By Michael C. Mack
1. Since the last time we met, with whom did you talk about the God who saved you, loves you, and takes great delight in you?
2. Choose one of these to answer:
- What is your favorite love song?
- What most makes you blush?
Ask two people to read aloud Song of Songs 1:1-4, 12-14; 2:1, 3-7, 16-17 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passages.
3. How are the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) used in these passages?
4. What do their pet names for each other (she calls him beloved, and he calls her my darling) tell you about how they feel for one another?
5. What kinds of things attracted her to him?
- And him to her?
6. The Bible often addresses the importance of inward, not just outward, beauty (e.g., 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Peter 3:3-4). What makes a person beautiful on the inside?
7. What can you learn about God’s intentions for marriage from these passages?
8. Why is it important—and not just in romantic relationships—to be seen, heard, noticed, and really known by others?
- How can you improve at seeing, listening to, noticing, and knowing others around you? (Note that you can answer only for yourself, not for others!)
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. If you were to talk with God like the woman speaks to and about her beloved, what might that sound like? What would you say?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Song of Songs 1:15; 4:1-15. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Christian Standard
Contact us at **@********************ia.com
