Study in Song of Songs

Study in Song of Songs Presentation 01

The Love Relationship Chap 1v1-17 Presentation 01

Introduction In many respects this is both an captivating and controversial book. It causes embarrassment to some who are reluctant to teach it publicly. How best can we approach it? There are said to be four principal interpretations of it. The allegorical: which regards the book as not real history but as a story with a spiritual interpretation. The typological: which sees the book as describing real events but with a higher, spiritual interpretation in view. The dramatic: a marriage-song which is presented in the form of a drama. The natural: which sees it merely as a love poem and no more. Presentation 01

Introduction Most criticism of both the allegorical and typological interpretations seem to assume that these are refuges for the prudish from the erotic naturalness of sexual love, but this need not be so. Surely we do not need to be embarrassed by a love poem that deals with sexual love within the bonds of matrimony in order to see beyond the natural to the spiritual. The approach pursued in these studies attempts to interpret the Song of Songs ethically as a love poem of marital fidelity; and spiritually as Christ's love for his Church. Presentation 01

Introduction In its translation of the book the N.I.V. has helpfully produced headings to introduce the three different voices operating in the text. This division which also makes distinctions provides a helpful framework: Lover: [male / king], Beloved: [female], Friends: [assumed to be female because they are friends of the Beloved] Some have suggested that it would be helpful to read through the book at one sitting in order to get the 'feel' of the poem. Many suggestions concerning the book’s interpretation may occur during such a reading, which in turn invites deeper thought. Presentation 01

The Longing Of The Beloved As the beloved gives expression of her love it is necessity to find a deeper meaning to these amorous intimacies. When applied to Christ the lover of our souls these words appropriately typify the delights of the believer who is united with Christ. Our love relationship with him can transports us into realms of blissful enjoyment. The Lord Jesus has after all chosen us to be the objects of his dear love, which is intimate, extravagant, and boundless! No wonder the inspired poet chooses profuse language. After all, the climax of true conjugal love is union, and our union with Christ is far more integral than that of any other marriage. Presentation 01

The Longing Of The Beloved The fragrance of the perfumes of the Lover of our souls is inextricably united to his Name. The name Jesus and its many synonyms - is the sweetest on earth. Think of the hymns that focus on the wonder of that Name. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear; Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast; O Jesus, King most wonderful; Jesus name above all names. The list is endless. “No wonder the maidens love you!” v3 The word translated ‘maidens’ is ‘virgins’ [Isa. 7v14], a word that equally applies to men and women [Rev. 14v4] and spiritually refers to those who have not been defiled by any other love than that of Jesus. Presentation 01

The Longing Of The Beloved Only those who are uncontaminated can love him as they ought. Of course, we are all by nature sinners and therefore defiled, but the blood of Jesus cleanses and restores the broken relationship so that those washed by his blood are quite pure. If we remain so and no idols of any kind compete with our love of the Lord, our love for him will be as ardent as the hymn-writers describe. The fragrance of his sweet Name will constantly melt our cold hearts as the wonder of his love for creatures such as we are invades our thinking and warms our emotions. The desire to be with the Lover of our souls can become so intense that we cry out for him to come and carry us into the realms of his heavenly love. Presentation 01

