do that in the second thing they do is they drip moisture. In other words, this is the do would come in of the moisture will collect on the thorns and then drip down to where the roots can gather it. I mean pretty ingenious stuff. The third thing that they do is they provide shade again. The idea is this is the thirsty plant or flip really thirsty plant and so it's doing everything a Bosley can do to conserve water in every way shape and form and the last thing that they do, which I think we can all relate to is they keep away predators people that would steal their water or animals or or bugs or whatever else might steal their water.

There are those thorns to protect them so you know what a neat defense.

But why are they doing all that it's because there that they do not have an abundance of water and when you think about thorny people you know that joy doesn't yield the idea of the Lily is this idea of rejoicing in the joy of our Lord is our strength will unfortunately thorny people are hoarders that that they think that they're going to run out of water right date there thirsty Thursday Thursday and so there so Thursday that they become thorny in order to protect what little water that they have well you know when you think about what water is in the Bible.

It is the word of God and so is the more that we feast on the word of God.

You see we get into this abundance. This flow that's amazing and so of course we rejoice because we have all the water in the world. We need we don't have to have thorns protected on theft of thorns to try to gather it.

In other words, we have sent our roots down deep into the living water and as thus we don't have to be these thorny characters so clearly the contrast here of what our beloved is telling us is that you have gotten through the good soil down into the water and you're not hoarding it being that your inner self protecting because you don't think the gods hold out on us and you know there's there's some beautiful teaching that John Eldridge does on the mothering of God from Isaiah 66 on how you know mothers provide in abundance and poor children that don't have are separated from their mothers at birth that don't see that abundant that there just to get all they need, especially of their mothers press in of those children tend to be the ones who become kleptomaniacs and that kind of thing stealing and all that, because they're afraid they're knocking to have anything.

And as we get that orphan spirit.

You know, we begin the horrid things and we get scared that when I can have enough ants. We start growing thorns. That's the deal.

And you know it's not present is not a pretty thing. It just isn't pretty compared to that person who's rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Eaters picture you know all these Israelites down of the desert and in a semi-more so terrified and grumbling. When I go to get off water. They were thorns. But then there were some of them that were beautiful flowers same document provide it's going to be great man. I mean here study his words, the more you can have all the water you want is living water and you can get all you want is amazing stuff. Okay so there's the imagery and so what is that look like well I was thinking a lot about it this morning I got lots of illustrations but one of my favorites is often in a long before I got involved in special needs. One day I was sitting in a Burger King and this is probably five years, 10 years before I started teaching special needs so I had very little experience with down syndrome or autism or anything like that but anyway I was in this Burger King and I was observing two different families okay. One family had that was clearly a down syndrome child that they were delighting in, and this child was delighting in other words, this look as if they were just having so much fun they were. They were delighting in their food. They were delighting in each other's company and you could just see the smiles and the joy and believe me, these were the Lily unfortunately among thorns because right next to them was what would be no quote unquote normal family. These people were not delighting in each other in any way shape or form innovative were you know when they would look up from their phones. They would scream and be nasty at each other, especially you know the kids feeling the need they began the two to get attention. The course should you not do what they need to do to get attention and then the parents of course respond horribly to all that and it and it was just as likely seen advertisement from this.

What would consider to be the family that it all right compared to this other family that you would think that they'd been slighted by God but that isn't what happened at all. And again I didn't talk to either one.

I was just a casual observer as baby may be in Christ two or three years so I did.

All I knew is I said there something deep here this something to think attention I've never forgotten it white man, those people were the lily among thorns, and so you know even this morning I got I my daughter had gone to Birmingham yesterday and praying all day for whatever reason, I really felt the need to pray for him scared about her trip and and and she would arrive there safely. Which was delightful and I realize this morning man, I just hadn't been grateful to God to you from Ford for deliver my want my daughter actually for my whole family through the night and mean he protects his efforts angled not often though I do think it might man God this is so awesome that that we would delight in the law. In other words these words to me and I hope to you sure they are just an absolute delight to see. Wow. How can we help people sink their roots deeper so they don't have to grow thorns don't feel like they have water. They have for the pray that he would help us to do that in Jesus name