In The Word
Read: Song of Solomon 8:5-14
The Chorus
5 “Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”
The Bride
“Beneath the apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.
6 Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
The flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
The Chorus
8 “We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.”
The Bride
10 “I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12 My very own vineyard is at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
The Groom
13 “You who sit in the gardens:
My companions are listening for your voice—
Let me hear it!”
The Bride
14 “Hurry, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle or a young stag
On the mountains of balsam trees!
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Solomon sums up the power of love between the married couple that he described throughout the chapters in this song. Like a seal used in Solomon’s time to mark ownership of a valued possession, true love for another is a treasure that you should be unwilling to be separated from. Just as physical death is powerful and all consuming, so love empowers you to act on another’s behalf and consumes your life in thoughts and actions. Water is a mighty force that can extinguish fire and often cannot be bound by its banks, yet the passionate fire of love cannot be overcome or extinguished by external forces. Finally, Solomon wrote that true love is priceless and all of the world’s wealth is insufficient to buy it.
This description of love is the same love that God has for you. A love so powerful and consuming that it led God to give His Son’s life so that the barrier of sin would be destroyed and you could be in a uniting relationship with Him.
How would God describe your love for Him? Could it be described as Solomon did? Genuine love for God is proved by more than good thoughts and words, but by passionate worship, unyielding devotion in every circumstance and difficulty, and faithful obedience to His every command. Your love for God should move you to genuinely love others in faithful commitment, do what is best for them, and refuse to allow offense to divide you. Let love’s power direct your life.