articlesforchristians

Song of Solomon

Song of Songs 1:1The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.

• Author: Solomon, son of David
• Date: 970-930 B.C.
• Theme: The pursuit of genuine or real love
• Purpose:
  • Song of Solomon is a three-fold love story depicting the love relationship between:
    • A husband and wife in marriage (details of intimacy)
    • God and His covenant people (the nation of Israel)
    • Jesus and His bride (the Church)
  • The book is a love dialogue between a Jewish maiden (the Shulamite woman) and her lover (Solomon, the king).
• Content
  • The bride and the bridegroom Song of Solomon 1:1-2:7
    • Song of Songs 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
  • The praise of her beloved: Song of Solomon 2:8-3:5
    • Song of Songs 2:10-13My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!
  • The praise of the bride: Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1
    • Song of Songs 4:16 Awake, O north wind And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.
  • The communion of love: Song of Solomon 5:2-8:14
    • Song of Songs 7:10 I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me.
• Christ in the book of Song of Solomon
  • Solomon as a type of Christ – The Shulamite as a type of the bride of Christ
    • Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 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. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Here is a song that is inspired by this book.