THE SONG OF SONGS

INTRODUCTION

"The Song of Songs", which is Solomon's, is written in the form of the best Hebrew poetry. In this form it has become the subject of intense study, but quite diverse forms of interpretation. Those without spiritual discernment see it simply as a disconnected collection of erotic songs describing human love, but devoid of any spiritual significance. Those who properly regard its canonicity in the Bible see it to be the work of the Holy Spirit, and have followed three general alternative paths of interpretation:

Allegorical
This approach ignores as of no concern whether the Song of Songs has any historic foundation in a real love-suit between Solomon and a country maiden from Shumen in the Jezreel Valley, but treats the whole in a purely figurative sense, constructing various spiritual meanings. There is also a theory, though it has never been widely held, that the love-suit in the Song of Songs is between some anonymous shepherd and the maiden from Shumen, and that Solomon is a type of the World, against whose allurements the bride eventually proves true to her shepherd-lover.
Typical
This interpretation recognizes as historically plausible that Solomon, the third king of Israel, became infatuated with a woman from Shunem. However, it also sees an underlying metaphoric reference in this love relationship to Christ and the Body of Christ, who have been baptized into Him.
Dramatic
This literary style supposes that the Song of Songs depicts a real historic drama, albeit played out in poetic style. Accordingly, it generally unfolds chronologically, although certain scenes could be retrospective or prospective with respect to the overall flow of events.

Within each of these three basic formulations for interpretation, variations are possible. However, it will now be shown that a particular approach, which combines the Typical and Dramatic forms, leads to a very interesting correlation with the findings of the prophetic study in Olive Tree Studies. Thus, building on the view that the Song of Songs is actually typical of the relation that exists between Christ and the Bride of Christ, it will be assumed additionally that the literary format depicts the entire Biblical history of the Bride of Christ in chronological order.

The melding of the Typical and Dramatic interpretive approaches will require the definition of "Acts” and “Scenes" within the drama. Consequently, the venue of the Song of Songs is organized as follows, into a “Prologue”, followed by five major “Acts”, each with subordinate “Scenes”. As the historic drama unfolds, it will be shown at each of these junctures how this arrangement causes the Song of Songs to describe the unfolding saga in the life of the Body/Bride of Christ from its inception until its final glorification.

PROLOGUE (1.1-2.7)

This opening venue depicts a marriage banquet in which the bride, a Shulamite woman hereafter referred to as “Shulamith”, is brought to the royal palace for the gala celebration of her marriage to the king and bridegroom (1.1-3). According to custom, he lifts her over the threshold (1.4a). The bridesmaids, i.e. "Daughters of Jerusalem", break into chorus of joy and adoration (1.4b). The bridegroom/king takes Shulamith to his chambers (1.4c), with the Daughters of Jerusalem rejoicing over the fortunes of the bride (1.4d).

Shulamith apologizes for her sunburned complexion, brought about because her brothers consigned her to care for their vineyards rather than for her own. This was a menial task that prevented her from caring for her physical appearance, but was probably intended to fulfill their appointed role as her rigorous guardians (1.5-6). She lovingly reminisces about her early courtship when she first met her lover/king (1.7), then his prefatory remarks recall how he wooed her (1.8-10). The Daughters promise to make Shulamith expensive jewelry, perhaps to replace the common ornaments worn by the maiden (1.11); while Shulamith speaks to them of the intense attraction she has for her beloved (1.12-14). A tender exchange follows between the bridegroom and the bride while they extol each other’s virtues (1.15-2.3), then the bride turns to the Daughters of Jerusalem with recollections of the tender love, which her lover bestowed upon her (2.4-6).

J. Sidlow Baxter in his book, “Explore The Book”, believes that this Prologue is the key that unlocks the “door” to an understanding of the Song of Songs:

“Has the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, provided anywhere a key that really fits the lock and opens up to us the mystic doors of this love-poem in such a way as to assure us that we are rightly interpreting it? I think we may reverently say that He has. Accepting it as a principle of Biblical exegesis that scripture is to be explained by scripture, we believe that the key to the Song of Songs is Psalm 45.”

J. Sidlow Baxter, “Explore The Book”, p173

Baxter, along with many other Bible scholars like Matthew Henry, suggests that this Prologue contains portions of a marriage ceremony also depicted in Psalm 45, which is titled the “Song of Loves”. Since Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm, with clear references to the Lord as King, they see the following compelling similarities between this Prologue and Psalm 45, which relate the lover/king in the Song of Songs to King Messiah.

Both titles are similar, i.e. “Song of Loves” and “Song of Songs”.
Both depict a royal marriage to a special and unique bride who has left her native homeland.
Both describe the singular glory to be bestowed upon that bride.
Both identify her bridesmaids in a similar fashion, as the “Virgins her companions” in Psalm 45, and as the “Daughters of Jerusalem” in the Song of Songs.
Both extol the strength, majesty, and beauty of the bridegroom.

We will accept these observations as a proper starting place for our study of the Song of Songs, agreeing that both sets of Scriptures do seem to allude to the same spiritual “Marriage” of Jesus Christ to His Bride, i.e. the Bride of Christ. Furthermore, since Christ is clearly identified as the mighty King for whom the Marriage Hymn of Psalm 45 is sung, i.e. compare (Psalm 45.6-7) with (Hebrews 1.8), we are led to the initial proposition that Solomon here must portray a type of Christ. By inductive reasoning, Shulamith should then typify the Body of Christ, later to become the Bride of Christ, and the Daughters of Jerusalem, who are her bridesmaids, the Seven Churches of Revelation (Revelation 1.8-3.22). With these assumed typologies, we want to examine the unfolding drama of the Song of Songs to determine whether these relationships can be verified, and to seek any additional spiritual truths that might come to light.

THE DRAMATIC MOTIF OF THE SONG OF SONGS

Following the Prologue, the drama moves through a series of five Acts that recount the highlights of that entire relationship, starting with the betrothal; a long ensuing period of separation; two troubled nights experienced by Shulamith, each followed by the king's sudden reunion with Shulamith; and finally the couple’s subsequent return to the bride's country home and place of their first meeting. An Epilogue then summarizes a declaration of moral intents and financial agreements made between the king, his queen, and those tenants who will have stewardship over their land holdings, concluding with the tenants eagerly awaiting their king's further instructions.

SONG OF SONGS (ACT I)

COMING GLORY

HOMEPAGE