Series: Love of Loves in the Song of Songs
Description: God knew what He was doing when He created love, marriage and sex. In fact, He wrote the book on it! God has given us a divine manual on romantic relationships in the Song of Solomon, taking us from a couple’s initial attraction through courtship, marriage, honeymoon, conflict, and deepening intimacy. These scriptures are insightful and (at times) explicit, but offer guidance toward the emotionally-satisfying relationships and marriage that God desires for you.
Dates Titles Scripture Events
2/6 Attraction & Dating Song of Solomon 1-2:7
2/13 Healthy Marriage Song of Solomon 2:8-3:11 Vow Renewal
2/20 Passionate Sex Song of Solomon 4
2/27 Handling Conflict Song of Solomon 5-6
3/6 Lasting Love Song of Solomon 8
Book Overview: SATURATED with stories of sexual escapades, secret rendezvous, and extramarital affairs, today’s media teach that immorality means freedom, perversion is natural, and commitment is old-fashioned. Sex, created by God and pronounced good in Eden, has been twisted, exploited, and turned into an urgent, illicit, casual, and self-gratifying activity. Love has turned into lust, giving into getting, and lasting commitment into “no strings attached.”
In reality, sexual intercourse, the physical and emotional union of male and female, should be a holy means of celebrating love, producing children, and experiencing pleasure, protected by the commitment of marriage.
God thinks sex is important, and Scripture contains numerous guidelines for its use and warnings about its misuse. And sex is always mentioned in the context of a loving relationship between husband and wife. Perhaps the highlight of this is Song of Songs, the intimate story of a man and a woman, their love, courtship, and marriage. 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 Songs features the love dialogue between a simple Jewish maiden (the young woman) and her lover (Solomon, the king). 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, God-given perspective.
Much debate has raged over the meaning of this song. Some say it is an allegory of God’s love for Israel or for the church. Others say it is a literal story about married love. In reality, it is both—a historical story with two layers of meaning. On one level, we learn about love, marriage, and sex; and on the other level, we see God’s overwhelming love for his people. As you read Song of Songs, remember that you are loved by God, and commit yourself to seeing life, sex, and marriage from his point of view.
Vital Statistics
Purpose: To tell of the love between a bridegroom (King Solomon) and his bride, to affirm the sanctity of marriage, and to picture God’s love for his people
Author: Solomon
Date Written: Probably early in Solomon’s reign
Setting: Israel—the Shulammite woman’s garden and the king’s palace
The Blueprint
Song of Songs is a wedding song honoring marriage. The most explicit statements on sex in the Bible can be found in this book. It has often been criticized down through the centuries because of its sensuous language. The purity and sacredness of love represented here, however, are greatly needed in our day in which distorted attitudes about love and marriage are commonplace. God created sex and intimacy, and they are holy and good when enjoyed within marriage. A husband and wife honor God when they love and enjoy each other.
| MEGATHEMES | ||
|---|---|---|
| THEME | EXPLANATION | IMPORTANCE |
| Sex | Sex is God’s gift to his creatures. He endorses sex but restricts its expression to a man and a woman who are committed to each other in marriage. | God wants sex to be motivated by love and commitment, not lust. It is for mutual pleasure, not selfish enjoyment. |
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