A Celebration of Love
The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, stands as a unique book in Scripture—a collection of lyrical love poems celebrating the beauty and power of romantic love.
Traditionally attributed to King Solomon, the book depicts the passionate relationship between a man (often identified as Solomon himself) and his beloved (the Shulammite woman).
Unlike most biblical books that directly address theological or moral teachings, the Song of Solomon poetically honors human love and intimate relationship.
Its inclusion in the canon affirms the goodness of romantic love as God designed it, countering both the view that sexuality is inherently sinful and the idea that spiritual matters are separate from physical experience.
Song of Solomon 2:8-13 (NIV):
"Listen! My beloved! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My beloved spoke and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.'"
This passage captures the eager anticipation and joy of love. The beloved hears her lover approaching with enthusiasm, leaping across mountains to reach her. His invitation to "arise" and come away with him coincides with springtime—a season of new life, beauty, and fruitfulness—suggesting the renewing power of love.
Throughout the book, the couple expresses admiration for one another's beauty, desires their physical union, and delights in their mutual commitment. The Song also emphasizes the importance of appropriate timing in love:
Song of Solomon 8:4 (NIV):
"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."
This refrain, repeated three times in the book, emphasizes that love and physical intimacy should not be rushed or forced but allowed to develop in proper time.
The culmination of the Song presents a mature vision of love that is as powerful as death and cannot be quenched:
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (NIV):
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned."
Lesson:
The Song of Solomon teaches us that romantic love is a divine gift to be celebrated, not hidden or considered unspiritual. By including these passionate love poems in Scripture, God affirms the goodness of the physical attraction and emotional bond between husband and wife.
This challenges both religious prudishness that might dismiss physical love and secular perspectives that reduce it to mere physical pleasure.
The Song also illustrates that authentic love involves mutual admiration and respect. Throughout the book, the lovers praise each other's qualities, listening attentively and responding to one another.
This mutual honoring creates the foundation for lasting love, reminding us that genuine romance affirms the whole person, not just physical attributes.
Furthermore, the book emphasizes that love requires appropriate boundaries and timing. The repeated warning not to "awaken love until it so desires" acknowledges love's power and the importance of channeling it properly.
This wisdom remains relevant in a culture that often encourages premature intimacy without commitment.
Finally, the Song's powerful conclusion reveals that mature love reflects something of God's unconquerable love. When love is described as "strong as death" and unquenchable by "many waters," we glimpse how human love at its best echoes divine love.
This connection has led many interpreters throughout history to see in the Song an allegory of God's love for His people or Christ's love for the Church.
Prayer:
Creator God, we thank You for the gift of romantic love so beautifully celebrated in the Song of Solomon. In a world that often distorts sexuality or treats it as merely physical, help us appreciate the sacred beauty of love as You designed it.
Teach us to honor our spouses or future spouses with words of genuine admiration and acts of selfless devotion. For those who are single, grant wisdom in waiting for love to develop in Your timing rather than rushing into relationships prematurely.
For those in marriages, renew the passion and commitment that makes love enduring. May our human relationships, with all their beauty and complexity, give us glimpses of Your unquenchable love for us.
Whether married or single, may we find our ultimate satisfaction in You, the source of all love. Guard our hearts and minds, that we might honor You in all our relationships.
In Your holy name we pray, Amen.