Day 28, The Song of Solomon 3-4: Desiring each other

I don't have a lot to say about this passage. Partly because it is short and we are dealing with themes, and partly because I have no personal experience in marriage, so although I can recognise the feelings on the page, I can't respond in a similar vein without feeling like I am pretending, as there is no one I currently feel that way about.

[EDITED TO ADD]: Someone has made me aware this paragraph could be thought to mean something I did not intend, so I add a point of clarification. By 'I can't respond in a similar vein without feeling like I am pretending' I simply mean I am not going to write a love poem myself (which I did consider as part of my meditation on the passage) because I felt it would not fit properly, not having experienced those emotions in a human relationship. Though not married or in a relationship, the passage is certainly still very meaningful for me, and I learn a lot from it, both from understanding what a loving marriage relationship is, and the similarity that does exist with our relationship with God. The main reason I 'don't have a lot to say' is because the passage speaks for itself, and is quite short. Hope this clarifies things! All of God's Word is here for our enjoyment, instruction, and understanding. The first part of the blog considers the primary reading of the passage as a love song between two Godly people, and I apply it in the last paragraph to consider our relationship with God. 


There were a few points I noticed while reading through though, that I mused over for a bit.

First, considering the theme, chapter three seems probably just before the wedding, the bride has a dream where she searches for her husband and can't find him. Back in reality, she sees him approaching in finery on (presumably) the wedding day, and rejoices to see him.
Chapter four is a song of love from the bridegroom to his bride and about his bride after they are married. He rejoices in her beauty, finding no fault in her. He is not content to just call her beautiful, but insists on describing in full detail all he loves about her, comparing her features to the best things in the world.



We see one statement from earlier: Songs 3:5 "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please."(KJV)
As I was writing this, I realise again the slight problems with translations, and their usefulness when comparing between different translations the different meanings possible. In this case, the ESV translates it "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases."
The Hebrew doesn't have a word for 'it', instead using either he or she, as nouns have gender also. So the 'til he please' seems correct, and in English it justifies adding the 'my' before love since she must be talking about a person, but if it is not a person, but the feeling of love that she is talking about, it has a different meaning. Either could be correct, and I don't have time to figure it all out, but it is a good example of how comparing translations is helpful.

If the first, the verse shows concern for her fiancee - if the second, she is providing advice about the appropriateness of not fanning the flames of desire too early - without working towards marriage - because to leave that desire wanting more which can only be fulfilled after marriage leads one to feel 'sick with love'.



The other thing I noticed, was that we have the picture of a fountain and spring introduced in Chapter 4 - thinking about his analogy in light of Proverbs 5 (Solomon authored both), and the advice given there. Rejoicing in the purity and exclusive nature of the relationship with one another.


Beautiful language, beautiful gift of God that He has given us! And yet our relationship with God is both stronger and fuller than any earthly pairing - though we cannot see Him physically, how close He is to us, and how close we are to Him - and we will be yet closer in the life to come when we leave this sin-stained body behind and rejoice with Him separate from the presence of sin - the greatest gift of all being that righteousness He has purchased for us!