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The Loved Woman of the Superlative SongThe Watchtower—1957 | December 1
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finding peace.” (Cant. 8:10) So now let her brothers build upon her a battlement of silver, in recognition of her integrity. Let them consent to her marriage to her shepherd lover.
44. (a) The remnant must meet the test of love for Christ down till what event? (b) How will they be able to triumph in the test, according to the expressions of the Shulammite?
44 Down till the battle of Armageddon destroys the materialism of this old world the espoused remnant of Christ the Shepherd must meet the test of unswerving love for him. How will they triumph in this searching test? By having a love for him as the Shulammite had for her dear shepherd. Let King Solomon have his thousand vineyards; such material possessions do not tempt her. She is content with her own vineyard. (Cant. 8:11, 12) Why? Because she loves one really dear to her, and such love cannot be bought with material things of value. “Place me,” she says to him, “as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; because love is as strong as death is, insistence on exclusive devotion is as unyielding as Sheol is. Its blazings are the blazings of a fire, the flame of Jah. Many waters themselves are not able to extinguish love, nor can rivers themselves wash it away. If a man [even King Solomon] would give all the valuable things of his house for love, persons would positively despise them.”—Cant. 8:6, 7.
45. What does the shepherd lover now want to hear, and what desire toward him does she express?
45 Such an unconquerable love assured her of the shepherd’s love for her. He wants to hear her voice that speaks out of a faithful heart: “O you who are dwelling in the gardens, the partners are paying attention to your voice. Let me hear it.” At this invitation she expresses the desire that he come leaping, crossing the mountains that separate them and transforming them into fragrant mountains of the glorious heights of union with him: “Run away, my dear one, and make yourself like a gazelle or like a roe of the stags upon the mountains of spices.”—Cant. 8:13, 14.
46. For holding true to her lover, with what was the Shulammite crowned, and for what will the remnant be likewise crowned, and who will share in their crowning experience?
46 Crowned with joy is the loved Shulammite woman of this superlative song of King Solomon. Crowned with joy will the espoused remnant also be by resisting worldly materialism and holding true to the Shepherd-Bridegroom. All the “other sheep,” like the “virgins in her train as her companions,” will share in the faithful remnant’s joy. Thanks be to Jehovah God for this inspired Song that stirs us all to integrity in our love toward his Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
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A Clergyman’s Advice BoomerangsThe Watchtower—1957 | December 1
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A Clergyman’s Advice Boomerangs
● To those who live in figurative glass houses, a familiar proverb advises that they not throw stones. A small town in the country of Panama threatened to stone the Watch Tower missionaries every time they entered to preach to them. The people finally did carry out their threat, but instead of stoning Jehovah’s witnesses they vented their anger by stoning the priest out of town because of an argument over funds that had been collected for a fiesta. One man remarked to a Watch Tower missionary: “We gave him what he always wanted us to give you.” The little town has been excommunicated, the doors of the church are closed. Now, however, Jehovah’s witnesses are well received. Due to this a door of opportunity is being opened to the people of that vicinity that before has always been closed to them, that is, a chance for them to learn and understand the Bible. The townspeople express an eagerness to want to find out what true Christianity really is.
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