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SONG OF SONGS

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER OVERVIEW: This chapter opens with an appeal from the Daughters of Jerusalem who express their desire to find the Bridegroom. They had listened to the Bride’s description of Him, and now they want to find Him themselves. How you represent the Lord to the world will either inspire others to seek Him or discourage them from doing so. The Bride responds to the appeal of the Daughters of Jerusalem by describing her Bridegroom, then He describes her. An interchange between the Bride and Bridegroom concludes the chapter.

THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM

1 Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with you?

(1) Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with you?

The daughters of Jerusalem seek Him because of what they have seen in the life of the Bride. They ask where her Beloved has gone because He is not yet their beloved. One version states “we will follow you as you seek after Him” (TPT). They want to know Him as she has known Him. Will your experience with Jesus Christ cause others to want to follow you as you seek Him?

THE BRIDE

2 My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among

the lilies.

(2) My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.

My Beloved has gone to his garden. Adam and Eve were originally placed in the beautiful garden of Eden where God fellowshipped with them. Sadly, this was lost through their sin, but through the sacrifice of Jesus and forgiveness of sins, you can have the garden restored. A spiritual Eden of your soul. This is where you can always find Him--in the garden of your heart. See Supplemental Study 4.2 on The Gardens Of God.

…to the beds of spices. See Appendix A.10 for a study on the meaning of spices.

(2-3) To feed His flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.

In the gardens (the hearts of true believers), the Bridegroom comes to feed them and gather up the lilies of their praise and worship. Pure white lilies represent imputed righteousness and growth without self-effort (Matthew 6:28).

(3) I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.

A progressive pattern of spiritual maturity is reflected in the Song of Songs:

First level: The ruling thought is “My Beloved is mine and I am His” (2:16). We consider Christ to be ours alone and the relationship chiefly for our pleasure.

Second level: “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine” (6:3). A deeper mutual relationship is developed.

Third level: “I am my Beloved’s and His desire is toward me” (7:10). The word “mine” is dropped. The focus of the relationship is all about Him and His desires.

THE BRIDEGROOM

4 O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners!

5 Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing; every one bears twins, and none is barren among them.

7 Like a piece of pomegranate are your temples behind your veil.

8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without

number.

9 My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

(4) O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners!

Tirzah was a city whose name means “pleasant, delightful; to be pleased with”. It was the royal city of the ten tribes of Israel during the time of the divided kingdom. The Bridegroom is

so pleased with His Bride that He compares her to Tirzah. Like this city which was built on a hill and quite visible, so believers are to be a visible witness to the world (Matthew 5:14).

Jerusalem. Comparing the Bride to Jerusalem symbolizes that, like this city, she has been chosen as a place where God sets His heart and eyes. It also reflects the promise of eternity, as Jerusalem is where God and man will live together forever.

When I see you in your beauty, I see a radiant city where we will dwell as one.

(SOS 6:4, TPT)

-Beautiful as Tirzah: Represents the Bride’s condition in Christ and her witness.

-Comely as Jerusalem: Represents the Bride’s position in Christ and her destiny.

In essence, the Bridegroom was saying that the Bride was more beautiful than anything else on earth. Considering the beauties of this planet created by God, that is some statement!

Awesome as an army with banners: The Bride of Christ is a spiritual army functioning under His banner. See SOS 2:4 for comments regarding the Bridegroom’s banner. Here, she describes her Bridegroom as awesome as an army with banners, symbolic of an army that has defeated the enemy and seized their banners.

(5) Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me.

Her eyes: The Bride is admonished to turn her eyes from the Bridegroom because He is overcome by her gaze. When Jesus was ascending, angels told the disciples to stop looking up at Him (Acts 1:10-11). If they had continued gazing, perhaps Jesus would have been unable to leave them. We have tremendous spiritual power when we turn our eyes on Him.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. (Psalm 123:2)

For further study on spiritual eyesight, see Supplemental Study 6.1.

(5) Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Gilead.

