My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2023 (11)

Question 1: What is the purpose of the Song of Solomon. Are there any doctrines that can be found inside?

Answer 1: The Song of Solomon is a Book of biblical love between a Christian husband and his Christian wife. It needs to be interpreted literally like all the other sixty-five Books of the Bible. See the example below.

Song of Solomon 2:1: “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” The Shulamite woman replied to Solomon’s high praise of her by saying that she is “the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” The rose and lily are commonly found in the Plain of Sharon and Israel's valleys, respectively. Although common and abundant, these flowers are most beautiful. Solomon was a man who had found God’s favour. God’s favour here was the Shulamite woman. 

Many in the past have ascribed the rose of Sharon to Christ because of the use of the erroneous hermeneutics called allegorisation. This method of interpretation is of the devil, says the notable and great theologian John Calvin. It is this system of hermeneutics that the Roman Catholic Church employed that allowed her to come up with her numerous unbiblical traditions, including the doctrine of purgatory. In the context of the Song of Solomon, the “rose of Sharon” does not refer to Solomon, but to the Shulamite woman.

In her humility and feeling of unworthiness, she likened herself to the common rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys. Many would not even glance at these beautiful common flowers as they abundantly traversed the valleys. The busyness of travellers occupied by thoughts of making money had no time for such yearly blossoms. Yet Solomon, the son of a king with kingly thoughts and burdens, would cast his royal eyes and had a heart of love for a humble common woman like her, causing her to liken herself to these common flowers.

When love is real, the feeling of unworthiness in the love of the other is true. The moment a person thinks that he deserves to be loved because of his worth rather than his unworthiness, and he thinks he is better, we realize that the love is waning.

Question 2: Can you explain the meaning of Isaiah 53:12a? (“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong?”)

Answer 2: Isaiah 53:10-12: “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Isaiah 53:12a depicts a battle scene where the victor has defeated the enemy. In this context, Jesus Christ (the greatest Victor) defeated Satan (the vanquished) by His sufferings and death on the cross for His disciples. In war, the victor divides the enemy's spoils and claims them as his own in victory. Christ redeemed us from hell. He destroyed the devil. Hebrews 2:14-15: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

Question 3: There was mention that the attitude of one towards the Word was a sign of his salvation (whether he viewed the Bible as a book of life or death). Is the transformation of such an indicator an overnight process? Or would it take years for one to see the Bible as a book of life rather than death?

Answer 3: When a sinner becomes a believer, his knowledge of the Word of God is nil, other than the gospel that he believed in. This truth applies only to first-generation believers and not to second-generation believers who grew up in churches. The gospel contains the doctrines of sin, Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The believer's relationship with the Word of God is not taught yet. However, when the doctrines of the Bible are taught to him as he attends church faithfully, he will understand the Bible and obey it. The love he has for God’s Word becomes precious to him. It is a feeling he did not experience as an unbeliever. The Word of God comes alive. He will make it his priority to read it daily. He will attend the ministries in the church where the Word of God is taught. He loves to attend church every Lord’s Day morning, afternoon and evening as the thirst for God's Word burns within him.

It is not a matter of “seeing the Bible as a book of life,” but living it out. The Bible is a book of Death to the one not born again because it will cut and condemn him, especially when he reads the Ten Commandments. To the child of God who has been imputed with the righteousness of the law, the moment he accepts Christ as his Lord and Saviour, the Ten Commandments are a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path. He feels this way because the law of God is already written in his heart!

Question 4: In light of the omniscience of Christ, how do we understand Mark 13:32? "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

Answer 4: Mark 13:28-37: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” The main emphasis of Jesus’ revelation of the last days was the events that would take place before His return. He declared to His disciples that there was no need to know the exact day and hour of His return. They needed to focus on the certainty of Christ’s return and the signs that would take place so that all his disciples throughout the ages will be ready by living holy lives. Imagine if God were to reveal to believers the exact day and time of Christ’s return, generations before His return will probably live slothfully since they know they will not see Christ’s return! The teaching on watchfulness and ever readiness would be in vain.

It is not that the Son of God did not know the exact day and hour of His own return, for He is omniscient and will always be the same, yesterday, today and forever. He is immutable and does not gain or lose knowledge. Jesus meant that all believers on earth do not need to know the exact day and hour of Christ’s return because they must always be ready.