Fri.’s Devo - Song of Solomon

Read: Song of Songs 1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 22:22-23
Song of Solomon”s author is usually given to Solomon but it could have been the Shulamite who wrote it to Solomon since she is the speaker. The book can be read and taught at so many levels. At one level, it is the love between a woman and a man and their intimate relationship in the confines of Biblical marriage. Another level is that it is a picture of the love God has for his bride the Jews and at another level it is the picture of Jesus’ love for his bride. They are all right. Scripture is a “line upon a line and a precept upon a precept” (Isaiah 28:13). Every story has multiple interpretations because God’s Word is layered with teaching.
I want to look at Song of Solomon as an allegory to Israel and the church. Priests call Song of Solomon the Holy of Holies and we are going to look at how Jesus, the shepherd tries to woo Israel, of whom we are, back to him. The Shulamite represents Israel or us. The king represents the worldly system. The king is not the shepherd. It is the king who has her captive but the shepherd that she is longing for.
She compares herself as tan like the tents of Kedar. The Kurds lived in the tents of Kedar and they worshipped the sun. She is saying that she has worshipped all the wrong things and is reaping the result of walking in the world. She has followed the crowd but realizes that her own soul has been neglected by her.
In 1:9-11, the shepherd describes her as decked with ornaments with chains of gold about her neck. In Ezekiel 16, God describes how he found Israel dying in her own blood and picked her up, washed her then blessed her with all the ornaments and put the chain on her neck. He abundantly blessed her and prospered her into a kingdom but she became proud and used all her God-given wealth to worship foreign gods and commit idolatry.
You can see the desire the woman has to turn and go after the shepherd, but she is very fickle. One moment she is wanting to run away with him and the next she is hiding and he can’t see her face. Such a picture of Israel and us! She wants him to catch the foxes that are keeping her from blooming when that is her responsibility.
In Chapter 3, she is looking for him again and finds him. As soon as she returns, Solomon in all his glory walks past with all his pomp. This is so typical of what happens when we have a great breakthrough. Satan comes and displays his wares to woo us back to him.
The Shepherd tries to reign her heart back in by proclaiming to her how he sees her. This opens her heart to want to let him into her heart and her soul.
In Corinthians, Paul is sending Titus and another one of his workers which is believed to be Luke. They are coming of their own accord with the offerings of the people who sent them. Paul is confident that they will honor the way they spend it and not be criticized by the Corinthians. He asks them to receive them with love and treat them in a way that will make the other churches proud.
Lord, may we not be fickle lovers who are quickly drawn away from intimacy with you. May we sit at your feet and enjoy your presence.