Her hair is a symbol of separation to God (Judges 16:17). Luxuriant hair symbolizes spiritual strength, covering, and obedience. The hair of Syrian goats was like fine silk and was used to cover the tabernacle which contained God’s presence and was the place of sacrifice. The Bride is now His spiritual tabernacle (1 Corinthians 3:16) and a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

The place called "Gilead" is the high plateau east of Galilee and Samaria (Jeremiah 50:19; Micah 7:14). Gilead is associated with healing in the scriptures because of the healing balm that was produced there (Psalm 60:7; Jeremiah 8:22 ; 46:11; Genesis 43:11). Gilead also was the location where sacrificial animals were kept in preparation for temple sacrifices. A flock of goats coming

down the mountain were ready to be offered to the Lord. Like the goats, the Bride is a living sacrifice ready to be offered (Romans 12:1).

(6) Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing; every one bears twins, and none is barren among them.

Her teeth are described as a flock of sheep, clean from washing (Ephesians 5:26), bearing twins, meaning none are missing. Her teeth reveal her ability to consume the Word and process its truths. Because of this ability, her teeth are cleansed by the Word, the truth she partakes of is complete, and she will be able to nurture others spiritually (Isaiah 55:11).

(7) Your temples are like a piece of pomegranate behind your veil.

Her temples represent her mind which, like the pomegranate, has a beautiful interior. The veil protects her mind from the world. See Supplemental Study 4:1 on the “Spiritual Analogies of the Pomegranate”.

(8) There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

Queens, concubines, and virgins are representative of various levels of relationships with the King. The queens have an intimate relationship. The concubines do not have as much access to Him as the queens. The virgins are those without any intimacy. Symbolically, the Bridegroom is saying that the Bride has a more intimate relationship that any other created beings. There are positions of varying ranks in God's court like the seraphim, cherubim, archangels, the 24 elders, etc. His relationship with His Bride surpasses them all.

We see various levels of spiritual intimacy in the life of Jesus:

-The multitudes

-The 500 at His ascension.

-The 120 in the upper room.

-The 12 disciples.

-The 3 to whom was revealed the deeper secrets.

-The one whom Jesus loved.

All were believers, yet each one knew Him at a different level of intimacy.

(9) My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, the favorite of

the one who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed, the queens and

the concubines, and they praised her.

The dove, represents the perfect one, His Bride. The term “dove” was used previously in the Song to describe the Bride in chapters 2:14 and 5:2. Here she is also described as the only one of her mother, meaning she was birthed by the mother which represents the Church.

The Bride is unique and unrivaled and all who see her call her blessed and praise her (Proverbs 31).

THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM

10 Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?

(10) Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?

The Bride has changed so much that the Daughters of Jerusalem question, “Who is she?”

Then they describe the Bride “as radiant as the full moon, as bright as sunlight, as majestic as an army beneath their banners” (Voice translation).

The morning. Your progress towards God is as the sun’s rising, occurring by degrees. Through the new birth experience, you can have a new beginning just as the dawn of each day brings a new beginning (Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 130:11-13).

The moon. The Bride of Christ is described as being as fair as the moon. The moon is not beautiful in itself. It is marked by irregularities, patches of darkness, and deep craters. Yet the moon is beautiful because it reflects the light of the sun. Like the moon, you have no light in yourself. You are marked by sin, darkness, and deep craters of emptiness and hurt. In the natural world, the moon is only beautiful as it reflects the light of the sun. Never think it is “all about you”. It is about Christ in you. You are only beautiful as you reflect the light of Christ in your life. Do not make the mistake of living your life focused on yourself--your imperfections, your sins, and your failures. Focus on the Son of God and the beauty of His light as it is reflected in your life. The moon is described as a faithful witness, as so should you as a believer reflect the light of the Son (Psalm 89:37).

Clear as the sun. Like the hours of dawn, the Bride has not yet come to the fullness of her light (Proverbs 4:18), but she will eventually rise as clear as the sun. There is no life in the natural world without the sun. There is no life in the spiritual world without the Son.

The army with banners indicates that she has not only spiritual beauty, but the ability to conduct successful spiritual warfare and achieve victory over all the powers of darkness (SOS 6:4; Ephesians 6:11-18).

THE BRIDE

11 I went down to the garden of nuts to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed.

12 Before I was even aware, my soul had made me as the chariots of my

noble people.

(11) I went down to the garden of nuts to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed.

The Bride is the Lord’s garden, so she takes time to examine what is growing within her. It is good to examine yourself spiritually: “So let a man examine himself….” (1 Corinthians 11:28).

