Song of Solomon 3

“By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ‘I will rise now,’ I said, ‘and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.’ I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, ‘Have you seen the one I love?’ Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 3:1-5 (NKJV)

Just to review, Song of Solomon is one of the Bible’s Poetic books, and its purpose is to use creative imagery, picturesque language, subtlety, and repetition to teach wisdom with respect to marriage.  The perspective is historic-literal.  Even though the style is poetry, there is no indicator that Solomon is not writing about two actual people whom Solomon observed and exclaimed, in essence, “That’s it!  Even though I have had 1000 wives and concubines, I have never experienced the kind of love these two have!”

Since the style is poetic and there is no structured timeline, per se, we must glean the micro lessons and put them together to get a vivid picture of what God is trying to communicate in the Song of Songs.  Under the banner that marital love is EXCLUSIVE, we learn that exclusivity involves time (1:4) and that quality time demands not just our presence but also our attention (2:14).  For love to be exclusive, there must be a sense of ownership (2:16), and that is exactly what the apostle Paul exhorts us to grasp with respect to our relationship with Jesus; after all, we are the “Bride of Messiah,” and we are exclusively His. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Today, in a dream sequence narrative, we focus on a series of pursuits.  It confirms the legitimacy of female pursuit, at least in an established relationship.  This is quite different from the image we warn our daughters against.  The girl who chases after every cute boy she sees is a sure sign of a poor self-image and signals deeper issues with an unhealthy need for male affirmation.  Again, this is the “Song of Songs” (the love of loves), so this is a proper and real example of the necessity of both the man and woman to affirm that their spouse is worth pursuing.

Let’s be honest.  Those of us who have been married for more than a couple of years have looked at our spouse and wondered what happened to those days of hard pursuit after one another.  Was it just a phase where we wanted each other, obtained one another, and now wonder, “What else…?”  Joyful marriage is not simply a goal or object to be obtained, then brushed aside for the next conquest.  No, it is a choice to wake up every day and communicate to our spouses that we still desire them and that they are still worth pursuing!

We must not awaken love before its time, but we must also never let it fall asleep!