Song of Solomon?
Really?
I give warning and advice to everyone who is not yet
free of the vexations of flesh and blood and who has not
withdrawn from the desire for corporeal nature that he
completely abstain from reading this book and what is
said about it. Indeed, they say that the Hebrews observe
the rule that unless some one has attained a perfect and
mature age, he is not even permitted to hold this book in
his hands.
~ Origin (185-254)
The books of scripture-history and prophecy are very much like one
another, but this Song of Solomon’s is very much unlike the songs of his
father David; here is not the name of God in it; it is never quoted in the
New Testament; we find not in it any expressions of natural religion or
pious devotion, no, nor is it introduced by vision, or any of the marks of
immediate revelation. It seems as hard as any part of scripture to be
made a savour of life unto life, nay, and to those who come to the
reading of it with carnal minds and corrupt affections, it is in danger of
being made a savour of death unto death; it is a flower out of which
they extract poison; and therefore the Jewish doctors advised their
young people not to read it till they were thirty years old, lest by the
abuse of that which is most pure and sacred - the flames of lust should
be kindled with fire from heaven, which is intended for the altar only.
~ Puritan Commentator Matthew Henry
No man in Israel has ever contested that the Song of
Solomon defiles the hands. For in the entire world there
is nothing to equal the day on which the Song of
Solomon was give to Israel. All the Writings are holy,
but the Song of Songs is most holy…
~ Rabbi Aqiba (90 AD)
“Song of Solomon…
ooooooooooooh baby!”
~ Rachel Larson, Old Testament Scholar
and Hope Office Coordinator
Why a sermon series on
Song of Solomon?
•Dr. Jason Carroll and his colleagues published a widely
cited paper in the Journal of Adolescent Research
revealing that 87 percent of college males and 31 percent
of college females view pornography.
•Dr. Jason Carroll and his colleagues published a widely
cited paper in the Journal of Adolescent Research
revealing that 87 percent of college males and 31 percent
of college females view pornography.
•Porn is a 60 billion dollar a year industry. That
equals$3000 a second.
•Dr. Jason Carroll and his colleagues published a widely
cited paper in the Journal of Adolescent Research
revealing that 87 percent of college males and 31 percent
of college females view pornography.
•Porn is a 60 billion dollar a year industry. That
equals$3000 a second.
•More money is spent on porn than on pro baseball,
basketball, football combined. More money is spent on
porn than country music, rock music, jazz music,
classical music, Broadway plays, and ballet combined.
•In the last 10 years, Americans have spent more money
each year on pornography than on foreign aid.
•In the last 10 years, Americans have spent more money
each year on pornography than on foreign aid.
•11,000 new porn films are made every year. That
means that a new porn film is made in the US every
hour.
•In the last 10 years, Americans have spent more money
each year on pornography than on foreign aid.
•11,000 new porn films are made every year. That
means that a new porn film is made in the US every
hour.
•The average child sees porn for the first time at age 11.
•In the last 10 years, Americans have spent more money
each year on pornography than on foreign aid.
•11,000 new porn films are made every year. That
means that a new porn film is made in the US every
hour.
•The average child sees porn for the first time at age 11.
•Porn accounts for 25% of the search requests on Google.
The National Council on Sexual Addiction Compulsivity
estimated that 6%-8% of Americans are sex addicts,
which is 16 million-21.5 million people.
•Today there are more than 2,400 clubs, according to a
popular strip-club webzine. Annual revenues at some
clubs are as high as $8 million, and they employ as many
as 200 dancers.
•Today there are more than 2,400 clubs, according to a
popular strip-club webzine. Annual revenues at some
clubs are as high as $8 million, and they employ as many
as 200 dancers.
•According to Enrichment Journal on the divorce rates in
America, the divorce rate in America for first marriage is
41%; the divorce rate in America for second marriage is
60%; the divorce rate in America for third
marriage is 73%.
•Today there are more than 2,400 clubs, according to a
popular strip-club webzine. Annual revenues at some
clubs are as high as $8 million, and they employ as many
as 200 dancers.
•According to Enrichment Journal on the divorce rates in
America, the divorce rate in America for first marriage is
41%; the divorce rate in America for second marriage is
60%; the divorce rate in America for third
marriage is 73%.
