Today, I am reading and commenting on  Song of Solomon 1-8.

The Song of Solomon provides us with a primer on human sexuality and relationships between the sexes.  Every time I read it I am struck by its repeated advice not to awaken love before its time.  While I believe it is telling us to wait for sexual activity until we have found one with whom we wish to spend our lives, I also think it is advice to society about treating children as sexual objects.  Going back to waiting, the two protagonists in this poem describe their lover as being unique among men or women (the woman describes her lover as unique among men while the man describes his lover as unique among women).  So, we should wait to marry until we find the person who strikes us in a way that is unique among possible partners.  Do not rush to find a sexual partner, or even to find a marriage partner.  Wait until the time is right and God reveals that person to you…and be open to the possibility that God’s plan for us is to remain single.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Song of Solomon 1-8.

Some people read the Song of Solomon as an allegory for Christ’s love for the Church.  Personally, that has never worked for me because I find the sexual inuendo too explicit for that.  I think that part of the reason people look for the Song of Solomon to be some kind of allegory is because the sensuality it describes makes them uncomfortable.  However, it seems to me that we should take the Song of Solomon at face value, as a love song between a man and a woman.  They appear to be deeply in love with each other, and they have strong sexual attraction for each other.  The Song of Solomon also contains some lessons about human sexuality to which we should pay heed.  As I said, the two lovers in this poem are besotted of each other, and they want to be with each other sexually.  The poem tells us that that relationship is exclusive.  The woman says ate one point, “My beloved is mine and I am his.”   The Song of Solomon also teaches that we should be patient.  We should wait to become sexually active until we find that one with whom we will spend the rest of our lives.  That has two parts, first you should want and desire to spend the rest of your life with them, but they must also want and desire to spend the rest of their life with you, and only with you.

We should not be embarrassed or uncomfortable with the sexuality expressed in the Song of Solomon. And we should pay attention to the guardrails it lays out for expressing our sexuality.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Song of Solomon 1-8.

The Song of Solomon teaches us a few lessons about God’s intentions for sexual love.  First and foremost it teaches us that sexual love is not, in and of itself, a sin.  The writer also emphasizes the importance of waiting for sexual love until the right time.  We learn from this passage that we should not seek out sexual relations before the time which God has ordained for us.  Which reminds me of the debate going on in our society today over what, when, and by whom children should be taught about human sexuality.  This passage addresses the issue of when, and its answer is that it will be different for each person and we should not attempt to encourage a child’s sexual nature before that time which is unique to them.  There is one last point I see in this passage which I want to write about.  In this passage, both the male and female protagonists consider their lover to be uniquely beautiful.  In like manner, we should wait until we find a sexual partner whom we find uniquely beautiful and attractive, a lover whom, for us, no other can ever match.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Song of Solomon 1-8.

Many people take the Song of Solomon as an allegory for our relationship with Christ.  That has never worked for me, although I can see it when someone else makes the connections.  Others take it as a tale describing the love of a particular couple.  That seems closer to the motivation for writing it.  However, I think it represents an allegory about what we should seek in a romantic relationship.  In fact, the central lesson I think we should take from it is this “Do not awaken love until is so desires,” or as other translation render it, “Do not awaken love until it is ready.”  The love being referred to here is erotic love, not the love which God commands us to have for our neighbor.  While the love we are commanded to have for our neighbor should be part of what we feel when we awaken erotic love, there is a physical part of the love being talked about here that is not part of that love.  The Song of Solomon makes clear that erotic love is not ready to be awakened until both parties feel it.  These two lovers were irresistibly attracted to one another.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Song of Solomon 1-8.

Usually I struggle with writing my post on the Song of Solomon, primarily because much of the imagery used in it does not resonate with me.  However, it provides an excellent guide on building a relationship.  The two lovers in this passage have a strong sexual attraction to the other.  It is not one-sided, both of the lovers desire the other above all others.  Dedicate yourself to someone who will dedicate themselves to you.  Further, it advises against becoming sexually active too soon, too young.  Wait until you are old enough to understand what you want in life.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Song of Solomon 1-8.

I never quite understand how the “story” in the beginning of the Song of Solomon fits in with the “story” of the rest of the Book.  I understand that the entire thing is a love song between a young man and a young woman, but I do not quite understand how the young woman’s inability to care for herself at the beginning connects with her beauty as described later.  I know that at least part of that is a result of cultural differences between myself and the author.  That being said the Song does a great job of conveying the progression of loving relationship between a man and a woman.

One theme which runs throughout much of the Song is the repeated warning not to awaken love before its time.  Since I first noticed this in the Song I have taken it to be warning to keep the sexual aspect of the relationship in check until the relationship truly blooms.  The Song tells us that sexuality between a man and a woman is beautiful and good, but this phrase, repeated multiple times, reminds us that sex must be kept to its appropriate place in marriage between a man and a woman.  The Song also reminds us that sexual love should be a private thing between a husband and wife, something not shared with others.