[By Ron Halbrook]
Introduction:
1.
Young King Solomon
& a beautiful young woman of Shulam
celebrate their love
as she becomes his bride.
10 I am my beloved's,
and his desire is toward me.
2
Introduction:
2. We see their relationship develop
as a series of scenes & stages.
3
Introduction:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
God ordained companionship,
affection, & passionate love in marriage.
4
God ordained companionship,
affection, & passionate love in marriage.
24 Therefore shall a man
leave his father and his mother,
and shall cleave unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh.
5
Introduction:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
Passionate love is God’s gift
in marriage—unmatched by crude, cruel
counterfeits (pornography, fornication,
adultery, rape, incest, homosexuality, etc.).
6
Passionate love is God’s gift
in marriage—unmatched by crude, cruel counterfeits
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,
and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad,
and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own,
and not strangers' with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed:
and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
7
Passionate love is God’s gift
in marriage—unmatched by crude, cruel counterfeits
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;
let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
and be thou ravished always with her love.
20 And why wilt thou, my son,
be ravished with a strange woman,
and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 For the ways of man
are before the eyes of the LORD,
and he pondereth all his goings.
8
Passionate love is God’s gift
in marriage—unmatched by crude, cruel counterfeits
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,
and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
23 He shall die without instruction;
and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
9
Introduction:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
Married love: spontaneous, beautiful,
powerful, & exclusive—
includes “moments of separation & intimacy,
anguish & ecstasy, tension & contentment”
(Zondervan NIV Study Bible: 1020)
10
Introduction:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
King Solomon found this love as a young man
but later stumbled over political marriages—
this gift can be damaged or lost.
11
Introduction:
4. Why people avoid this book, or spiritualize it
as a poem of Christ’s love for the church.
Satan associates passion with sexual sins.
Study with appreciation not fear:
God not Satan created passionate love
in marriage.
12
Introduction:
5. God’s gift of married love is a priceless blessing:
Changes our character by teaching us
to value & serve our mate!
Perpetuates the human race in a godly way!
Merits praise, celebration, & thanksgiving!
13
TITLE 1:1
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s
1. Solomon asked God for wisdom (1 Kgs. 3:9).
2. He wrote 3,000 proverbs, 1,004 songs (4:32).
3. This is his most beautiful & unique song!
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I. FIRST SCENE 1:2-2:7
Love’s Passion
SUMMARY: Solomon & his beloved Shulamite
share admiration & affection.
“His banner over me was love” (2:4).
15
II. SECOND SCENE 2:8-3:5
Love’s Promise
SUMMARY: Their love grows like the beauties
of springtime. The Shulamite dreams
about searching for Solomon.
16
III. THIRD SCENE 3:6-5:1
Love’s Wedding
SUMMARY: After the joys of the royal wedding,
Solomon praises the beauty of his wife.
She invites him into the garden of love.
17
IV. FOURTH SCENE 5:2-6:3
Love’s Reconciliation
SUMMARY: Love includes seeking & finding,
alienation & reconciliation. The young wife’s
dream reflects this experience.
18
A.
She dreamed she did not open
when he knocked; later they reconciled.
She says:
2 I sleep, but my heart waketh:
it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh,
saying, Open to me, my sister, my love,
my dove, my undefiled: His tender, fervent plea
for my head is filled with dew,
and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my coat;
Why do you bother me
how shall I put it on?
at the most
I have washed my feet;
inconvenient time?
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how shall I defile them?
A.
She dreamed she did not open
when he knocked; later they reconciled.
She says:
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole
of the door,
and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved;
and my hands dropped with myrrh,
and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh,
upon the handles of the lock.
She had a change of heart…& opened…too late!
20
A.
She dreamed she did not open
when he knocked; later they reconciled.
She says:
6 I opened to my beloved;
but my beloved had withdrawn himself,
The damage was done—
and was gone:
I was heartsick—
my soul failed when he spake:
All my efforts failed—
I sought him, but I could not findNohim;
one helped me!
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about the city found me,
they smote me, they wounded me;
the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
21
A.
She dreamed she did not open
when he knocked; later they reconciled.
She says:
8 I charge you,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
if ye find my beloved,
that ye tell him,
that I am sick of love.
Her tender, fervent plea:
Can someone please help me?
Tell him, “I love him, I cannot live without him!”
22
B.
She greatly admired her husband
as “the chiefest among ten thousand.”
Friends say:
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
O thou fairest among women?
what is thy beloved more than another beloved,
that thou dost so charge us?
Separation finally provokes reflection:
Why does finding him (reconciliation) matter so much?
How much does he really mean to you?
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B.
She greatly admired her husband
as “the chiefest among ten thousand.”
She says: 10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold,
his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves
by the rivers of waters,
washed with milk,
and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
as sweet flowers:
his lips like lilies,
dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
24
B.
She greatly admired her husband
as “the chiefest among ten thousand.”
She says:
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl:
his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble,
set upon sockets of fine gold: As he found her
his countenance is as Lebanon,
perfect for him (4:7),
excellent as the cedars. she finds him perfect for her!
A prize, not an inconvenience!
16 His mouth is most sweet:
yea, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.
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C.
After reconciliation, she yields herself
to his care with a greater sense of security.
Friends 1 Whither is thy beloved gone,
say:
Separation
O thou fairest among women?
Regret,
reflection,
whither is thy beloved turned
aside?
& reevaluation
that we may seek him with thee.
She 2 My beloved is gone down into his garden,
says: to the beds of spices,
Reconciliation:
to feed in the gardens, Growing security (2:16)
and to gather lilies. in a mutual, committed,
3 I am my beloved's, exclusive relationship
and my beloved is mine:
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he feedeth among the lilies.
Conclusion:
1.
Young King Solomon
& a beautiful young woman of Shulam
celebrate their love
as she becomes his bride.
10 I am my beloved's,
and his desire is toward me.
27
Conclusion:
2. We see their relationship develop
as a series of scenes & stages.
28
Conclusion:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
God ordained companionship,
affection, & passionate love in marriage.
29
Conclusion:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
Passionate love is God’s gift
in marriage—unmatched by crude, cruel
counterfeits (pornography, fornication,
adultery, rape, incest, homosexuality, etc.).
30
Conclusion:
3. This poem celebrates loyal steadfast love
experienced in marriage.
Married love: spontaneous, beautiful,
powerful, & exclusive—
includes “moments of separation & intimacy,
anguish & ecstasy, tension & contentment”
(Zondervan NIV Study Bible: 1020)
31
Conclusion:
4. God’s gift of married love is a priceless blessing:
Changes our character by teaching us
to value & serve our mate!
Perpetuates the human race in a godly way!
Merits praise, celebration, & thanksgiving!
32
Conclusion:
5. God’s greatest gift of love: forgiveness in Christ!
The gift above all gifts!
16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
33
Conclusion:
5. God’s greatest gift of love: forgiveness in Christ!
We must receive the gift!
15 And he said unto them,
Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
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Conclusion:
5. God’s greatest gift of love: forgiveness in Christ!
Saints who sin can be restored!
16 Confess your faults one to another,
and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
35