 Okay, so we were able to look at the Psalms and Proverbs very briefly. Now we will also try to look at Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. So we will be able to finish the poetic books today. So coming to the book of Ecclesiastes, this is among the less understood books. Many people are not very sure what the book is talking about but then we have a general idea about it. So let's look at some details from the book of Ecclesiastes. Now people say that Solomon is the author of this book but chances are that maybe he is not the author because when the author of this book introduces himself in Ecclesiastes chapter one verse one, he just simply says that he is the teacher, that's the word that he uses for himself. He calls himself the teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Now the term son of David can mean any descendant of David, doesn't have to be the direct son of David. So we cannot say for sure that this was Solomon. It might have been one of the descendants of David because when you look at Ecclesiastes chapter one verse 16, this is what it says over there. If someone can read out for us, Ecclesiastes one verse 16. I said in my heart, I have acquired great wisdom surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. This writer, he says, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. So he sounds as if there have been at least two, three other rulers before him in Jerusalem. So most probably it is not Solomon because who was there before Solomon? Only one single king was there before Solomon, which was basically his father, David. But he is saying, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. So it's probably some descendant of King David who is writing this particular book of Ecclesiastes. Also, another thing which we notice in this book is that it has a lot of Aramaic words and phrases. Now Aramaic started to become popular only in the third century BC. Solomon was ruling in around the mid 10th century. So during the time of Solomon, Aramaic was hardly ever used. So most probably somebody else wrote this particular book. Some descendant of David has written this particular book and this is what the person says in this book. He looks at different aspects of life and he says everything seems to be so meaningless. That's the term which he keeps repeating throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. If we can have someone read out for us verses 1 and 2, Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verses 1 and 2. The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem, vanity of vanities says the preacher, vanity of vanities always vanity. The word that is used in the old English is the word vanity. Now the term vanity is not really something that we are very familiar with in the original sense anymore. So which is why NIV has chosen to use a better word. They use the word meaningless. So the teacher begins his particular book by saying, oh everything is so meaningless. And the Hebrew word that is used over there is actually that word Hevel. That word Hevel, it basically is talking about vapor, water vapor or maybe breath. For instance, if you're in a very cold place and when you're talking, you can literally see the water. You can see the vapor coming out of your mouth. So it's talking about that kind of vapor. And as you are talking and the vapor is coming out, how long do you see it? You only see it for one or two seconds, but it evaporates. It goes away. So he says over here, the writer is saying, life seems to be like that. It's just there for a moment and it's gone. It's so temporary. It's so meaningless. What is the meaning of this life? He seems to be saying that word Hevel was also used in those days for morning mist. Early in the morning before the sun comes out, you will see a layer of mist in the air, especially in their Middle Eastern region. Early morning, there's a layer of mist. And as soon as the sun rays start coming, that mist just evaporates. So the writer is comparing life to that. The vapor is just there for a few seconds and then it's gone. So he says life seems to be like this. Everything in life seems to be so temporary. So if life is that temporary, what meaning does it have? So that word vanity, which is used in your older versions, that is basically talking about how everything is vain. Everything is futile. Everything is so temporary that it doesn't last. And if something doesn't last, then there's not much meaning in it. So you see, these are the different ways of expressing what He is saying. That term, it's talking about the meaninglessness or the shortness or the temporariness of life. So in this book, the writer spends time looking at different aspects of life. He looks at riches. He looks at somebody who works hard and makes a lot of money. He looks at somebody who has gained a lot of power and influence. He looks at the pleasures of life. He looks at the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. He looks at these different things, all of these things which are valued by people. And he says, what's the point? It's all so temporary. A person, he takes many, many years, his entire life to build up his riches. And at the end of it, what happens? He dies. And once he's dead, those riches are of no use to him anymore because he's gone. So where's the point? What's the meaning of having riches? There's no meaning of riches, for riches. And then he talks about wisdom. He says, some people spend their whole life trying to gain wisdom. But what's the use? At the end of it, you die. And once you die, that wisdom is of no use to you anymore. So in that way, he goes on talking about different things which are meaningless in life. And then he comes to the final conclusion where actual meaning is there. So if you read half the book and you leave it, you'll think this man is mad. He doesn't know what he's talking about. So for the book of Ecclesiastes, you'll have to read the entire book right up to the last verse. And then what he is saying will make sense. If you only read a few portions