Sunday, January 10, 2016 Lesson: Song of Solomon 6:4-12; Time of Action: 970-960 B.C.; Place of Action: Jerusalem Golden Text: My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her (Song of Solomon 6:9a). I. INTRODUCTION. Marital love, properly recognized and practiced is the strongest human bond. It s not only a physical union of bodies, but also a spiritual communion of personalities. The Song of Solomon celebrates the beauty of marital love. Its vivid imagery has sometimes made readers from Western culture uncomfortable, resulting in typological and allegorical interpretations. However, the Song of Solomon may also be a picture of the spiritual relationship between Christ and His church. It s primarily a poem of love between a man and a woman. This week s lesson reveals a husband s praise for the beauty of his bride.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. The Song of Solomon is viewed by many as an intimate story of a man and a woman, their love, courtship (see Song of Solomon 1:2-3:5), marriage (see Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1), and a maturing bond within the marriage (see Song of Solomon 5:2-8:4). Solomon probably wrote this song in his youth before being overtaken by his own obsession with women, sex, and pleasure. A moving story, drama, and poem, Song of Solomon features the love dialogue between a simple Jewish maiden (the Shulammite woman) and her lover (King Solomon). They describe in intimate detail their feelings for each other and their longings to be together. Throughout the dialogue, sex and marriage are put in their proper perspective. If all of this is true, and I believe it is, our lesson text reveals their feelings and their relationship after they were married. As chapter 6 begins, the couple appear to be separated momentarily from each other and the daughters of Jerusalem (see Song of Solomon 5:16) offer to help her find him (see Song of Solomon 6:1). However, she tells them that she knows where he is and what he s doing (see Song of Solomon 6:2). Then she acknowledges that this separation has not affected their relationship in any way, because she belongs to him and he belongs to her (see Song of Solomon 6:3). This is where our lesson begins. III. THE BRIDE IS PRAISED BY HER HUSBAND (Song of Solomon 6:4-7)
A. Comparisons of her beauty (Song of Solomon 6:4). Our first verse says Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. It appears that the bride s husband has returned and he begins to praise her beauty. The bridegroom uses comparisons based on his culture and country to describe his bride whom he often refers to as my love (see Song of Solomon 1:9, 15; 2:2; 3:5; 4:1, 7). First, Solomon compares his bride s beauty to two of Israel s beloved cities. He said Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem. The city of Tirzah which means pleasantness or delight was located about 35 miles northeast of Jerusalem in the northern territory of the tribe of Manasseh. Jerusalem was in the south and her beauty was well known under Solomon s reign (see II Chronicles 1:15). Jerusalem, which means possession of peace was also called the perfection of beauty (see Psalms 50:2). Today we have no idea how these ancient cities looked, but we can imagine their impressive beauty by thinking of the beauty of today s modern cities. The husband also described her beauty to be terrible as an army with banners. In other words, she was as majestic as a vast army marching with its banners waving in the breeze. To Solomon she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Note: Comparing a woman s beauty to these things as well as others later in the text may seem strange to us today. Certainly, we would hardly compare a woman s beauty today to cities or a marching army. However, we must remember that Solomon was describing her beauty by comparing it to things that both he and she were familiar with in their culture. The comparisons were made to thingsthat they both found beauty in.
B. Details of her beauty (Song of Solomon 6:5-7). 1. (vs. 5). Solomon now goes into detail describing his wife s beauty in this verse saying Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Referring to her eyes, Solomon tells his wife to Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Her eyes were so beautiful that he was overwhelmed by them, causing him to ask her to look away from him, because they made him feel unworthy of her. He also spoke of her hair saying thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. The picture here is of a flock of goats grazing on the hillside of Mount Gilead. These animals from a distance would appear black or dark colored. Thus, her hair must have been dark, thick and beautiful as it covered her shoulders. Gilead was a rich grazing region east of the Jordan River that the tribes of Reuben and Gad asked Moses to let them settle instead of crossing over into Canaan (see Numbers 32:1-5). Note: Nothing can match the expression a man has when he is gazing at the woman he loves. It doesn t matter whether her hair is a mess, or she is running around in socks and house shoes. When he looks at her, he sees someone breathtaking, someone who elicits passion and tenderness inside him. He is stirred by a desire to be near her, to protect her, to hold her close, and to cherish her. She fills a space in his heart that no one else could. This is the
