Today's Reading:

Song of Songs 1
Song of Songs 2
Song of Songs 3
Song of Songs 4
Song of Songs 5:1

In Song of Songs 2:9, the woman was excited. Her beloved had come for her, yet he respectfully waited outside the wall. He looks in and calls to her to come enjoy the spring day. Like Jesus pursuing our souls, with no pressure. He stands at the door, looking in, calling us to come out and walk with him.

Compare this to Revelation 3:20:

• The woman describes her beloved/ Jesus speaking to the church in Laodicea.
• Standing behind the wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice/ Jesus standing at the door and knocking.
• He comes eagerly (like a gazelle), looks in lovingly, and calls her to come out/ Jesus stands and knocks, then speaks (“If anyone hears my voice…”).
• Respectful pursuit, he does not break in/ Jesus waits patiently, a gentile invitation, He does not force the door.
• Intimate fellowship in the springtime beauty/ Intimate fellowship (I will come in and eat with them”).
• She must come out to him/ the person must hear and open the door.
• Romance, passion and excited/ Loving but serious towards a lukewarm church.

What a comfort and truth! No matter if there is the joy of a new love or the staleness of a lukewarm heart, Jesus pursues us with the same patient love. He never forces himself; He invites us to Him. He never comes past our boundaries or walls we have put up; He waits at the door. Where is Jesus gently “standing at the door” or “peering through the lattice” in your life right now? What would it look like if you opened the door, came out, and responded to His loving invitation?

Welcome to another book of poetry. Song of Songs is also called “Song of Solomon.” It is a poem, a love dialogue, between a young woman (the Shulammite) and her beloved, the Shepherd-King. It is thought that King Solomon wrote this or it is about him, as he has in his collection 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32). Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, but many think this song describes his first true love, a Shulammite woman. The “friends” who spoke in the poem were the “daughters of Jerusalem.” The theme was about the romantic and sexual love in a marriage and a beautiful commitment and covenant relationship between a husband and wife as a gift from God. Some scholars also believe this can be related to God’s love for Israel, or Christ and His love for the Church, or even your soul and Christ. Similar to the book of Job, the Song includes notes in the headlines on who is speaking at the time to help with following the conversation.

The structure of the poem is written as chapters 1-3 are the courtship between the woman and her beloved, chapters 3:6-5:1 cover the wedding and consummation of the marriage, then the rest of the book, 5:2-8:14, are the challenges that come in a lasting marriage.

The poem opens with the woman longing for her beloved’s love and caresses. She wanted to be taken away by him. The daughters of Jerusalem have endorsed their relationship, saying his love was more intoxicating than the best wine. The woman described herself as “dark-skinned” (sun-tanned) from working in the vineyard fields. In the time of Solomon, this would have been looked down upon as she would have been seen as a commoner or laborer and not of noble status. While her “own vineyard,” her body, had been neglected.

Deeply in love, she wanted to know where he was during the day; she did not want to have to look for her shepherd like a “veiled woman” (prostitute). Just tell me where you are so I can come to you openly and honorably. The “friends” (or beloved, depending on the translation) tell her to follow the tracks of the sheep to find him.

The beloved found her to be beautiful, and she attracted the attention of others the same way a mare would stand out next to a royal horse and chariot. He gave her the promise of jewelry, then they talked back and forth to each other through the use of nature. The fragrance of Myrrh was mentioned like perfume and anointing oil (one of the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus at His birth). He said she had the eyes of doves (almond-shaped). Their bed was “verdant”, meaning rich green and lush; this was a place of intimacy like a lover’s nest in a field. He described the house as being made of cedar and fir, which were strong, high-quality, and expensively fragrant woods. The house would have been reminiscent of the Temple, a house of worship and place of rest. This was a picture of how beautiful creation is and how content they were in the grassy field as their relationship moved towards marriage.

The green can be seen as the fruitfulness of a relationship with Christ. There is sweet intimacy sitting in his shade. The woman said, “Let his banner over me be love,” which was a public display for all to see. She wanted to be strengthened with raisins and refreshed with apples by the shared caresses and embraces. She charged (oath) the daughters of Jerusalem (with gazelles and does as witnesses) not to awaken love before its proper time. This springtime love was not one-sided; she belonged to him as much as he to her.

In verse 2:9, “Look! There he stands behind our wall,” this showed her excitement. He respected her honor and boundaries because love waits without any pressure. They have an eagerness and respect for one another. This echoes how Jesus pursues our souls: He stands at the door and knocks without forcing entry (Revelation 3:20).

In chapter 2, he described the woman as shy and modest. He wanted to draw her out and enjoy her presence, expressions, words, and her full closeness. He gave a small warning about “the little foxes”, these are the small sins, problems, and sneaky habits. They may appear small in a relationship at first, but can eventually cause big damage. This was still the early stage of the exclusive relationship, but it was full of promise.

One night, she had a dream where she was lovesick and searched for him all night. When she found him, she clung to him and brought him to her mother's house. There was an intensity while searching for him, even when it was risky or uncomfortable. Again, the poem writes, “do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires,” reminding us to be patient and not to rush sexual love before the proper time (after marriage).

Chapter 3:6-10 described the wedding procession as it may have been spoken by the friends. “Who is this” the bride, comes like Israel in exodus in a pillar of smoke, the cloud of luxurious and intoxicating perfume. The groom came with his elite warriors, showing the importance of the occasion and his protection, strength, and honor of his bride. The carriage was decorated in purple, a royal color, and “inlaid with love,” embroidered with his affections and love. The verse from this section could be compared to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32):

• The wilderness- our time in the world.
• Fragrant smoke- our prayers and worship rising to the Lord.
• Armed guard- God’s protection.
• Lavish carriage- the riches of grace.
• Crown and gladness- Christ rejoicing over His people.

The groom then praised the beauty of his bride as there were no flaws. He described her from head down, the shape of her eyes, the blackness of her hair, the whiteness of her teeth, her long neck, and the tenderness of her breasts not yet fully grown (fawns). He used the phrase “my sister, my bride.” This was common ancient Near Eastern poetry, as a term of endearment, not biological family. It showed how he thought of her as more than a companion, but a loved one like today’s term “soul mate” or “my dearest.” Wives were sometimes property, and calling her “sister” promoted her to an equal partner.

In verse 4:12, he called her “a garden locked up.” She was pure and reserved for him alone. Then in verse 5:1, the garden was opened: “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.” He was joyfully delighted with his bride, and the marriage was consummated. The friends cheer them, “Eat, friends, drink your fill of love!” In that moment, the husband and wife became one flesh, a union like Christ and His Church (see 1 Corinthians 6:17 and Ephesians 5:31-32).

Today's Discussion question: 

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