Why do preachers and writers today think The Song of Songs is just about marriage, just about sex? Great preachers up until fifty years ago knew better. Charles Spurgeon said that it couldn’t just be about sex, it couldn’t just be about marriage — because it is “the Song of Songs,” which means “the very best.” Sex and marriage are beautiful gifts — but they were never intended to be the ultimate. That means we who are single would have missed it.
No — there are other reasons we are blind today. What do you think they are? We’re going to be exploring this fall some of the rich imagery of The Song of Songs, and it isn’t for the faint-hearted or hard-hearted. It is a beautiful parable — and parables are meant to hide mysterious truths from those who aren’t ready. But those who are ready to destroy the idols of their hearts, and to fall deeply in love with the One we were really created to worship, can come on this journey. “His banner over us is love” as the Song says — so why aren’t we seeing this in this lovely book?
Help me with this. Why are so many missing the main point of The Song of Songs today? Why does it seem to be studied only as a marriage manual? Why are people actually offended when you tell them it is about intimacy with Christ? Though it surely has value on the literal level, as a marriage manual, why are we missing the main point?
If you have seen some of the parallels, share what you have seen. If you haven’t, why do you think you haven’t?
4 comments
I wonder if one of reasons that the Song of Songs is just seen as a “marriage manual” is because so many pastors and men are struggling with pornography? If the SOS is looked at on a human and sexual level it legitimizes some of what they are involved in.
I am not accusing any one pastor of that but could it be part of the reason that it is not seen as part of a description of our intimacy with Christ?
Maybe that is why they do not see it, as you allude to in the principle of readiness Dee.
Along these lines I would like to have a discussion about modesty for Christian women. What is going on with us? I am getting so tired of seeing cleavage everywhere from church to the grocery store to the doctors office and it is evident in all ages. Why do we let fashion “experts” dictate to us what “looks good”?
That’s interesting Mary.
I do believe that because sex has been so abused (pornography is a good example) that we have trouble seeing it within a covenant marriage as pure and holy. It is like a garbage truck has backed up and dumped onto the marriage bed. Therefore, we have trouble with the analogy. We think, how could intimacy with God be compared to something that is dirty.
But in fact, sex within the marriage covenant is pure, beautiful, and undefiled — that’s what Hebrews tells us.
I think this is part of it, definitely!
I’m just really getting started in doing this study on Song Of Songs. I feel like I didn’t have anything to say about this book because like everyone else, I assumed it was about marriage and not for singles. And I suppose it is a love affair from God to us. How God/Jesus loves us so much it’s like a deep relationship. A deep and beautiful love affair with us because it does sort of transcend sex. I am not sure if I am on the right path here. I suppose I would be the last person to comment on sex because of how I’ve abused it, but hopefully that won’t continue.
Journeyvision! I’m so excited to see you here. I copied this good letter to the most recent post so more people can see it. Thanks for entering in!