way God feels about us. As the church, we are the bride of Christ. His love for us is fierce and everlasting (see Jeremiah 31:3). When we look at ourselves, we might see our shortcomings and imperfections. But when Jesus looks at us through the lens of His sacrifice, he sees His beloved. He sees the undefiled one for whom he chose to give His life (see Ephesians 2:4-5). For sure, nothing can separate us from God s love (see Romans 8:38-39). No matter how we act, or what we look like, He still views us as the most beautiful bride ever. He didn t have to choose us, but He did. I find that amazing! 2. (vs. 6). In this verse Solomon continued to say Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. The bride s husband now describes her teeth. First he said Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing. The image presented here is one of a flock of freshly shaven sheep that are washed after being sheared. The washing brings out their whiteness. Therefore, Solomon praises her teeth because they are exceptionally white. Second, he says of her teeth that every one beareth twins. Like a female sheep may give birth to twins, his wife s top and bottom teeth are perfectly matched. The phrase there is not one barren among them most likely means that just as the female sheep carries all of her lambs to term and doesn t lose one of the twin sheep at birth, likewise neither does his bride have any missing teeth. Her top and bottom teeth are perfectly
matched. There are no defects in her teeth, and they are beautiful to look at. She has a beautiful and perfect set of teeth which was rare in times when there were no dentists or even toothbrushes! 3. (vs. 7). This verse says As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. Next the husband describes his wife s temples. He said thy temples within thy locks are As a piece of a pomegranate. Her temples, covered by the locks of her hair are compared to a piece of a pomegranate. The pomegranate was a favorite fruit in the area of the Mediterranean Sea and was about the size of an apple. It has a reddish color and a pulpy inside that contains many ruby colored seeds with delicious juice. Since Solomon compares her temples with a piece of a pomegranate, he was probably referring to the inside of the fruit. The reddish color of the inside, with its ruby colored seeds along with the sweet juice illustrates the pleasantness of her appearance. Note: These words of praise are identical to some of those spoken by the bridegroom on their wedding night (see Song of Solomon 4:1-3). Repeating them indicates a continuous appreciation that the husband has for his wife s beauty. Unlike what happens in many marriages today, his love never diminished. If anything, it got stronger each day. This is a good example for all husbands, but especially Christian husbands. Since the words used to describe the bride cannot be fulfilled completely by any bride, one would think that the husband must be blind. But that s the point. He was
so much in love with her that he sees only perfection in her. Even if she had defects, he wouldn t have noticed them. His love for his bride covers all her flaws whatever they may be. Husbands today, who focus on finding fault with their wives instead of complimenting them for their strengths, should be ashamed. In a healthy marriage, each partner must unselfishly look for the best in the other. IV. THE BRIDE COMPARED TO WOMEN IN THE KING S COURT (Song of Solomon 6:8-10) A. The bride s superiority and the women s praise (Song of Solomon 6:8-9). 1. (vs. 8). In this verse the husband says There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. Here, the bridegroom refers to the women in his court, indicating that there were none there more beautiful than his wife. The queens were the king s legitimate wives. The concubines were also female slaves or mistresses with whom a man was lawfully permitted to have sexual intercourse (see Genesis 16:2-3). By the time Israel had monarchies, the practice of keeping concubines was apparently a privilege for kings only. In the ancient world concubines were protected by law, so they couldn t be sold if the man was no longer interested in them. The Law of
Moses also recognized the rights of concubines and guarded them from inhumane treatment (see Exodus 21:7-11; Deuteronomy 21:10-14). They were considered to be wives of the king, but they ranked below the queens. The term virgins refers to unmarried women who have not yet engaged in sexual intercourse. In Hebrew, the word virgin can refer to any maiden or young girl of marriageable age, but it also implies that she was chaste. Since Solomon is said to have had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (see I Kings 11:3), most likely in this verse he uses the numbers threescore (sixty) and fourscore (eighty) not as an exact number of women in his court, but to illustrate the typical number of women in a royal harem. The point is to show that his wife is more beautiful than any number of women in the king s court as indicated in the next verse. Note: The fact that King Solomon had numerous wives, concubines and virgins in his court, does not mean that the Scriptures support polygamy. God never approved it, and it was prohibited for Israel s kings (see Deuteronomy 17:14, 17). 2. (vs. 9). In this verse the husband says My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Here the king calls his wife My dove likening her to one of the most loved and beautiful birds. He also calls her my undefiled meaning that in his eyes she has no flaws; she s perfect. Both My dove and my undefiled are terms of
endearment. Since he sees her as flawless, he can also say that she is but one. In other words, she is unique; there are no women like her. She was far superior to all the other women in the king s court. Solomon continued to praise his wife stating that she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. In other words, she is her mother s favorite child. In the eyes of both her husband and her mother, his bride has no equal among women. Then Solomon says The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. This means that other women who gaze upon the bride also see how beautiful and wonderful she is. The term daughters refers to all the other women in the king s court who he identifies again as the queens and the concubines. They are all so mesmerized by her physical beauty as well as how she carried herself, that they blessed her and praised her meaning that they only had wonderful things to say about her. Note: Solomon s exalted description of his bride s beauty carries a spiritual truth for us. New Testament Scripture uses Christ as the example for Christian husbands in loving their wives (see Ephesians 5:25-30). This love sees the marriage partner as one with Christ and therefore involves the ultimate self-sacrifice. It also implies that the husband always sees the best in her. This is the example that the divine Bridegroom has left for us. But there is an important difference between human marriage and Christ s union with the church. Whereas the bride in the Song of Solomon is perfect in beauty and the husband has his flaws, it s the opposite with Christ and His church. He is perfect, and the church,
His bride is flawed. Only His love and imputed righteousness make this spiritual union possible. But just as the husband in the Song of Solomon couldn t find any flaws or faults in his bride, Christ finds none in His church. He looks to the day when He will present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (see Ephesians 5:27). We, too, should look forward to that time as well! B. The women continue to praise the bride (Song of Solomon 6:10). This verse says Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? These are rhetorical questions apparently asked by the women mentioned in the previous verse, the women in the king s court. The questions should be seen as statements of how these other women see the king s wife. First, they refer to her as she that looketh forth as the morning meaning that her beauty shines out like the dawn. Second, they describe her beauty as fair as the moon, clear as the sun. This means that she is as pretty as the moon and as bright as the sun. Thirdly, the women describe her as being terrible as an army with banners. Some scholars take this phrase to mean majestic as the stars in procession. But since this is the same expression used by her husband in verse 4, it s best to understand it literally meaning that the
women in the king s court compared the bride s beauty to an awe-inspiring majestic army marching with its banners waving in the breeze. Note: The interesting thing here is that we would naturally expect all the women in the king s court, his wives, concubines and virgins to be jealous of the bride s beauty, but they are not. They revel in her beauty and speak well of her. This says as much about her inner beauty as it does about her physical beauty. Undoubtedly, she didn t flaunt her appearance or use it to demean any one else. V. THE BRIDE YEARNS FOR HER HUSBAND (Song of Solomon 6:11-12) A. The bride seeks her husband (Song of Solomon 6:11). This verse says I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. Different translations of this verse as well as verse 12 ascribe these words to the bridegroom, the husband. However, it makes more sense to me that these words are spoken by the bride. We noted earlier in the background that it appeared that the bride and her husband were temporarily separated. Verse 11 here seems to be her description of what she did when trying to find him. She said I went down into the
garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. She went seeking her husband in the garden of nuts probably a reference to walnuts that grew on beautiful spreading trees that also provided shade. There, she wanted to see the fruits of the valley a reference to springtime. She also wanted to see if the vine flourished meaning if the grapevines were budding. Finally, she wanted to see if the pomegranates budded meaning if the pomegranates were blossoming yet. This may seem to be a strange response from someone who was seeking her husband. But when we consider how much they loved each other, and the compliments he paid her, we can understand why she only wanted to see things of beauty which could be found in that garden. Let s not forget that they lived in an agricultural society, so the beauty of nature aroused their passion for each other. Note: From this couple we should learn to take time for a walk through a garden or another lovely place, reflect on the beauty, appreciate it together, and enjoy each other s company. We need to carve out special quiet times in our busy, increasingly urban lives to renew romance and keep it alive. Nature can help! Proverbs 5:19 tells husbands to always be ravished and intoxicated by their wives love. Yes, God created passion and sex for procreation, but also to bond a couple together. Married love is a gift to be enjoyed.
B. The bride finds her husband (Song of Solomon 6:12). Our final verse says Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Like the previous verse, many commentators agree that this verse is one of the most difficult passages to understand in the Song of Solomon. However, to be consistent with the idea that the bride is speaking, we will interpret this verse from that viewpoint. From the phrase Or ever I was aware it appears that while concentrating on the beauty of the garden, the bride suddenly came upon her husband. This caused her to say my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. In other words, she was so thrilled to see her husband that before she knew it her soul or her desire, put her among the chariots of her noble people. The term Amminadib means my noble people. Although no one knows the exact meaning of this verse, it could be understood that as the bride walked through the garden thinking about her husband, all of a sudden she imagined herself beside him in his royal chariot. VI. Conclusion. As the bride of Christ, we must carry out our relationships according to the principles found in God s Word, especially in our marriages. However, it s inevitable that with the passing of time, and becoming familiar with one another, a marriage can start to lose its initial sparkle. Glances and touches no longer produce the same emotional
response. Conflicts and pressures may creep in, causing you to lose your tenderness toward your spouse. But spouses can be havens for each other. If intimacy and passion decline, remember that they can be renewed and regenerated. Take time to remember those first thrills, the excitement of sex, your spouse s strengths, and the commitment you made. When you focus on the positives, reconciliation and renewal can result. ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***