The pleasures of the love of Christ in the song of songs: Part 1

In Psalm 63v3 David wrote of the superior nature of the love of God that it was better then life itself. The purpose of the next 4 studies will be to use the song of Solomon to look at the pleasures found in God loves to try to understand this verse in Psalm 63.

In this first study I will try to offer insight into how to interpret the Song of Solomon. I believe the song of songs can be interpreted two ways . Firstly the literal interpretation this is one of the more favoured approaches to the song in recent scholarship. This approach says that the song is a love song between a man and women, and that speaks about how that love develops. The allegorical approach on the other hand says that it is all about the relationship of an individual believer or the church and Jesus. This has been a popular approach for a number of respected theologians like John Owen, Richard Sibbes, Jonathan Edwards, Mathew Henry and Charles Spurgeon. It was indeed very popular during the puritan era and also during the medieval times with commenter such as ST Bernard of Clavoux.

As I said earlier I believe the song can be interpreted both ways. Here are reasons why it can be interpreted allegorically as this is usually the most unfamiliar interpretation.

Number 1. Luke 24 Jesus is walking with some disciples who cannot understand what happened to Jesus and why he died. Unbeknown to them Jesus is walking with them but they do not recognise him. In verse 27 it says “and beginning with Moses and all the prophets he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself”. Many people believe this verse speaks of the fact that Jesus can be found in all the scriptures of the old testament including the Song of Solomon. Therefore the bridegroom in the song can be interpreted as Jesus.

Number 2. God used a similar method of communicating truths about himself through the prophet Hosea to the people of Israel. God used the literal situation of Hosea relationship with his wife, to communicate a message to the people of Israel. In this book the people were Hosea’s wife and Hosea was God in an allegorical sense. So it is with the song of songs the believer is the bride and Jesus is the bridegroom. The principles used to interpret the prophet Hosea’s can be used here with the song of songs.

Number 3. John the Baptist affirms Jesus to be the bridegroom of his people. In john 3v29 we read of John speaking of his ministry in relation to Jesus “the bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegrooms voice. That joy is mine and is now complete.” In other words Jesus is the bridegroom and the people that are his are the bride. This is exactly what the allegorical interpretation implies.

Number 4. Isaiah 62 speaks of the coming saviour rejoicing over his people like a bridegroom over a bride. Rejoicing implies a song. So the song that Jesus sings over his people is a bridegroom or marriage song. This is the exact same genre of song that the song of songs is. Therefore to get insight into the way Jesus relates to his people in song the song of songs must be interpreted allegorically.

Number 5. The apostle Paul speaks of the church as the bride and Jesus as the bridegroom in Ephesians chapter 4. So the imagery of the Christians as being the bride and Jesus as the bridegroom is not unfamiliar in the new testament. And in fact Paul in this passage uses allegorical interpretation of the story of Adam and eve to understand the mystery of Christ and the church.

To finish I will quote John Owen and Charles Spurgeon speaking on the song of Solomon. In order to inspire to look at the next few studies.

“The matter of it is totally sublime spiritual and mystical” and “this is certain that ever since this heavenly treasure was committed to the sons of men such a beauty, glory and excellency have beamed from the matter contained in it with the manner of its declaration and the impress of the wisdom of the wisdom of God in both that all who have had a due reverence unto divine revelation have been filled with an holy admiration of it and a desire to look into the mystery contained in it.” John Owen

and

“This book stands like the tree of life in the midst of the garden and no man shall ever be able to pluck its fruit and eat thereof until he has been brought by Christ past the sword of the cherubim and led to rejoice in the love which hath delivered him from death. The song of Solomon is only to be comprehended by men who’s standing is within the veil. The outer court worshippers and even those who only enter the court of the priest think the book a very strange one, but they who come very near to Christ can often see in this song of Solomon to which there love to the lord desires.” C.H. Spurgeon.