Song of Solomon Chapter 1 "Solomon's Song about the Shulamite." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org The Song of Solomon is a mature subject, and this is why many teachers and pastors steer clear of this book, however it is the greatest love story ever told. The Children of Israel usually teach that the analogy here is that of Christ, or Almighty God with Israel itself. Others teach that it is the relationship between Mother Mary, and Christ Himself. Instead of setting the course on the traditions that men set forth, with all of their assumptions, we are going to direct this book Song of Solomon to the relationship between the Man [Christ] and his wife. Christ does have a wife, for Christ's wife came before the foundations of this earth age were laid. They were chosen in the world that was, and they are called the "God's elect". Ephesians 1:4, 5; "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:" [4] "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Chrst to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will," [6] The wife is all those that God had took in the world age that was [the first earth age], when souls did not live in the flesh bodies as we know flesh today. However the bride of Christ is all those souls, or people that of their own free will have repented and have chosen to believe upon Jesus Christ. In that this is an analogy, it applies as it is written in Romans 8: Meaning they were chosen, and became a wife then. Therefore the subject of this book of Song of Solomon is the subject of the wife talking to her husband. That husband Jesus Christ that is away, separated from his wife. The King and the Shepherd are one, and the Godhead. The "Shepherd" is the role of Christ, and the King is the role of the Father, which are one. John 10:30; "I and My Father are one." Therefore we are discussing the "election", and the "Godhead". These tender moments are speaking of the moments and relationships that the flesh can understand. It is not unusual that God uses the term "adultery", as an example of idolatry. So that we can understand that He has emotions also. Just as the emotions of your flesh speak out, so also the emotions of our inner soul seeks out the love and attention from God. Therefore Christ uses the expression in Matthew 24:19, "Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" In other words, Christ has been away two thousand years, and His wife has carrying a suckling child within her, meaning she has been untrue to her husband. It is a mature subject, and we will try to handle it as delicately as possible, but we will not lose the indepth truth, and the emotions of our heavenly Father. This particular book shows us God's inner feelings and love, His tenderness and compassion for His wife, more then any other book of the Bible. It is an expression of the Husband for His wife, and bride to be, whichever term that you prefer to use [Those that seek Christ and search Him out]. Through the analogy, I hope you can see how those that love the Lord, do seek him and desire to be with Him. We seek that closer walk with Him as we search Him out through His Word. This Book, the Song of Solomon was always read at Passover by our forefathers, and it is ironic that Christ became our Passover. Christ is our Passover, as is pointed out by Paul in I Corinthians 5:7; "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" There are so-called "higher critics", and "fluff houses" that say that this book does not belong in the Bible, because they just can not handle the emotions of Almighty God, and relate this to themselves. They prefer to keep God at a distance from themselves, and because of this, they do not come to fully understand God's true emotions. Instead, they say, "We just don't allow that sort of material to be read in our church." Friend, if your church is too nice for the Word of God, then it is just right for Satan and his twisting and deceptions of the Word of God. Though many would have
there be only two speakers in this book, the truth is
there are many. This explains why there is a problem in
trying to understand this book when using interpretations
that depend on only two. In fact, there are seven in all.
