Song of Solomon

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Song of Solomon

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version,NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GODS WORD, copyright 1995 Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-61521-767-0

ISBN 978-1-61291-789-4 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-61291-790-0 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-61291-791-7 (Apple)

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Along with all of the volumes in the L IFE C HANGE series of Bible studies, this guide to the Song of Solomon shares common goals:

1. To provide you with a firm foundation of understanding, plus a thirst to return to the Song of Solomon throughout your life.

2. To give you study patterns and skills that help you explore every part of the Bible.

3. To offer you historical background, word definitions, and explanation notes to aid your study.

4. To help you grasp as a whole the message of the Song of Solomon.

5. To teach you how to let Gods Word transform you into Christs image.

This guide includes eight lessons that will take you chapter by chapter through all of the Song of Solomon. Each lesson is designed to take from one to two hours of preparation to complete on your own. To benefit most from this time, heres a good way to begin your work on each lesson:

1. Pray for Gods help to keep you mentally alert and spiritually sensitive.

2. Read attentively the entire passage mentioned in the lessons title. (You may want to read the passage from two or more Bible versions perhaps at least once from a more literal translation such as the New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, or New King James Version and perhaps once more in a paraphrase such as The Message or the New Living Translation.) Do your reading in an environment thats as free as possible from distractions. Allow your mind and heart to meditate on the words you encounter words that are Gods personal gift to you and to all His people.

After reading the passage, youre ready to dive into the numbered questions in this guide that make up the main portion of each lesson. Each of these questions is followed by blank space for writing your answers. (This act of writing your answers helps clarify your thinking and stimulates your mental engagement with the passage as well as your later recall.) Use extra paper or a notebook if the space for recording your answers seems too cramped. Continue through the questions in numbered order. If any question seems too difficult or unclear, just skip it and go on to the next.

Each of these questions will typically direct you back to the Song of Solomon to look again at a certain portion of the assigned passage for that lesson. (At this point, be sure to use a more literal Bible translation rather than a paraphrase.)

As you look closer at a passage, its helpful to approach it in this progression:

• Observe. What does the passage actually say? Ask God to help you see it clearly. Notice everything thats there.
• Interpret. What does the passage mean? Ask God to help you understand. And remember that any passages meaning is fundamentally determined by its context. So stay alert to all youll see about the setting and background of the Song of Solomon, and keep thinking of this book as a whole while you proceed through it chapter by chapter. Youll be progressively building up your insights and familiarity with what its all about.
• Apply. Keep asking yourself, How does this truth affect my life? (Pray for Gods help as you examine yourself in light of that truth and in light of His purpose for each passage.)

Try to consciously follow all three of these steps as you shape your written answer to each question in the lesson.

In addition to the regular numbered questions you see in this guide, each lesson also offers several optional questions or suggestions that appear in the margins. All of these will appear under one of three headings:

• Optional Application. These are suggested options for application. Consider these with prayerful sensitivity to the Lords guidance.
• For Thought and Discussion. Many of these questions address various ethical issues and other biblical principles that lead to a wide range of implications. They tend to be particularly suited for group discussion.
• For Further Study. These often include cross-references to other parts of the Bible that shed light on a topic in the lesson, plus questions that delve deeper into the passage.