Marriage - From This Day Forward - Psalms 51, Song of Songs 2, Acts 18, Romans 16 - May 30, 2010

Bible Study – Marriage - From This Day Forward – May 30, 2010

This is our final lesson in the series “I Still Do.”

Our scripture is Psalm 51:6-10; Song of Songs 2:15; Acts 18:24-26; Romans 16:3-5a.

We have covered a lot of ground in the past four (4) weeks concerning marriage. Marriage is 100% by each spouse. Marriage is a building and learning process. Communication and faithfulness are vital for all marriages. Do not let little things build until they become big things. As I have stated before, Tony Campolo states that every marriage gives the opportunity for love. Love is built by working through the good times and the bad times in a loving relationship with each other. Your spouse needs to be your very best friend.

Lust is often mistaken for love. Lust begins in the mind. A lustful mind often creates unrealistic fantasies and when the fantasy is brought to reality, often the relationship sours. Lust is based upon what pleases the flesh and as soon as the flesh is no longer satiated, the person begins to seek another. This is why living together is not a good test to determine future compatibility and stability in marriage. People tend to perform until they can let their guard down and be themselves. Of course, nothing is absolute. There are exceptions to all relationships.

Let’s read Psalm 51:6-10:

6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. 7 Purify me with hyssop,[3] Lv 14:4,49; Nm 19:18 and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. 9 Turn Your face away[4] Lit Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt. 10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast[5] Or right spirit within me.

King David wrote this scripture after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba was exposed by the Prophet Nathan. As you may recall, King David should have been off leading his army into battle but instead he stayed at home. Had he already observed the woman on a neighboring roof top and he wanted to see her up close? We do not know. We know he should have been off with his army.

The scriptures tell us that David was a man after GOD’S own heart, yet he sinned. This is a message to every believer. Never think you are so spiritual that you are beyond stumbling and falling into sin. If you have the thought, that would never happen to you, then be extra careful because you are likely headed for a fall.


King David saw a woman bathing on a neighboring roof top in the evening. He asked his servants who she was and to bring the woman to him. He had sex with her and she conceived. The woman was married to Uriah, a leading warrior in David’s army. Uriah was off fighting. Once David learned that Bathsheba was pregnant, he had the grand plan of asking his general, Joab, to send Uriah home in hopes he would have sex with his wife. His plan failed when Uriah remained loyal to his men and refused to have sex with his wife. David sent a note back to his General that resulted in Uriah being placed on the front lines and being killed.

David tried to ignore what he had done. He not only committed adultery but he had committed murder. GOD had the Prophet Nathan confront David with his sin. David repented and confessed his sin. He realized fully what he had done and there was nothing he could do to undo what he had done. He realized the depth of his sin from one human to another but he also realized that his greatest sin was toward GOD. He went to GOD, WHO was the only source that had the power to clean him and restore his broken relationship with GOD.

David realized that GOD’S desire was for a person’s inner most being, his/her heart, to be pure before HIM. In the eyes of his heart, David knew that GOD had already convicted HIM of his sin and it is there that he acknowledged and confessed his sin to GOD. David’s sin had crushed him to the bone. David knew that only GOD could cleanse him from sin.

Hyssop was a plant that was used for a paint brush. It was also used for placing the blood of the sacrificed animal on the doorpost of the Israelites home the night of the Passover. The priest used hyssop to sprinkle blood on the altar for the sins of the people.

David realized that the altar of his heart needed to be sprinkled with blood for him to receive forgiveness for what he had done. This was a foreshadow of the cleansing blood of the LAMB of GOD, CHRIST. David was looking to GOD alone to be cleansed from his sin. He realized there was nothing he could do that would cleanse him. GOD had to cleanse him by washing him thoroughly. He knew GOD was his only hope to be made whiter than snow. He had sinned against GOD.

David’s downward slide began with lust in his heart. Lust took over and led to the next step of committing what he had conceived in his heart. His position as king allowed him to take advantage of Bathsheba and once he learned she was pregnant, to take matters into his own hands and have Uriah killed.

GOD had brought David to his knees and he acknowledged his need for the cleansing power of GOD. He remembered the days when his heart was pure before GOD and he knew that GOD was the only ONE who could restore the joy of their relationship. David had been crushed to the bone and he was asking GOD to restore the joy that he once knew through their relationship. He asked GOD not to turn HIS face from him and to blot out his sins.

Oh, what a blessing we have as Christians. The blood of JESUS blots out all of our sins and HIS shed blood washes, all who believe in HIM, whiter than snow.
1 John 1:9: 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we confess our sins GOD forgives, cleanses and restores. That is the powerful love that GOD has for all who come to HIM through CHRIST. As we read these words we can feel the intensity of the heart of David and his yearning to be restored to complete relationship and fellowship with GOD.

