Song of Solomon 1-8 The Song above All Songs

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The Song above All Songs
Song of Solomon 1-8
February 22-23, 2025

In many versions of the Bible, this book is called Song of Solomon, other versions give it the title Song of Songs. Both are correct and both are found in the first verse of the book.

It says plainly that Solomon wrote this as a song to be sung. In fact, it’s the best of all the 1,005 songs Solomon wrote, which is why it’s called the “Song of Songs.’ It’s the best of the best. Two similar words used together signify the highest possible standard. It’s like the phrase “Holy of Holies’ to describe the very throne room of our God and the holiest place in the temple.

This song stood above them all because it touched on the greatest theme in the heart of man – love. Specifically, the love between a bride and her bridegroom. It’s romantic, it’s beautiful, it’s filled with the wonder and beauty of love.

Interestingly, this book is commonly read at the beginning of the Passover Feast each year. It is read at the Passover to celebrate the love between God and Israel, which began with the Exodus from Egypt. This is how Jews interpret this book to this day. Many people skip over or avoid reading this book, yet the Jews hold it in high esteem. One Jewish teacher, Rabbi Aqiba, a Jewish commentator said of this book, “The entire history of the world from its beginning to this very day does not outshine that day in which this book was given to Israel. All the Scriptures, indeed, are holy… But the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.”

Jewish scholars see this book as an allegory, a story or poem in which a deeper, hidden meaning is written, typically moral or spiritual. For example, Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of life’s spiritual journey.

Some Christian biblical teachers also believe this book is an allegory, but they would apply the deeper, hidden meaning to the relationship between Jesus and the church. They would then see this book as prophetic since the church did not exist during the days of Solomon.

Other bible teachers see this book as typology. This perspective sees Song of Solomon as a type or symbol or analogy of the relationship between Jesus as the bridegroom and the church as the bride of Christ. This is how I also interpret this book.

As typology, or symbolism, it conveys that the relationship between Jesus and the church was meant to be gloriously beautiful, intimate and joyously fulfilling to the soul. The apostle Paul used the same imagery when he wrote in Ephesians 5, “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

There is beautiful symbolism in this Hebrew poem filled with rich insight into the relationship between Jesus and the church.

This poetic song is also quite explicit in describing the romance between the husband and his bride in this book. In fact, ancient rabbis held they Jewish young men younger than 30 were not allowed to read this book. They were afraid of lighting a man’s passions aflame.

This is a book of great spiritual symbolism, but it also has practical application. Husbands could learn something from the Son of Solomon about the significance of giving expression to love. I heard the story of a wife who said to her husband, “It would mean a lot if you said you loved me.” The husband replied, “I told you I love you on the day we were married, and if I change my mind, I’ll let you know.” Right. It’s men like that who need to read Song of Solomon and take notes.

However, it’s important to set the book in the context of the time and culture of the days of Solomon. He used words and expressions of love and romance we would certainly not use today. People would have very different reactions if we used some of these phrases to express love today.

In other words, while this is a beautifully romantic book, you might not want to use some of these sayings in your next Valentine’s card… For example:

1:9 – “To me, my darling, you are like my mare among the chariots of Pharoah.” I mean, people like animals on cards; but a mare? I don’t think so. She won’t appreciate the comparison.

Later, the bride says, “My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag…” Well, if she’s going to be a mare, at least he should be a stag.

4:1 – The bridegroom says, “Your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead.” Later he adds, “You are as lovely as Jerusalem, my darling, you are as awesome as an army with banners!”

7:2 – The bridegroom says, “Your belly is like a heap of wheat.” Whatever you do, men, do not underline that in your Bible, and don’t write that on a Valentine’s card.

Solomon wrote this song to be performed in front of an audience. You might think of it as an opera. An opera is a theatrical piece that tells a story entirely through music. There is a plot, and suspense, there is love and romance.

There are several actors on the stage. The husband, who is Solomon, the wife, a peasant Shulamite woman who was strikingly beautiful and charming. There is a chorus of singers probably set in one corner of the stage, interposing a melody to respond to the declarations of the bride or bridegroom. There is an audience, called the daughters of Jerusalem, who are spoken to directly by the bride or bridegroom and various times from the stage. “This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

I. As Christ Loved the Church

The Jews have long held that the relationship between bridegroom and bride depicted in this book represented the love God had for Israel.

Hosea 2:19-20, “I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:31-32, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, “declares the Lord.