These are; Song of Solomon 1:1 "The song of songs, which is Solomon's." The word "Solomon" in the Hebrew tongue means "the peaceful one". Song of Solomon 1:2 "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mount: for thy love is better than wine." The girl begins to speak. There is a two fold meaning within this. You know the feeling that you get when you are in a close embrace with the one you love, when you take the kiss of the mouth of your love. In the phrase, "for thy love is better than wine," draws our attention to what we have to remember Christ by, the Holy Communion. It would be better to have Christ here in person, but until then, we have the sweetness of the wine to remember Him by. Song of Solomon 1:3 "Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee." It is precious when we brake this back into the Hebrew. This girl that has just spoken, is known as the Shulamite. "Shulamite" means "a double resting place". Many people rest in only one place in Christ, when this calls attention that there is a double rest, for those that have eyes to see, with understanding. Christ looks forward to the time of being with His virgin bride, speaking spiritually, and let it be that we can remain true to Him, and that we remain alert and not deceived, and remain a virgin in a spiritual sense until the coming of Jesus Christ. Song of Solomon 1:4 "Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chamber: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." The "upright ones" are the "just", or those that are justified, meaning God's elect. They are the ones that love Christ. This girl [Shulamite], having loved the Shepherd boy, her brothers put her to hard labor work in the vineyard to brake up her relationship with the shepherd boy. Therefore she became a country girl. She spent many long hours in the vineyard. Song of Solomon 1:5 "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." Black - 7838 shachor (shaw-khore');or shachowr (shaw-khore'); from 7835; properly, dusky, but also (absol.) jetty: KJV-- black. "Black" here in the Hebrew text is "tanned by the sun". This girl is describing her own appearance in her beauty. She had been in the sun working the vineyards, and while working there her skin had become very dark. The "tents of Kedar" were all black, just as were "the curtains of Solomon". The "daughters of Jerusalem" were those of Solomon's court which sat by the pool all day, exposing themselves to the sun. So we see that this girl [Shulamite] was beautiful, well worked unlike the other wives, and very tanned from a long time under the sun. Song of Solomon 1:6 "Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept." The Shulamite girl speaks and says; "Don't look down on me because I am dark, and not white skinned as you city girls. I am this way because my "mother's children" my brothers were angry with me, and made me stay in the vineyard." The analogy that applies here is; God's elect have a vineyard to attend from the chief vine dresser, and He that does the pruning, the Almighty God. When you are in the work of the Lord tending to that vine, your brothers will also grow angry [even your blood brothers] for the work that you are giving and the time that you are spending. That work and place is where Christ has led you to do and be. This girl, relating here to Christ wife is [the elect]. The elect is not affected because by the anger that her brothers have given to her, for what is important to her is the service that she gave to the Shepherd, and her love for Him, during that long while that He is away. Song of Solomon 1:7 "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? The girl is speaking here, asking the shepherd where he is, so she can join him. Note the word "soul", the love comes from her innermost being, and is not superficial. She wants to be with Him as He tends to His flocks. Song of Solomon 1:8 "If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tent. Do you see here how the Shepherd appreciates her, even though she is a country girl, and working in the vineyard. Though she is tanned to complete darkness, to Him she is still the fairest amongst all women. He sees her beyond the skin, right into her soul, into her very emotions. He is telling the girl [Shulamite] to look for His lambs, and follow the lamb to where those lambs feed, and He will be there where they are fed. Where are the sheep fed today? Is that a difficult question? The flock is fed where the Word of God is taught, boldly and truthfully, and that is where you find the true love of the of our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Song of Solomon 1:9 "I have compared thee, O my love to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots." Today this may be quite a let down to many girls and young ladies of today, comparing them to horses. However in Solomon's day the most beautiful horses in the world were those pulling the Pharaoh's chariots. They were strong and dependable, and admired and envied by everyone. Song of Solomon 1:10 "Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold." You, as those horses were, are stately as you stand proud and upright. (Rows ... borders, the same Hebrew word in both places; refers to ornaments forming part of the bride's head-dress, probably strings of beads or other ornaments descending on the cheeks.) Song of Solomon 1:11 "We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver." Christ's pure Word will make your soul the refined as pure gold, and your mind bright with the flash or studs of silver. The Word of God will make your life complete, even to trimming around the edges. As you follow the True Shepherd, and continue in that vineyard, He will satisfy your desires and reveal the truths to you. It is from your work in the vineyard that Christ makes up your righteous garments that His virgin bride will wear throughout all eternity. The Shepherd has spoken to His love, Shulamite [girl], and now she will reply: Song of Solomon 1:12 "While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof." She is saying that while the King is at His table, her "spikenard", or "shepherd lover" is sending forth His love, for her. Song of Solomon 1:13 "A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts." She is saying the her lover is like the sweet wonderful smell of a bundle of myrrh to her, as she thinks about him. Even when she lays down for the nights rest, He shall stay in my heart even through the night. This is the desire of the wife for her husband, and the virgin, for her true love; for this is a very natural love and bond for two who truly love each other. In the spiritual sense it reflects the deep love that Christ has for His wife, the elect, and His virgin bride [those that come to him by their free will]. It shows the closeness that we have with our heavenly Father. Song of Solomon 1:14 "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi." camphire 3724 kopher (ko'-fer); from 3722; properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price: KJV-- bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village. This would be better translated, "My beloved [the girl] is as fresh to Me as a cluster of evergreens [camphire]." The "vineyards of En-gedi", are the "fount of the kid", which is to say, it is that precious water that springs forth to give drink to the young. In as much as we use the evergreen here, in Hosea 14:8 God says: "...I am like a green fir tree." The evergreen tree is symbolic of eternal life, and something strong, firm and that will never end. It is an eternal desire that our heavenly Father has for His children, and Christ has for His bride. This is symbolic and demonstrates the love Christ has for His own as we work in the vineyard, which is this world age, doing His work. It shows the tenderness that Christ has for His elect. Song of Solomon 1:15 "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes." doves - 3123 yownah (yo-naw'); - probably from the same as 3196; a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating): KJV-- dove, pigeon. The dove eyes are the eyes of peace that draw her love to Him. They are irresistible to His lover, and there is no bond that can hold the lover from them. The doves eyes give that peace in the soul, the mind, and body. It is a peace that can only be found in Christ. Song of Solomon 1:16 "Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green." green - 7488 ra` anan (rah-an-awn');from an unused root meaning to be green; verdant; by analogy, new; figuratively, prosperous: KJV-- green, flourishing. The Shepherd continues and though the girl is well tanned from the hardness of the sun, He still relates to her as being "fair". He also relates her to having been "green", relating to the evergreen, or a love that is lasting and will never end. "Our bed is green" is telling us that Christ love of us will never end. It is a bonding that He will not let break, nor let His elect stray from Him. The analogy being that this girl is in her innocence and faith well tested, because of the anger of her brothers and all others around her for her love to this man [Christ] in her life. Yet in her heart and mind are continually only for Him. Her eyes are likened unto the eyes of a dove, are peaceful and drawing to the shepherd, for they give peace and rest as He compliments her in their separation. He holds out the promise that in due time, the bed, or time of their togetherness will be forever. It is not like the bed of Jezebel, that many will fall into, but one that gives true peace, and commitment everlasting. The bed is the true husband, not the false one. Song of Solomon 1:17 "The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir." The beams are what holds up the house, and God is the Great Fir tree that is firm and strong, and everlasting. All of God's house, and those within that house, are made of evergreen, and shall be eternal. The house, the bed, and the love affair will never end between the True Shepherd and His bride. It is God and His chosen, and God and His bride. Hosea 14:8 "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found." This has to do with our eternal house that Christ has prepared, many call it a "mansion", and in the Greek "meno", Though many think of that expression as a house, it doesn't mean that at all. It means a resting place, and as spoken of here in verse thirteen, a double resting place. Jesus is preparing that for you now, and you do not have to wait for some distant time or place to receive it, you can take of it right now. That love that the Shepherd, Jesus Christ has for you can be had by reaching out and in repentance taking that love, for His love for you is eternal. His Spirit will touch you and draw you to Him, if you ask Him into your life. It is you that must do the seeking and asking, for even in the love that He has for you, He will not force Himself upon you, for Christ wants your true pure love, and that can only come from your heart by your free will to chose. Jesus has brought His emotions down to a level whereby we can see and feel on a flesh level, the love that He has for each of us. Notice that it was the passion of the girl, this Shulamite that drew the Shepherd to herself, and in return, the passion of the Shepherd was made eternal in the bonding of love that He returned to her. We are the bride of Christ, and once we make that commitment to Him, we become sealed in His love forever. There is no end to His love, not in death, nor at the end of this earth age, it is continuous forever.
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