here and there, you'll think, you'll in fact go away with the wrong impression thinking, oh yeah, life is really meaningless, which is actually not what he's trying to convey. He's talking about how life is meaningless without God in the picture. So he talks about different aspects of life, how different aspects of life are all meaningless. And finally in the end of the book, he says, you've got to remember God. You've got to follow his ways. If you're doing that, then there is meaning in life. So this is the basic summary of this book. Let's look at some specifics now. If we could have somebody read out maybe Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verses 15 and 16. Ecclesiastes 2, 15 and 16. Then I said in my heart, what happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then I happen so very wise. And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool, there is no enduring remembrance. Seeing that in the test of come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise digest like the fool. So he says, I have tried very hard in my life to be wise, to be careful in the way I live. But what's the use in the end the fool, the fool who never bothered to think about wisdom and things like that. He will die. I also will die. So where's the point in the end? Both of us are going to be dead. So where's the point in spending my whole life trying to make wise decisions to live carefully. This seems to be very meaningless. It seems to be vain. It's just vanity to try and be wise. Okay. It's one conclusion he comes to. So we don't just stop there. We have to read the entire book and go to the final conclusion. So that's just one aspect that he calls as vain, the gathering of wisdom. The next thing which he calls as vain, maybe versus 18 to 21. Ecclesiastes 2 versus 18 to 21. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me and know and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool. Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labours under the sun because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great will. So he talked about wisdom and he says, where's the point? Even if I'm wise, I'll die just like the fool. So let me be foolish. And then he goes on to the other point and then he says, what about hard work? What if I work very, very hard and accumulate a lot of wealth? He says, what will happen in the end? I will die. And once I die, what will happen? All that I possess will go to somebody else and who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish. If that person is a fool, all the things which I have worked so hard for, he will waste away and all my hard work will simply go down the drain. And so he says, in verse 20, he says, verse 21, he says, a person may labour with wisdom, knowledge and skill and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. That person who has not done any hard work is going to inherit all my hard work and that person has not done anything to earn it because I am dead now. He's taking it. So he says, where's the point of riches? So in this way, he goes on to talk about different things. He talks about wisdom. He talks about the pursuit of wealth. He talks about entertainment and enjoyment in life. He talks about philosophy, gaining knowledge. He talks about different things and he says, all of these things in the end, it is meaningless because it's so temporary for a little while, for a few years you're alive and once those few years are over, you're gone. Life is over. So where is the point in all of this life? What is the meaning of this life? He goes on talking about these different aspects and goes on reflecting and trying to understand what is the meaning? What is the purpose of life? Now we may think, oh, what a depressing man. Look at the way he's thinking. Doesn't he have any positive thoughts? But haven't we all had those thoughts sometime in our own life? When things are not going well and we think, I'm working so hard, but what's the point? Nothing is coming out of it. And shortly, you know, in a few years I'll be dead. So we also think those thoughts. And so it is for people like us who sometimes have negative thoughts, who sometimes wonder what is the meaning of this life from morning till night. I work hard for my family. I earn. I try to give my best. But at the end of it all, there's only death waiting. So where is the point? What is the purpose? So these are thoughts which even we think in our own lives. And so these are the thoughts which are being reflected over here by this particular writer. And then he comes to the final last portion of his book. And in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 to 14. This is the conclusion which he makes. So if someone can read out that for us. Ecclesiastes 12 verses 13 and 14. The conclusion which is being given by this writer. The end of the matter all has been heard. Here God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man. God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. So he says there are many things in life that we do not understand. Life doesn't seem to make sense a lot of the time. But we continue to give our best. We continue to gather knowledge and wisdom. We continue to work hard. We continue to enjoy the things which God has given us. We continue to do all of these things even if it does not make sense. Why? Because there is a creator God and he is watching everything that we are doing. Even the things which are hidden he is watching. And one day we will be judged for all of this. Therefore let us be careful. Therefore let us keep his commandments for he says this is the duty of all mankind. Whether we understand what is going on in our lives or not. We continue to honor God. We continue to keep his commandments because he is watching and one day we will be judged. So death is not just the end. After death there is going to be a judgment. When God is going to hold us accountable for the way we... Whether we walked in foolishness or whether we walked in wisdom. Whether we used our wealth and riches for good things