That verse is fascinating because it speaks of a covenant God made with Israel, which they broke, although He was a husband to them. Then, he promises to make a new covenant with the house of Israel; a covenant initiated in the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.
But they rejected that covenant as well. What’s so amazing, is that God doesn’t give up on them. At the end of the age, when Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives and enters Jerusalem, He will present himself as the Messiah and King of Israel and he will pour out on them the Spirit of grace and supplication such that all Israel will be saved under the blood and banner of Jesus Christ.
That prophesy of a new covenant is a covenant of love… That’s the nature of the relationship of Jesus to the church.
Verse 2:4 – “He has brought me to his banqueting table, and His banner over me is love.”
This is probably the most famous of all the verses in this book. There was a worship song we used to sing in the church when we were young based on the words from this verse.

A. I’m my beloved’s and He is mine

Famous words from the worship song, but also words directly from this book…
Verse 2:16 – “My beloved is mine, and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.”
It symbolizes the depth of love that Jesus has for the church. When Jesus died on the cross, He was compelled by love.

Hebrews 12:2, “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What was the joy set before Him that compelled Jesus to endure the cross and despise the shame? It was the joy of knowing that his suffering on the cross would lead many sons to glory. That He would set many people free from their captivity and lead them into such depths of glory that it would be joy indescribable.
In other words, Jesus didn’t die only to pay the penalty for your sins, His death and resurrection made it possible for a sinner to have a relationship of love. The depths of that love are pictured in the relationship of marriage.

B. “His banner over me is love”

The expression, “His banner over me is love,” comes from a Hebrew marriage tradition.
A banner is a cover symbolizing relationship, and protection.

Illus – Remember in the story of Ruth, a Moabite who had come to Israel with her Hebrew mother-in-law after their husbands died; how Boaz took notice of her when she came out to glean grains of wheat. The story finally culminates in the moment when Boaz spread his garment over her feet as his promise to be her Redeemer.

God redeems us by covering us with a robe of righteousness, the very righteousness of Jesus Christ…

Isaiah 61:10, I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness…

That is a gift of love. When you come to the end of the age and stand before the great Almighty, you will not be standing there in the shame of your sin, you will be covered with a robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Notice the response of being clothed with garments of salvation in Isaiah 61… He rejoices greatly in the Lord; his soul exults in God. In other words, when God has done such great things for you, you respond with great love…

Illus – One of the Pharisees requested Jesus to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. Now there was a woman in the city who was a sinner, and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”

Luke 7:41-43, “A moneylender had two debtors; one owed 500 denarii, and the other 50. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

Luke 7:44-50, “Do you see this woman?” He said to Simon, “I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason, I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

II. He Brought Me to His Banqueting Table

Verse 2:4 – “He has brought me to his banqueting table, and His banner over me is love.”
When I hear ‘banqueting table,’ I immediately think of the marriage supper of the Lamb spoken of in the book of Revelation at the end of the age.
Here again, he uses the same imagery of marriage to represent the love of Christ Jesus…

Revelation 19:7, 9, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” … Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, These are the true words of God.”

A. He comes for His bride

In Song of Solomon 3, a powerful scene unfolds of the bridegroom coming for his bride.
Verse 6-8 – “What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?… Behold, it is the traveling coach of Solomon; sixty mighty men around it, of the mighty men of Israel. All of them are wielders of the sword, expert in war; each man has his sword at his side, guarding against the terrors of the night.”
It’s beautiful imagery of Jesus coming for his bride, the church, at the end of the age.
The Jewish wedding had the tradition that after the proposal and engagement, the bridegroom would leave and prepare for their future together by building a house.

John 14:1 -3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me…. for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

When the father of the bridegroom was satisfied that the house was well built and ready, he would send the son to receive his bride. The groom’s attendants would go ahead of him shouting, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!”
Verse 3:11 – “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with His crown… On the day of his wedding, and on the day of his gladness of heart.”

B. Watch and be ready

Interestingly, after the proposal and engagement, the groom would give a gift as a pledge, a seal of their relationship until He returns.
Verse 8:6-7 – “Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol, it’s flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, In Him, you also, after hearing the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Jesus said to watch and be ready for you do not know the day your Lord will come.
How do you watch? You watch for the signs of the times and stay on the alert.
But how are you to be ready? God gave the Holy Spirit as a pledge and as a seal upon your heart. Be ready by drawing near by the Holy Spirit and getting your soul right with God now.
He gave the Holy Spirit that you would experience the greatness of His love now. Return to your first love. … Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot overwhelm it.

The Song above All Songs
Song of Solomon 1-8
February 22-23, 2025

Many versions of your Bibles, this was called the Song of Solomon, but in the Hebrew Bible and many English it's called the Song of Songs, and both are correct because it's written by Solomon, and it is the Song of Songs. In other words, it is the best of all of the songs that Solomon wrote. He wrote 1,005 songs. He wrote the poems, the words, and gave them to the choirmaster to write, to be sung. Music and such was such a very important part of the life of Israel in the days of David and Solomon, in particular.

Solomon wrote 1,005 songs, and this one right here is the best of the best. See, when you put two words together like that, it's emphatic. The Song of Songs, the best of the best, is like Holy of Holies that expresses the highest degree of holy in the throne room of our God there. It's a beautiful expression, and this song stood above them all. The favorite, everyone loved this one because it touches the greatest theme, love. Specifically, the love between a husband and his wife, the wife and her husband.

It's just a delightful, the wonderful, romantic, beautiful, wonderful story of love, and everybody loves because we're made to love. God made us that way. God is love, and he wrote that upon our soul. Interestingly, this book is read every year. At the beginning of the Passover feast, they would read the story of the Passover, and they would read this Song of Songs because it expresses the greatness of love. They would say, "The greatness of love between God and Israel is seen in the book." It's an allegory of that kind of love. Interestingly also, that many people skip over this book.

Many people avoid this book. The Jews held it in very high esteem. They held it very, very high. In fact, one of the rabbis, Rabbi Aqiba, Jewish commentator, said of this book, "In the entire history of the world, from its beginning to this very day, no day outshines that day in which this book was given to Israel. All Scriptures indeed are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies." That's how they hold this book in high esteem. As I said, Jewish scholars would see this allegory.

Now, an allegory, if you're not familiar, is a story, a poem, or whatever, written with a hidden, deeper meaning into it. A story with a deeper meaning. For example, some of you read Pilgrim's Progress.

That's an allegory of a spiritual life journey. There are some Christian teachers who would say, yes, it is an allegory, but it's an allegory of Jesus and the church. That's the hidden meaning behind it. It would therefore be prophetic because the church did not exist in those days. Other teachers, and this is where I land, see this book as typology.

In other words, that perspective sees the Song of Solomon as a type, a symbol, an analogy of the relationship between Jesus, the bridegroom, and the church as the bride of Christ. As typology, as symbolism, it's meaning to convey that the relationship between Jesus and the church is meant to be gloriously beautiful. This is such a book of a depth of love, that it's meant to convey that the depth of love, gloriously beautiful. God wants you to know how much he loves you. I tell you, if people only knew how much that God loved them, it would change everything in their lives.

People only knew. It's meant to be gloriously beautiful, intimate, joyously fulfilling to the soul. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote similarly in Ephesians 5. Many of you know, in Ephesians 5, the verses that say, "Husbands should love your wives as Christ loved the church, gave himself up for her." Then later in the same chapter, referring to marriage, he says, "For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

Now, this mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. It's a beautiful symbolism of the depth of the love that God wants the church to understand. Oh, how he loves you. Now, this poetic song, Hebrew poem, is also quite explicit in describing that romance between the husband and the bride in the book, which is why ancient rabbis used to teach that Jewish young men, younger than 30, were not allowed to read this book. They were afraid of lighting a man's passions on fire.

It is pretty explicit. Therefore, we're going to now check ID because we want to make sure that you're ready to receive this book. It is a great book of symbolism, but I submit that it's also practical. What I mean by that is that husbands could learn something from the Song of Solomon. Well, wives could too. Husbands and wives could learn a lot from the Song of Solomon about the significance of giving expression to love. We were meant to love. God wrote that upon our soul. Love needs to give expression.

I remember reading this story of a wife who said to her husband, "It would mean a lot if you said you loved me." The husband replied, "I told you I loved you on the day we were married, and if I changed my mind I'll let you know." It's men like that who need to read the Song of Solomon and take notes because love needs expression. Now, at the same time, it's important to set the book in the context of the time and culture of the days of Solomon, because he uses expressions of love poetically beautiful, but appropriate for their day.

