Weekly Sermons

Song of Solomon Overview

The Song of Songs, or the Song of Solomon, is the 22^nd book of the Old Testament and the Bible.

It is the last of the 5 books we call the Poetic books.

Since the Bible has 66 books, this marks the one-third mark of our journey through the Bible books.

But in numbers of chapters we are actually 57% of the way through the Bible!

Law = 187 chapters

History = 249 chapters

Poetic Books = 243 chapters

Prophetic books = 250 chapters (Major  = 183 chapters; Minor  = 67)

New Testament = 260 chapters

Bible = 1189 chapters

Chapters through though - - -

The Song of Solomon is a love song between the king and his bride!

From its earliest days Israel also considered it a metaphor for God’s love for His people Israel.

The New King James Version has tried to let us know when the speaker or speakers change in this love song.

The Shulamite is the woman, so called because that is how she is called in 6:13. That may be the village she was from.

The Beloved is Solomon himself.

There are also the Daughters of Jerusalem, her brothers, and a relative.

Verse 5 lets us know that the Woman is a Dark woman, an African woman.

There is some beautiful Hebrew wordplay in the Song.

Look at 1:3

“Name is “Shem” in Hebrew; “perfume” is “Shemen.” So in the Hebrew this rolls beautifully off the tongue!

“Your name is perfume.”           Your “shem” is “shemen.”

There is a lot of sensuality in the Song!

I have actually known of some Christian colleges in the past that only let you take the class on it if you were married!

Body parts are described in detail, sweet kisses are celebrated!

Depending on how good your imagination is, some of it really can’t be talked about in mixed company, unless the mixed company is your spouse!

I love how the Song adds to the diverse types of literature in the Bible!

1:14-15

My love is like a cluster of henna blossoms!

Your eyes are like doves!

Your hair is like a flock of goats          4:1

Your teeth are like newly shorn sheep!          4:2    

And not one is missing!   6:6               Don’t laugh! That’s big around here also!

Your lips are like a scarlet cord           4:3

Your brow is like a slice of pomegranate       4:3

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus!       7:4

Your neck is like the tower of David   4:4

The curves of your thighs are like jewelry!    7:1

Now that’s the edited version of what he says about her!

What does she say about him?

5:10

His head is purest gold (the crown)

His hair is wavy and black as a raven!

His eyes are sparkling like doves flying beside streams of water!

His lips are like lilies

CAN’T YOU SEE HER FRIENDS BLUSHING!

His arms are tanned like rods of gold!

His body is like an ivory panel!

His legs are like alabaster pillars!

His presence is as majestic as the cedars!

2:1-2

Here’s a familiar phrase: Rose of Sharon, Lilly of the Valleys!

This means the old hymn got it wrong!

The hymn sings of Christ that He is the Lilly of the Valley –

If it came from the woman, it would be Israel or the Church that was the Lilly of the Valley!

Verse two would seem to confirm that, as the man sings that His woman is like a lily among thorns!

2:4

Great verse:

“His banner over me is love!”

One of the key phrases:   2:7     3:5     8:4

Do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time! 

New King James says “until it pleases.”

Some insight from the book “Hooked.”

Solomon was dead on about this 3,000 years ago!

Another key phrase:         2:10   2:13

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!

Can’t you see the Lord calling to His people?          John 14; I Thess. 4 (Rapture)

Another great phrase:      2:16   6:3     7:10

My beloved is mine and I am his!

In chapter 3 you can feel how lovesick the lady is!

Do we long for Christ this way!

John seems to at the end of Revelation!

4:6, 8

Word for Frankincense in Hebrew is similar to word for Lebanon!

4:7

Beautiful on the inside and out!

4:9

What a great verse!

You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride. You have captured my heart with one glance from your eyes!

5:2 pictures a Romeo and Juliet type scene!

5:8

If you see my love, tell him I am lovesick!

6:4

Tirzah is a prominent city of the North, whereas Jerusalem is prominent in the South!

In other words: you are perfectly proportioned, my love!

6:8 makes you laugh!

Baby, you are better than my 140 other wives and lovers!

And all the uncountable others who will be one day! 

Oh, how many times have I heard that line!

I bet it made her swoon!

6:13

 

Here she is called the Shulammite for the first time!

 

Can also be rendered Shulamith.

 

That is the feminine form of Solomon, so this indicates that they were soulmates!

 

8:6-8

 

CONCLUSION TYPE VERSES!                  PERHAPS THE KEY VERSES!

 

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm.

 

For love is as strong as death; ardent love as unrelenting as Sheol.

 

Love’s flames are fiery flames-the fiercest of all.

 

Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away.

 

If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned!

 

8:14

 

Hurry to me, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountain of spices.

 

Some people wonder why this book is in the Bible.

Why shouldn’t it be in the Bible?

Isn’t this really our problem?

We have been taught by our culture that the Bible is just for holy things and we need to turn to Vanity Fair or Cosmopolitan or other crude sources for romance.

NO! God is the God of romance as well!

Jesus is Lord of all!

And few things are more beautiful in His sight than engaged lovers dreaming about a life of love within holy matrimony!

And so let us celebrate love within its God-given boundaries!

And let’s not forget to have some passion within our marriages as well!

And let’s not forget that God has passionate love for Israel and His church as well!