2010 OCT Clothesline

Greetings to all on 10 OCT 2010.

WARNING: This issue is rated M - for mature audiences.

Word for the Day
Sex ... it’s not a four-letter word!

Quote for the Day
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.
[PRO 5.18-19]

Website for the Day
www.intimateissues.com
This is the website for the authors of the book referenced in today’s article.

Thought for the Day
Several months ago, I had the idea of writing about two hot topics. The first was Hell, in the August issue, and the second was Sex, our subject of the day. You might think this a dangerous or even taboo topic, but I hope to offer some challenges based on what the Bible says about sex.

The first story that comes to mind is, of course, Adam and Eve. Do you think when they were introduced that Adam just said, “Hi, I’m Adam. Are you from these parts?” I’m guessing it was more of a Va-Va-Voom!!! moment. Remember, they were the original naturists!

The next story to recall is Abraham and Sarah after the visit from the angels with the announcement that they would have a son. I know people lived longer back then, but even they recognized themselves as old. [GEN 18.12] Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Now, I’m no master of the obvious, but have you ever stopped to consider that we usually speak of Isaac’s birth as if it were a virgin birth?

What did married couples do for entertainment in all those early years before TV? Why did the wealthy people, be they nomads or kings, have multiple wives? You only get one guess for the answer. What was the charge given to Adam and Eve? Be fruitful and multiply. [GEN 1.28]

I find it interesting that there is no Bible book dedicated to “How to be Perfect Parents” unless you count all the examples of poor parenting and dysfunctional families. But there is a book on “How to have a Great Sex Life.” You already know it’s the Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs in the Tanakh (Hebrew OT). [1]

I realize I’m at a disadvantage as a guy reviewing a book written by women for women, but no one else is going to do it. Back in 1999, Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus wrote a book called Intimate Issues. Perhaps I’m the only guy who read it, but I was awestruck by how well these two women understood men. Finally, here were two wives who were not trying to feminize their husbands. Each chapter addresses one of 21 questions ranging from Simmering to Smoldering to Sizzling Hot. [2]

Their study found these six declarations from God: [3]

1. I gave the gift of sex that you might create life. [GEN 1.28]
2. I gave the gift of sex for intimate oneness. [GEN 2.24]
3. I gave the gift of sex for knowledge. [GEN 4.1]
4. I gave the gift of sex for pleasure. [PRO 5.15-19]
5. I gave the gift of sex as a defense against temptation. [1COR 7.2,5]
6. I gave the gift of sex for comfort. [2SAM 12.24]

Dillow and Pintus used the Song of Solomon as a framework for their thoughts. We all know the Song is in the Bible and maybe even read it as part of a Daily Bible Reading plan. But have you ever really read it, especially with the help of a modern translation and recent scholarship? And if you’ve ever heard a sermon based on the Song of Songs, it was probably allegorized into a message about Jesus loving the church.

I guess that’s a safe approach to a book that is “too hot to handle!” Instead, it is an erotic poem expressing the love between the Shulammite woman and Solomon. Rather than describe love-making in slang or risque’ words or clinical terms, the writer chose to use the literary vehicle of poetry. So we find images from nature like “garden” or “lilies” [SOS 4.12-16; 2.16] and “flock” or “fruit,” [ 2.16 & 6.2-3; 2.3] referring to the woman and man, respectively, to paint a picture of the two lovers as one. Please don’t be offended by this; read the Song for yourself with this fresh perspective. You’ll realize the imagery, at least most of it. Propriety forces me to speak in generalities; if your curiosity is piqued, read the book.

The authors address such issues as sexual abuse, our hectic schedules, and (the obvious) differences between women and men. Another insightful discussion was about how women receive so many negative messages about sex from the media. And, sad to say, often from preachers and even parents. The world has warped our view of sex by lifting it from the context of marriage and plastering it everywhere else. The authors' goal was to show women that it’s possible to be both Godly and sensuous, to be alluring and creative, just as we read in the Song of Songs.

The book closes with these words. “Dear Lord, I know our sexual relationship has been boring and I’ve done little to add creativity. Forgive me and give me the courage to step out and be creative. Show me specifically what I can do to add spice to our love life. I desire to be like the wife in the Song of Solomon. I can’t do it alone, I desperately need Your help.” [4]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Rick Warren, The Secret to Soulful Sex, Ladies Home Journal, March 2006, p.32

2. Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus, Intimate Issues, Watermark Press, Colorado Springs CO, 1999, p.1
Here is a chapter title from each section: How Can I Be Godly and Sensuous? How Can I Get over the Guilt of Past Sexual Sin? and How Can I Recapture the Passion?

3. ibid. p.8

4. ibid. p.185