Song of Solomon is one of the Biblical poetic books and has both a literal and an allegorical interpretation.

This study uses an allegorical rather than literal interpretation.

Characters:

Maiden represents you and me

Solomon/the King represents your enemy using all the pleasures of this world to entice you

away from Jesus your Beloved Shepherd

Daughters of Jerusalem represent people who entice you away from Jesus

Shepherd represents Jesus, your true Beloved

Scenes:

Scene 1 (Chapters 1-2) the maiden is captive in the king’s harem

Scene 2 (Chapter 3)      the maiden devises her own plan

Scene 3 (Chapter 4)  –  mutual love is expressed

Scene 4 (Chapter 5)     the maiden has no time for her Beloved

Scene 5  (Chapters 6-7) Solomon and his 700 wives & 300 concubines try to entice her

Scene 6 (Chapter 8) –  the maiden is freed and with her Beloved

In today’s lesson we examine scene 5

Scene 5 (Chapters 6-7) Solomon and his 700 wives & 300 concubines try to entice her

Wives & concubines strategy

Taunt about the Beloved’s absence

Chapter 6

¹ Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

There are many religions in the world but there is only one with a personal relationship.

Chapter 6

⁸ There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

⁹ My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Maiden’s strategy:

Stand on the knowledge Jesus is in His rightful place and you and He belong to each other

Chapter 6

² My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

³ I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

Chapter 7

¹⁰ I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.

Solomon’s (your enemy) strategy

use flattery to entice your focus to self rather than the Beloved

imitate the Beloved but mis-use His words to  detract away from the Beloved to the self

(your enemy is a creature not the Creator)

put sensual implications into the Beloved’s spiritual words

Chapter 4- the Beloved’s words

¹ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead

Chapter 6  (Solomon’s words)

⁴ Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

⁵ Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

Chapter 4- the Beloved’s words

⁴ Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Chapter 7  (Solomon’s words)

⁴ Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

Tizrah – residence of Israel’s king means ‘delightful’

Ivory -white, pure

Jesus is the son of David

The enemy knows we have power from our Beloved –Chapter 6

⁵ Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me:

The Beloved enables us to see through the enemy’s counterfeit.

Matthew 16:

 ¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The enemy is not allowed to force us so he attempts to entice us.

Chapter 7

⁸ There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

⁹ My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

¹⁰ Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

¹¹ I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

¹² Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

¹³ Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

Scene #5 Questions for Reflection

1) What steps do you take when you feel Jesus isn’t near?

2) What difference does a personal relationship with Jesus mean to you?

3) Are you actively memorizing scripture?

4) What does belonging to Jesus mean to you?

5) How does flattery affect you?

6) What causes you to focus on self rather than Jesus?

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti