In The Word
Read: Song of Solomon 1:1-2:7
The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.
3 “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love you.
4 “Draw me after you and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”
“We will rejoice in you and be glad;
We will extol your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”
5 “I am black but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 “Do not stare at me because I am swarthy,
For the sun has burned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
7 “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,
Where do you pasture your flock,
Where do you make it lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who veils herself
Beside the flocks of your companions?”
Solomon, the Lover, Speaks
8 “If you yourself do not know,
Most beautiful among women,
Go forth on the trail of the flock
And pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds.
9 “To me, my darling, you are like
My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of beads.”
11 “We will make for you ornaments of gold
With beads of silver.”
12 “While the king was at his table,
My perfume gave forth its fragrance.
13 “My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14 “My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
In the vineyards of Engedi.”
15 “How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”
16 “How handsome you are, my beloved,
And so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!
17 “The beams of our houses are cedars,
Our rafters, cypresses.
The Bride’s Admiration
2 “I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”
2 “Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.”
3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 “He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.
5 “Sustain me with raisin cakes,
Refresh me with apples,
Because I am lovesick.
6 “Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”
7 “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field,
That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In Proverbs, Solomon taught on the danger of sexual sins. In Song of Solomon, he declared the beauty and joy of physical purity and illustrated love through the story of a shepherd and Shulamite woman. They were mutually attracted and decided to remain pure; this led to lifelong devotion. The purpose of the book is to magnify genuine love that remains loyal through the most tempting situations. The love between husband and wife should be a beautiful experience, but sin can spoil this wonderful gift. A right marriage, as God intended it, requires the whole person: heart, mind, and body.
Using intimate language about human love, the book also describes the proper relationship between God and man. Believers ought to love the Lord with the same passion and devotion as the Shulamite woman loved her shepherd. Once a man and woman are married, they belong to each other and no longer have individual lives or possessions. It is the same with the Christian life: our bodies belong to God, and we are to strive to please Him, not the world. Just like in Solomon’s story, satan and the world will try to lure us from our devotion to Christ, but we are to reject the temptation and remain true to Him.
If you are single, are you keeping yourself pure for your future spouse? If married, are you being faithful and passionate in your love toward your spouse? As a Christian, are you devoted to Christ and shunning temptation?