Song of Solomon 2:5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. [New International translation]
Summary
There are many songs referenced in the Bible. In Exodus 15:1, Moses and the people of Israel sang a song to the LORD, when GOD "made a way out of no way" allowing Moses and the people to cross the Red Sea. After the LORD grants her petition and gives her a son, Samuel, Hannah dedicates the child to the LORD and sings a song of praise to the LORD. She basically sings there is NONE like HIM (See, 1Samuel 2:2). In Judges 5:1, Deborah and Barak sing praises to GOD for their victory over their enemies.
Despite the many other songs mentioned, the Song of Solomon is called "the Song of Songs" or the most excellent of all songs. (See, Song of Solomon 1:1). It is song about love. It is a song about commitment. It is a song about union. Although the verses speak of the deep passionate love of a bridegroom for his bride and the equally passionate love for the bride for her bridegroom, the "larger" interpretation of the "Song of Songs," is that the verses are an allegory for the deep loving and joyful communion that THE SON, JESUS CHRIST, has for HIS bride, the church.
It is a song about the wonders of marital love and HOLY LOVE.
Benefits of Eating Apples
Approximately 250 years ago in Poor Richard's Almanac, Benjamin Franklin, coined the phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Benjamin Franklin, American statesman, inventor and publisher, published Poor Richard's Almanac from approximately 1732 to 1758. It was a popular journal during its time. The journal included weather forecasts, practical household hints, games and puzzles and home remedies. See, www.wikipedia.com. Over the years researchers have confirmed the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin's advice about the health benefits of eating apples.
In "10 Health Benefits of Apples," www.healthdiaries.com cites 10 reasons why apples are beneficial to good health:
1. Bone Protection
French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples
may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone
density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.
2. Asthma Help
One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis
suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month.
Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during
pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.
3. Alzheimer's Prevention
A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect
brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.
4. Lower Cholesterol
The pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day
may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.
5. Lung Cancer Prevention
According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent
lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of
the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.
6. Breast Cancer Prevention
A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk
of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39
percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.
7. Colon Cancer Prevention
One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of
colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon
cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.
8. Liver Cancer Prevention
Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of
liver cancer.
9. Diabetes Management
The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's
need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.
10. Weight Loss
A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more
weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.
But to enjoy these health benefits, it is important to eat the apple skin or peel:
...Cornell researchers suggest that a combination of plant chemicals, collectively known as phytochemicals, found mainly in the skin of apples, provide the bulk of the fruit's anticancer and antioxidant properties. The cooperative activity of these phytochemicals, they argue, has health benefits that are superior to those found in single compounds like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, which have been widely studied for their antioxidant activities.
Using colon cancer cells treated with apple extract, Liu and colleagues found that 50 milligrams of apple extracted from the skins decreased the cancer cell growth by 43%, while the same amount of extract from the flesh of the apple decreased cancer cell growth by 29%. Likewise, 50 milligrams of extract from apples with the skin on decreased liver cancer cell growth by 57%, compared to 40% for samples extracted from apples without the skin.
See, "An Apple A Day May Keep The Doctor Away," by Salynn Boyles, WebMD Health News, www.webmd.com.
WARNING
According to "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides," apples are among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found," therefore, it is extremely important to wash apples carefully before eating, especially if you are consuming non-organic varieties. See, www.whofoods.com . Rinse the apple thoroughly under a stream of running water rubbing the apple's skin or brushing it with a natural bristle bush for 10-15 seconds.
FOOD and SONGS
In the 1990's the Winans wrote "Everything You Touch Is A Song."* Today, what foods will you touch? How will you touch the lives of others? What songs will you create?
Today, become a living song for THE LORD and Be Blessed!
*See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojsmsjN9waY [just paste into your browser]
