Song of Solomon 8:1-7

Song of Solomon 8:1-7

With each successive poem, the narrative becomes more intense. The first couple of verses of this chapter may seem strange to us. This is not an appeal to incest. But in a culture where public displays of affection were strongly forbidden, she has a hard time keeping her hands off her beloved. The couple has come to her hometown, and this has awakened memories of passionate feelings, which find their fulfillment in verse 3.

Passionate love is so powerful it is best entered into judiciously, and so verse 4 repeats that warning.

Verses 5-7 are the apex of the collection of these poems. In the second part of verse 5, the groom recalls a place of meaningful moments. In verses 6-7 is a description of the supreme power of love. The implications of "seals" are many, but to translate into our culture, let us say, “Once I put a wedding ring on your finger, nothing was ever the same.” Love is like an irresistible flash flood, like death and the grave; once it has you, it never lets you go. Some have given up everything for the sake of love. While those around them may scoff, the lovers feel that it was worth it too.

“Lord, awaken in me the holy love of my courtship. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 7:1-13

Song of Solomon 7:1-13

One theory about this chapter is that this is the story of a young woman who is loved by another but is being wooed by Solomon. According to this interpretation, the chapter closes with the final rejection of Solomon in verse 10. But there is the possibility that the young man was actually the young Solomon before he was corrupted.

Regardless, before us is a highly sexualized description of both the lovers' responses to her body. Verses 1-6 may be a description provided by the groom or by those who help dress the bride. Verses 7-9a are the descriptive words of the king, with verses 9b-13 being the description of the bride as she desires to give herself and a description of giving herself to her husband.

While the descriptions and similes may not be what we are used to, the description of giving oneself freely to one's spouse is something that transcends culture and language. There is within the safe and secure bonds of marriage a radical and open freedom. In verses 11-13, the bride and groom get away for an escape so that nothing distracts them from the delights and pleasures of sexual fulfillment.

“Lord, thank you for the freedom we enjoy in marriage. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 6:1-13

Song of Solomon 6:1-13

This book is at times challenging, to say the least. This chapter is no exception. But love is, at times, challenging and difficult to understand. This chapter opens with other women showing an interest in the groom and the bride’s feelings of jealousy. She doesn’t answer their questions directly; rather, in verse 2 she refers to their intimacy and in verse 3 asserts their commitment to each other.

In verses 4-9 the groom renews his declaration for her but adds a couple notes. First he says he has been conquered by her beauty, so much so that when she looks at him, he is unable to think straight (v. 4). Second, he next describes her beauty again in verses 5-7. But in verses 8-9 we see he desires her over his whole harem. This harem of 140 women indicates a younger Solomon, who later had a harem of nearly 1,000 women. Among all the options available in his harem, she was unique. Verse 12 may be the most difficult verse to understand in the whole book. In the context of jealousy, self-doubt, and a multitude of women in the harem, we see the bride in the difficult reality of harem life. Perhaps verse 13 is an attempt of the harem to make her only one of many. But why?

“Thank You, Lord, for Your plan of one man with one woman for one lifetime. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 5:1-16

Song of Solomon 5:1-16

Perhaps you can relate; you have a bad dream in which something is amiss in your dearest relationship. The dream is so vivid as to disturb the moments soon after awakening. We sometimes feel inadequate for our lover and believe that they could have done better. One's insecurities may be unfounded, but that does not alleviate the anxiety.

In verses 1-8, the bride has a dream sequence in which the groom comes to her, but she rejects him as a bother. Changing her mind, she finds he is gone. The dream gets worse; she searches for her lover but rather encounters abuse. Verse 8 may be part of the dream, or it may be the panicked, disoriented pleas of her as she has just awakened from the nightmare. In verse 9 her friends ask why she is so panicked about her lover and what makes him special. The bride, in verses 10-16, gives a highly sexualized description of her man. We should not assume that this is a moral, intellectual, or spiritual attraction or metaphor. Rather, in this godly marriage there is a raw physical sensual attraction. She wants his body and wants to do things with his body. One aspect of a godly marriage is powerful sexuality.

“Lord, draw husbands and wives to each other in every way. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 4:8-16

Song of Solomon 4:8-16

As we consider this passage, we can understand, even if we do not agree with the Jewish tradition, that this passage was not to be read by teenage boys. The groom calls his bride out of a dangerous situation. Perhaps their relationship was not approved by family and community, and so they are depicted as lions and leopards. The rush of testosterone and sexual arousal is evident in verses 9-10. In verse 11 we see heavy petting, or making out, to use older terms. To his delight, in open-mouth kissing, he discovered that his bride had placed honey under her tongue. The sight, smell, and now taste of his lover are driving the young man wild with passion. The reference to “my sister, my bride” is not a reference to incest. In that culture, the bond between siblings was considered the strongest of all possible bonds. This couple has a bond that is even closer than that of close siblings. Even in all this heated passion, there is the holy bond and covenant between them. Their marriage is described in verses 12-15 as a beautiful, fertile, well-watered, and private garden; and those delights are exclusive. Their marriage is restricted to each other but open between them. In v 16, she wants her allurements to draw in her husband to the highest level of physical intimacy. We see here heavy foreplay that leads to copulation. 

“Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of sexual attraction and consummation. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 4:1-7

Song of Solomon 4:1-7

In verse 1:6, the bride is concerned that she does not look good enough for her husband. This love poem is about the husband being enraptured by her beauty. Here is a picture from the husband's perspective of the seductive beauty of his bride. Her body is behind a veil with only her eyes exposed, but they are enough to draw him in. What great seduction there is in modesty. With only her eyes uncovered, her husband sees more. Perhaps the veil is sheer because he sees the perfect smile and the very kissable lips. The charm of the profile of her face or temples is evident. She holds herself erect with a good posture like a tall tower. Her shapeliness is not hidden even if covered; it is not hard for her husband to see, even if only in his mind's eye, her breasts, a perfect pair. He wants to go to one that is perfumed with myrrh and then to the other that is scented with frankincense. He finds her faultless and perfect in body. How powerful and seductive is the beauty of a wife for her husband, and may she not have planned to seduce him?

“Lord, give us an ever-growing appreciation for the beauty of modesty. AMEN.”

Song of Solomon 3:1-11

Song of Solomon 3:1-11

Having spent a night together is the delight of their passion (chapter 2). We see a new development or aspect of the relationship. Many scholars believe verse 1 begins a dream sequence. Her love and passion for her lover are so powerful that they invaded her dream. The dream is a bit of a nightmare. She is looking for her lover. But he is not in bed with her, so she goes looking for him. She finds him and takes him to her childhood home, perhaps a picture of safety, security, and protection.

Verse 5 is a repeat of 2:7 and a reminder that such passionate love can be inconvenient and ought to be postponed until you are ready. But how could a girl not fall head over heels in love with such a hero as described in verses 6-11? Solomon is the perfect combination of all the masculine traits. There is here a depiction of the arousal within a woman that is pursued by a strong, honorable, and heroic man. This is not toxic nor effeminate masculinity but heroic masculinity.

“Lord, raise up men that are models of heroic masculinity. AMEN.”