The Comment Of The Friends The comment in the second half of v4“We rejoice and delight in you, we will praise your love more than wine” is significant. For there is a delight in the Lord which defies human description. The love for Jesus which is incomprehensible to the unbeliever is nevertheless a great encouragement and incentive to those who do believe. If ‘wine makes the heart merry’ then how much more so does an unfettered love for the Lord Jesus thrill our innermost being. How often has the example of another’s love for Jesus provided the stimulus required by others to press in to discover more folds of his love? The joy of the true lover of our Lord is truly infectious! Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Description The beloved's remark “how right they are to adore you” v4, introduces her own comment about herself - she is “dark, yet lovely”. She speaks of two different worlds. First, she is not only dust, into which the breath of life was poured, but rebel dust: and so she is doubly dark in relation to her noble Bridegroom. Yet, as his chosen bride she is made lovely by him. The jealous daughters of Jerusalem may not think so, they want to paint her as black as they can. Hence, the reference to the tents of Kedar which were made of black goats' hair. Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Description She is likened also to the , ‘tent curtains of Solomon’, which could be a reference to her beauty – the rich brocades adorning the royal tent - and so the phrase would stand in stark contrast to the expression “dark, but lovely.” If, as some suggest the setting is the royal harem, then she may have found the stares of others embarrassing, and so seeks to give reason for her dark colour. She has been out in the world, where men are cruel and unkind and would use even their dearest to serve their selfish ends. She became a slave to others and neglected her own vineyard. Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Description She needs is the King of love to be her shepherd, and so the metaphor changes from vineyards to flocks. She seeks her kindly shepherd v7 who cares supremely for his flock. He knows how to rest them during the heat of the day. We a have a picture of love aroused as she searches for the Lover of her soul as if life depended on it - which it does. She does not want to be discovered by him as a veiled prostitute plying her unworthy trade. [cf. Tamar, in Gen.38 v13-16.]She wants to be seen as one who has been drawn by true love, resting beside him under the hade of some overhanging branches, protected from the heat of the relentlessness of the sun which burns and darkens the skin. Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Description There is also the thought of being with the flock as well as with the good Shepherd. This is one of the things which the people of God should be grateful for, not least in a day when many believers are isolated in prisons and dark hell-holes for their faith. Those who live in unpersecuted areas of the world are free to meet together under the shadow of their Lord's loving care need constantly to be reminded of the inestimable blessing it is to belong to a fellowship of love. What a blessing it is to be able to share our love for our Lord without embarrassment or scorn, and to remember with fervent prayer those brothers and sisters who are deprived of that privilege. Presentation 01

The Gentle Lover The Lover speaks for the first time in v8 to one who does not know where to find him. No reproach is intended, just a longing that she should know how to find him. There is a gentle courtliness about true love. It cares, even when chiding, not to offend but to reassure as sweetly as possible. This is the essence of the marriage bond. The tracks of the shepherd will naturally be the tracks of his sheep, for he will always be where they are; 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' But he wants to be found by us, for true love is never one-sided, and even the most adoring lover seeks for some response, which is the only way he may know that his love is returned. Presentation 01

The Gentle Lover She must seek him! He is to be found among his people, and near the tents of the shepherds. Those who say you can be as good a Christian without going to Church fail to understand the nature of true Christianity. To be with Christ is to be with his, people. That is as natural just as it for tennis-players or footballers to meet with their own kind. Especially if you have young protégés whom you want to encourage to find an environment that will aid their development. Here is a word of advice concerning those we seek to influence. Lead them to the fellowship of believers for there they will find the Shepherd himself, “do not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…” Heb.10.25 Presentation 01

The Gentle Lover In most cultures we find an endearing use of animal names to describe attractive features of our beloveds. There are few more beautiful sights in the animal world than a horse of elegant proportions. It is an intelligent animal that moves with such beauty, rhythm and grace. We might think twice about applying this to a female figure, but the Lover does so here. The picture of Pharaohs royal chariots, is one of outstanding nobility, and this is how our Lord views his Church which he has purchased with his own blood and why we have the recurring theme in Scripture of his desire to dwell among his people and be their God, Ex. 6v7; Rev. 21v3. Presentation 01

The Gentle Lover In v10 the beloved's beauty is expressed in terms of jewel-bedecked loveliness. For many, the female face cluttered with jewels and baubles, is not a becoming picture. A sense of inferiority or inadequacy may make them feel they must add to their charms to be accepted and admired. But the comparison here is not merely of jewels, but of jewel-bedecked cheeks, neck and ears. The basic beauty is that of the human face and clearly one wants the beloved to appear as attractive as possible. When we apply all this to Christ's view of his Church and Bride, we may see how gorgeously he sees her arrayed in the finery of her good deeds wrought in his Name and power. Presentation 01

The Gentle Lover In Rev. 19v8 the righteous deeds of the saints to be displayed in glory are described in terms of ‘fine linen, bright and clean’ and the holy city in Rev. 21 is described in extravagantly luxurious terms - gold, pearls and precious stones of all hues. The regality of the Lord of Glory expresses itself in terms which sees the object of his desire in correspondingly regal terms. And if the jewels adoring his bride symbolise the adornment of good works wrought in Christ, then that is a beautiful idea, and one that should inspire us to give to Jesus in our devotion and service our very best, so that we may be similarly adorned with good works when we appear before him in glory. Presentation 01

