Song Of Solomon 8:4-7 Enjoying Love

Song of Solomon 8:4-7 Enjoying Love

Today, I will preaching from Song of Solomon, (also known as the Song of Songs – or to put it in another form: The Highest Song). The Song was written by Solomon, the king of Israel. Jewish tradition states that Solomon wrote the Song when he was young, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes when he was old.

Song of Solomon is found in an area of the Old Testament called the “Wisdom” books. These books include: Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Psalms and the Song. As wisdom books, they were written to encourage people to follow God’s instruction on certain matters. In essence, they give us wisdom on how to deal with everyday life. The theme of Song of Solomon is enjoying love, specifically romantic love. The Bible in Song of Solomon instructs us on how to deal with romantic love properly.

The Song is the Proverbs for love relationships. The Song has important application to our lives, especially when it comes to making the second most important choice in our lives (the first one being Jesus). This book has great instruction for people who are single before they married, for singles even if they have been married before, and of course married couples.

The primary application is for romantic, married love. However, one could apply these principles to friendships and specifically Christian relationships. The reason I say this is because the Bible talks about love in both the Old and New Testament. Marriage is just one arena in which is love is developed. In proper marriage, God said:

“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, HCSB)

Jesus said about marriage:

“Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”” (Mark 10:9, HCSB)

However, Jesus also said:

““I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” (John 13:34, HCSB)

Jesus said that we would be defined as Christians by the way we love one another:

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:35, HCSB)

“love your neighbor as yourself.”

“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39, HCSB)

In the Song, love is the central theme. However, love needs to put into proper perspective. Three times, the writer says:

“Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, HCSB)

So the writer of the Song makes it clear that we are called to love properly. We can misuse love if we use it when it is not ready for us to have. This applies to singles. It also also applies to everyone else no matter what relationship we are in. We can easily misuse love when it is not ready.

I want to focus on how the Song shares with us how to enjoy love.

One important feature to notice as we walk through the Song is that it is written differently than any other book in the Bible. It is essentially a drama in eight acts. These eight acts are not equally divided into eight chapters (although the people who added chapter and verse did divide it into this eight chapter structure). So I will encourage you to essentially ignore the notations that modern Bibles give and to look at this book in the way that it was written.

As a drama it has four essential players: The King, the Bride, the Friends of the Bride, and the Brothers of the Bride. Each of these players speak throughout the drama. It is a drama that starts with and ends with a woman’s voice. As such, it contains many points of view that come from the woman’s side. There is also many points given from the King – the man’s point of view.

Because of the complex nature of this drama, the Song has not often been preached in churches. When it has been preached, it is normally presented as a picture of Christ’s love for the church. While the Song can be interpreted in this fashion, I have found that when a person really takes time to understand the book, the meaning does not need to be allegorized. Instead, it can be applied into our daily lives.

The Song has been avoided in modern churches because of its explicit sexual language, and that is to the church’s shame. When the church starts to embrace what the Bible has to say about sexuality, we can instruct others on what God say about the subject. God says that sex is good, but that He instructs us to enjoy it in a married relationship – in a responsible romantic way. Instead of avoiding the subject of sex, and criticizing what the world is teaching us today about sex (which is essentially the idea that every sexual encounter and habit is good, no matter what it is), we lose the opportunity to reach out to the people who need this instruction the most.

Also considering the fact that most modern Christians are losing the battle of obeying God’s instruction in matters of sex and marriage, the Song has something very important to teach us and help us. Let me share with you three lessons we learn about enjoying love from these verses.

HOW TO ENJOY LOVE

1. Take the warning seriously about love. (8:4)

God wants you to enjoy love with the one He has given you. He wants to enjoy love with you. He wants you to enjoy love with the one He has given you. He wants you to enjoy it in a proper fashion. This is the reason God warns THREE times in the Song about stirring up or awakening love before its time.

“Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, HCSB)

“Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” (Song of Solomon 3:5, HCSB)

“Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” (Song of Solomon 8:4, HCSB)

The Song even acknowledges how hard it is to be this patient.

“Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you: if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick.” (Song of Solomon 5:8, HCSB)

Many times, we want to strike the spark of love before we are ready. God warns us to be patient. Of course, it doesn’t help that we live a society that pushes that on us. Society pressures us. Whether it is the pressure of giving gifts and cards on Valentine’s Day, or selling us sex in a movie like Fifty Shades of Grey, society wants to tell you how to love. We must remember Who our source of love is.

“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8, HCSB)

God is love and He is our Source of love. We will not get the most satisfaction of love without Him. So we need to take God’s warning here seriously about romantic love.

At the same time, we need to learn to be faithful and enjoy the one God gives us to express our love.

2. Set yourself to enjoy the one God wants you to enjoy. (8:5-6)

“Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the one she loves? I awakened you under the apricot tree. There your mother conceived you; there she conceived and gave you birth.” (Song of Solomon 8:5, HCSB)

Do you have a special place where you want to spend time with the one you love? Maybe it is where your husband proposed to you? Maybe it is a special place where you both first met? Do you remember that place? Here, other people are watching as the Shulamite woman and Solomon embrace. People are watching as these two go to place that is special for these two lovers.

Notice how public they express their love. Notice that the woman is willing to show the others who are watching how much she loves her husband. She is telling the world by her body language that she enjoys her husband.

“Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm…” (Song of Solomon 8:6, HCSB)

God has given you a person to possess, both inwardly (with the heart) and outwardly (with the arm.) You need to enjoy the person God has given you.

“Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9, HCSB)

Husbands, put your arms around your wife. Let her know that you love her. Wives, show others who God has given you as a possession. Put your arms around her. Let me demonstrate: (bring my wife forward and kiss her)

3. Love is a powerful gift. Don’t give it up too easily. (8:6-7)

Outside of John 3:16, we have the most powerful description of love in the Bible.

“Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death; ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol. Love’s flames are fiery flames — the fiercest of all. Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned.” (Song of Solomon 8:6–7, HCSB)

Love is as strong as death. Love’s strength is compared to death. Everyone will die. That is how powerful death is. Love is just as powerful. Even Paul mentioned the power of love:

“For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38–39, HCSB)

Just as Huey Lewis and News sang in their hit 1980s song: “The Power Of Love”

The power of love is a curious thing

make a one man weep, make another man sing

Change a hawk to a little white dove

more than a feeling that’s the power of love

Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream

Stronger and harder than a bad girl’s dream

make a bad one good make a wrong one right

power of love that keeps you home at night

You don’t need money, don’t take fame

Don’t need no credit card to ride this train

It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes

but it might just save your life

That’s the power of love

They say that all in love is fair

yeah, but you don’t care

But you know what to do

when it gets hold of you

and with a little help from above

you feel the power of love

Can you feel it?

Hmmm

“Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned.” (Song of Solomon 8:7, HCSB)

Just like the 1960s Beatle’s song, “You Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Say you don’t need no diamond ring and I’ll be satisfied

Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can’t buy

I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Owww

CLOSING: Love can’t be bought and it can’t die. God loves you with an everlasting love. He wants you to enjoy that love, here in this life, and in eternity.