She also goes to inspect the orchards and vineyards, representative of the harvest fields of the world. The Bride wants others to experience the same passionate love she has experienced.

I decided to go down to the valley streams where the orchards of the king grow and mature. I longed to know if hearts were opening. Are the budding vines blooming with new growth? Has their springtime of passionate love arrived? (SOS 6:11)

The nuts, budding vines, and blooming pomegranates speak of rich spiritual harvests to come. The word “verdure” means lush vegetation. Note that the lush growth occurs in the valleys which represent the difficult times of life.

“The garden of nuts” can also be translated “walnut grove”. Walnut trees have dense shade that provide refuge. They also have economic value in producing food. Oil from walnuts was also used to make soap, which speaks of cleansing. Its leaves were used in medicinal ways to aid in physical healing. The life in a walnut seed is on the inside but the seed must die and be broken before it can provide food, oil, cleansing, anointing, or healing. The spiritual analogies are apparent. As believers, we must die to ourselves to provide refuge, spiritual nourishment, cleansing, and healing for others.

(12) Before I was even aware, my soul had made me as the chariots of my noble people (chariots of Aminadab KJV).

As the Bride became involved in the harvest fields, she was overcome with the desire to help others. People with a willing heart provide a vehicle for the Lord’s movement on earth (Psalm 110:3).

The KJV refers to the chariots of Aminadab in this verse. ”Amin” means people and “hadib” means willing. The two united may be rendered as “willing people”. In an instant, your passion for the Bridegroom will overcome any hesitancy you may have to serve Him and make you a vehicle for His plans and purposes on earth.

THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM

13a Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon

you!

This is the first time the Bride is referred to as the Shulamite. The name means “one who receives peace”. The name “Solomon” means the peaceful one. Christ is the Prince of Peace who brings the gift of peace to His Bride (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:14). The appeal from the Daughters of Jerusalem is for the Bride to return so that they can look on her.

THE BRIDE

13b What would you see in the Shulamite--as it were, the dance of the two camps?

Mahanaim is famous for the conflict between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 32). Esau hated Jacob with the intent of killing him because he stole his birthright. At Mahanaim, Jacob divided his people into two camps so Esau could only destroy one group if he decided to kill them. Jacob saw angels at Mahanaim that intervened to help him in this great conflict.

The dance referred to here was also a re-enactment of one of David’s victorious battles recorded in 2 Samuel 2:12-17. It was a folk dance using two groups, hence the dance of two camps, the enemy and the victors (Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6). The dance was an expression of victory, an interaction between two camps (groups or companies), a dance of spiritual warfare.

The number “two” in Scripture represents a witness or testimony. So this sentence in the Song could read, “What will you see, as it were, a testimony in the dance of victory!”

What do others see as they look at your life? A testimony of victory or a monument to defeat?

PRAYING THE SONG OF SONGS

CHAPTER SIX

1 Lord, the world is seeking You, asking where to find You. Those who follow me are desiring to find You. Help me to faithfully guide them to You.

2 Come into our spiritual garden to gather up my praise and worship as one would gather armloads of flowers.

3 Come and feed on the fragrance of my worship. I thank You that I am Yours, and You are mine.

4 Make me like the city of Jerusalem, where You chose to place Your Name and where we will live together forever in eternity.

5 Keep my eyes focused on You. Make me like a flock of goats that comes down from Gilead, as a ready sacrifice.

6 Keep my mouth pure and let me speak forth words that will bring spiritual life to others.

7 Keep my mind focused on You, like a piece of pomegranate with many seeds of potential tinged by the red of Your precious blood.

8 I do not want to be like the multitudes who claim they are Yours, but have not moved on to experience intimacy with You.

9 Let me be as a dove who is united to her mate for life. Keep me pure and undefiled, chosen and set apart by You.

10 Let Your light shine through me like the light of the morning, making me a reflection of You as the moon is of the sun. Make me like Your Son, symbolic of the natural sun that chases away the shadows and the darkness of this world. Make me a strong spiritual warrior marching under the banner of Your name.

11 Come into the garden of my heart. I am prepared to receive You with the fruit of my praise and worship.

12 Make me like the chariots of Aminadab, a part of Your willing people who are ready to advance Your purposes in the world.

