AP: Song of Solomon-Introduction

Hey everyone,

I hope y'all are doing well. I have been trying to decide what to write about the last couple of weeks in the prayer room and nothing has really struck me so I didn't write and I apologize. But yesterday I was in one of my favorite books and I was reading and got stuck in a passage describing Jesus. My two favorite books in the Bible are Song of Solomon and Revelation. They actually describe the same person and must be used together to fully understand Jesus. Most people make fun of Song of Solomon and say that it is just full of weird funny phrases. But it is actually a journey of Jesus and us maturing as the Bride of Christ. It is also a picture of the End Times. So I decided to take what I have learned and give it to you. Katty Wood, one of the staff members here, taught Song of Solomon to us so I will be using a few ideas from her as well as Mike Bickle.

Song of Solomon is an eight chapter love story of Jesus, the Bridegroom, pursuing the one he loves, us as the Bride. It shows us the greatness of Jesus' leadership. Under his leadership he brings an immature Bride into maturity in him. The first four chapters of the Song focus on the Bride understanding and enjoying her inheritance in Christ. These chapters emphasize how God views and desires her. The last four chapters focus on Jesus’ inheritance in the Bride. We seek something from Him, but He also seeks something from us. He wants us to love Him with all our heart. This Song reveals God’s pattern in how we grow in passion for Jesus. It helps is understand the realities needed to develop mature love for God.

There are two ways you can interpret this book. The natural view depicts a love story between King Solomon and his bride, the Shulamite maiden. It emphasizes biblical principles that honor the beauty of love within marriage. This view has grown in popularity in the last 100 years. There are two basic story lines when interpreting the Song as a natural love story. The first tells of a Shulamite maiden who was wooed by the handsome and wealthy King Solomon who slowly wins her heart as the storyline unfolds. The second way is the story of a godly Shulamite maiden who deeply loves a poor shepherd in her hometown (Shunem). King Solomon passed through her town and noticed her working in a vineyard. He was struck by her extraordinary beauty. Thus, he sought to steal her heart away from the poor shepherd that she loved. She remained loyal to the poor shepherd in the midst of the temptations of King Solomon’s wealth and power.

The second way is the symbolic interpretation. In this way we see the spiritual truths in our relationship with Jesus behind the natural love story. This is the approach I will use in these notes. We study the Song to gain deeper understanding of our relationship with Jesus. This is the most common interpretation over the last 3000 years (since Solomon wrote this Song). Jesus is exalted in the Song. Most people say that this book doesn’t mention Jesus at all. But it does because the Spirit inspired all Scripture and exalts Jesus in all that He does. So why would the Spirit inspire a book in the Bible without Jesus being the predominant theme?

There are three different ways to interpret this book spiritually. First there is the relationship between Jesus and the individual believer. This way gives spiritual principles that help us in our progression of holy passion. This is my favorite way to approach this book as I study it. The second way is the relationship between Jesus and His corporate Church throughout history. The third way is the relationship between God as the Bridegroom and ethnic Israel as His Bride This was the primary approach of the scribes in Old Testament times as well as Jewish rabbis today. All interpretations are okay as long as they exhort others to grow in love for Jesus. The maturity of the Bride is based primarily upon Jesus’ work on the cross, His intercession for us, the revelation of His glory and His ravished heart for us. Song of Solomon speaks of the spiritual pleasure of pursuing the best things found in heavenly life.

The characters in this story represent different people.
Beloved/Shulamite maiden-us as the Bride of Christ
Lover/King Solomon-Jesus as the Bridegroom
Friends-people in our lives who don't quite know who Jesus is
Daughters of Jerusalem-immature believers
Mother-Church
Sons-Church's leadership

There are four important facts that Song of Solomon concentrates on. First is the revelation of Jesus’ passionate affections and enjoyment of His people. Second is the revelation of the beauty of Jesus, especially as a Bridegroom King. Third is the revelation of the beauty of the individual believer to Jesus, even in our weakness. If you want to know what you look like to God, then you should study Song of Solomon. Fourth are the principles needed to grow in love and mature partnership with Jesus.

Here is a basic outline of the Song of Solomon to make you hungry for more J First it starts out where she realizes the kisses of God’s word, or the revelation of the word, on her heart. She then understands the paradox of God’s grace. After that she understands her identity in God’s beauty. Her comfort zone is then challenged and she experiences God’s loving discipline. She has a fresh revelation of Jesus as being a safe savior and then she sees the prophetic heart of the Bridegroom God. After she finds out that she has ravished the heart of God she goes through 2-fold testing of maturity. She comes out victorious in the testing and Jesus praises her. Then comes the vindication of the persecuted bride. She then begins to walk in mature partnership with Jesus which is sealed by mature love. Then we see her final intercession and revelation.

Well I guess I’ll write more later. I’ll be doing a chapter a time so watch for all eight chapters!

Love ya!

Ashton