It seems that David, in essence, was saying to GOD in verse 10, “If you will cleanse me and restore me, I will never lose my zeal to serve you and do such a stupid thing again.”

In our last study, JESUS focused on the things we allow to come into our minds. Our downward spiral begins with the mind. As Christians we must fill our minds and hearts with GOD’S Word and mediate on it day and night. We need to talk to GOD about what we think we are hiding in our hearts. We may need to go to a trusted source and confess what is taking place in our hearts and seek help.

Let’s read Song of Songs 2:15:

15 Catch the foxes for us— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom.

Song of Songs was written by Solomon. Bible scholars think Solomon wrote this in his early reign as king before he had so many wives. Song of Songs captures this is Song of Songs 6:8-9: 8 There are 60 queens and 80 concubines and young women[10] Or and virgins; Sg 1:3 without number. 9 But my dove, my virtuous one, is unique; she is the favorite of her mother, perfect to the one who gave her birth. Women see her and declare her fortunate; queens and concubines also, and they sing her praises:

He was laying it on thick to convince her to become queen number 61.

The main characters with speaking parts are King Solomon, the groom and Shulamite woman, the bride. There are also speaking parts for the “daughters of Jerusalem.” The spoken parts reflect a healthy/passionate expression of love between a man and a woman who are either newly married or about to be married.

Verse 15 was spoken by the Shulamite woman or the bride. She was either serving or had served as a keeper of vineyards. She had encountered foxes ruining the vineyard in search of grapes. The foxes represent the little things that can creep into a marriage and destroy it. So keep vigilant and active in preventing these little things from growing into big things and destroying what has been cultivated together.

This may have been the observations of the bride or advice passed along to her by her mother or a wise woman cautioning a young married couple or soon to be married couple about keeping their love for each other alive.

Some bible scholars interpret this story to depict a relationship between CHRIST (male) and believers (female). It is true that believers can allow little things to come between them and their relationship to CHRIST.

The key is communication. It is hard to communicate the things that annoy you with your spouse until it reaches the point of frustration and then it is often explosive. That is what you want to avoid, if possible. No relationship is perfect. It takes work on the part of both spouses.

Let’s read Acts 18:24-26:

24 A Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was powerful in the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,[11] Or in the Spirit he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home[12] Lit they received him and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

Paul met a married couple, Priscilla and Aquila, in Corinth. Paul as well as Priscilla and Aquila were tent makers. The Roman emperor, Claudius, ordered the Jews to leave Rome because of conflicts over Christianity. Apparently, the couple was already Christian. They likely told Paul about the Christian activity in Rome. Paul stayed with them in Corinth.

Paul left Corinth to go to Ephesus and Priscilla and Aquila went with him. In Ephesus, they met a Jew named Apollos. Apollos knew the scriptures and was an eloquent man but he needed the gospel message fine tuned. So Paul, Aquila and Priscilla invited Apollos to their home and instructed him in the complete gospel of CHRIST.

Through this scripture we can see the heart of Aquila and Priscilla toward each other and in obediently serving CHRIST.

Let’s read Romans 16:3-5a:

3 Give my greetings to Prisca[2] Traditionally, Priscilla, as in Ac 18:2,18,26 and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. 5 Greet also the church that meets in their home.

Priscilla and Aquila had returned to Rome and in his letter to the Christians in Rome, the Apostle Paul acknowledged the faithful service of Priscilla and Aquila to CHRIST. Paul endorsed them as “my co-workers” in his letter. Endorsing them as “co-workers” is a badge of honor for them coming from Paul. Paul referred to Priscilla as Prisca, which is the same.

Paul thanked Priscilla and Aquila for saving his life. We are not sure when this may have occurred. Some speculation is that it was in Corinth as recorded in Acts 18:9 -17 or Ephesus as recorded in 19:23-41 or it could have been an unrecorded event. Paul had a way of stirring up the emotions of people when he attacked their gods.

Whatever it was, Paul as well as the Gentile church members were also grateful for their intervention.

Not only were they faithful to each other, they were also faithful to CHRIST. It is interesting that Priscilla was mentioned before her husband, Aquila. This could mean that Paul considered her as the leader/organizer of the evangelistic effort and more out spoken.

Priscilla and Aquila were a dedicated couple who served our LORD. The last mention of them is in 2 Timothy 4:19:

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

They are back in Ephesus. They moved around quite a lot. Likely the LORD used their tent making skills to lead them to areas HE wanted them to serve. It seemed that wherever they went, they opened their home to teach and spread the gospel of CHRIST. They remained faithful to the LORD and to each other. What a testimony!!!

GOD has HIS children all over the world who are faithfully serving HIM in various capacities. It is fitting to close with this word of encouragement to Paul from GOD found in Acts 18:9-11:

9 Then the Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 And he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Blessings to all and remain faithful to your spouse, if you are married, and to our LORD.