WRITTEN BY ERIC DOMINGUEZ // EDITED BY JAKE JOHNSON SERMON AUDIO CONTENT AVAILABLE AT PRAXISCHURCH.COM
An Introduction to Song of Solomon Throughout the centuries, Christians have had widely, often contradictory, opinions about sex. Starting with some of the earliest church fathers, sex was always a difficult issue. Some Christians outright claimed that sex was not of God at all. For instance:
mon has been called “the greatest hermeneutical challenge of the Old Testament” and can lay claim to the most diverse array of interpretations of any book, from a book purely about sexuality to a book purely symbolic about the relationship between God and His people.
• Origen was so against sex and sexuality that after denouncing it, he castrated himself
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• Tertullian said he would rather see the extinction of the human race than to endorse people having sex • Augustine said that married people can have sex, but they can’t enjoy it • Thomas Aquinas taught that sex was only for procreation • John Chrysostom, early in his life, wrote in Genesium Homiliae, “In keeping with God’s will man and women dwelt in Paradise like angels, enflamed by no sexual lustfulness. There was no desire for intercourse, there was neither conception, nor birth, not any sort of corruption.” Needless to say, sexuality has been a topic of great anxiety for Christians. Because of this, the Song of Solo-
Solomon, who reigned over the united kingdom of Israel for forty years, appears seven times by name in Song of Solomon. In view of his writing skills, musical giftedness, and the authorial, not dedicatory sense of 1:1, this piece of Scripture could have been penned at any time during Solomon’s reign, but it fits best if written in his relative youth. The cities described in the book point to the united kingdom of Israel before it was divided after Solomon’s reign ended. Knowing that Song of Solomon comprises one song by one author, it’s best taken as a unified piece of poetic, wisdom literature rather than a series of love poems without a common theme or author.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. Draw me after you; let us run.
Song of Solomon
Background & Setting
Interpretive Challenges
Two characters dominate this true-life, dramatic love song. Solomon, whose kingship is mentioned five times, appears as “the beloved”. The Shulamite maiden remains obscure. Some commentators guess she is Pharaoh’s daughter, although the song possesses no evidence for this conclusion. Others favor Abishag, the Shunammite who cared for King David. An unknown maiden from Shunem, whose family had possibly been employed by Solomon, is also possible.
The Song has endured strained interpretations over the centuries by those who use the “allegorical” method of interpretation, claiming that Song of Solomon has no actual historical basis, but rather that it depicts God’s love for Israel and/or Christ’s love for the Church.
Whatever her identity, she was probably Solomon’s first wife (Ecc.9:9) before he sinned by adding 699 more wives and 300 concubines.
A more satisfying and consistent way to approach Solomon’s Song is to take it at face value and interpret it in the normal historical sense, understanding the frequent use of poetic imagery to depict reality. To do so understands that Solomon recounts 1) his own days of courtship, 2) the early days of this first marriage,
Theological Themes followed by All 117 verses in the Song of Solomon are included in the holy scriptures of the Jews and, combined with Ruth, Esther, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes, it’s part of the Five Scrolls or “Megilloth”. The Jews read the Song at Passover, calling it the “Holy of Holies”. Surprisingly, God is not mentioned explicitly in the book, and no formal theological themes are present. In contrast to the two distorted extremes of ascetic abstinence and lustful perversion outside of marriage, Solomon’s ancient love song exalts in the purity of marital affection and romance.
3) the maturing of this royal couple through the good and bad days of life. The Song of Solomon expands on the ancient marriage instructions of Gen 2:24, thus providing spiritual music for a lifetime of marital harmony. It’s given by God to demonstrate His intention for the romance and loveliness of marriage, the most precious of human relations and “the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7).
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For Parents We will be honestly discussing adult themes during this series but it will be done in a respectful way. Not all of the topics will be suitable for all ages, so please use discretion with your children. The Challenges We Face: As a church, we face difficult challenges during this series. We all are combating our culture’s sexual onslaught in seemingly every area of our daily lives. Some of us carry some deep seeded hurt and pain from past relationship and sexual experiences. Others bring emotional burdens and theological presuppositions that will collide with how we present God’s gift of relationships and sexuality. Many people either view sex very conservatively and ultimately negatively, or have such a low view of sex that promiscuity has dominated their lives. Whichever side of the coin you’re on, the goal of studying Song of Solomon is to reform our view of sex and release us to enjoy sex as God created it to be experienced. It’s our personal prayer for all of us that we’d be freed from any shame or guilt that we have experienced in this area and that God would ultimately free us to worship Him in this area of our lives. The Praxis Pastors
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Introduction to Themes The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. The Bride Confesses Her Love She Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. Others We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you. She I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?
