What lay ahead would be a devastating ordeal, yet God did not want God’s people to be afraid, for their crucible would soon pass, and those who harmed them would receive just judgment from God. #Isaiah10 #FinalJudgment #GreatWhiteThrone
Discipline Versus Destruction
What lay ahead would be a devastating ordeal, yet God did not want God’s people to be afraid, for their crucible would soon pass, and those who harmed them would receive just judgment from God.
Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they beat you with a rod and lift up their staff against you…
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, READY TO BE USED] for good words, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP)
When David first arrived at…
We are a sports dominated culture like no culture before us. I include myself. A day isn’t complete for me in the Spring, Summer or Fall without an update on how the Phillies did. Ditto for the Fall and Winter in relation to the Philadelphia Eagles. Both those major sports sometime have so-called “Blockbuster Trades.” So maybe this metaphor makes sense to many. Here’s my version of the worst…
A masterpost for all the works that are related to the requests sent for event “Peaky Blinders Kinktober”.
If you want me to add you in the taglist so that you don’t miss the kinky and steamy stories, please comment or reblog this post. It’s even more important considering how Tumblr tends to mess with us lately.
Thank you again for your participation, you’re the best community ever and I hope I’ll do Justice to your fantasies.
1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
The άνάλαβος (analavos) is the distinctive garment of a monk or a nun tonsured into the highest grade of Orthodox monasticism, the Great Schema, and is adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ. It takes its name from the Greek αναλαμβάνω (“to take up”), serving as a constant reminder to the one who wears it that he or she must “take up his cross daily” (Luke 9:23). The ornately-plaited Crosses that cover the analavos, the polystavrion (πολυσταύριον, from πολύς, “many,” and σταυρός, “Cross”) — a name often, though less accurately, also applied to the analavos — reminds the monastic that he or she is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).
With regard to each image on the analavos, the rooster represents “the cock [that] crowed” (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:68 Luke 22:60; John 18:27) after Saint Peter had “denied thrice” His Master and Lord (John 13:38).
The pillar represents the column to which Pilate bound Christ “when he scourged Him” (Mark 15:15) “by Whose stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24).
The wreath garlanding the Cross represents the “crown of thorns” (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2) that “the soldiers platted” (John 19:2) and “put upon the head” (Matthew 27:29) of “God our King of old” (Psalm 73:13), Who freed man from having to contend against “thorns and thistles in the sweat of his brow” (Genesis 3:18-19).
The upright post and the traverse beam represent the stipes and the patibulum that formed “the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14), upon which “all day long He stretched forth His hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Isaiah 65:2; Romans 10:21).
The four spikes at the center of the Cross and the hammer beneath its base represent the “nails” (John 20:25) and hammer with which “they pierced” (Psalm 21:16; John 19:37) “His hands and His feet” (Luke 24:40). when they “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32) Him Who “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us by nailing it to His Cross” (Colossians 2:14).
The base upon which the Cross stands represents “the place, which is called 'Calvary' (Luke 23:33), or 'Golgotha', that is to say, the Place of the Skull” (Matthew 27:33), “where they crucified Him” (John 19:18) Who “wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (Psalm 73:13).
The skull and crossbones represent “the first man Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45), who by tradition “returned unto the ground” (Genesis 3:19) at this very spot, the reason that this place of execution, “full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27) became the place where “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).
The plaque on top of the Cross represents the titulus, the “title” (John 19:19-20), with “the superscription of His accusation” (Mark 15:26), which “Pilate wrote” (John 19:19) “and set up over His head” (Matthew 27:37); however, instead of “Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews” (John 19:19), which “was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew” (Luke 23:38), the three languages being an allusion to the Three Hypostases “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), this titulus reads, “The King of Glory” (Psalm 23:7-10), “for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:8).
The reed represents the “hyssop” (John 19:29) upon which was put “a sponge full of vinegar” (Mark 15:36), which was then “put to His mouth” (John 19:29) when in His “thirst they gave Him vinegar to drink” (Psalm 68:21), Him of Whom it was said that “all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).
The lance represents the “spear [that] pierced His side”; “and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34) from Him Who “took one of Adam's ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof" (Genesis 2:21) and Who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).