13 I do not know why You would seek me out to redeem me, but I am so thankful that You did. Let me linger in our spiritual garden and gaze upon You. Kiss me with Your presence.

Amen

CHAPTER SIX STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Using verse 1 and the outline notes, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking?

-What questions do they ask?

-What prompted their questions?

2. Using verses 2-3 and the outline notes, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking?

-To whom is she speaking (according to verse 1)?

-About whom is she speaking?

-Where did Adam and Eve live originally?

-Where is the restored “garden” now?

-Where did the Bride say her Bridegroom had gone and for what purpose?

-What statement in this passage reflects the Bride’s relationship with her Bridegroom?

-Using the outline notes, describe three levels of relationship between the Bride and the Bridegroom as reflected in the Song.

3. Using verses 4-9 and the outline notes, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking?

-Who is He describing?

-To what three things does the Bridegroom compare His Bride in verse 4?

Apply these spiritually.

-What does the Bridegroom say regarding the Bride's:

-Eyes.

-Hair.

-Teeth.

-Temples.

Explain the spiritual significance of each.

-What terms of endearment does the Bridegroom use for His Bride in verse 9?

-What did the daughters say when they saw his Bride?

-What did the queens and concubines say regarding the Bride?

-Using verse 8, explain the different intimacy levels of the queens, concubines, and virgins.

-Using the outline notes, list the various levels of intimate relationships developed by Jesus during His earthly ministry.

-How does the Bridegroom describe the Bride in verse 9?

4. Using verse 10 and the outline notes, explain the spiritual symbolism of the Bride being described as:

-The morning.

-The moon.

-Clear as the sun.

-An army with banners.

5. Using verses 1l-12 and the outline notes, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking?

-Where had she gone and for what purpose?

-What happened to her there?

-To what does she compare her soul?

-From the KJV, explain what the chariots of Aminadab mean symbolically.

6. Using verse 13 and the outline notes, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking in verse 13a?

-To whom are they speaking?

-What appeal do they make?

-Explain the question asked by the Bride in verse 13b.

SUPPLEMENTAL STUDY 6.1

SPIRITUAL EYESIGHT

In SOS 6:5, the Bride is admonished to turn her eyes from the Bridegroom because He is overcome by her gaze. When Jesus was ascending, angels told the disciples to stop looking up at Him (Acts 1:10-11). If they had continued gazing, perhaps Jesus would have been unable to leave them. We have tremendous spiritual power when we turn our eyes on Him.

In SOS 1:15 and 4:1, the eyes of the Bride are compared to those of a dove. Eyes speak of the ability to see spiritual truths. Doves have no peripheral vision. They can only see straight ahead and focus on one thing at a time. The dove’s lack of peripheral vision symbolizes how we should remain focused on our Bridegroom and not be distracted by other things around us. Our eyes should be continually on Him and not distracted by peripheral issues of life:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Dove’s eyes also speak of spiritual perception and prophetic insight. The dove is an emblem of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16) who enables us to view things in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

Doves mate only once in life and when separated from their mate are always looking for their return. Likewise, we should join ourselves with Christ once and for all and be constantly watching for His return (Luke 12:37).

Doves have tremendous distance vision, but no peripheral vision. As believers, we have prophetic vision for the future through God’s Word and the ability to remain focused on our eternal destiny and our Bridegroom.

The Bride’s eyes are also said to be “behind the veil”, and the Song Of Songs records the progressive unveiling of her spiritual vision which remains hidden from the world.

Spiritual Blindness

During His earthly ministry, Jesus often healed people of spiritual blindness. One account in Mark 8:22-25 yields some great spiritual analogies:

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

Jesus was not content to leave this man with blurred vision physically. He wanted to restore his vision so that he could see clearly.

This story is an analogy of a greater spiritual truth. The enemy seeks to blind you (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 1:8), but…

First, Jesus clears up your basic blindness by enabling you to see the light of the Gospel.

Then, in a life-long process, He works on the fine points of good spiritual vision.

As a believer, you need clear spiritual vision---the ability to discern properly, receive revelation, and recognize deception.

