Four Points Church

This passage begins with the woman coming up from the wilderness again, but this time she is not alone. The arms of her beloved are now wrapped around her, embracing and protecting his bride. A wedding ring reveals a man’s commitment to be united with his wife, and here, the bride desires to be the public “seal” of her husband (8:6a). She is his unique possession. Their love is stronger than death (8:6b). This is a powerful statement. All mankind fears death, but perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18). We also hear from the brothers of the bride for the first time (vs. 8-9). They seemed concerned for the purity of their sister when she was younger. The bride ferociously reveals her chastity before marriage, which is also why she had previously adjured the daughters of Jerusalem to “not awaken love before its time” (vs. 4). Solomon and his bride waited and now they experience marital bliss together.

The remaining verses in chapter six transition to an ancient and sacred dance the bride performs for her husband. She gazes upon Solomon and becomes aroused, which motivates her to perform this dance. The community wants to witness the beauty of the bride, but Solomon declares their request inappropriate as the dance is only for him and his lover. Chapter seven begins with Solomon alone with his bride. It is clear in the text that the only article of clothing the bride is wearing is her sandals. Solomon has an unobstructed view of the rest of her body. He begins to describe her. Unlike chapter four where Solomon begins with her head and moves down, here he begins with her feet and moves up. The Hebrew word for feet, pa’am, suggests her feet are already in graceful motion as the dance has begun. Solomon’s description not only compliments the body of the Shulammite, but also reflects her strength of character, which is also attractive to him. This couple has had problems in the past (5:2-6), but now they are in perfect harmony. Chapter seven ends with beautiful and reciprocal love as the husband and bride enjoy one another in marital bliss.

In the previous passage of scripture, we witnessed the imperfections of a husband and his wife. As JC Ryle stated, “Marriage is, after all, the union of two sinners, not two angels.” A healthy marriage is not void of conflicts. Conflicts in marriage are inevitable, because marriage involves two individuals who are far from perfect, and are in daily need of God’s rescuing and enabling grace. Chapter six of Song of Solomon shows us how conflicts should be resolved within a marriage.

Solomon and his bride are married and have fully consummated their marriage. This is where one expects to find those classic words, “and they lived happily every after.” We know that real life does not work that way. Even the greatest marriages on earth face constant mountains that must be overcome. Some marital issues are simply the result of living in a broken world. Other problems are the result of our own sin.

This passage opens with Solomon continuing in his pursuit of his Shulamite bride. Verse eight of chapter four is the first time in the book that Solomon calls the Shulamite “his bride,” which is the word kallah in Hebrew. This word is literally translated as “bride” or “young wife,” thus acknowledging the public status of their relationship. The two have now joined and have become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). This union results in abundant delight and pleasure (5:1). Sex was meant not only for procreation, but also for pleasure between a husband and wife. The intimacy we experience in sex with our spouse was designed to point us to a greater intimacy that we will experience when our Savior appears for His bride at the second coming. He has united us to Himself, and empowered us with His Spirit to battle our sin and glorify Him in our lives and marriages. Jesus didn’t do all this because we were beautiful and unstained. He did this to make us beautiful. The gospel renews what sin has distorted!

The bride has longed to be one with her love, Solomon. Solomon has also greatly desired his bride. Time has not allowed them the intimacy they both crave. They have labored for their chastity, but that will change now, as the springtime of their love has finally come. It is the day of their wedding (vs. 11), and Solomon arrives in the splendor of his kingly office. Those in attendance can smell the many pleasing aromas of the king as he made his approach. He is being carried upon a specially-made carriage for this occasion. Sixty mighty men surround Solomon—more than double the mighty men of his father, David (2 Samuel 28:13). The carriage was built with the finest materials the ancient world had to offer, the accessories and decor inlaid with skill and precision.Solomon’s entrance demonstrated the opulence of his stature and the excellency of his rule. The daughters of Jerusalem loved their king and were eager for him to experience the joy of his wedding.

Chapter three begins with the Shulammite bride alone in the privacy of her bedroom. Some commentators view the next passage as a dream and some view it as a reality. Nevertheless, the point of the next five verses is evident. The bride deeply desires to be with the one she loves. She leaves the comforts of her house and ventures out into the dangers of the city at night to find Solomon. Keep in mind the city streets and squares at night were not the safest of places, especially for young women during this time. She is willing to risk her safety to find her love, and she will stop at nothing to pursue him. When she finds Solomon, she clings to him desperately. She then takes him back to the intimacy of her mother’s house. Of course there is a sexual connotation here, but that is not the point. She desires sex in the appropriate context, the context of marriage and family. Her mother’s house was the house were she was born. It is the house that is so closely connected to her and her past. Her desire is for her husband to truly be united to her, not just physically. This reminds us of God’s design and plan for marriage found in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” However, the time for their marital consummation is not yet, as love has not quite been awakened (3:5).

We now see the bride take her own advice. Solomon comes to her. She sees him on the other side of the wall and peering through the lattice to get her attention. He calls out to her. His words are sweet poetry that would melt the heart of any young maiden (vs. 10-13). His intention is clear. He wants her to come to him. The time is right he proclaims. “The spring is here and everything is in blossom and so should our love also bloom,” he says. He longs for her and he is ready for her. We know from chapter one that the bride shares the same desires to be with her groom. However, she answers him, “Not yet.” Her response is not a harsh rejection. She reminds him that she is his as he belongs to her (vs. 16).