Song of Songs in the Bible

[enoob57]

One book that has always puzzled me in the Bible is the Song of Songs. I always struggle with it, because I don't understand its purpose, what it is trying to teach.

Here's someone else who could use some help

Okay we need your parental controls to your computer!

[time-keeper]

Did he really have 700 wives?! wow, that's a lot, enough for two years......hehe, it was funny though.

EDIT: i agree with HIS girl...

Edited June 9, 2010 by time-keeper

[time-keeper]

Also even one of the most um, descriptive books on relationship in the Bible, "Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs" says I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases." twice and once more for effect with out the mentioning of the gazelles. It seems to me a warning about jumping into a relationship with out being ready. Also this speaks into part of the design of marriage

Sorry to add another post, but it deserved another post. Speaking of "song of songs"..i remembered Isaiah 6:8 posted this on the "Is kissing before marriage wrong?" topic in the advice colum...I really liked his post on dating...it's in page three, the last post if i remember correctly.

best,

Lilly

[nebula]

Here's someone else who could use some help

Okay we need your parental controls to your computer!

[Guest HIS girl]

One book that has always puzzled me in the Bible is the Song of Songs. I always struggle with it, because I don't understand its purpose, what it is trying to teach. And also it seems to be so much about a (sexual) love affair that I don't see the theology or spirituality behind it (?).

SOS is first and foremost a love poem describing the physical relationship between a husband and wife. Tradition attributes it to King Solomon. In ancient times, it was considered so highly charged that Jewish men under the age of 30 were forbidden to read it.

One common, albeit incorrect, explanation of the purpose of the book says that it was written as a description of God's love for the church. That explanation has been superimposed on the book relatively recently since we know for a fact that it was written long before the church existed.

Understood.

Scripture is God breathed and the Holy Spirit will use Scripture (all of Scripture) to bring to mind what needs to be fed to a person at whatever season/issue the person is in at the time...

I would rather be taught from SOS about male/female relationships than what is out "there" in this world....

AND I love the notion of God's love/care etc for US mirroring the intense emotions a married couple can/ought to have for each other ....

[time-keeper]

Did he really have 700 wives?! wow, that's a lot, enough for two years......hehe, it was funny though.

EDIT: i agree with HIS girl...

Yes and three hundred concubines.

wow, that's a lot. enough for three years...how old did he get to be? and they were all okay with it???

[GerdaHannah]

One book that has always puzzled me in the Bible is the Song of Songs. I always struggle with it, because I don't understand its purpose, what it is trying to teach. And also it seems to be so much about a (sexual) love affair that I don't see the theology or spirituality behind it (?).

With all due respect, it is not entirely about sexual love. It is more emotional. The king celebrates her beauty not because she IS the most beautiful woman, but because he loves her so much that he enjoys everything about her. His love for her makes her look more beautiful than she is. I say this because beauty cannot be measured, so there is no way we can decisively say "so and so" is the most beautiful woman. So this symbolises the ideal relationship between a husband and a wife. Our Maker also has a husband wife relationship with us. So this book refers to both the ideal earthly relationship between a husband and a wife and between God and us.

[Guest HIS girl]

AND I love the notion of God's love/care etc for US mirroring the intense emotions a married couple can/ought to have for each other ....

As long as you are clear about the fact that that was not the original purpose of the book.

I understand what SOS is about trust me, however the Holy Spirit WILL use it and other parts of the Bible however He needs to, to get your attention about something......just like the HS used the Samaritan woman story to point something out to me about my ex-partner.....AND Himself.

[Guest HIS girl]

Did he really have 700 wives?! wow, that's a lot, enough for two years... ...hehe, it was funny though.

EDIT: i agree with HIS girl...

Yes and three hundred concubines.

wow, that's a lot. enough for three years...how old did he get to be? and they were all okay with it???

This was common practise with Royalty..(prob still is)...however, not all the women "spent time" with the King - more women you had in the harem suggested greater prestige - which just makes the woman in SOS even more special since she was a hardworking 'commoner"....

[Isaiah 6:8]

Also even one of the most um, descriptive books on relationship in the Bible, "Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs" says I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases." twice and once more for effect with out the mentioning of the gazelles. It seems to me a warning about jumping into a relationship with out being ready. Also this speaks into part of the design of marriage

Sorry to add another post, but it deserved another post. Speaking of "song of songs"..i remembered Isaiah 6:8 posted this on the "Is kissing before marriage wrong?" topic in the advice colum...I really liked his post on dating...it's in page three, the last post if i remember correctly.

best,

Lilly

Why thanks Lilly, I was going to post that very thing again!

Also I agree, that is more about the emotions that intimacy bring, rather then just the physical. Since some of the most descriptive phrases do not make sense outside of the emotion.

Song of Solomon 4:4 (New King James Version)

4 Your neck is like the tower of David,

Built for an armory,

On which hang a thousand bucklers,

All shields of mighty men.

One last thing, it shows the joy of a marriage sexual relationship, in the way He intended it. Remember he was the one who invented it, and made it more then reproduction but as a way to draw closer to your spouse. More of a Knowing of each other. Thats why the word Know is used in the Bible for this act!

Again this is not about a love affair, but about a marriage!