or whether we used it for worldly things. He is going to look at us and ask whether we took our responsibility seriously. Or whether we were careless and irresponsible with the things that were given to us. He is going to be judging all of these things. And therefore rather than dwelling upon the meaninglessness of life and wondering what is the purpose of life. We leave it in his hands because he knows what the purpose is. Now for us living in the New Testament this does not sound like a very satisfactory answer. Because in the New Testament we are given so much more information so much more detail. Now this Old Testament book when it was written. The Old Testament writer did not know the things which we know today in the New Testament. So he was able to only write up to one extent based on what he knows. But now we who are living in New Testament times can go further and talk about the actual meaning of life. Because in the New Testament we are told that we are living to glorify God. And Christ who has come to redeem us and give us a new life. He is going to justify us. We have been called with a purpose. We are here to fulfill a particular plan for our lives. And not just that one day after we have fulfilled our purpose on life. He is going to glorify us. There are many many things awaiting us. So at that time all that that particular writer could conclude and say is I don't understand what's going on. Everything is so temporary. Everything seems so meaningless. But one thing I know God is creator and I must continue honouring him because he's going to judge me. And he just closes his book at that point. But we who are in the New Testament times we go much further. We are able to understand life better because of the promises that Christ has brought to us. Christ tells us you know what you're not just living here on this earth. You're also seated with me in the heavenly realm. So your life is not just doing a job earning a salary looking after your family. It's not that there's more. You are seated with me in the heavenly realm and you are working towards eternal purposes. There are bigger things that you are working towards. And there are things awaiting us in the next life. Now these are not details which the Old Testament people knew because it says that the prophets in the Old Testament were eagerly trying to search the scriptures and find out what is going to happen in the future. What is the Messiah going to bring into the world for the people? They did not understand these things at that time because those things were only revealed during our New Testament times. It's a term that is used in theology. They call it progressive revelation. In the time of Adam and Eve, Adam and Eve were given only some information. They were not given many details. And then by the time the time of Moses came, some more additional details were given. The people were told if you honor me then you will have a blessed life. And you know I will prosper you. I will take care of you. So there was more revelation given by the time of Moses. And then when we move into the time of the kings, there is even more additional information given because the scriptures start talking about a son of David who will come in the future. And then there are new things that he will bring to his people. And so the revelation increases to the next level. And then when we come to the New Testament, we start hearing about things which will happen in the end times. And it talks about a new heaven and a new earth which will be created. So progressively step by step, God revealed additional things to his people. So this book of Ecclesiastes you can say is an incomplete book. It's only giving part of the picture. So that man living in those days, all he could say is I don't understand the meaning of life fully. But one thing I know I must honour my Creator because he knows everything from the beginning to the end and he will judge us for what we will do. But we who live in the New Testament times, we can go further and we can rely on what it says in Romans chapter 8 verses 28 to 30. And if someone can read out that Romans 8 28 to 30. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also believed to be confirmed to the image of his son in order that he might be the first born among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. So we who know Romans chapter 8, we can talk to this author of Ecclesiastes and tell him. You know, we know so much more now. All these things that you talked about and you said are meaningless. They are very meaningful because we were predestined by God to be confirmed to the image of his son. We will become like Christ and after becoming, you know, after coming into his family and starting to grow in him, becoming more and more like him. We are called with a purpose. There are things which we will be accomplishing in our lives because it says over there. We are called according to his purposes. So there are things that he wants us to achieve. And then there are going to be bad things happening to us. There are going to be good things happening to us. But God will work out all these things for our good. Why? Because he has already made a plan for our lives. And it goes on to say, he will justify us and one day he will even glorify us. So you could say that Ecclesiastes is just chapter 1. Chapter 2 is basically the New Testament where we have a much greater revelation of what God has planned for us. And there's also a chapter 3 coming that will be in the new heaven and the new earth. You see in Old Testament times, those people didn't even know what's going to happen in chapter 2. It's like as if there was a curtain which was, you know, it was closed. They could not see what is going to happen in the New Testament times. We who are in the New Testament times, we know all that happened in chapter 1. We also know all that is happening in chapter 2. But then for us, the curtain is closed for chapter 3. We don't know what's going to happen in the new heaven and the new earth. But we know that on that day, God will