The plaque at the bottom of the Cross represents the suppedaneum of Christ, “His footstool” (Psalm 98:5), “the place where His feet have stood” (Psalm 131:7). It is slanted because, according to one tradition, at the moment when “Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit” (Mark 15:37), He allowed a violent death spasm to convulse His legs, dislodging His footrest in such a manner that one end pointed upwards, indicating that the soul of the penitent thief, Saint Dismas, “the one on His right hand” (Mark 15:27) would be “carried up into Heaven” (Luke 24:51), while the other end, pointed downwards, indicated that the soul of the impenitent thief, Gestas, “the other on His left” (Mark 15:27), would “be thrust down to Hell” (Luke 10:15), showing that all of us, “the evil and the good, the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), “are weighed in the balance” (Ecclesiasticus 21:25) of the Cross of Christ.
The ladder and the pincers beneath the base of the Cross represent the means of deposition by which Saint Joseph of Arimathea, “a rich man” (Matthew 27:57) who “begged for the body of Jesus” (Matthew 27:58; Luke 23:52), “took it down” (Luke 23:53), so that as in body He descended from the Cross, so in soul “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), “by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (I Peter 3:19).
Through these instruments, “the Cross of Christ” (I Corinthians 1:17: Galatians 6:12; Philippians 3:18) became the “Tree of Life” (Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24; Proverbs 3:18, 11:30; 13:12; 15:4; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14), by which the Lord Jesus reified His words that, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Psalm 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Isaiah 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?29:16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Romans 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?9:25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Deutoromy 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.32:6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?32:7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
As we begin our sixth (!) calendar year of Apocrypals, here is a list of the texts we have covered so far on the show in case you want to read along or catch up. They’re arranged in a way that appeases my systematic nature.
Tanakh/Old Testament:
Genesis (episodes 16-20)
Exodus (episodes 33 and 35)
Leviticus (episode 59)
Numbers (episode 62)
Deuteronomy (episode 65)
Joshua (episode 73)
Judges (episode 80)
Ruth (episode 45)
1 Samuel (episode 89)
2 Samuel (episode 90-91)
1 Kings (episode 99)
2 Kings (episode 106)
Esther (episode 37)
Job (episode 101)
Ecclesiastes (episode 52)
Song of Songs (episode 34)
Isaiah (episode 4)
Jeremiah (episode 43-44)
Lamentations (episode 48)
Ezekiel (episode 55-56)
Daniel (episode 2)
Hosea (episode 108)
Jonah (episode 31)
Micah (episode 74)
Nahum (episode 74)
Deuterocanon/capital-A Apocrypha:
Tobit (episode 13)
Judith (episode 22)
Greek Additions to Esther (episode 37)
1 Maccabees (episode 27)
2 Maccabees (episode 28)
3 Maccabees (episode 53)
4 Maccabees (episode 78)
The Prayer of Azariah aka the Song of the Three Holy Children (episode 2)
Susanna (episode 2)
Bel and the Dragon (episode 2)
The Prayer of Manasseh (episode 6)
New Testament:
Matthew (episodes 8-9)
Mark (episode 7)
Luke (episode 10)
John (episode 11-12)
Acts of the Apostles (episode 1)
Romans (episode 5)
1 Corinthians (episode 25)
2 Corinthians (episode 42)
Galatians (episode 72)
Ephesians (episode 81)
Hebrews (episode 104)
1 John (episode 49)
2 John (episode 49)
3 John (episode 49)
Revelation (episode 50)
Pseudepigrapha (Jewish apocrypha):
The Testament of Solomon (episode 24)
The Story of Ahikar (episode 14)
The Ascension of Isaiah (episode 6)
1 Enoch (episode 39-40)
2 Enoch (episode 61)
3 Enoch (episode 86-87)
Jubilees (episodes 82 and 83)
The Letter of Aristeas (episode 70)
The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (episode 71)
Joseph and Aseneth (episode 93)
New Testament apocrypha:
The Protevangelium aka Infancy Gospel of James (episode 29)
The Acts of Pilate/Gospel of Nicodemus (episode 23)
Mors Pilati/Death of Pilate (episode 23)
The Acts of Paul and Thecla (episode 22)
The Acts of Peter (episode 3)
The Acts of Peter and Paul (episode 3)
The Acts of Andrew and Matthias (episode 60)
The Acts of Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin (episode 66)
The Life of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca (episode 57)
Questions of Bartholomew (episode 41)
Resurrection of Jesus Christ by Bartholomew (episode 41)
The Book of Bartholomew (episode 67)
Acts of John (episode 46)
The Acts of Andrew (episode 97)
Syriac Infancy Gospel (episode 47)
Infancy Gospel of Thomas (episode 54)
Infancy Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (episode 79)
