Sermon Tone Analysis

Song of Solomon 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is better than wine; 3 your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. 4 Draw me after you; let us run.

The king has brought me into his chambers.

We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.

Introduction

The Song of Solomon is an amazing book.

It is a series of songs or romantic poems that express the love between a man and a woman which leads to their wedding and their life together.

It also personifies the love of Christ for his people and their love for him.

1.

The Prologue v1

a. Author and Date

The author is Solomon, he is mentioned seven times in the book.

MEGILLOTH The collective name of the five “scrolls”—Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther—in the closing section of the Hebrew Bible, the “Writings.”

Written about 970/60 BC

b.

Characters

Two main characters, Solomon and the Shulamite we do not have much information about her but it would appear that she was a native of Shunem village near the plain of Megiddo just north of Jezreel.

Two other groups are mentioned ‘The daughters of Jerusalem’ or friends of the Shulamite and the watchmen, security patrols in Jerusalem.

c. Song of Songs

d.

Interpretation

There are three main forms of interpretation.

Allegorical

Naturalistic

Typical

Allegorical

This treats the book as being entirely figurative with no historical basis.

It does not recall events that actually take place but sees them simply as pictures of something else.

Naturalistic

This interpretation sees it only as a poem about the wonder of human love and the importance of marriage.

There is no mention of it in any way referring to Jesus Christ and believers.

Typical

This view accepts that it is a clear description of the love shown between Solomon and the Shulamite taking their experience and seeing how it leads us to deep spiritual truths.

This is the most tenable view.

“The songs should be treated then, first as simple and yet sublime songs of human affection.

When they are thus understood, reverently the thoughts may be lifted into the higher value of setting forth the joys of the communion between the spirit of man and the Spirit of God, and ultimately between the Church and Christ.”

Dr G. Campbell Morgan

The Jews revered it as uniquely sublime, and sang portions of it on each day of their first and greatest national festival, the eight days of Passover and unleavened bread.

To them Proverbs was like the outer court of the temple, Ecclesiastes like the holy place, but the Song of Solomon as the holy of holies.

Olyott, S. (1983).

A Life Worth Living and a Lord Worth Loving(p.

73).

Evangelical Press.

We must be careful in our interpretation of it, let it speak to us rather than impose our ideas and culture upon it.

2. Stirrings v2

a. Kisses v2a

There are deep stirrings in depths of being.

It is not lust but the beginnings of a desire for Solomon.

It includes physical desire and intimacy but there is much more.

Today we often associate kissing with loose infatuation or sensual desire.

In the Bible it is an expression of pure and deep love, though it has several other meanings, too: an expression of affection, a pledge of peace, a token of reconciliation and a sign of acceptance.

b.

Love v2b

The desire for his love is far greater than any other desire.

“Love is all-inclusive.

When you love, every part of you is involved.

You cannot love in sections of your personality; love is always totalitarian in its demands and responses.”

The Final Perseverance of the Saints, 185 David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

3. His Person v3

Mary, Martha’s sister - worth nearly a years wages

a. Name

The name is that which describes the person.

b.

Object of Love

Why do not others see him as she does or she understands why they do.

3. Draw Me v4a

She wants to be where he is to be part of his household.

4. Praise v4b

She shares her thoughts with others and they delight in her.

We turn now to what we see of Christ’s love for us

5. Stirrings

Charles Wesley ‘21 May 1738 was Pentecost Sunday…[and] the day of Charles Wesley’s conversion.’

Charles said he felt the Spirit of God striving with his spirit ‘till by degrees He chased away the darkness of my unbelief.

I found myself convinced…I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ.’

John Wesley 24 May 1738 "In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans.

About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.

I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

a. Kisses

Luke 7:44–48 (ESV)

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?

I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.

But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

b.

Love

Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

6.

His Person v3

a. Fragrance

2 Corinthians 2:14–15 (ESV)

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

b.

Name

The name is that which describes the person.

Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV)

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.