glorify us and there are new things are waiting us in that new era. So progressively as we are walking with God, more and more gets revealed stage by stage. And so life is not meaningless at all. The word that the term that is used in the book of Ecclesiastes is the term under the sun. Again and again, 27 times in this book of Ecclesiastes, the author says, this life under the sun, this pursuit of wealth under the sun, the chasing of pleasures under the sun, none of it is making sense. Why? Because there is something above the sun. The God who is there above the sun, he has got an eternal purpose for us. So as long as our focus is just under the sun on life on this earth, it's not going to make much sense because it's going to end in death. But after death, our dealing will be with the one who is above the sun with God and he has got more things awaiting for us. So the book of Ecclesiastes is basically encouraging people not to just keep looking at life under the sun, but to raise our eyes up and look beyond the sun to the creator who is there and who has a plan and a purpose for our lives. In him, everything will work out for our good. In him, there will be a purpose for our lives. In him, we will be justified and glorified. In him, we will be confirmed to the image of his son. We will become like Christ because in the new heaven and the new earth, there is something more awaiting us. There are greater things which God has planned for us. That is chapter three, that curtain is still closed and we do not know what's going to take place, but there is something awaiting us. So today, we have the entire world of people chasing things which are under the sun and even though they attain wealth, even though they attain power, they're never satisfied because under the sun, there is no satisfaction. But when you raise your eyes above the sun and look to the Lord, the creator God, then everything starts to fall into place because he works everything out for the good of those who love him, those who are living according to his purposes. So that is the main message which comes out from the book of Ecclesiastes. Well, because we are short of time as usual, let's move into the song of Solomon, the last of the poetic books. Now, the song of Solomon, like it says in the title itself, is written by King Solomon. So he's the author of this book and song of Solomon sounds very confusing to people. There is actually a storyline in this book, but because the verses are scattered in such an uncronological manner, people are not able to catch the storyline. So people who have actually scholars who have sat down and studied the entire book, they're able to take the verses and arrange them in a particular order and discover that there is an actual storyline inside this book and it's the story of Solomon and this lady, the Shulamite whom he marries. So the song of Solomon is actually a story because the verses are scattered here and there. People are not able to generally make sense of it. So when the song of Solomon actually starts in chapter one, the chapter one starts somewhere in the middle of the story. That's basically how we have, when we are watching a TV serial or something. If you're watching the very first episode of the serial, let's say it's a detective story. Even as the very first episode opens up, you see the detective running, he's running for his life, the villain is chasing him, the detective goes running, he climbs a tree, he hides in the tree and you don't know who the detective is, you don't know what the villain is, you don't know anything about the story. That's the way the story begins and you don't have any of the details because they're showing you something that has happened in the middle of the story and then after they show you the opening scene, they will write one week earlier and then they will take you back to the story line of all the things which happened one week earlier and then you have all the sequence of events which are taking place and finally you come to the point where the detective is running for his life. This book of Song of Solomon is something like that. So chapter one when you start reading, you don't know who is talking, you don't know to whom this person is talking, you don't know what's going on because it starts right in the middle. In chapter one, the lady, the Shulamite, she has already come to the palace, the wedding ceremony has already taken place, she has already become the queen and now she's sitting over there and she's thinking about all the things which happened before. So Song of Solomon starts right in the middle of the story. Chapter one is like right in the middle of the story, after the wedding, after their marriage has already been consummated but there is a background to it and we have to search the verses to find out what is actually happening over here in this particular book. So we get to know a little bit about her in chapter six verse 13 where we get to know that this person was being talked about over here in the Song of Solomon. She's somebody named the Shulamite in chapter six verse 13. It refers to this lady as the Shulamite. Now Shulam is a place in belonging to the tribe of Ephraim. So maybe this particular lady was from that particular region. Maybe she was from the town of Shulam. Now in chapter one verse six, we get to know that she had two brothers and these two brothers make her work in their vineyard. We don't really know why they make her work in the vineyard. It just says over there in chapter one verse six that her brothers were very angry with her and they forced her to work in their vineyard. So all we get to know about this lady is that she's from a place called Shulam and she had two brothers who were ill treating her and making her work in their vineyards and then when we come to chapter eight verse 11, we get to know that Solomon owned a lot of vineyards. So in chapter eight verse 11 it says Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamun. Maybe someone can read out that verse Song of Solomon chapter eight verse 11. 