Physical Attraction In Marriage - Song of Songs 5-6

Song of Songs 5:14-15 (ESV)
His arms are rods of gold,
set with jewels.
His body is polished ivory,
bedecked with sapphires.
His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.

In chapter five of Solomon’s love song, we read the only place where the woman is speaking out about the physical appearance of the man.  The man in the love story does so about the woman on numerous occasions.    However, this the first and last that we read her comments about his physical features.   Perhaps that gives us some insight into the world we see around us today.   Right or wrong it is more prevalent to hear men talk about the physical features of a woman, more than the woman about the man.  (That can be very sexist in nature to think that way, but it does appear to be the normative in our society.)   The above descriptive phrases is only talking about a few of the physical aspects of the man, taken from a longer list the woman mentions in her side of the poem.  In the above the woman mentions the man’s arms, his body (probably chest and abs), his legs and, possibly the reference to “bases” is his feet.   She is basically saying that from head to toe this guy is built!!    She admires the strength of his arms (rods of gold), the brilliance of his chest and abs (polished ivory and sapphires) and the stability of his legs (alabaster columns) and feet (again, gold).  Since the world has sexualized all things male and female it is hard to think about the male body (and even the female body) in the way God intended us to look at them.   Before sin entered the world, man and woman would be in a pure relationship.   Perhaps when Adam first saw Eve, what he really said was, “Wow, man,” rather than, “woman.”    In Christ we ought to come to the  place where the body of our mate titillates us and causes us to be attracted to them.  Yes, we are to be attracted to the inner man, but we are also to be thankful for the body God designed for them. Note what Solomon told the man about his wife:

Proverbs 5:19 (ESV)
(She is) a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.

That is not looking only on the inner person.   God designed our bodies and the attraction of them is not sinful. It certainly can be.  The world we live in has exploited and objectified the body (especially the woman’s body).  Yet, God designed the marriage relationship with this appeal and we ought to celebrate it the way God intended us to celebrate.