Song of Solomon – The Love Story of Christ and the Church
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine;" Song of Solomon 6:3a
Song of Solomon is the perfect book to follow Ecclesiastes in order. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon looked at life from an earthly point of view and decided, after pursuing every indulgence to the extreme, that life was meaningless vanity. In the Song of Solomon, however, Solomon again looks at life, but this time from the heavenly perspective of the love of God, and in doing so, gives us an allegorical glimpse into the love of Christ and His Church.
In fact, while the earthly life portrayed in Ecclesiastes is seen as the vanity of vanities, the heavenly view of God's love story is shown as the "song of songs" – the song above all songs.
It is important to note, that Jewish teachers viewed the Song of Songs as a symbolic relationship between God and His people until the day of the coming Messiah. The early church fathers interpreted the book as an allegory of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Neither group looked at the Song of Solomon as a literal story of Solomon's marriage to a beautiful Jewish peasant girl, which the story loosely suggests in it's "Cinderella" type drama. But certainly, as a story, it gazes deeply into the heart of the greatest story ever told.
A young girl looks up one day to see a handsome stranger, a shepherd, who looks intently at her and tells her, "You are perfect, my love. There is no flaw in you." The two draw close to one another and fall in love. But time passes in a blur and he leaves, promising first that he would return. She believes him.
Her time is spent thinking only of Him, remember their love, their time together, longing for his return. She describes him to her friends in intimate detail and can't stop thinking about him day and night.
Then, one day there is a commotion in the village and everyone stops to see the carriage of the king approaching with a full security detail! The King summons her and she soon discovers that her shepherd love is, in fact, the King. And he sweeps her away to the palace where they can love each other for all time.
The church is the young girl and Jesus is the King who comes in the form of a shepherd, or carpenter in Jesus case. After giving Himself freely, demonstrating His consummate love, He went away promising to return one day. And the church longs for Him, talks about Him, thinks about Him all the time. And one day He will return and sweep us away to a marriage feast like no other in heavenly glory.
How beautifully this reflects the love of God through Jesus Christ.
In Revelation, the vision of heaven that the Apostle John was given by Jesus, John bore witness to the very event Solomon had written about under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the wedding feast of Christ and the Church.
“Then, I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen…” (Rev. 19:6-8).
In Song of Solomon, we journey heavenward and see what John saw and learn of the unwavering, unfailing eternal love of God for His children the church.
In the end, we are left to say to anyone who does not yet know His love, “come, experience the love of the shepherd King for yourself.”
Life for you doesn't have to be in vain, you can know the Song of Songs.
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’” (Rev. 22:17).