If we use some of those expressions today, let's just say they would have a very different reaction if you wrote those kinds of expressions on your Valentine's card. Would you like some examples? For example, in 1:9, the groom says, "To me, my darling, you are like--" [laughter] I'll get there. "To me, my darling, you are like my mare, my horse, you are like my filly, my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh." We like animals on cards, but I don't think she's going to appreciate the comparison, you know what I'm saying?

Later, the bride says, "Oh, my beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag." Well, if she's going to be a mare, then at least he should be a stag, right? Then later, the bridegroom says, "Your hair is like a flock of goats." It doesn't have the same response. Later in chapter 7, the bride groom says, "Your belly is like a heap of wheat." Don't underline that in your Bible and don't put that in the Valentine's card. Then later in chapter 7, "Your neck is like a tower of ivory. Your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon." Don't write that down in your card, whatever you do.

Now, Solomon, he wrote this song to be performed. You might think of it as an opera. An opera is a story in a song, quite a production, and that was the idea, it was meant to be sung, performed. There's a plot, there's suspense, there's love, there's romance, there's actors on the stage. The husband would be playing the part of Solomon. Solomon is a husband in the story. The wife, then, is a peasant, which is interesting. The king falls in love with the peasant, Shulamite woman, who is strikingly beautiful, and charming with all her delights. Then there's also a chorus of singers.

Now, you might think of them in the corner on risers the choir maybe. They interpose, they respond to the bride or the groom at various different times in the story. Then there's the audience. Particularly they address the women in the audience as the daughters of Jerusalem. For example, at one point she says and she refers to the women in the audience, "This is my beloved. This is my friend or daughters of Jerusalem." Beautiful. It's lovely, intimate, descriptive, meaning to convey a beautiful relationship between Jesus and the church.

Let's read. We're not going to read all of it. We did that Wednesday, but I want to read some of it. Let's start at Song of Solomon 1:1, the song of dongs, which is Solomons. "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." All right. Now, I think it's important to set this in its context. Here they're married, they're celebrating their relationship. Then later in the story, they look back on their courtship, they look back on their wedding and all of that, but they begin here by celebrating that they are married and in relationship.

"Kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine." The bride id speaking here. "Your oils have a pleasing fragrance and your name is like purified oil." I love that. Your name is so wonderful and it's like purified oil. It's so wondrous. Of course, again, it speaks of the fact that Jesus, who is greater than Solomon, who is the king of all kings and lord of all lords, has a name which stands above all other names. Lay out the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

What a great declaration. Your name is like purified oil. No wonder the maidens love you. "Draw me after you-- Verse 4-- let us run together for the king has brought me into his chamber." Then the chorus, the choir jumps in. "We will rejoice in you and be glad, we will extol your love more than wine, rightly do they love you." All right. Then move down to verse 15. The groom now speaks, "How beautiful you are, my darling. How beautiful you are. Your eyes are like doves."

The bride responds. "Oh, how handsome you are my beloved and, oh, how so pleasant. Indeed, our couch is luxuriant. The beams of our houses, our cedars, our rafters, our cypresses." Chapter 2 she continues, "I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys." He responds, "Like a lily among the thorns so is my darling among the maidens. Like you stand beautiful above them all." Then the bride responds again in Chapter 2:3, "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest so is my beloved among the young men."

An apple tree is not commonly found in the forest, but if you find an apple tree in the forest, what a delight it would be. The apples would refresh. The shade would protect. That's her point. Verse 3 continues, "And in his shade, I took great delight and sat down. His fruit was sweet to my taste." Then verse 4 is perhaps the most famous of all the verses in the whole book, "He has brought me to his banquet hall." Some say, "He's brought me to his banqueting table and his banner over me is love."

I. As Christ Loved the Church

You'll recognize that verse. "Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples because I am lovesick." Now, we won't look at other verses, but we want to start with that and understand that, again, it pictures for us a depth of love as Christ loved the church. Meant to convey beautiful. The imagery of that. Interestingly, by the way, it was not an uncommon thought that God would be considered like a husband. It was an Old Testament Jewish thought as well.

For example, in Hosea 2:19 where he says, "God says to Israel, 'I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and then you will know the Lord.'" He's expressing that I will pursue you. It's a beautiful thought that God is the one who pursues. God is the one who pours forth love.

Interestingly, similarly seen in Jeremiah 31. This is actually prophetic here. He says, "Behold days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt." Now remember, they saw that God taking them by the hand, leading them out of Egypt was the beginning of the expression of God's love for them.