The Adoration of the Magi (2020 Christmas bonus episode)
The History of Joseph the Carpenter (episode 103)
The First Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)
The Second Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)
The Third Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)
The Apocalypse of Peter (episode 75)
The Apocalypse of Paul (episode 95)
The Gospel of Philip (episode 92)
The Gospel of Mary (episode 92)
The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife (episode 92)
The Gospel of Judas (episode 100)
The Greater Questions of Mary (episode Secret 69)
The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine:
The Life of Saint Nicholas (episode 26)
The Life of Saint Lucy (episode 26)
The Life of Saint Christopher (episode 15)
The Life of Saint Benedict (episode 15)
excerpts from The Passion of the Lord (episode 23)
The Life of Saint Sebastian (episode 58)
The Life of Saint Blaise (episode 58)
The Life of Saint Agatha (episode 58)
The Life of Saint Roch (episode 63)
The Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (episode 77)
The Life of Saint Barbara (episode 77)
The Life of Saint Dunstan (episode 85)
The Life of Mary Magdalene (episode 94)
The Life of Saint Martha of Bethany (episode 102)
The Life of Saint Margaret of Antioch (episode 102)
Other:
Historia Trium Regum/The Legend of the Three Kings by John of Hildesheim (episode 30)
Muirchu’s Life of Saint Patrick (episode 36)
The Life of Saint Guinefort (episode 63)
The Life of Saint Mary of Egypt (episode 69)
The Life of Saint Pelagia (episode 69)
The Life of Saint Martin by Sulpicius Severus (episode 76)
The Life of Saint Columba (episode 84)
The Life of Saint Wilgefortis (episode 94)
Lives of cephalophoric saints (bonus episode cephalo4)
Stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 96)
More stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 107)
Solomon and Ashmedai (bonus episode double chai)
Listener questions (episode 32)
Bible trivia questions (episode 38)
Halloween-themed Chick tracts (episode 51)
Christmas-themed Chick tracts (episode 98)
Bible Adventures and the Wisdom Tree catalogue of video games (episode 64)
The Da Vinci Code, the movie (episode 88)
Guess the Bible character from Persona 5 (bonus episode Persona 5)
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (episode 105)
You can find links to all these episodes with show notes and more on the Apocrypals wiki
“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:31
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” —Deuteronomy 31:8
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” —Isaiah 43:2
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” —2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121:1-2
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” —1 Corinthians 15:58
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” —Psalm 32:8
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” —Hebrews 10:24-25
“Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” —Psalm 31:24
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” —1 Corinthians 16:13
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33
“In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.” —Proverbs 14:23
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” —Psalm 23:4
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” —John 14:27
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” —2 Corinthians 4:17
“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.” —Romans 15:5
“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” —Psalm 90:17
“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” —Luke 12:6-7
Super random question, but is there like an actual history about how the kippah (the piece of clothing itself not the meaning) developed, because so far I've kinda headcanon'd it came from balding men wanting to protect their bald spot from the sun. It also always seems so flimsy, how are guys not losing it all the time?
Bfhdhdjdjsjs your headcanon is A++.
Tbh, I had to look it up, since despite thinking about it when I was younger, I never bothered to look it up. According to Jewish encyclopedia, through Wikipedia,
The Israelites might have worn a headdress similar to that worn by the Bedouins, but it is unknown whether a fixed type of headdress was used. That the headdress of the Israelites might have been in the fellah style may be inferred from the use of the noun צַנִיף, tzanif (the verb tzanaf meaning "to roll like a ball", Isaiah 22:18) and by the verb חַבָּש, habash ("to wind", compare Ezekiel 16:10; Jonah 2:6). As to the form of such turbans, nothing is known, and they may have varied according to the different classes of society. This was customary with the Assyrians and Babylonians, for example, whose fashions likely influenced the costume of the Israelites—particularly during and after the Babylonian Exile.[42] [...]
