(264) September 21: Song of
Songs 1-3 & 2 Corinthians 12
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read consider the
impression given about marital love.
To ponder:
In the structure
of the book 1v1-3v5 seem to reflect the passion between king Solomon (see 1v4,
12) and one of his wives, although some think the husband is not Solomon. As pre-marital
sex was totally forbidden, the strong sexual language suggests marriage. First,
the beloved longs to be kissed, delighting in her husband’s love as more
intoxicating than wine and his name as carrying a recognisable pleasure like
his own perfume. She longs to enter his chambers (1v2-4). He is admired by other
women, and her friends rejoice in her love for him. Speaking now to her lover,
she affirms how right they are to adore him and, as if defensive of the fact
that he would love her, acknowledges that she is lovely despite her dark skin,
brought about by working outdoors. (The ancients esteemed pale skin). At this
point her longing moves her to seek a rendezvous. Her request to know where he
rests his sheep is probably a metaphorical way of asking where he will pause at
midday, undistracted and so with time for her. She wants to know this so that
she doesn’t have to go out searching amongst his friends. The friends (or
perhaps the lover) advise the woman on how to find him, and the tension mounts
(1v8). If the man is not Solomon, then the sheep might be more literal, making
him a shepherd.
Now the lover, speaks: He delights
in his beloved’s beauty (1v9-11). With her jewellery it is akin to the beauty
of the stately and heavily adorned horses that draw Pharoah’s chariots. And,
perhaps to draw out and display it all the more, he determines to make her more
ear-rings. Without diminishing the importance of modesty, the Bible affirms
beauty and the appropriateness of dressing beautifully too. The woman describes
her attractiveness (or literal smell) as like a perfume smelt by her king, when
at his table. And she sees him like a perfume between her breasts, perhaps
longing for him to be there! With this in mind, she and he declare how
attractive they find the other (1v12-17). Eyes as “doves” may imply they are round
or peaceful. The verdant (lush) bed and house of cedars and firs, speaks of her
longing to sleep with him outside amongst nature. Sexual desire is being
celebrated, and the expressing of it commended.
Modestly, the woman describes
herself as only one amongst many flowers, but her lover counters that she is a
lily amongst thorns, standing out in her beauty amongst women (2v1-2).
Likewise, she describes him as an apple tree in the forest – ie. the most
delightful tree, giving shade and tasty fruit, which is no doubt a sexual
metaphor (2v3, see 8v5). 2v4 may refer to the intoxicating nature of her
beloved’s love. Faint with love and desire, she longs to taste the fruit of his
love, seeming to imagine him caressing her. Yet, as if shocked by the strength
of her desire, she charges other women, by the beautiful and feminine looking
gazelles and does, not to awaken love “until it so desires” – probably meaning,
until the right person to marry comes along (2v5-7). These are wise words. The
power of desire is such that loving people until the time is right can be both
dangerous and deeply painful.
Now she hears her lover and
describes him bounding to their home with the noble and athletic beauty of a
male gazelle or young stag. He looks through the window and invites her to come
with him, wonderfully describing how spring has arrived. This may be an
invitation to enjoy walking with him in the blossoming beauty of the season;
but more likely in context, to make love amongst nature (see 1v16-17). At
first, however, he is unable to find her, as he describes her as like a dove
hiding in the cleft of the rock, and longs to hear her sweet voice and see her
lovely face. The meaning of 2v15 is uncertain. It may be a metaphorical way of
asking her to deal with whatever is keeping them from enjoying each other’s
fruit. And it seems she does, as she declares how they are then each others,
and he “browses amongst the lilies” (ie. enjoys her, see 2v1-2) until daybreak.
Her call for him to be like a gazelle or young stag on the hills may be a call
for him to enjoy her breasts. So 2v8-17 describe the thrilling joy of the
husband coming to take his wife for a night of love-making in the spring
countryside.
3v1 seems to move to a different
time, and stresses the woman’s longing. She lies awake all night waiting for
her husband. As it was such a shocking thing for a woman to roam the streets at
night, this section has been interpreted metaphorically or as a dream. But it
is a literal reading that most stresses the power of desire. Longing for her
husband, the woman does what was socially outrageous in order to be with him,
even being prepared to face the shame of being seen by the watchman (3v1-3).
