Lecture 14 Song of Solomon of Solomon – Introduction

Lecture 14 Song of Solomon of Solomon – Introduction

(Show Video from Bibleproject.com)

(Outline was created from the Bible Project’s Article covering the Song of Solomon of Solomon)

The Song of Solomon – A Divine Love Poem

1. The Poetry of this Book.

Expressions of love and desire:

i. Song of Solomon 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

ii. Song of Solomon 2:16-17 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away.

iii. Song of Solomon 5:10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

1. “White” here can mean “radiant.”

Song of Solomon celebrates the delight of human intimacy within God's design.

2. The Puzzle of this Book.

Title: Song of Solomon 1:1 The Song of Solomon of Song of Solomons, which is Solomon’s.

The greatest Song of Solomon.

The phrase to/for/by Solomon reflects royal sponsorship, not authorship.

It is also know as the “Song of Songs” which is a vague Hebrew idiom that could be about Solomon.

The phrase “song of songs” is its Hebrew title, which means “the best song.”

Jewish Rabbis: “Shouldn’t read book until over 30.” Not one religious sentence in this book. God’s name not used. Solomon as a source of Israel’s wisdom tradition:

1 Kings 4:29-32 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

Solomon’s connection to Proverbs:

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.

3. The Purpose of this Book.

Wisdom literature reflecting on love, relationships, and marriage.

A celebration of the joys and responsibilities of love as part of living well: Proverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Proverbs 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Demonstrates the mysterious and powerful nature of marital love.

Clifford Hurst: *The Typical View as the Purpose for the Book of Solomon:

The song is of an actual event in Solomon’s life where for the first time he encounters true love with a country girl. She taught the polygamist Solomon the meaning of true love which Solomon chose over his sensual harem.

This was a love God could sanction.

The Song was placed in the canon as a type of the love that should exist between Jehovah and Israel, Christ and the Church.

Difference Between Allegory and type:

In a type the details are not symbols.

The themes about love, and not parallels, are what matter.

God didn’t see true, human love and say, “Wow, what a good illustration of the love I desire to exist between Me and my people”

He created human love to mirror the love He also desired between Himself and His people.

Clifford Hurst: Summary of Purpose:

To show the sanctity of monogamous love: the song is a celebration of the beauty and wonder of human love. God intends man to enjoy passionate love within the boundaries of His laws.

To apply such love to illustrate the love between the Lord and Israel.

To compare such an application to the love that exists between Christ and the Church.

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-33 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

3. The Power and Pain in this Book.

Affirms the joy and intensity of physical love: Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

Warns of the unquenchable nature of love and desire: Song of Solomon 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Clifford Hurst: Two Actor Drama: Two Visits from Solomon:

King Solomon had a vineyard in the hill country of Ephraim, 50 miles north of Jerusalem.

He leased it out to keepers (8:11)

They consisted of a mother, two sons (1:6), two daughters—the Shulamite (6:3), and her little sister (8:8).

The Shulamite was beautiful but had little time for her personal appearance (1:6) because she was made to work so hard by her two “step” brothers.

She had to prune the vines and set traps for foxes, and keep flocks (1:8, 2:15)

She became sunburned (1:5) Solomon came in disguise to visit his vineyard , shows interest.

She is embarrassed of her appearance(1:6) and mistakes him for a shepherd and asks about his flocks.

He is evasive (1:7) but speaks words of love (1:8-10) and promises future gifts (1:11).

He wins her heart and then leaves with a promise to return.

She dreams of him at night thinking he is near (3:1)

He returns dressed as a king to make her his bride (3:6-7)

Reflects human love’s fleeting nature and its pointer to something greater.

4. The Point of this Book.

Silent on God’s love but rich in Edenic imagery, directing us to the Creator.

Love as a gift from the Author of life, requiring stewardship and reverence:

Ecclesiastes 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

A divine affirmation of love, grounded in the wisdom of God's design.