Love Should Go Public - Song of Songs 7-8

 Song of Songs 7:11-13 (ESV)

The Bride Gives Her Love

11 Come, my beloved,

let us go out into the fields

and lodge in the villages;

12 let us go out early to the vineyards

and see whether the vines have budded,

whether the grape blossoms have opened

and the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance,

and beside our doors are all choice fruits,

new as well as old,

which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Love Should Go Public 

Throughout Song of Solomon we read about the growing love between Solomon and his bride.  We have seen them dream of deep, intimate relationships (chapters 3 and 5).  We have seen them separate, lonely and searching for each other (also chapters 3 and 5).   In the above text we read about the “public” nature of their love.  They have now come together and they want to declare it to the world around them.   Love should be public.  Secret love should be suspect.  If one cannot declare their love for another, in a public manner, we should question the fidelity of that love.  The same is true for our love for Christ.   Song of Solomon is a literal, real love story.  But, like the rest of the Old and New Testament, the center also theme is God’s love for us in the giving of the Son, who died for us in love, and by the power of the Spirit we live, in love, in return to God.  Our love out to be public.   In the above text we read that these two lovers are going from their dreams to fruition and moving from their thoughts to the village.  They are talking about public love.  Real love cannot be hidden.  Real love for another and/or Christ ought to be outward and public.