Song of Solomon (also referred to as Song of Songs) begins with a Broadway musical-style monologue. We see a young girl, a bit self-conscious of her appearance, yearning for her future husband’s love. This is something we are used to seeing in Glee-like television shows, or even romance books. But scripture? How does an adoring lyrical duo (complete with backup singers), musing on the desires of their heart, soul, and yes, body, fit into the Holy Word of God? As our introduction states, this quandary has left many Christians baffled and often stretching interpretive limits to make this book and its contents fit into their understanding of the Bible. Yet, God created us for deep, intimate, and yes, physical, relationship. Adam and Eve celebrated, being “naked and unashamed” before the fall. We often erroneously think that our relationship problems before and after our wedding days are unique to our time and our situation. However, God gave us His Scripture to be a light unto our feet and to guide us in all aspects of our life. Discussion Briefly, articulate your view of relationships, sex, and marriage. How
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should they be lived out and enjoyed? Who has the “right” to relationships, sex, and marriage? How have influences in your family shaped your view of sex? How have influences within the church shaped your view of sex? How have influences outside of your family and church shaped your view of sex? Do you believe you have a healthy view of relationships and sex? Discuss with one another your beliefs and articulate where those differences may come from. Explanation Many wrongfully assume that God is distant from sex and has very little to do with the act. If that were true, why would God include the following in His word? • The opening song has our female character yearning for her future husband. • There are others encouraging her feelings. • There is an element of praise for
her future husband, as well as a bit of self-consciousness as to how he will react to her body. • While this scripture is meant to be taken literally (meaning that this is not an extended metaphor for the church), there are metaphors, symbols and innuendos within the text. Application The application to this book may differ depending on where God currently has you. For the Single: What are your hopes and desires for a relationship? Do these hopes and desires rule over you, or do you trust God to bring you true companionship? This week pray that God shapes and refines you for your future relationships. Understand His desire for you to be deeply rooted in Him, and make Him your top priority and desire before you make anyone else the object of your affection. For the Dating: Dating someone without open, honest channels of communication is like driving a car blindfolded. You may be able to stay on the road and
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avoid disaster, but only for a very brief amount of time. Openly discuss the topics in the sermon and in the study guide. Talk about your view of relationships, sex, and marriage. Be able to talk about appropriate boundaries and future plans. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to be scary, awkward, or creepy. You don’t need to set a wedding date, but if you’re committed to dating this person, it would be good to have an open discussion. For the Married: The common assumption is that married couples are passionate about their communication and their bedroom only up until the honeymoon phase is over; then routine kicks in and stagnation becomes the norm. God didn’t create relationships or sex for only the honeymoon but created us to be in relationship and intended for marriage to constantly glorify Him. This week, go out on a date and talk openly about what you have learned in the sermon and in this study guide. What are some of your hopes and desires for you to learn together? How does God fit into your marriage? Above all, pray together. A marriage without unified prayer is one unprotected by the seeds of bitterness and gives a foothold to the enemy. Pray
that God would be deeply entrenched in your marriage and that He protects and guides you through the next eight weeks as you strengthen your relationship with each other, and above all, with Him. For All: How can you help and learn from those in your Missional Community who are in a different stage in life? Dating couples, how can you learn from married couples? Married couples, how can you help single people? Bless someone this week who is outside of your life stage and engage in open discussion and prayer about their relationships. Additional Recourse for All If you are single, dating, or married pick up a copy of Gary Thomas’ Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make us Holy More than To Make Us Happy? The book goes in a lot of depth on some of the topics we will be covering. It includes discussion questions and has an additional devotional you can read with your boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse.