The Beloved And Perfume The beloved speaks from her place at the table of the king. The perfumes mentioned express her thoughts of him [cfv3]. The first perfume is ‘spikenard’ v12 - a rare and expensive ointment. There are times when our private communion with the Lord and the treasures of his Word excites in us the sweetness of his love so that the sense of the Lord's presence is to us an exquisite fragrance. The sweetness of such communion defies words. The experience of peace and happiness as we walk through a scented garden in which the perfumes overwhelm us are produced by nothing other than the presence of the Lord Jesus, the Lover of our souls. Presentation 01

The Beloved And Perfume The second fragrance is ‘myrrh’, a much more pungent aroma and one associated with death, causing many to think it an unattractive perfume. This perfume rests between the beloveds breasts. It is the perfume of the heart, for only the heart attuned to the purpose of Christ's death can appreciate it. Men balk at the cost, and fail to see beyond the dark portal of death to the glory that succeeds the gloom. This king is no sensuous philanderer who lives for present enjoyment. He attains kingship by suffering and death. His sacrificial death has a sweetness associated with it which appears bitter and foolish to those who do not have eyes to see. 1Cor.1v18ff Presentation 01

The Beloved And Perfume The ‘henna’ plant has flowers of beautiful fragrance. And this imaginary, a girl of long ago [a type of the Bride of Christ], is looking for language to describe her royal Lover, and recalls these sweet-scented flowers- not just sweet but strong-smelling and aromatic. There is nothing insipid about this Lover. All these perfumes are strong as well as sweet, and describe character, strength and powerful influence. There is nothing sentimental about his love - it is strong as death. Yet there is subtle sweetness, that draws even as it accosts. And as the beloved sits at table with her king she is not in danger of forgetting his presence, for he is graciously commanding, and requires her attention to all his loving wishes. Presentation 01

The Response of the King Now this strong and beautiful king looks upon his beloved, who has acknowledged him in fragrant terms, and he responds with his terms of endearment. These are what he sees when he views her in himself. It is wonderful that the Lord sees believers as they will be when perfected and not as we are now! Jesus is determined to see us dressed in the perfections of complete sanctification, even when still tainted by of sin! What hope he has of us! He longs to see us grow in the grace. Because he is sure, he can afford to be patiently gentle and confident he describes our ‘eyes’ as ‘doves’, the symbol peace. Others may see in us fear and panic, and so fail to discern the God imparted serenity hidden behind human frailty. Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Love The beloved responds; 'How handsome you are, my Lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant.' The manly beauty of Christ as his saints view him is something which is of the greatest encouragement to those who in their love of Jesus may be charged with sentimentality. There is a disarming simplicity about those who truly love the Lord which other people find embarrassing. What they really feel, if the truth t told, is that we are expressing love for a non-existent One and that is too uncanny to be accepted or understood by them. Therefore people shift from foot to foot and remain awkwardly silent until the subject is changed - to something real! Presentation 01

The Beloved’s Love But the charms of the Lord, are such that we desire nothing short of union with him. This is the essence of marriage, that we want to be one with him and know him inwardly. Now the desire he stirs within us to be one with him is met by the provision of nothing less than union with him, for he indwells his beloved, and we carry him about with us communing with him constantly. The ‘bed is verdant’, for there is a freshness about our fellowship with our Lord which, unlike human sexual union, does not pall or tire. His charms never fade. We can go to him in any circumstances at any juncture in life and find him the same, in wisdom, love and power, and ready to comfort, and lead us back into the everlasting way. Presentation 01

The Lover’s Provision Their meeting place or home is described. Both cedar and fir are beautifully grained materials, redolent in scent. Wood can stand rough usage and after centuries it is mature, satisfying and dignified. So too are the qualities of friendship that exist between true lovers of the Lord. A fellowship of mature believers reveals a serenity and stability that has lasted for a long time - it is truly welcoming without being embarrassingly gushy. Too much effusiveness, or, conversely disinterest can put off strangers. A mature fellowship of believers is outward looking and offers a warm acceptance, making it a joy to be in their company. Presentation 01

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Study in Song of Songs