Read: Song of Solomon 8:5-7

Set me as a seal upon your heart. (v. 6)

Chapters 6-8 of the Song of Solomon include further descriptions of beauty and declarations of love that echo what has preceded, which means we’ve come to the end of our look at this ancient poem. Before turning our attention to Ecclesiastes, let’s consider these words of Eugene Peterson: “With the help of the vocabulary learned in the Song we see God’s people (and ourselves) not through the dirty lens of our own muddled feelings, and not through the smudgy window of another’s carping criticism, but in terms of God’s word. We never know how good we can look, how delightful we can feel, or how strong we can be until we hear ourselves addressed in love by God” (Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, pp. 64-65).

God’s choice for us is love. God’s voice to us is love. Early on I asked why this book was in the Bible. After spending some time with it, I hope you join me in wondering why there shouldn’t be a book like this in the Bible. The heart of our story of salvation is love. Indeed, God’s banner over us is love.

In Mark 2:19-20, Jesus refers to himself as the “bridegroom.” Perhaps along with references in the Prophets, he appropriates that image from the Song. Through Jesus, all our broken relationships, both human and divine, are restored. That’s what salvation means—not just rescue, but restoration and wholeness. Praise God for his bounteous gifts of love! —Jeff Munroe

Prayer: We thank you, Lord, for the gifts of your love through the true bridegroom, your Son.

Read: Song of Solomon 5:10-16

This is my beloved and this is my friend. (v. 16)

In today’s passage, which mirrors the groom’s physical description of the bride (4:1-16), the tables are turned and the bride now describes her beloved groom from head to toe. In the first line, the words translated as “radiant and ruddy” are actually the words for “white and red” in Hebrew. Then we read that his head is gold and his hair is black. He’s a technicolor hunk! Actually, the first lines use colors to describe unseen inward attributes—a good translation might be, “My beloved is radiant and youthful.”

It is unusual in ancient poetry for a man’s physical beauty to be described. It still is unusual—men especially don’t know how to talk approvingly about the appearance of another man. I chuckle when I think of the old Detroit Tigers’ manager Sparky Anderson describing a player as being “built like a Greek goddess.”

How would you describe Jesus? Do you think of him as beautiful? What does it mean to think of him as beloved? Mystics such as Theresa of Avila report being swept into a sort of rapturous ecstasy during times of prayer. That sounds foreign, exotic, and even blasphemous to us. Can you think of Jesus while looking at the words of our passage? There are a couple of praise songs taken from this passage that calls Jesus “altogether lovely” and the “fairest of the fairest of ten thousand.” Do you think of him this way? —Jeff Munroe

Prayer: Give us a clear picture and appropriate ways to imagine you, Lord Jesus.

Read: Song of Solomon 5:2-8

I am sick with love. (v. 8)

I mentioned earlier that pastor and author Eugene Peterson considers the Song of Solomon a key to unlocking the secrets of prayer. Now that we are this far into the Song, you may be wondering why he would say that. This passage, reprising themes from 3:1-5, shows why.

In his book Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, Peterson writes that exploring the challenge of intimacy in this passage illustrates the challenge of prayer, and that “it is the task of persevering and patient prayer to keep love ardent and faith zealous” (p. 55).

The bride has already gone to bed when the groom comes to her door (think of the image of Jesus knocking in Revelation 3:20). She doesn’t immediately want to get up, and he leaves before she rises. Realizing she’s missed him, she goes out to look for him and is beaten, apparently for causing a disturbance in the night. Intimate relationships are full of challenge and risk. We aren’t always in sync with the wants of each other, and no one can read another’s mind or fully anticipate another’s needs. Every marriage and close human relationship has moments of disappointment and pain in it. When it comes to my relationship with God, I think of my own attempts at prayer and the ways I disappoint God by falling asleep or drifting off into distraction. Relationships—human and divine—require attention, cultivation, and just plain work. —Jeff Munroe

Prayer: May our love for you, Lord, be ardent and our faith zealous.

Read: Song of Solomon 1:9-17

Behold, you are beautiful, my love. (v. 15)

Just as no one knows for sure if the Song of Solomon was actually written by King Solomon or is just “Solomonesque,” so also no one knows exactly why this love poem, with its tricky plot line and just a passing mention of God, was first included in the Bible. There is a clue, however, in the Jewish practice of reading the Song during the Passover Seder.

Many Jewish scholars consider the Song a midrash, or commentary, upon the book of Exodus, the great salvation story of Israel. The Song shows an image of God as a faithful lover within the bonds and bounds of a covenant relationship. This biblical relationship is built on love instead of just legal obligations.

Staying in love over time has its challenges. Husbands and wives take each other for granted, our hearts and minds (and eyes) wander, and lovable quirks become irritations. Over time our experience of salvation also has its challenges. We struggle to stay alert to the glories of God’s saving grace, and our prayers may become worn out and tired. One way to avoid this is to attend to the words of this Song. That’s why the Song is read at Passover, so people hear God’s voice saying, “Behold, you are beautiful, my love.” More than anything, God loves you. Do you believe it? Read the words of the Song as addressed just to you. —Jeff Munroe

Prayer: Lord, may we hear your voice of love.

Read: 1 Kings 3:1-15; 4:29-34

People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (4:34)

Both Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes are associated with Solomon, and before we jump into these books let’s remind ourselves of some important details from Solomon’s life.

Solomon was Israel’s first dynastic ruler, and he secured unparalleled peace and prosperity, largely because of a number of foreign alliances made through his many marriages. Because of this stability, there was time for him to be a prodigious scholar, speaking 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs! I love that the Bible points out that Solomon was wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite and others we’ve never heard of. Those sages are long forgotten, but we remember Solomon’s wisdom.

Solomon receiving wisdom in a dream sounds almost like someone finding a magic lamp and being able to ask a genie for anything. What would you ask for? Health and happiness? Wealth and fame? In 1 Kings 3:9, Solomon delighted the Lord by asking for an understanding mind to govern with and the ability to discern good from evil. In other words, he asked for wisdom. God’s response sounds a bit like Matthew 6:33. Because Solomon sought first what God wanted him to seek, God added many other things as well. Have you ever asked God for an understanding mind? It takes humility and the desire to “stand under” something to truly understand it. Too many of us “stand over” things instead. Solomon’s humble approach is wiser. —Jeff Munroe

Prayer: Lord, grant us humility as we seek wisdom.