September 25 (Song of Solomon 1–4; Psalm 79; Acts 2)

Summary

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: September 25 (Song of Solomon 1–4; Psalm 79; Acts 2)
Date: September 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode guides listeners through three distinct Bible passages: the poetic and intimate Song of Solomon (chapters 1–4), the communal lament of Psalm 79, and the dramatic account of Pentecost in Acts 2. The combined readings explore human love, national suffering, divine intervention, and the birth of the early Christian church, inviting listeners to witness God’s work in diverse contexts.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Song of Solomon 1–4: The Beauty and Intensity of Love

(00:01–07:19)

• The reading opens with the passionate and poetic exchanges between lovers in Song of Solomon, highlighting mutual admiration, desire, and commitment.

  • Imagery of Beauty and Devotion: Descriptions like “Your love is better than wine” and “Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Your eyes are doves” (01:02–02:42) emphasize affection and admiration.
  • Themes of Vulnerability: The bride expresses both beauty and insecurity about her appearance: “I am very dark, but lovely…do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me” (01:18).
  • Mutual Pursuit: Both partners sought each other out: “I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not…” (04:31), expressing the longing found in love.
  • Symbolism of Nature: Rich natural imagery (lilies, vineyards, apples, and fawns) communicates the flourishing and delight of their relationship.
  • Exclusive Love: The language of “A garden locked is my sister, my bride. A spring locked, A fountain sealed” (06:13) suggests intimacy protected and reserved.

• Notable Quote:

  • “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.” (00:06, Song of Solomon opening)

• Memorable Moment:

  • The repetition, “Do not stir up or awaken love until it pleases,” reminds listeners of the right timing and depth of true love (03:09 and 05:06).

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2. Psalm 79: A Plea for Mercy Amid Ruins

(07:19–08:29)

• Transitioning to Psalm 79, the mood shifts to communal grief and urgent petition following the desecration of Jerusalem.

  • Destruction and Mockery: Graphic images of devastation (“They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds for food… blood like water around Jerusalem,” 07:47) convey the nation’s deep distress.
  • Crying Out for Deliverance: Asaph pleads, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name” (07:47) and seeks forgiveness for past iniquities.
  • Longing for Justice: The psalm asks God not only for restoration but for justice: “Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts they have taunted you” (08:05).
  • Praise Despite Suffering: The psalm closes with a declaration of enduring praise: “We your people…will give thanks to you forever” (08:17).

• Notable Quote:

  • “Let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.” (07:45–07:47)

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3. Acts 2: The Coming of the Holy Spirit and the Birth of the Church

(08:29–14:03)

• Acts 2 recounts Pentecost, where the disciples receive the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues, and boldly proclaim the gospel.

  • The Miracle of Pentecost: “There came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind” (08:33), filling the house and resulting in all being “filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues” (08:39).
  • Unity in Diversity: Jews from many nations are bewildered and amazed: “How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (09:09–09:11).
  • Peter’s Bold Sermon: Peter explains the phenomena as fulfillment of prophecy, citing Joel: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” (10:18–10:20).
  • The Gospel Proclaimed: He preaches Jesus’s death and resurrection, declaring, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (12:32).
  • Call to Response: The crowd, “cut to the heart,” asks, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replies: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (12:45–12:55).
  • Radical Community: Many believe — “about 3,000 souls” added (13:00). The new believers exemplify community: sharing possessions, breaking bread, meeting in homes, and praising God together, resulting in daily growth (13:12–14:03).