Conditions That Hinder Spiritual Vision

Just as the physical eye often needs a specialist, so your spiritual eyes need someone who can diagnose the problem, prescribe a remedy, and initiate the healing process. If you are having problems with your spiritual vision, you need the divine ophthalmologist: Jesus Christ. Here are some common conditions that hinder spiritual vision which need correction.

1. NEARSIGHTEDNESS

The condition: Sees only what is close at hand; no long range vision.

Examples:

Genesis 25:24-34: Esau, who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup, sacrificing the eternal for immediate gratification.

Luke 18:18-26: The rich young ruler who could not give up temporal wealth for eternal benefits.

How to correct it:

-Seek God for a vision:

Where there is no vision (revelation), the people perish… (Proverbs 29:18)

-Look beyond your immediate pain and personal trauma:

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

-Focus on the needs of others:

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:24)

Focus not only those who are literally widows and orphans, but those without spouses and parents spiritually speaking—meaning they are not yet part of the family of God.

2. FARSIGHTEDNESS

The condition: Fails to see what is close at hand, focused only on the distance. Goals are good, but the future is in the womb (mystery); the past is the tomb (history); we only have today!

Example:

The Rich Fool.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:15-21)

This man said, “I am going to build barns. I am going to enjoy life. I have goods laid up for many years.” His focus was on the future. God said he had no future, only that one day. We react in similar ways: “When I retire, then I will give time to the church; “When I get more money, I’ll tithe”; “When I get out of jail, I’ll get my life together.”

How to correct it:

-See present opportunities as well as future goals:

Do you not say, `There are still four months and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

(John 4:35)

A man of understanding sets skillful and godly wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a [self-confident] fool are on the ends of the earth. (Proverbs 17:24, TAB)

-Forget the past:

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:13-14)

3. TUNNEL VISION

The condition: Limited focus, an analogy of being narrow minded with limited vision.

What limits your vision?

-The negative environment around you?

-Past failures?

-Jealousy?

-Lack of faith because of your finances, inabilities, fears, etc.?

Example:

Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him,

“Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.” (Luke 9:49-50)

How to correct it:

-Get involved in what others are doing.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

-Move outside your comfort zone.

-Enlarge your circle of relationships to include those who are not like you.

-Learn the value of networking with others in the Body of Christ.

4. PLANKS AND SPECKS

The condition: Viewing others with a critical attitude.

There are two forces at work in the world spiritually: The intercessor (Jesus) and the accuser (Satan). You will constantly line up with one of these two forces by the words of your mouth.

Examples:

The Pharisees, to whom Matthew 7:1-3 was directed.

How to correct it:

-Pray for someone you are tempted to criticize.

-Express love to those you are tempted to criticize.

-Examine your own motives for criticizing.

-Clear up your own faults first.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be

judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why

do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in

your own eye? (Matthew 7:1-3)

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one

in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

5. COLOR BLINDNESS

The condition: There are three types of spiritual color blindness: Black sightedness, rose sightedness, and green sightedness.

Examples of the three conditions:

Genesis 4:5,8; 16:6; 37:4; Numbers 12:2; 1 Samuel 18:7-8; Luke 15:28

-Black sightedness: Sees only the bad; negative and pessimistic.

How to correct it:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

-Rose sightedness: Sees only good, very naïve spiritually.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

How to correct it: You must look at situations realistically, recognize your own faults, and recognize that sin is sin.

-Green sightedness: The look of envy.

How to correct it:

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. (Romans 13:13)

for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)

1. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

The condition: Blindness in the natural world means you can’t see--whether due to a birth defect, injury, cataracts, macular degeneration, etc. Spiritually, blindness means you are unable to see the truths of God’s Word and His works.

Example:

And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord,, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17)

Causes of spiritual blindness:

-Deliberate refusal to see:

Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not: (Jeremiah 5:21)

-Atrophy (not using your spiritual eyes):

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

(1 Corinthians 2:14)

-Satan:

…whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

(2 Corinthians 4:4)

How to correct it:

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Revelation 3:18)

Conclusion

Remember: Your spiritual eyesight will never be perfect in this lifetime, but you will receive new spiritual eyes in the world to come:

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face... (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Make this your prayer:

Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things. (Psalm 119:18).

Make this your goal: That the Lord will declare to you:

Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear…(Matthew 13:16)

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