Day 141 – Song of Songs: Introduction
“I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies.” Song of Songs 6:3 NLT
Saturated with stories of sexual escapades, secret rendezvous, and extramarital affairs, today’s news, entertainment, and social media aggressively promote these ideas that immorality means freedom, perversion is natural, and commitment is old-fashioned. Sex, created by God and pronounced good in Eden, has been twisted, exploited, and turned into an illicit, casual, and self-gratifying activity. Love has turned into lust, giving into getting, and lasting commitment into “no strings attached.”
The physical and emotional union of a couple is a holy means of celebrating love, protected by the commitment of marriage.
Much debate has raged over the meaning of this song. Some say it is an allegory of God’s love for Israel or the church. Others say it is a literal story about married love. In reality, it is both – a historical story with two layers of meaning. On one level, we learn about love, marriage, and sex; on the other, we see God’s overwhelming love for us.
As you read the Song of Songs, remember that God loves you and you committed yourself to seeing life, sex, and marriage from his point of view. Our commitments should reflect our commitment to Him through obedience to His commands.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the beautiful poetry and love story this book sketches to show us the deep love You have for us. Through this, we understand that You pursue us and that we are beautiful to You, just the way we are. Open our hearts and minds to understand this love for us as we study Song of Songs. Amen.