• Notable Quotes:

  • “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” (12:10, Peter’s sermon)
  • “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (14:00, describing the early church)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Song of Solomon 1–4 (Romantic Love) | 00:01–07:19| | Psalm 79 (Destruction and Plea for Mercy) | 07:19–08:29| | Acts 2 (Pentecost, Peter’s Sermon, Church) | 08:29–14:03|

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• Song of Solomon:

  • “My beloved is mine and I am his.” (03:58)
  • “You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride.” (05:54)

• Psalms:

  • “How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?” (07:39)

• Acts:

  • “Repent and be baptized, every one of you…for the forgiveness of your sins.” (12:54, Peter)
  • “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…and awe came upon every soul…” (13:04)

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Overall Tone

The episode moves from intimate, sometimes sensual poetry to national lamentation, concluding with the exuberant, unifying power of the Holy Spirit. The language of the readings is lyrical, urgent, and direct, inviting listeners into the deep emotions — love, grief, hope, and communal joy — found in God’s Word.

Transcript

[Reader]

A reading from the book of Song of Solomon. The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine. Your anointing oils are fragrant. Your name is oil poured out. Therefore virgins love you. Draw me after you. Let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you. We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you. I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem. Like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother's sons were angry with me. They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept. Tell me, tell you whom my soul loves. Where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds tents. I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver. While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance. My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedai. Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are doves. Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green, the beams of our house are cedar, our rafters are pine. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so was my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles of the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases the voice of my beloved. Behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a Young stag, behold, there he stands behind our wall Gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me, Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. For behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs and the vines are in blossom and they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, O my dove. In the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely. Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards for our vineyards are in blossom. My beloved is mine and I am his. He grazes among the lilies until the day breathes and the shadows flee. Turn, my beloved, Be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains, on my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares. I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him but found him not. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. Have you seen him whom my soul loves? Scarcely had I passed them. When I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of her who conceived me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the doles of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. What is that coming up from the wilderness? Like columns of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant. Behold, it is the litter of Solomon. Around it are 60 mighty men, some of the mighty men of Israel, all of them wearing swords and expert in war, each with his sword at his thigh against terror by night. King Solomon made himself a carriage from the wood of Lebanon. He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple. Its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart. Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a Flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like the flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the Washington, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate. Behind your veil your neck is like the Tower of David, built in rolls of stone. On it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies until the day breathes and the shadows flee. I will go away to the mountain of Myrrh and the hill of Frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my love.

[Narrator]

There is no flaw in you.

[Reader]

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amena, from the peak of Senor and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride. You have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride. How much better is your love than wine and the fragrance of your oils than any spice. Your lips drip nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. A garden locked is, my sister, my bride. A spring locked, A fountain sealed. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choices. Fruits and henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices. A garden fountain, a well of living water and flowing streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Blow upon my garden. Let its spices flow. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits. A reading from the Book of Psalms. A psalm of Asaph. O God. The nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food. The flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem. And there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O Lord, will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?

[Narrator]

Pour out your anger on the nations.

[Reader]

That do not know you and on the kingdoms that do not Call upon your name, for they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. Do not remember against us our former iniquities.

[Narrator]

Let your compassion come speedily to meet.

[Reader]

Us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name, and deliver us and atone for our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, where is their God? Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the.

[Narrator]

Nations before our eyes.

[Reader]

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you. According to your great power, preserve those doomed to die. Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors. The taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord. But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, the we'll give thanks to you forever. From generation to generation we will recount your praise. A reading from the Book of Acts.

[Narrator]

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

[Reader]

And how is it that we hear.

[Narrator]

Each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and Proselytes, Cretans and Arabians. We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, what does this mean? But others mocking, said, they are filled with new wine. But Peter, standing with the 11, lifted up his voice and addressed them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words, for these people are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. And in the last days it shall be God declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall Prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams even on my male servants and female servants.

[Reader]

In those days I will pour out.

[Narrator]

My spirit, and they shall prophesy, and I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below. Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and and the moon to blood. Before the day of the Lord comes the great and magnificent day, and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst. As you yourselves know, this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says, concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced. My flesh also will dwell in hope, for you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence. Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens. But he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord in Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself and with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying save yourselves from this crooked generation.

[Reader]

So those who received his word were.

[Narrator]

Baptized and there were added that day about 3,000 souls and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and awe came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes they received their food with glad and generous hearts praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.