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Continued Study Richard Foster states that “we…have to rid ourselves of the notion that the difficulties of marriage can be overcome if we simply pray harder or learn a few simple principles.” The pitfall in a practical series such as this one is that we want the steps, the rulebook, and the projected outcomes for all of our problems. The reality is that if we are not deeply rotted in Christ, His Word, love, and provision, there is no self-help book, therapy, or sermon that can guide us to a “successful” relationship. This week, in preparation for tackling some difficult topics, be devoted to prayer and praise in Him through a reading of Ephesians. Monday: Read Ephesians Chp. 1 Consider: What does it mean to be adopted into God’s family? (1:5). What does it mean to have “obtained an inheritance?” (1:11). What ultimate reward or rewards should we be looking forward to? What does it mean that God the Father “put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is the body, the fullness of him who fills all in all?” (1:22-23).
What impact does that have? Where does God have authority and control in your life? Pray: Pray that the Lord rules over your entire life and cast all of your anxieties about relationships or anything else to His love, sovereignty, and control. Tuesday: Read Ephesians Chp. 2 Consider: What does it mean that we were “dead in our trespasses and sin”? (2:1). How did you see this in your life before Christ? Reflect on verses 1-3. What impact do these verses have on our view of the Gospel? How do we combat our past? What can be done about the sins we have committed? “…in the coming ages he might show us the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (2:7). What does it mean to have “immeasurable riches”? What rewards are you looking for? What rewards are you working towards? “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
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God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (2:10). What good works fill your life? Where do you see yourself living out the grace you have been given?
Why do you think Paul emphasizes families in this prayer? What is his hope that families look like in relation to God? Pray:
Pray: Today, praise the Lord that despite the fact you were once very far away from Him, He has brought you near. Not by anything you have done, but by His will. Ask Him to show you His complete control in every facet of your life—from finances to relationships. Ask Him to be King over all.
Today, pray for your family. It may be your biological family, the family you have been adopted into through your Missional Communities, the family you share within your roommates, or your extended family. Pray the same thing Paul did—that your family may be deeply rooted in God. Wednesday: Read Ephesians Chp. 4
Wednesday: Read Ephesians Chp. 3 Consider: Consider: Verse 10 states “that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” What does this mean about our relationship and involvement in the church? What is the churches’ role in communicating the message of God? What are the churches’ limits to what it can/can’t speak into? Paul prays for God to “grant you [families] to be strengthened with power through is Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that suppresses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (3:15-18).
What does it mean to be a “prisoner for the Lord?” (4:1) What does that look like in your life? Verses 17-19 state, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Without judging those who may not have been raised in Christ yet, how have you seen such impurity infiltrate your thoughts and actions? How have you changed having Christ in your life? How have you resisted change? What does it mean to give an oppor-
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tunity to the devil? (verse 27). What specific warnings does Paul give us? Pray: Pray against temptation and sin. Invite the Lord to every facet of your life and ask Him to be with you as you battle sin. Identify that which you struggle with and declare war against what keeps you from the Lord. Wednesday: Read Ephesians Chp. 5
band is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
Consider: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” God does not mince words in His view of sexual immorality. There is very little wiggle room God leaves for us. How have you battled sexual immorality and impurity? What accountability systems do you have in place? Who supports you in that battle? What do you see as sexual immorality?
What do think this means? What does God call you to do as a current or future wife or husband? Why is this, and sexual purity, amongst God’s most clear commands? Why does God see this as important? Pray: Pray against sexual immorality. Pray that the Lord shows you, through His word, through His guidance, and through His people what it means to be a Biblical husband or wife. Pray for your heart to be pure as you peruse a deeper relationship with Him and the one He has provided to walk next to you on your journey to Him. Wednesday: Read Ephesians Chp. 6 Consider:
Ephesians 4:22-27 is one of the most currently controversial passages in scripture:
Verses 11- 20 outline one of the most famous defenses and attack options in our spiritual battle:
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the hus-
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
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schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in open-
ing my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.� Why does God see conflict against sin and temptation as a war? What does that mean to battle against it? As we have seen, Ephesians is a book that speaks at length about families and how those relationships impact our relationship with God. Why would He include a final attack strategy to combat sin? What does this battle mean in our relationships? Pray: Pray that the Lord gives you the tools to battle your sin. Ask for courage to confess sin to your spouse or to combat sin as you prepare yourself for marriage, and as you prepare for the topics we will cover in this series.
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Personal Thoughts & Reference
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