“Open your hearts, all of you, open them to the joyous dance of the Lord, and your deep affection will grow from heart to lips

to bear fruit to the Lord, a holy Life, and to speak with awareness in His Light.

Rise up exalted and stand up straight, all you who were sometimes put down.

All you who were silenced, speak: Your mouth has been opened.

All you who were despised, be uplifted from this moment on: Your righteousness has been uplifted.

The right hand of the Lord is with you, and has been a helper for you,

and peace has been made ready for you, even before your battle has come to be.” ~Odes of Solomon, Ode 8

The Odes of Solomon

The Odes of Solomon are not simply religious or spiritual songs. They are the story of one man’s journey of enlightenment and advise on how we too can become enlightened. They are written largely in allegorical terms, which is common with spiritual writings, but a little instruction in understanding the symbols of allegory allows us to understand their true meaning. Wikipedia says the Odes were written in the first or second century, with a few being newer. They add that they were almost certainly not written by King Solomon, but were probably written by an early Christian, “likely a convert from the Essene community to Christianity.”

Open Your Hearts

Those of us who have studied scripture and spiritual writings are familiar with this use of “heart” meaning “soul”. Opening the physical heart is a task best left to surgeons, and only when necessary. Opening the soul is another thing. Few people are aware that we come into the physical world with our spirit and soul in a dormant state similar to a coma. The spirit must be awakened and developed if we are to ever reach Heaven. That is what this line means when it tells us to open our hearts.

Dance of the Lord

This is another allegorical reference that can be interpreted in different ways. It could be advising us to dance with joy as part of our practices to awaken our spiritual faculties. It could also mean that when we awaken our spiritual faculties and develop them to the point where we are, even briefly, in a direct connection with the Higher dimension called Heaven, we will feel Joy and feel like dancing from the experience. I will assume it means both.

Speak in His Light

Spiritual development is not a pursuit for those who don’t want to share and help others. This line is advising us to live a holy life by following the Will of God and to teach others what we learn so they too can grow. By speaking “in His Light,” we can be certain that what we are saying is proper. But we should not be trying to teach others until we know what we are doing and saying.

Stand Up Straight

Here we are advised that we should stand straight and tall in our spiritual convictions. We may have been put down by those in authority, or even by friends and family, but we cannot let that stop us from continuing on the path of spiritual development. We must stand tall and move forward no matter how strong the wind of materialism and darkness blows against us. Real spiritual development is a difficult task, but well worth the effort.

The Right Hand of the Lord is With You

While it may often seem like you are on your own on the path of spiritual growth, you are being watched and guided by the servants of God, the Angels, or the Beings of Light. Their assistance may not seem obvious, but it happens anyway.

Peace Has Been Made Ready

This is reminding us of the ultimate goal: peace and eternal life in Heaven with God and the angels. When the forces and beings of darkness try to push us back, we must keep that ultimate goal in mind.

Our own minister Robert Petrovich has written a new translation of the Odes os Solomon with a more spiritual point of view. Click here to learn more.