Having asked if they had seen her husband, she found him and would not let him
go until bringing him to the room of her mother’s house. This may be a
euphemism for female parts (see 8v2, 5), or to be taken literally, stressing she
took him to the closest house they could stay in because she so longed to be
with him. Again, in the light of such powerful love she charges women not to
awaken it until it is right (3v4-5).
3v6-11 portray Solomon coming to
marry the woman. He is fittingly perfumed, accompanied by his noblest warriors
in battle array, seated in a richly adorned carriage he made especially,
crowned by his mother for his wedding, and rejoicing in what is to take place.
If the book was written for this marriage, 1v1-3v5 may be intended as a
portrait of what the couple’s married life might then be. Alternatively, if the
book was written later in the marriage, the middle section might simply be to
recall the wedding. If the woman’s husband is not Solomon at all, then his
appearance in 3v6-11 would simply be a sort of model for her groom. However,
the parallel of these verses with the woman’s appearance in 6v10 suggest she is
Solomon’s bride, strengthening the legitmacy of considering Christ’s marriage
as Solomon’s descendent to the church.
Praying it
home:
Praise God for the
joy that can be found in marriage. If you are married, pray you would delight
in your spouse. If you are not, that you would be cautious with love.
Thinking
further: Song of Songs
Most likely, the
primary intent of this love song is a celebration of marital love, free of
stoicism and full of delight, with a warning not to awaken such passion until
ready to marry. However, as marriage is intended throughout scripture to
picture God’s commitment to his people, it is legitimate, whether intended by
the author or not, to also see the book as a celebration of their love for
one-another through Christ. Moreover, in the context of the wider wisdom
literature where the wise are those who embrace the woman wisdom, we may see
something of the joy to be found in wisdom here too. In being titled
“Solomon’s,” the book may be by him or simply about him.
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(265) September 22: Song of
Songs 4-5 & 2 Corinthians 13
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read consider what
can be learnt about marriage.
To ponder:
The groom now
addresses his bride, declaring her beauty: Her eyes behind her veil (perhaps
for the wedding) are like doves, and so tranquil, her hair like a flock of
goats descending a mountain, and so lustrous, with clean, white and symmetrical
teeth, red lips, rounded temples, a long and impressive neck, and gentle
breasts, which he declares he will “go to” and so enjoy all through their
wedding night, as “hills” of sweet perfume. In short, he considers her flawless
(4v1-7). He then pictures her almost like a goddess dwelling with wild animals
on mountain tops, and calls her to himself, speaking of how she stole his heart
with one glance from her eyes and when he looked on her beauty (4v8-9). He
regards her love as more intoxicating than wine and more pleasing than perfume,
her lips tantalizing, like dripping milk or honey, her aroma like a fragrance
that was clearly highly regarded in Lebanon (4v10-11). But the sign that they
are not yet married, is that she is like a locked up garden or sealed spring:
Her many choice fruits and her satisfaction of his sexual thirst are not yet
accessible to him (4v12-15). As is fitting in godly marriage, they will be his
only if she is willing to welcome him. And she is (4v16), calling the winds to
carry the fragrance of her garden to him, so that he may “come in” and “taste”
its fruits. This is the consummation of the marriage, signified by the fact
that here she describes herself as “his” garden. She now belongs to him.
It is the
sexual detail that makes clear the author’s purpose was a celebration of
marital love, combined, perhaps, with a warning over the power of desire before
marriage. And those who are married would do well to dwell on the beauty and
desirability of their spouse. Indeed, Paul affirms how the body of each in any
couple belongs to the other, and how they should not deprive one-another
sexually (1 Cor 7v3-5). Sexual attraction is therefore an important factor in
choosing who to marry. No doubt one of God’s reasons in inspiring this book, is
to help rekindle sexual passion. Nevertheless, the delight of the groom over
his bride does also speak of how the Lord delights in every aspect of his
people, longing for them to be his. Moreover, the bride’s welcome of the groom
speaks of how willing we should be to let Christ have us.
