Mark's Views, Perhaps — from behind my eyeballs
Can you imagine the wonder of this?
You may know I’m writing Old Testament lessons for high school freshmen. Recently I got to the sole lesson on the Song of Solomon.
The instructions I had were quite elementary:
The lesson focus is that last sentence.
In addition to those mandated parameters, I had these of my own:
Well, I finally settled on using these passages:
The numbers in parentheses tell you how many words I dedicated to each passage.
I began and ended the lesson with these paragraphs respectively:
Song of Solomon is a difficult, much-debated, little-understood book. Perhaps it describes a real-life romance. Perhaps it’s more a poem or play to instruct and encourage husbands and wives. Perhaps it’s an intricate allegory illustrating God’s relationship with His people. Perhaps it’s some combination of those. This lesson, though, will help you consider several portions of the Song of Solomon from three different angles: pre-marriage guidelines, marital principles, and spiritual truths pertaining to Christ and the church.
Nothing shall be able to separate us from divine love (Romans 8:35-39). As the church is secure in Christ, so the church must secure her love for Christ alone (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 2:4). We should let Him know in thought, word, and deed that we are His alone.
Considering the parameters I had, I was enamored with what I submitted. Well, that’s too strong. Maybe infatuated. No, not that either. Pleased, anyway.
So much for feelings. I received instructions to please rewrite the lesson. 
(Oh, you’re wondering about the 907 in the post title? Well, 101 is so predictable, passé, and/or blasé.)
Today I started that process by reading through Song of Solomon. Alas, now I’m less optimistic than when I started. 😯
Do you have any passages to suggest (that fall within the above parameters)?
RISE OF ARAB ARMY
I saw that headline on the Drudge Report early this morning. He linked it to an LA Times story that includes this quote:
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Sisi endorsed the creation of a joint military force to defend Arab nations.
Sisi said the Arab world was at a critical crossroads and facing unprecedented difficulties.
If Israel’s Arab neighbors get a “good thing going” with their joint military efforts in Yemen…
And if Israel’s Arab neighbors see the American Administration’s growing hostility toward Israel…
And if Israel’s Arab neighbors perceive American weakness in relation to Iran…
And if Israel’s neighbors imagine a shift in America’s long-standing commitment to Israel, her secrets, and her security…
And if Israel’s neighbors take literally the American threat to abandon Israel at the United Nations… Read it all
“The Mahdi is coming!”
Moderate Islam. Radical Islam. Militant Islam.
About the time you were getting confused and cynical about them all, along comes another term, complements of Joel C. Rosenberg
Remorse which does not lead to repentance becomes its fatal substitute. Read it all
Are the ones in orange pictured above among these now?
“I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God” (Revelation 20:4).
I don’t know enough to pretend to know the eternal status of those 21 Eygptian Copts slaughtered on that beach. But I thought of the Revelation scene(s).
I also thought of this angle: Read it all