Song of Songs 4:16 - 5:1 (ESV)
HE
Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden,
let its spices flow.
Together in the Garden of Love
SHE
Let my beloved come to his garden,
and eat its choicest fruits.
HE
I came to my garden, my sister, my bride,
I gathered my myrrh with my spice,
I ate my honeycomb with my honey,
I drank my wine with my milk.
OTHERS
Eat, friends, drink,
and be drunk with love!
When you read and interpret the Song of Songs there are a variety of thoughts. They can all, probably, be divided into two ideas. The first idea is that this book should be view “metaphorically” only and it is all a metaphor for our relationship with the risen Christ, in the New Testament. Under this approach all the language we read is poetic and meant not to be taken literally, but rather as a picture of what our close and intimate relationship with Christ is to look like.
A second approach to the book it to take it literally. This is truly a love song between the groom (Solomon) and his bride (rather to become his bride or is his bride or a combination of both). In this literal view the lines are still poetic and still, at times, metaphorical, but they are truly a picture of the intimacy between the groom and the bride either in actuality, or in dreams.
The above lines are, under the first approach to interpreting the book, a word picture of the intimate relationship we have with Christ. Under this approach you have to stretch your mind to somehow equate what is being described in poetic terms to a spiritual relationship with the risen Christ. If, on the other hand, we follow the second approach and think of the above lines as two lovers being very intimate, it is much easier to follow.
The above lines, as a description of love making, give us the insight that there is to be a physical aspect to marriage and that physical touch is pleasant and meaningful to the couple. The groom has spent almost the entire fourth chapter describing the brides physical nature in agricultural terms. This might seem strange to anyone with no farming background, but in the context of the day this would resonate with any other reader, couple. He now wants the wind to blow on the garden and ignite the spices. This is a metaphor for his description of her to excite her. She then replies him coming in to him in the intimate act of love. He follows that with affirming he has come into her and found the description of chapter four to be real in the first verse of chapter five.
The “others” referred to those who attending the wedding and are confirming that the two have consummated the marriage and now is a time for celebration and enjoyment of their love. In the Jewish tradition of marriage this all makes perfect sense but may not resonate with the Western mindset. The key in the entire section is to realize that the two have and are enjoying intimacy. God created it and they are embracing it.
If we take the first view that this is all and only about our intimacy with Christ we might lose the human aspect of love-making that the Designer of the universe gave us. But, we can also embrace the fact that our relationship with Christ can be compared to the intimacy we have with our spouse. That is not a far stretch as coming to Christ is to be that intimate. It might be best to interpret these passages as poetic literature that is describing the real relationship with a man and a woman, but at the same time it is a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. It can be both (as most of the Old Testament is). The key here is to realize that God gave man and woman a way to express deep intimacy with each other that is full of pleasure. But, our relationship with God, through Christ, is as equally full of pleasure:
Psalms 16:11 (ESV)
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
No comments:
Post a Comment