Tag: Song of Solomon

For ‘Now and Again, Letter #3, She was running

Dear Girls,

This is letter #3 about your mom. I’m sure your heart breaks in many ways at times when you think of her.

The huge disabilities. With absolutely no ability to serve her girls cake on your birthdays. Unable to pick up a pencil to show you how to do the math problem. Or clap when you swam your best in the pool.

The tears that must have flowed from her eyes when she badly wanted to give you hugs.

But, I want your thoughts to be wonderful of your mom, not filled will sadness. So, I share this letter with you.

You may wonder, “How  did it come about that Ms. Toni would come once in a while and bring songs to your house.”

Your mom welcomed the songs and the music. They were a joy to her heart.

Her respirator alarm would go off while she was singing, but she sang anyway with all her breath.

And with the respirator, it was limited.But she sang with all her heart. God has a promise about that:

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”Jer. 29:13.

God knew we needed each other, at this time of our lives. How I loved your mom.

I think of her often, her attitude, her faith.

The elders from the church came to anoint her with oil and pray the prayer of healing over her in the name of Jesus. That’s what we were all waiting for.

We all know the stories. We’ve heard them, they were taught to us, when Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”(Acts 3:6). And we know that he took the man by the right hand and helped him up and the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

Your mom had faith to believe she would walk again, day in and day out.

We picture all this in our minds, that “He jumped to his feet and began to walk.”(Acts. 3:8).  And we can see them as well, “walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts. 3:8), into the temple.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17).

Your mom had believing faith.

She told me, when forced to go to the hospital because the Home Heath Care had expired,  “I’m going to walk out of this hospital.”

Tears did flow from her eyes. I know. I had to wipe those precious tears and cry with her a time or two.

Incredibly, with her very next breath, she would say in that sweet, whispery voice, “God is working. He’s going to do something amazing real soon!”

Well, guess what? God did answer that prayer the elders prayed. Your mom was healed of everything. Everything spiritually and emotionally.

So let me tell you the story, so you can read it now and again, the day your mama was running.

Well, since God had set it all up, that your mom and I would meet two times a week while she lay motionless on a bed for weeks.

We were living the Word. It was really precious: Yep, we would Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; and talk of all His wondrous works, Psalm 105:2, and we would Seek the LORD and His strength; and Seek His face evermore.”,Ps. 105:4.

And we read the Song of Solomon together. So, going on a journey of the Song of all songs we began. Let me tell you, God was working, and He was doing something amazing everyday.
So, you see, I brought to the hospital along with my ‘Baby guitar’ my Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament, Volume 2.

We discovered the King’s love for His maiden, (or Jesus’ love for you and me and for all the “whosoevers spoken of in John 3:16), and we felt like two schoolgirls together with giant ‘crushes’ on…Jesus.

Your mom and I were so enraptured like never before by the Love of our Bridegroom Jesus, how even though we were messed up and ‘dark’ with sin, (Song of Solomon 1:6), and we felt He shouldn’t look at us, the King said,
“I have compared you, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.” Song of Sol. 1:9.

Our King, our Love compares us to  His prize possessions, (not a mule or donkey), and He says,
“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold. We will make you ornaments, [braids] of gold…”(Song of Sol. 1:9-11).

The commentary told us that the King’s maidens wore headdresses with jewels and the “We will make you ornaments . . .” reminds us of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jon Courson then explained this verse, “We will make you ornaments, or braids of gold “, like this: “When we wonder what the Lord is doing during times of trial  and testing, He is braiding us – His gold- through hard times of pounding and beating and shaping.” “What right does He have to pound on me and to beautify me in that way?” you ask.””

He said, “Read on.” So, read on we did. The song: “We will make you ornaments [braids] of gold with studs of silver.”(Song. of Sol. 1:9). Silver means redemption.  Then the song continues, “While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, That lies all night between my breasts. . .

And we remember,’myrrh’. It was the spice that was brought to Jesus when He was a baby. It’s a burial spice. And we know the Table, the Table of communion that reminds us of His love that was poured out. Jesus died.

“A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,” the song goes. Yes, we hold our Jesus close to our hearts. He loves us ultimately.

Your mama and I experienced a bit of heaven on that morning together. So much love was poured out in our hearts that morning. Your mom couldn’t hold anything in her arms, but we both held Jesus.

Let Him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

Jon Courson did a great job reminding us that “you cannot kiss two people on the lips at one time.”And we thought, “Hmmm, very true.”

