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Song of Songs: What’s Up With That?
By Marc | January 9, 2009
Recently, I heard you will never hear a sermon on Song of Songs because it doesn’t have bullet points. It doesn’t make a definite point and have specific verses one could point to in order to live a better life closer to God. It’s poetry. Actually, it’s a very beautiful poem.
Imagine my surprise when I found audio versions of hundreds of sermons preached on the topic on one website. I can’t possibly listen to all of these, but I did browse some of the titles and descriptions.
From what I saw, there are two ways the book is interpreted (and probably a lot more than my tiny brain can come up with, but with a little research will be able to find other views). One way is a parable or an allegory of God’s love for us. Personally, I would have to do a bit more reading and praying on the subject before I try to tackle that one.
The other is more direct and something I can more easily wrap my head around: Human love. More specifically, marital intimacy.
One of the sermons, by Kevin Swanson, focuses on it.
I really enjoy listening to Kevin Swanson. For one, he’s a homeschooling parent, and he often brings in that viewpoint to his sermons. Also, he comes across as really personable and knowledgeable. It almost seems it would take a lot to trip him up in an interview.
He has a many really good points in this sermon. A few are:
- He addresses why someone like Solomon, known for having a thousand wives and concubines, could be used to write a poem of a monogamous relationship.
- Relationships are a mystery created by God.
- Many relationships are crippled by a warped perspective of conjugal love. Men are so ruined by pornography they can’t view women without some form of lust and have problems even hugging a Christian brother because it might be construed as inappropriate and sick.
- Most people believe that in order to have love for another person or love your child, there must be some sort of perversion going on.
- Keep the marriage bed hot.
- Dissecting sex by scientists, educators, and how-to manuals have destroyed a healthy understanding of intimacy.
- Modesty. Keep the bedroom clothes and activities in the bedroom.
- Children of course shouldn’t be seeing their parents having sex, but should see and know that Mom loves Dad and Dad loves Mom.
- Song of Songs is “a love poem for a marriage, which has implications for the Church.”
For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out this book in the Bible. What is it really saying? Why is it in here? It’s there both for its sheer beauty and an intimate example of a healthy married relationship. It’s also there to show us God wants us sex isn’t something disgusting and perverted, but is a beautiful thing created by him to be enjoyed by those committed in marriage.
My knowledge of Song of Songs is really still pretty small and superficial, but it’s a really interesting poem with many layers needing to be unfolded. What are your thoughts on it? I’d really love to read your views.
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