11 ma'am? Yeah, eight verse 11. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamun. He laid out the vineyard to keepers. Each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. Alright, so trying to put the story together you have King Solomon. He owns a lot of vineyards. He has given out these vineyards to different tenants. The tenants look after the vineyards and then he pays them for their services. So it looks like this lady, the Shulamite probably is working in one of those vineyards. And so she meets King Solomon accidentally maybe when he comes on one of his trips when he's supervising one of his vineyards maybe that's basically where she gets to meet him because it says in chapter one verse seven she says, where do you graze your flock? Where do you rest your sheep? And then she says, why should I be like a veiled woman? She says, we have started getting to know each other now. So I want to know where do you look after your sheep? Where do you keep your flock of sheep? Because she's under the impression that he is a shepherd. So the storyline basically is that the King has come to the vineyards to do some supervision. He accidentally runs into this lady of Shulam. They start getting to know each other. He doesn't reveal who he is. She assumes that he is a shepherd and she asks him where does he graze his flock and then we get to know later that he makes a promise to her that he will come back and he goes away and she waits and waits and waits and she doesn't hear from him. So she starts wondering, does he even remember me? Ma'am, Mike is muted. Hello ma'am, Mike is muted. Was it muted for a very long time? No ma'am, no ma'am. Okay, not sure why I did that. So sorry. So yeah, I wanted somebody to read out chapter three verses six to seven. What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with mare and frankincense with all the fragrant powders of the merchant? Seven also, no? Yeah, six and seven. Behold, is it the litter of Solomon? Around it are sixty mighty men. Some of the mighty men of Israel. All right, so finally Solomon comes to take her and he takes her in his chariot. Then they go to Jerusalem, then they get married and that's basically the storyline. So basically you have the king meeting a Shulamite. The two of them start getting to know each other. She thinks that he's a shepherd. He promises that he'll come back. He doesn't come back for a long time. She wonders whether he will ever return. But finally one day he comes with his chariot and his warriors. He takes her to his palace. He makes her his queen. Now, in what way are we supposed to understand this story? Why is it even mentioned in the Bible? One thing that people say is that this book is supposed to give us a picture of what a marriage relationship should be like. The love and the commitment and the passion which people are supposed to, the husband and wife are supposed to feel towards each other. It picturizes that. It's one interpretation which people give. But then should we really take this book as a picture of marriage? Because you see when you look at Song of Solomon chapter 6 verses 6 to 9, you get to know that Solomon already has got 60 queens. He's got 80 concubines and he's got many other people lined up who he's going to marry. A man like that has now decided to marry the Shulamite and bring her to his palace. Would that really be a good picture of marriage, the way God meant it to be? So maybe the Song of Solomon has not been placed in the Bible to really present a picture of marriage. Yes, it does talk about love and passion and commitment and all of that. But, you know, let us look at what Jesus has to say about marriage. If someone can read out Matthew chapter 19 verses 4 to 6. Matthew 19 verses 4 to 6. Matthew 19 verse 4 to 6. He answered, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one place. What, therefore God has joined together. Let not men separate. Jesus says, what God has joined together, let no one separate. Jesus is talking about complete commitment between one man and one woman. But over here in the song of Solomon, you have 60 queens, 80 concubines and a whole bunch of other virgins who are waiting to get married to Solomon. All of them coming in between the Shulamite and Solomon. So I would really not say that this is a picture of what an ideal marriage should be. So why was it included in the Bible? This is the way the Israelite people looked at this book. We talked about it right in the beginning when we did the introduction to the Old Testament. We saw that this particular book used to be read out during the time of the Passover. At that time during the Passover feast, they would read out this entire song of Solomon in public for all the people to listen to and we also saw why they read it out. It's because in this story, it's talking about a Shulamite who was working in the vineyards like a laborer. She didn't have any position. She didn't have any status and the king comes to her. He makes friends with her. He makes her a queen. He raises her status up to a high level. And so the Israelites looked upon the Lord in the same sense. When they were in Egypt, there were slaves. They had no worth, no value. They were like the Shulamite who was working in the vineyard. There were slaves. But God came to them. He picked them up. He was willing to enter into a covenant with them. And he raised their status so that they became God's own people. And so they saw the connection between this book and their own nation's story. And this is the interpretation they gave to it. In the same way king Solomon took a nobody and made her into a queen. In the same way the almighty God came to them in Egypt when they were mere, worthless slaves. And he lifted them up. He entered into a covenant with them and gave them a status which they never had before. Most probably this book, the song of Solomon was placed in the Bible to give us a picture of God's relationship with his people. And this is not just the only place where this kind of a story is given in the Old Testament. There are four