WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE SONG OF SOLOMON

While attending Bible College years ago, I was required to take a class in the Book of, Song Of Solomon. Had it not been a required class, I don’t believe that I would have ever taken the time to do as thorough of a job reading through or studying it as I did then, having been required to do so. What I found in that book was a personal love letter from God to me. I had never dreamed that God had such extreme affection for me or anyone for that matter, until I personally dug deep into the pages of those short but precious chapters in that great book.  There is  no other book in scripture on which there have been commentaries written that are more diverse of opinion than that of the Book of Song of Solomon. Some think upon its eight chapters as mere spiritual poetry, while others tread upon its pages with an exhaustive verse by verse of allegory and passion. For the sincere student of the Word, many have avoided it’s study to avoid it’s frustration, as so often occurs when trying to understand it’s interpretations and meanings. However, regardless of those frustrations, most are ever drawn back to the rich pages of what is absolute in the fact that it is,  a love letter written to someone’s beloved. Some find it easier to read the book of Ecclesiastes along as a companion study to the Song of Solomon. While Ecclesiastes focuses on the human intellect. Song of Solomon focuses more on the human emotion and you are always safe to call the song of Solomon a human love story. It is also a picture of the love between God and His people. The very point or purpose of having this great book included in the Bible is to arouse the reader of God’s deep love and affection for them. After a good study of the book, one is lead to have an even deeper gratitude for that great love of God, no matter what their understanding of Him may be.

While it is one of the most controversial and can be difficult books to interpret,  it is also one of the greatest books of literature on the planet. It has been interpreted to be Typological in that it’s approach to typifying Solomon and the Shulammite woman as a picture of God and His people and as the future bridegroom, which was the Messiah to the Church that He would establish as His Bride. Another interpretation to view this book is to look at it from an Allegorical view. This means that there are hidden allegories in the verses that convey the mystery and true spiritual meanings picturing Yahweh as the lover, and the woman as Israel. Then there is the literal, historical and grammatical approach to interrupting this great book. This view takes the meaning as face value and are to be taken as a historical record of the romance of Solomon with a Shulammite woman. Its purpose is to give us a glimpse into the joys of his love, courtship and marriage while counter acting any extremes of lust. It reveals the rightful place for physical love within marriage, and only then is it clearly established as being good and honored. It reveals Solomon's perspective as well as his brides. Obviously, Solomon did not furnish the best example of marital devotion, because he had many wives as well as concubines, of which was not the perfect will of God for his life as he found that out. The experiences that he recorded in Song of Solomon may very well reflect the only pure romance that he ever had, thus writing the song about it. The fact that he had made many mistakes is clearly seen in this book as a message of what love is like when it is done the right way, that honors God.

 
Nonetheless, this book does not loose it’s theological meaning when read as a whole in the context of the book itself. It delivers a beautiful picture to the reader of the intensely intimate relationship that God’s people can enjoy  with Him, if they are living rightly and abiding in a right relationship with Him. We humans have always had a waywardness about us. It’s called a sin nature. To overcome that nature, we must first receive a new nature which comes from God through Christ, and then we learn to yield ourselves to the truth and what we know to be right putting to death the wrong in us. We must beat our wills and make them subservient to the will of God. In doing this we can experience the kind of intimacy with God and have the right kind of intimacy with the bride or bridegroom with whom we live.

God loves you and desires a personal relationship with you….He is so worthy to be sought after. Will you seek Him today my friend, and do that thing that He is asking you to do?

Song of Solomon 5:8 "...if you find my beloved, as to what you will tell Him: that I am lovesick for him."

Loving on you,

Bren