5v1 simply
and tastefully affirms the couple’s love-making. The groom declares how he has
come into his garden, which is his bride, gathering her smell, tasting her
honey, and drinking her wine and milk. And knowing what is going on, their
friends, in support of their love and marriage, express their desire for them
to eat and drink their fill. We too should encourage our married friends in
their marriage.
It’s
difficult to quite know why 5v2-8 is here. It clearly parallels 3v1-5. Some
think both metaphorically describe the wife’s feelings about sex. Others that
they are dreams she has: the first about having sex with her fiancé, the second
after they have sex for the first time. This is more plausible as both begin
with sleep. But, a more literal event is quite possible, placing the latter
section sometime into the marriage: Although in light sleep, the wife hears her
husband and lover knocking at her door. He asks her to let him in, wanting to
come in out of the night. At first she is reluctant, as doesn’t want to get
redressed and dirty her feet after washing. This of course resonates with
marriage beyond the honeymoon stage! But when her lover puts his hand through
to open the door, her desire for him increased and her heart pounded. She got
up to unlock the door dripping with the fragrance of sexual desire, only to
find he had gone and her heart sink in disappointment. She looked, called and
even went out to search for him, being beaten and robbed by the watchmen, who
clearly didn’t know who she was. The point may be that she so longed for her
husband that she did what was foolish, putting herself in danger’s way. This
stresses all the more how daft it was for her to hesitate to welcome him in,
suggesting the story may be intended to encourage couples not to miss
opportunities to give themselves to one-another. Whatever the case, the wife
charges her friends to tell her husband she is faint with love for him. They
ask how exactly he excels others for her to ask them to tell him that. She
responds with a description of his physical attractiveness as “outstanding
among ten thousand”: He is radiant, ruddy, with golden skin and back wavy hair,
tranquil and pale eyes like jewels, with cheeks and lips that are enticing and
have a pleasing aroma for her. His golden brown arms and white (probably
untanned) body are described as if decorated with jewels to stress their glory
and preciousness to her. His legs are strong like marble, on golden brown feet,
and his whole appearance strong and tall like cedars. His mouth, and so kisses,
are sweetness itself and he is altogether lovely. We might expect the woman to
have included some character traits in her husband as reasons for her love, as
in wider scripture these are more important (1 Tim 2v9-10). However, we should
remember the song has been written to celebrate sexual desire and enjoyment as
a gift from God.
Praying it
home:
Praise God for the
delight he has in his people. If you are married, pray that you and your spouse
would more fully enjoy each other sexually. Whether married or not, pray that
you would give wholly yourself to Christ.
Thinking
further:
To read
the NIV Study Bible introduction to Song of Songs, click
here.
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(266) September 23: Song of
Songs 6-8 & Galatians 1
Ask God to open
your mind, heart and will to understand, delight in and obey what you read.
To discover:
As you read consider what
we are learning about physical attractiveness.
To ponder:
With the husband gone and the opportunity missed, the
friends ask where he might be so they can look for him. The second reference to
the wife as the “most beautiful of women” perhaps implies a certain jealousy of
her marriage. In the context of the book, the wife’s reply is that her husband
has now come to her, as she is “his garden” and the “lily” he browses (6v1-2,
see 21v1-2, 16-17, 4v15-16). So she declares that they now belong to
one-another (6v3) and, as if in response, he praises her beauty once more: She
is compared to the two most glorious cities in Israel, and as majestic or
regal, inspiring awe in him as troops would. Her eyes overwhelm, and her hair,
teeth and temples are described as before (see notes on 4v1-3). He (most likely
Solomon) sees her as superior to his (so far?) sixty queens, eighty concubines,
and the innumerable virgins who served him. She is beautiful like the dove,
perfect, unique, her mother’s favourite, and the one praised not just by women
in general, but by the queens and concubines too (6v4-9).
After this
exalted description of the wife, the friends see her, asking who it is who is
glorious like the dawn, fair like the moon, radiant like the sun, majestic like
the stars. The superlative language does make us wonder whether the Lord
intends the book to look beyond this human marriage to his union with the
church. Jesus beautifies his bride to present her to himself as radiant,
without wrinkle or blemish (Eph 5v25-28). Whatever our outward appearance, God
sees us in Christ with this beauty, and will beautify us in soul and in body
too.