 “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth for Your love is better than wine.”  And your mom and I learned that the word ‘wine’ in the Bible speaks of joy. So here in just the first two verses in the song this maiden is saying, “Lord, I am completely, absolutely, 100% Yours, and Your love is more to me than anything this world has to offer.”

I bet you are asking yourself, “Didn’t she mention ‘running’ in this letter? I am not seeing any ‘running!” You are right, but I had to get you ready for it.

Song of Solomon 1:4, “Draw me, and we will run after thee…”

Listen girls, spiritually and emotionally, on that day, together, I believe the Lord healed both of us emotionally.

Emotionally, Your mom wasn’t just walking and leaping, she was running.” We were both running after Jesus together.

God had drawn us both and we were running after Him. But I have to say, your mom was “smoking me” in that run to her Prince of Peace.

I know this is long, but you’ve got this for ‘now and again’ when you need to read about your amazing mom and what the Lord did for her mad me.

I write for you girls with great amounts of love. I pray that you may you be blessed, for now and again with these reminders.

Love,
Toni Rypkema

So far away, yet the stars sing

One million, three-hundred thousand earths can fit in our sun. Our sun is big. However it is told, Antares can hold 64 suns. Antares is huge. But, not compared to Hercules, which can hold 100 million Antares.
Hercules is gigantic. Yet, Epsilon, the largest known star in the universe can hold 3 million Hercules. How do we know all this?
Some amazing magnification.
But back to earth, looking up to the sky, even our tiny, little sun, which can hold 1,300,000 earths – can be hid completely with only our thumb.
If we can hide the sun with our thumb, does that mean the sun’s not there?
“Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;” The light of God’s word is spoken to all of mankind. It is not hidden is some quiet place.
The sun rises in the morning and sets each night. “Day unto day utters speech.” Proverbs 19:2 proclaims. Do we block the words that God has breathed out for us, because this world and people have brought us pain?
Our eyes become dim. Our hearts, discouraged.
“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1 verse 22, speaks with blunt eloquence. But quite frankly we can hide the sun with our thumb. We hide the Son with our thumb.
Shunning God’s word, doesn’t change it at all.
Dear children of the world, God offers life, and joy, and rest, and peace. Do we walk in the counsel of words at our tips. Do we stand in the path of ‘Do that and do this’?  Do we sit in seats with those who criticize God?
“Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.” Proverbs 1 verse 23. Do these sound like words of a God who’s angry?
The King speaks to His Bride, in words poetic and lyrical in the Song of all Songs by King Solomon. Words bright as Epsilon – so far away, but who can see …
unless one looks carefully. With purpose and determination. With a heart whose eyes are wide open. Almost too wonderful to have understanding. Great beauty exposed, in magnification:
“I slept but my heart was awake.
    Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
    my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.”
The King is calling, but what is the response.
3 “I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?”
The Song continues, faint to most ears:
4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
    my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened for my beloved,
    but my beloved had left; he was gone.”
This is Canticles V, verses 2-6, in the Book breathed by the King in the Song of Solomon.

  “My heart sank at his departure.
I looked for him but did not find him.
    I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
    they took away my cloak,
    those watchmen of the walls!
8 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
    if you find my beloved,
what will you tell him?
    Tell him I am faint with love.”

The Song of all Songs, verses 6 through 8. The Bride remembers and brings her King into focus, fearing it might be too late:

“He is altogether lovely.” Verse 16, chapter 5, Song of Solomon.

My Bridegroom is pure. Even His enemies can find no fault in Him. (John 18:38). He is ‘ruddy’,  strong and full of vitality. He is ‘the chiefest of ten thousand’ and stands superior to all the rest. His head is as the most fine gold’. He is all divine. (Song of Solomon 5:10,11).

How do I know? Because when you seek, you find.

He never changes.  ( Hebrews 13:8).

There is no shadow of turning in Him. (James 1:17).

“His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set.” This is the Song chapter 5 verse 12. Eyes of a dove are gentle and compassionate. Doves eyes condemn not.

Is this really a book that should stay dusty on the shelf?

“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
    and let his banner over me be love.
5 Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples,
    for I am faint with love.”

The morning stars ‘sing’, I discover in God’s word. The Book of Job chapter 38 verse 7.  Let’s examine His thoughts more intently each day. And magnify His love, and hear His voice say:

“How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful! (Song of Songs 4 verse 1),  These are thoughts of the King towards me. “Oh come let us magnify the Lord, and exalt His name together, …”  Psalm 34 verse 3. Exalt the name of the Son. As stars, let us sing.