SOS 2:14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely.
This is a very loaded and symbolic verse that I'd like to really dig into. But before we do I want to retype it with my Bible's footnotes added.
SOS 2:14 (words of the Bridegroom) Oh my dove, in the clefts of the rock (or, crag),
In the secret place of the steep pathway (or, cliff),
Let me see your form (Literal - appearance),
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet, And your form (appearance) is lovely.
I put this verse in here twice, the first time without the footnotes for the sake of initial clarity. The second time with the footnotes to add a little deeper understanding.
As I mentioned, this verse is loaded and full of meaning.
First, there is a continuation of the ascending theme of phase two.
She is on that road upward. She's on that steep pathway, climbing the rocks upward.
During this climb, the Lover of her soul wants to see her appearance and hear her voice.
Both of these are significant to women in general and oppressed women in particular. In spite of what a woman's culture tells her, her God, the True Lover of her soul wants to see and hear her. He does not desire for her voice to be take away from her, no matter what her culture or religion says. He does not despise her, hate her form or her voice.
There are some cultures that despise a woman's voice and go to great lengths to cover up her form, calling them both evil, or at the very least a stumbling block.
There are traditions that do not allow women to read the Bible. There are Muslim countries where it is against the law for women to sing.
These are the traditions of men, men who despise women.
But the Lover of women's souls, He thinks women are lovely.
And Christ, the Bridegroom of the church, He loves the praises of His people, male and female. And He loves it when they seek His face.
And this is only the first layer.
We'll have to get to the next layer in a new post or this post would become freakishly long.
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the True Lover of her soul wants to see and hear her. He does not desire for her voice to be take away from her, no matter what her culture or religion says. He does not despise her, hate her form or her voice.
There are some cultures that despise a woman's voice and go to great lengths to cover up her form, calling them both evil, or at the very least a stumbling block.
There are traditions that do not allow women to read the Bible. There are Muslim countries where it is against the law for women to sing.
These are the traditions of men, men who despise women.
And THIS is what so many of millions of women need to hear, especially in those regions where women aren't even allowed to learn to 'read' much less read the Bible.
And they'll never hear it, as long as the Western churches continue to push the Jesus as pimp and woman as 'hooker to her hubby' garbage that is being taught, rather than training young women to be relief workers so that they CAN take this message to these women...
for far too long, men have monopolized [deliberate] the 'spaces' where women should have freedom to assist other women, but instead, they have been met with hostile resistance and even threats by so called 'brethren'. Its a shame,
therefore, chaining women in this country while keeping women in chains in other countries.
What is even more irksome, is that when these women in other countries are persecuted [and especially raped] and are Christian, THEN, the [some] men seem to feel 'entitled' to use their horrors as some type of 'merit honor' badge, in much of the same way, that the Islamist men use martyrdom as a calling for women, to become suicide bombers [and especially using raped women as the prime targets for their warfare]. Patriarchy supports patriarchy, that includes religion,
and they both, use women's bodies, as the battlefields to fight their nasty wars. This is why, until women join voices, as Women, not as oppressed religions or ethnic groups, women will continue, to believe [and be instructed and conditioned]to believe] that God does not care for women, that women are only for 'baby making' as Luther even, put it.
Unfortunately, the oppression of women, is so entangled in 'men's bullcrap' from nationalism to the whole pyramid of hierarchy, women are themselves, are often both oppressed and oppressor. Not only do patriarchal and those who despise women not only want women to know that they are valued in God's eyes,
they surely, don't want women, to begin to voice against their oppression with other women...because then, that IS a threat. See
http://consumption-rebellion.blogspot.com/2008/12/women-of-zimbabwe-arise.html
for an idea, of what Women can do, when they stop aiding the patriarchy, and start standing up, for themselves, AS WOMEN, AS
HUMAN BEINGS.
Peace, Jane
WOW, I just checked my email, right after posting this,
and lo and behold, those same women, Just received, a reward, for Human Rights Defense,
here, http://www.rfkcenter.org/whitehouseceremony
THIS IS AWESOME NEWS...
Way to Go Women!!! [move over brethren...because these women, not only stood up to Power and Patriarchy--they were persecuted for it, time and time again..but all the dictators and jails and brutal treatment couldn't silence them,
and you know something, its not going to silence the rest of us either.
This is just awesome news!!! BTW, their motto is,
"The Power of Love can conquer the Love of Power,
I say, Yes and Yes to that! [btw, another 'good' encouragement for you today, take a look at what one awesome female artist posted today...I love her work, she really paints the beauty of women's souls.]
http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/
Jane
Jane,
bopped in a minute to see your comments.
And I think you are understanding me?
I'm looking at the Word as a seed.
There are plenty of verses to contradict patriarchy. And plenty of verses to counter balance the terrible off-balance produced by men who give too much emphasis with a few of their favored verses.
It starts as a seed. It goes into the heart. And it grows. Then women can take a stand.
If I know the story correctly the zimbabwa story is not necessarily Christian. But one way or another, these women got a hold of something that made them understand their worth.
This is what I want Christian women to do.
Understand their worth to God.
It may first start out as a whisper in the places where women secretely meet. But I hope it results in mighty women of valor who rise up and fight oppression of all women.
The big problem I see is that women are leaving the Lover of their souls because men have lied to them about Him.
I want them to know that God DOES NOT favor men over women.
I want, not only resistence to oppression on the outside (both important and needed) but the healing of the damage done on the inside in the hearts and souls of women. I want them to know Him as their Healer. I really believe He wants to be that to them. And if the men won't or don't preach that message to women, then the women need to preach it to each other all the more.
If men can't see and point out the scriptures in the Bible that bring healing to the heart of a woman, then the women must point it out to each other.
[This is what initial irked me so bad with MJS. He is so bent on the sexual side of SOS he mocks anyone who says there might be more. He, essentially, shoots down any notion that there might be anything else of value in the book. This would include any healing quality for women in general, women on a personal level, and the Bride of Christ (thereby leaving an opening for wounded men to get in on this amazing inner healing).]
Hope to get to the link of the artist soon.
Love and Happy Thanksgiving!
Jane, something you said inspired a new post. But it isn't done and won't be visible until 11/30.
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