6v11-12 are
probably spoken by the woman rather than her husband. The language may
metaphorically describe her as having gone to see if she could enjoy a sexual
encounter with her husband. The meaning of verse 12 is unclear, but no doubt
understood by the original audience. It may allude to her desire for him,
meaning that in her marriage she will be leaving the people. They call her
back, to gaze on her beauty. (“Shulammite” may mean “perfect one” or “Solomoness”).
Her husband asks why people should want to keep her there and gaze on her, then
describing her physique (as she did him, 5v10-16) as worthy of royalty: Her
feet are beautiful, her legs glorious and precious like jewels, and shapely as
if crafted. Her navel is rounded, with wine to be enjoyed. Her waist has the
hourglass figure of wheat bound by lilies. Her breasts are gentle, her neck
like an ivory tower (so perhaps it was he face that was so tanned), her eyes
clear and blue like pools, her nose elegant like towers, her head crowning her
beauty like a majestic mountain, and her hair captivating like a tapestry. In
short, she is beautiful, pleasing and delightful (7v1-6). She is tall like the
palm tree with breasts like fruit. And her husband wants to climb and take hold
of that fruit, enjoying the fragrance of her breath and her mouth in kisses
like wine (7v7-9). And contrasting 5v3 she now expresses that she is more than
willing, desiring that her wine go to him, stressing that she belongs to him
and he desires her, and asking that they go to the countryside to make love
during the night, as previously (7v9-13, see 1v16-17, 2v11-13). (“Mandrakes”
were regarded as an aphrodisiac, affirming a double-entendre in 7v12-13). The
proposal shows how confident the wife has become in marriage to now be
approaching her husband. Indeed, the offer of both “new and old” delicacies
suggests a willingness to develop the nature of their lovemaking.
In the
ancient world showing public affection even for one’s husband was frowned on,
so she wishes he were her brother, so she could kiss him openly. She desires
also to lead him to her “mother’s house” and give him wine and fruit. This may
refer to her previous home, or be a euphemism for female parts (also 3v4).
Whatever the case, she contemplates him caressing her and warning others
against the danger of such powerful desire (8v1-4).
Here the
friends note not the groom coming to his wedding (as 3v6), but the woman
leaning on him. They are now together. And she speaks of “rousing” him at the
same place that he mother conceived and gave birth (3v5). As it is extremely
unlikely his mother did both under an apple tree, she is most likely referring
to her female parts, where conception and childbirth take place, and perhaps
also to the male genitals as the “apple tree.” In the light of their sexual
union, she asks him to make her a “seal” over his heart and on his arm – a
visible sign that she belongs to him and he is devoted to her. This is the
nature of marital faithfulness, and she notes it is needed because love and
jealousy can be a strong, irresistible and destructive as death and the grave,
or a blazing fire that cannot be quenched. This is why she has warned her
friends. And this is why sexual love must be expressed within marriage. It is
too powerful and dangerous if given then spurned, to be unleashed without such
lifelong commitment. Moreover, such love cannot be bought (8v6-7). We might
consider the love of God for us in Christ, that burnt with such intensity that
even death couldn’t snuff it out.
In response
to the woman’s description of the power and danger of love, her friends ask
what they can do to protect their young sister who is not yet developed,
committing to using the best materials so that she cannot be scaled or opened
(8v8-9). This concern to protect the virginity of the young (and, no doubt, of
oneself) until sexual maturity and marriage is being commended. The woman,
however, responds that her breasts are like towers. In other words, now she is
developed, she has become to her husband one bringing contentment. And whereas
Solomon charged people to enjoy the fruit of his vineyard, and pay towards it
being tended, she tends her own (ie. her body) and gives it freely (8v10-11).
In the light of that her lover (Solomon?) responds by asking to hear her voice,
and she calls him, again, to come, and be like the gazelle or young stag
enjoying her “spice-laden mountains” (8v13-14).
Praying it
home:
Praise God for his
love for his people and commitment to beautifying them in Christ. Pray that
young people you know would be able to resist the temptation to sexual
immorality.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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