different places in the Old Testament where you have a similar storyline being mentioned. You have something similar being mentioned in Psalm 45 where it talks about the king who marries a foreigner and he lifts her up to the status of a queen. It's also mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 16 where you have a wealthy person marrying an orphan. You have the same imagery even in the book of Hosea where you have the prophet being asked to marry a woman of loose moral values. She was probably a prostitute or maybe not a prostitute but the Lord asks him to marry a person like that. In all these four stories you have somebody who is of a high position or maybe somebody who is a king. They reach down to someone who has no value or status and chooses to enter into a covenant relationship with them and lift them up to a high status. This we see not just in the song of Solomon. We see it in three other places in the Old Testament and this is probably why this story was placed in the Bible so that we will understand that this is how with this kind of a commitment the Lord chooses to relate to us. Let's look at Psalm 45 verses 6 and 7. If someone can read out Psalm 45, 6 and 7 Psalm 45, 6 and 7 your throne of God is forever and ever. The scepter and of your kingdom is a scepter of a brightness. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. The reason I asked us to read out these two particular verses is because the Psalm 45 is not just talking about some king. It's talking about the one whose throne will last forever and ever. It's talking about the son of David the Messiah who will come as the king who will be on the throne forever and ever and it's talking about his marriage. How he will marry a foreigner and she will be made his queen. So it's a lot of poetic language which is used over here. It's all figurative. It's not literal. We should not take this literally. It's more figurative language which is being used to talk about how this king whose throne will last forever will choose to marry someone who is a low birth who is like a foreigner who is like an outsider who will choose to enter into a marriage relationship with such a person. So Psalm 45 is a wedding Psalm. It's talking about the wedding between the son of David who will be the Messiah and the bride that he is going to marry. So in a sense, Psalm 45 is actually talking about the marriage of Christ and the church. So that is how this imagery gets carried even into the New Testament where you have in the New Testament it talks about how the church is the bride of Christ. So in the time of the early church the early church fathers, they began to talk about this. They said in the Old Testament the people would look at the story of song of Solomon. They would look at Psalm 45 and they would identify the bride with themselves. They would talk about Yahweh marrying the nation of Israel. And so the early church fathers began to teach and preach and say in the same way we who belong to the current day church, we are also bride to Christ because of all the New Testament verses which talk about that. You have 2 Corinthians 11-2, you have Ephesians 5-27, you have Revelation 21. In all these places you have the imagery of Christ and the church entering into a covenant relationship. So in that sense the song of Solomon becomes applicable even to New Testament believers because when we look at the song of Solomon, we are thinking about how the king of kings and Lord of lords chose to enter into a covenant relationship with people who are sinners who are nothing, who have no status, who have no hope and he lifts them up to a status where they are seated in the heavenly realms with him and one day he will consider the church as his own bride and so song of Solomon makes more sense when we see it from that angle. So these are some of the things which we were able to pick up from this psalm. Maybe just one verse that we could look at because you know we have a few minutes in Psalm 45 verses 10 and 11 if someone could read out. Psalm 45, 10 and 11 Here a daughter and consider and decline your ear. Forget your people and your father's soul and the king will desire your beauty since he is your Lord part of him. Okay so here this new this foreigner who has been brought and made the king's queen this is the advice which is being given to her. She is told in Psalm 45 verse 11 the king will greatly desire your beauty because he is your Lord who will worship him. This is the advice this is the commandment which is being given to the church today. This messianic king who has come to marry the church. This is the advice that is being given to the church saying he will greatly desire your beauty. The Lord does not look upon us as slaves. He does not look upon us as sinners. He looks upon us as his pride. We have been very very high status now and he actually desires us. He does not look down upon us and in return this is what we are asked to do. We are told because he is your Lord worship him. So you know when you have time later you could maybe go through Psalm 45 and reflect upon it in this way from this angle thinking of it as the relationship between the messiah king and us believers the church and what it asks of us. So yeah maybe we can just close with the word of prayer. I mean no one has posted any questions. We have any questions here in the class otherwise we will close. Lord we just thank you so much for the things that we could reflect upon in these poetic books. Lord we pray that we would truly worship you and honor you because you chose us who are sinners, who were sinners and Lord you brought us into your family and you O Lord raised our status so high that we the church are regarded as your bride. So we pray that we will truly worship you and honor you and we pray O Lord that this even as we live in the fear of the Lord you O Lord will release your wisdom and your intimate relationship into our lives O Lord that we will know you personally and we will be able to enjoy a deep deeper relationship with you. Thank you Lord in Jesus name Amen.