I imagine that, at the beginning, it was meant to protect the skin from the sun's heat, like the Bedouin used it, and given what is customary within Babylonian and Assyrian societies, it probably had also a role in distinguishing your social class (which is still sort of a thing! For insurance, in general black kippahs are a staple of Haredi Jews). That being said, on the Assyrian stelees Jews are not shown to wear any kind of head dress, which might mean they weren't in vogue during that time (or that the one making the stelee got lazy 🦥).
Now, as for the change into a skullcap, I imagine it was a change in fashion, which stuck for the longest and thus became the norm, yet it still differs among different Jewish communities:
The Black Velvet Kippahs are, as I said, of the ultraorthodox Jews, and even they have variation: See how one has a rim and one doesn't.
Haredi children might also have velvet Kippahs with embroidery or other colors such as navy blue.
Yemenite Kippahs tend to have a dark color and embroidery at the bottom, while there are also knitted Kippahs used by less orthodox factions of Judaism, and they come in many colors and many designs.
In other words, it's either a community thing (think breslov, bukharan Jews, and haredim) and/or a fashion thing (think suede and crochedet Kippahs used by reform and modern Orthodox Jews).
A good guide for this sort of thing is this the following image, which shows a series of changes of Jewish male headdress
As you can see, the headdress changed a LOT until it reached today's look, which is probably a product of changes in fashion, price of fabric, and probably also emancipation etc. and the desire to blend in better into gentile societies.
Then again, I'm no expert so I might be spewing nonsense XD.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 NKJV)
Shame is one of the biggest deterrents of a Christian’s freedom in Christ. Self-condemnation holds people back from living, serving, and enjoying the abundant life Jesus offered. When we mess up, we feel like we are bound by our mistakes and unable to truly move past them.
But the Bible reminds us that when we fall, we are not utterly cast down. The Lord upholds us with His hand. His grace is sufficient, for when we are weak, His power is made perfect. (2 Corinthians 12:9) So, why do we struggle with self-condemnation?
Every chance he gets, the adversary comes in and shoots his arrows deep into our minds so that we are reminded of past shame and regret. In turn, this cycle of condemnation keeps us bound by failure, unable to live in the glorious freedom given us by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Dear fellow believers, this should not be! The Bible reassures us that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive. (1 John 1:9) And again, in Isaiah, chapter 43, the Lord says,
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV)
If God, who is all-knowing, can forget our sins, why do we hang on to them and let them condemn us over and over again?
Take heart today. Your sins, once the color of scarlet, have been washed clean—white as snow. There is now no condemnation for you in Christ Jesus. Put on the full armor of God so that when the arrows of the enemy come, (and they will), you will be ready to deflect them straight back at him. It is time to rise up and say “no” to Satan’s lies. And, it is time to begin living the amazing, abundant life Jesus offered.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Something is in the air, can you smell it? October is approaching and what's the best way to celebrate my favorite month with the unleashing of your wildest Peaky Blinders fantasies? This combined with the fact I'd like to train my smut skills resulted in the idea of hosting a kinktober event dedicated to our lovely Peaky Blinders' characters. For the event, I'll be opening my requests.
How to Make a Request:
Send me the name of the character + the prompt in my ask box and I'll write a reader insert for you. I write for all the characters except the creeps like Mosley or Hughes. Also, I know y'all love Tommy and I'll write for him but please, try to give some love to the other characters too. :)
Ideas: Tommy, Arthur, John, Polly, Ada, Michael, Finn, Bonnie, Isaiah, Alfie, Aberama, May, Heaven etc. I also accept OC x Canon so if you wanna send me a request featuring your OC's favorite pairing, feel free.
Rules:
This is mainly smut but if you're really uncomfortable with it and still want me to write something for you, add (vanilla) to your request.
No date limitation. You can ask for any number no matter the date.
There is no limitation on requests one person can ask. Anons are welcome.
One character per prompt. Prompts are listed below.
