Today we would be looking at the the Songs of Solomon chapter 5

Song of songs is a book of the Bible you come across at wedding ceremonies.  A phase from this book is almost incorporated into church wedding ceremonies.

The book describes the joy and mutuality, beauty and power, agony and ecstasy of human sexual love. It speaks of marriage as it ought to be – 

The setting of the Song of Solomon gives recognition to wedded love. It  declares the sacredness of the marital relationship and that marriage is a God–given institution. It  shows us what real love is. It talks of its beauty, power, agony, ecstasy and its eternal quality of true love. 

Today we see a lot of sexualization which many people seem to think is good. but knows little about true love.

This book depicts the beautiful intimacy of marital love between a man and a woman from courtship to marriage. And allegorical the communion of Jesus Christ- the Redeemer and the individual believer. 

The whole of the book of Song of Solomon is a song. A poem. 

In this study, the tools we would use for this study are 

1. Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
2. What does it mean? 
3. How does it apply to me today?

So let’s dig in and turn the bible to the Song of Solomon of chapter five

Who, What, When, Where, and How tool

We continue to see the characters in this poem, the Beloved, the lover, the watchmen and the daughter of zion. 

Here the couple clebrates the sexaul intmacy within the bonds of marriage.

There seems to be a mis-coummincation between the couple. The lover seeks to re-establish the communication.  The lover searches for the beloved.

The lover met the watchmen during the search, but rather than offer their security and guidance to the lover, they beat up the lover. The lover is not dissuaded or discouraged the lover continues the search for the beloved

The lover is so questioned by the daughters of Zion why her beloved and the love they shared so better than others.

She describes her beloved from head to toe. Not only the physical endearments but also the essence. The lover concludes that they were lovers and friends.

Using the What does it mean tool? 

This piece of poetry can  be interpreted as going within a marriage and it also typifies what the individual christian’s  journey with Jesus Christ the redeemer.

Looking at it from the married couple’s journey, it shows the intimacy in marriage. And how communication break can put the  couple  out of sync with each other.

And while they try to achieve a sync in their communications, outside influence might not be so positive to the goal of resyncing communication between the couple. 

Just like the watchmen that should have guided where not helpful or the friends that should have encouraged where actually challenging the uniqueness of this couple’s journey so the couple must strife for their communication to be in sync with each other. 

The lover states clearly that their love goes way beyond the physical and the erotic. They were both lovers and friends. Which is why it is often said There is nothing better in marriage than having someone as your partner, your lover and your best friend. Which is why we hear much often that friendship in marriage is important.

This song also speaks allegorical of Christ & the Individual christian.

The  intimacy of the Individual christian with the Redeemer is paramount. The Individual christian must know of and about the Redeemer by themselves. The Individual christian must have a relationship with the Redeemer.

And when there is a break in communication, the Individual christian, must seek his/her redeemer. Even when those around them seem unhelpful or discouraging, the Individual christian must press on in their search to be connected to the Redeemer.

Why is your redeemer better than anyone else? This is a question that people generally asks christains. Why do you say Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life. I  see this allegory clearly here. 

Like the lover, the Individual christian should be able to describe the redeemer. This link to Paul writing in 2Timothy 2:15 that the Individual christian should know the word of truth. Which tantamount to the individual christian knowing the Redeemer.

How does it apply to me today?

Though a romantic poem, there lesson to be drawn out

As an individual christian, my relationship with Jesus Christ my redeemer is my own personal responsibility. And I can improve the relationship by knowing my redeemer through the word of truth and communication in prayer. These I see as the lifeline of the individual christian believer.

I have also learnt the uniqueness of each couple. One married couple’s journey is definitely different from the other. And the lifeline of the married couple is lover, friendship and communication with each other.