On 10-23-11 Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) 4:8-5:1a will our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Tradition and Love aka How Sweet is Love. You will find the 10-16-12 lesson directly beneath this message and/or on the right side.
Jed
Tradition and Love
Or
How Sweet is Love
Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) 4:8-5:1a
International Sunday School Lesson
October 23, 2011
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
The number of times that I have sought insight from the scriptures is long forgotten. I have poured over Acts as I looked into baptisms, the gospels as I sought out what Christ had to say about Hell. I dived into the Revelation, Daniel, Matthew 24 and others as I pondered things eschatological. And before my marriage I read and reread these songs of Solomon—not!
I am sorry about that bit of facetiousness, but I haven’t. There must be some of you that are history buffs who spend more time in Chronicles then the other books. Those that are fans of understanding the Law might nearly memorize Leviticus. My favorite book is Romans and I will be upfront with my lack of having spent any substantive time in Song of Songs or as some know it, the Songs of Solomon.
My understanding is that the lover is speaking, in this case a man. He is calling to the woman poetically to come away from these remote places, these mountain peaks and mountain haunts and be “close” and not far off.
Not really his sister in the normal use of the word today, the man describes the woman he is passionate about by ascribing to her the characteristics of pleasing things, things such as jewels, honeycomb, milk and honey. The beloved woman is like a pleasing garden or a refreshing spring. Anticipation builds as these places cannot be accessed and within this currently inaccessible garden is found the most pleasing of plants.
Soon though, the beloved becomes agreeable to his amorous advances and he is allowed entry.
Why is it that we value parts of the Bible more than others? Shouldn’t anything God provided to us under divine inspiration be just as weighty as the next? Why then do we struggle with some more than others? What is it that God wants me to come away with from this seemingly difficult book?
This week I have taken a route that I don’t normally by seeking the commentary of others. What I find reminds me why I tend to avoid the practice. Some would have us believe that after examining the book they see an allegorical description for the bond that Christ has with us and still others see the relationship of God with Israel.
So much for giving that a whirl and in the end I see it as a part of what the Bible shows us everywhere else. That is, real unvarnished life, described in this case in poetic fashion. In some places in the Bible we see slavery in others we see adultery. In some cases the brutality of war is covered and in others great love between one man and one woman. Nothing is hidden from view just as no one can live a truly sheltered life. That perfect and pure life will have to wait until eternity.
When God wrote through Paul we see that Paul’s personality did not evaporate but still came through. Likewise when God wrote through Solomon He did not squelch Solomon’s personality either. When God inspired that accounts of battle be a part of His word the reality was passed on in a way that not every horror was shared. We know enough in our minds eye without their inclusion.
Likewise we see in this book that God saw fit to show us that the most intimate can be included in His word as well. He shows us that like war this also need not be described in a way that every aspect is passed on. As with war, we know enough in our minds’ eye what happens.
Just as war is real and God does not shy away from it in His word this book shows us that God demonstrates that this isn’t something we need to pretend doesn’t exist. Just as the author who wrote of a battle in the Old Testament was not passing on allegory so too do I believe that this author under inspiration wrote of love and was not passing on to us allegory. But I will leave it up to you this time how to apply it.
For Discussion:
1. Are you as glad as I that next week we are in Matthew? J
2. If your group is of the right mix discuss favorite metaphors found within Song of Songs. My favorite is found in 1:6 where the Beloved likens herself to a vineyard.
3. If you feel that this book can be viewed as allegory, present your case to your group.
4. Discuss how in Solomon’s time the words used in today’s scripture were so much more meaningful in their use to describe these lovers than they are obviously today. What words might we use today?
5. Discuss different viewpoints as to how this book and today’s scripture were meant to be applied.
6. I mentioned this recently but I noticed that many people were looking for this lesson more than a week in advance. If you need a lesson more than the one week in advance that I post now just send me an email as I am nearly a year ahead.
7. Google has been driving me crazy in their search results please bookmark and if possible link to this site so you can always join me. Thanks!
10-30-11: Living as God’s People (Blessed by God), Matthew 5:1-12
11-6-11: Forgiving as God’s People (First be Reconciled), Matthew 5:17-26
11-13-11: Loving as God’s People (Loving Your Enemies), Matthew 5:43-48 or 5:38-48
11-20-11: Praying as God’s People, Matthew 6:5-15
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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