•In the top 4 of most everyone’s list of the causes of
divorce is infidelity and/or lack of sexual intimacy.
(Stats compiled from various sources including Forbes.com, Salvo Magazine, Enrichment Journal,
Mars Hill Church, DailyDomainer.com, Blazing Grace online pornography statistics
[http://www.blazinggrace.org/cms/bg/pornstats] and personal research)
How racey is this going to be?
“The description of physical beauty [in the Song
of Solomon] is frank without crassness.”
~ Robert Gordis
“The description of physical beauty [in the Song
of Solomon] is frank without crassness.”
~ Robert Gordis
Historical Interpretative
Approaches to the
Song of Solomon
The
Allegorical
Approach
The
Allegorical
Approach
Allegorical Approach
Ezekiel 16:1-8
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront
Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3 and say, ‘This is what the
Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were
in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and
your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born your cord was
not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor
were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked
on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these
things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field,
for on the day you were born you were despised.
Allegorical Approach
Ezekiel 16:1-8
6 “ ‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood,
and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” 7 I made
you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed
and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were
formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare.
8“
‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you
were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over
you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and
entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD,
and you became mine.
The
Typological
Approach
The
Typological
Approach
The
Typological
Approach
The Typological Approach
Ephesians 5:25-28
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and
gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the
washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to
himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands
ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
wife loves himself.
The Typological Approach
Revelation 19:6-9
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar
of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are
invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added,
“These are the true words of God.”
The
Literal
Approach
Our approach:
Literal and Progressive
Luke 24:44-45
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with
you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened
their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:44-45
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with
you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened
their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
become convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17
so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work.
“The progressive character of divine revelation is
recognized in relation to all the great doctrines of the
Bible... What at first is only obscurely intimated is
gradually unfolded in subsequent parts of the sacred
volume, until the truth is revealed in its fulness.”
~ Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1, page 446.
Song of Solomon 1:1
Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Song of Solomon 1:1
Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Literally:
“THE song of songs, which is Solomon’s”
Song of Solomon 1:1
Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Literally:
“THE song of songs, which is Solomon’s”
Who is this Solomon guy?
POUSSIN, Nicolas The Judgment of Solomon
1649 Oil on canvas, 101 x 150 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris
KNÜPFER, Nicolaus, Queen of Sheba before Solomon
1640s Oil on canvas, 74 x 81 cm The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Who is this Solomon guy?
1 Kings 4:29-34
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a
breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the
seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all
the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31
He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—
wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his
fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three
thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds,
reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s
wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his
wisdom.
Who is this Solomon guy?
1 Kings 11:1-10
4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other
gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as
the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth
the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of
the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he
did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.
7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for
Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the
detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his
foreign wives, who burned incense and offered
sacrifices to their gods.
Who is this Solomon guy?
1 Kings 11:1-10
9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had
turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had
appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to
follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.
Song of Solomon 1:1
Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Literally:
“THE song of songs, which is Solomon’s”
What’s going on in this song?
What’s going on in this song?
Song of Solomon is a love story involving the attraction,
dating, purity, passion, wedding, wedding night,
marriage relationship and sexual passion between King
Solomon and “the Shulammite”.
What’s going on in this song?
Song of Solomon is a love story involving the attraction,
dating, purity, passion, wedding, wedding night,
marriage relationship and sexual passion between King
Solomon and “the Shulammite”.
The story line of the song follows pretty much
chronological through their attraction, dating, wedding,
and sexual union.
What type of literature is this?
What type of literature is this?
Song (Poetry)
Fire and Ice
by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire; Some say in ice. From what
I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.
The Repetitive Chorus &
Controlling Theme of Song of Solomon
The Repetitive Chorus &
Controlling Theme of Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 2:7
7Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the
does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
Song of Solomon 3:5
5Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the
does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
Song of Solomon 8:4
4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken
love until it so desires.
What type of literature is this?
Wisdom Literature:
Job
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Psalms
Song of Solomon
Wisdom Literature:
Proverbs 1:1-7
1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
3for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Doing what is
right/just/fair
Disciplined &
Prudent Life
Wisdom
Fear of the Lord