In an old Jimmy Stewart movie, a young man asks Jimmy's character for the hand of his daughter in marriage. When he says to Jimmy Stewart, "Can I marry your daughter?" Jimmy Stewart replies, "Do you like her?"
The young man responds, "Yes, sir, I love her."
"No," the Stewart character replies, "I didn't want to know that. I asked, 'Do you like her?'"
Like is a critical prerequisite to love. If you don't show respect to a woman, she will never believe that you truly like and admire her. And if she doesn't have a sense that you like her, she will find it difficult to believe that you truly love her.
One of the major statements that Solomon made to the young woman was this: "I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh's chariots." (Song of Songs 1:9) That may not sound like the most romantic line you've ever heard, but let me explain what he meant. The pharaohs always had white horses. A white horse was readily visible for miles. Thus, great homage could be prepared for the pharaoh in advance of his arrival on the scene. The white horse of pharaoh was considered to be a virtual deity, and the horses were considered valuable possessions of the pharaoh. White horses were reserved exclusively for the pharaohs.
Solomon was expressing to the young woman that he saw her as extremely valuable, one in a million! She was beyond any monetary value or comparison.
When you truly respect a person you are dating, you should have this same feeling: you consider the person to be of extremely high value. The person you date should build you up.
- Tommy Nelson
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