Prompts list:
1 - Breathe with Tommy
2 - Cut with Alfie
3 - Marked with Finn
4 - After Care with Finn / A Peaky Lady
5 - Rope Bunny with Arthur
6 - Drunk with Tommy
7 - Blindfold with John / Aberama
8 - Creampie with John or Author's choice
9 - Praise with Bonnie
10 - Size with Alfie/ Luca
11 - Power with Michael
12 - Oral with Bonnie
13 - Breeding with Alfie
14 - Blood with Tommy
15 - Tamed with Arthur
16 - Denial with Tommy
17 - Daddy with Michael / Alfie / Aberama / Arthur
18 - Public with John
19 - Threesome with Tommy and Author's choice
20 - Leash & Collar with Arthur and Heaven
21 - Knife with Isaiah
22 - Strip with John
23 - Overstimulation with Tommy
24 - Car with Tommy
25 - Punishment with John
26 - Worship with Changretta and Eva
27 - Begging with Tommy
28 - Corruption with Arthur
29 - Blasphemy with Arthur
30 - Age Gap (surprise dark!fic) with the three brothers
The idea that God is the man and the church is the woman in Song of Songs never resonated with me. While reading Rabbi Rami Shapiro’s Embracing the Divine Feminine, I discovered the interpretation that God (in the form of Wisdom - Sophia in Greek) is actually the woman in Song of Solomon.
This just feels right, especially considering the woman does the majority of the talking in the book and she offers the definition of love (in other words, she's the one who imparts knowledge about God). Lady Wisdom is also called Solomon’s bride in Wisdom of Solomon. Furthermore, Proverbs 7:4 says to call Wisdom your sister, which is used as a term for endearment for the woman in Song of Songs.
Here are my reflections as I read through the book with that interpretation.
Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived me. (3:4)
As Rabbi Rami Shapiro writes, “Wisdom leads you into her mother's house, indeed onto her mother's bed, deeper into the feminine mysteries, the dark interior where all opposites unite and where Wisdom and the seeker of Wisdom become one. Wisdom's Mother is YHVH [Proverbs 8:22-25], the Unknown and Unknowable Is-ing that gives rise to all things.”
This makes a lot of sense. Why would the church be guiding God into its mother’s house? It's also notable that while fathers are not mentioned once, mothers are mentioned seven times throughout Song of Songs. Seven is a biblically significant number believed to represent wholeness. God is said to have seven spirits (Revelation 4:5), including the spirit of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2). The woman in Song of Songs (Lady Wisdom in this interpretation) is called Shulamite, which Rabbi Rami translates as "wholeness". I don't actually know what I'm getting at here, but I do believe the connections are significant.
But my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her… Who is this that appears like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? (6:9-10)
This reminds me of Proverbs 8, which says that Lady Wisdom was given birth by God and that she is God’s delight. There’s also the dove symbolism, which is used in the Bible (and was used throughout the surrounding cultures) as a symbol of the divine feminine (more info here). We also see associations of Sophia with the moon, sun, and stars, reminding me of the Woman of Revelation, which many interpret to be an appearance of Sophia.
I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. (2:1)
Flowers have often been used as symbols for the divine feminine.
I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him, but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer. I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls. (5:6-7)
This reminds me of the abuse of Christ, which offers support to the idea of Christ as an incarnation of Sophia (I personally think Christ incarnated male for cultural reasons).
“You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices. You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.” “Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.” (4:12-16)
Several thoughts: This reminds me of Wisdom as the Tree of Life (Proverbs 3:18) and the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). This is also reminiscent of Sirach 24:13-19. Lastly, we see here that Wisdom is associated with the elements of Earth, water, and air.
For love is as strong as death… Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all. (8:6)
God is Love, so this rounds out the association of different elements with God.
I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house— she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates. (8:4)
This reminds me of Proverbs 9:2 which says Wisdom has “mixed her wine”. I’m also interested in the symbolism of the pomegranate, which was used culturally as a yonic symbol. Wisdom is also described as a Tree of Life, which the Book of Revelation says bears its fruit each month (22:2), reflected by the menstrual cycle.
Regardless, the concept of Wisdom offering us the nectar of her pomegranate is cool to me, and I’m happy to have a biblical basis to incorporate the symbol of pomegranates into my spirituality.
Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. (7:2)
The yonic imagery is even more explicit here. Since Jesus offered wine as representative of his blood, I’m thinking of how Julian of Norwich compared the blood of Christ to the blood of menstruation and childbirth, as well as the medieval depictions of Christ’s wound as a vulva from which the church is born.