He says, "I will make a new covenant, not like the old covenant, the first covenant I made with their Fathers on the day I took them by their hand to lead them out of Egypt. My covenant, which they broke, even though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. Here's this beautiful picture. "I husbanded them. I took them by the hand. I saved them out of their oppression. I saved them out of their slavery. I brought them into a wondrous land, but they rejected, they broke my covenant."

It's fascinating because it speaks of that covenant as a husband. He promises to make a new covenant with the house of Israel, a covenant initiated by the blood of the Messiah and King, the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. He says, "And this one, I will write it upon your heart that you would fall in love, that there would be this depth of love aspect to it." What's interesting is that they broke the covenant, which he says, but then they rejected the new covenant, which Jesus came to offer.

They rejected Jesus as Messiah and King, but what's amazing, though they broke the first and rejected the second, God does not give up on them. "At the end of the age when Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives and enters into Jerusalem, he will present himself as the Messiah and the King of Israel, and he will pour out upon them the spirit of grace and supplication such that all Israel will be saved under the blood and the banner of Jesus Christ." God is not done with Israel. Amen.

This is important because when you see what's happening in the world today in the Middle East and the nations of the world regarding it, it is a critical understanding that God is not done with Israel and that those who bless Israel will still be blessed today. It's true then, and it's true today. Amen. Receive a little praise. Exactly right. [applause] This prophecy, he says, "I will make a new covenant." It's a prophecy of this covenant which is founded in love. It speaks of the nature of the relationship of Christ to the church.

Notice Chapter 2:4, "He brought me to his banqueting table and his banner over me is love." That's the most famous verse. In fact, oh, I remember when I was young, we used to sing a song in the church. Some of you will remember it. It was a beautiful simple song, but it conveyed this in a very deep meaning. Many of you will remember it.

A. I’m my beloved’s and He is mine

I am my beloved’s and he is mine--

His banner over me is love

You're just like, "Oh, it's a delightful song." You're dwelling on this wondrous point. I am my beloveds, he's mine. It speaks of this. It's meant to be love. That is the center of this. It symbolizes that depth of love. When Jesus died on the cross, he was compelled by love. In fact, Romans 5:8 says, "God demonstrated the greatness of his love in that Christ died for us when we were still sinners." That's amazing. It's one of the most amazing verses I think that expresses the gospel so powerfully.

God demonstrated the greatness of that love because Christ died for you when you were still a sinner. That's how much he loved you. Now see this is so important because-- and I've said this before, but so many people have it wrong when it comes to the understanding of God's perspective on sinners. See, many people believe that because God is holy and righteous, which he certainly is, that he is offended at sinners. When he looks at sinners, he takes the attitude be gone. I have nothing to do with thee. You have sinned. You have offended me.

Many people believe that God is angry at them, pushing them away because he's holy and righteous and they're sinners, but you could not be any farther from the truth. It is the exact opposite of the truth. Jesus said, "I have come to seek and to save that which was lost." It's like God is saying to his Son, "Go and find sinners and bring them home. Reconcile them to God the Father." It's the beautiful understanding that God is the one who is pursuing. God is the one who's knocking on the door of your heart.

"Anyone who would hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. I will sup with him." There's that supper. "I will have relationship with him, but you've got to open the door. You open the door of your heart, and it will open the glorious love that God-- you will see it then. Oh, how God loved me through his Son, Jesus Christ. Notice also Hebrews 12:2. "Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

What was that joy set before him that compelled Jesus to endure the cross and despise the shame? It was the joy of knowing that he would lead many sinners to glory. He was thinking of you. He was thinking of me for the joy set before him. What a glorious understanding that he would lead many sinners to glory. That they would understand the depths of indescribable joy. He didn't die only to forgive your sin. That's just awesome. He died that you would enter into a relationship and understand the depths of how much he loved you. If you could only know God loved you so much.

B. “His banner over me is love”

If you could only know how much it would change your life. Then we love that expression back in Song of Solomon 2:4, "He brought me to his banqueting table and his banner over me is love." Now that is an expression that comes right out of a Hebrew wedding tradition. His banner over me. It's a picture of a cover symbolizing protection, relationship, love. It's symbolic. For example, you might remember in the story of Ruth and Boaz. When Ruth was this Moabite woman who had come back to Israel with her Hebrew mother-in-law, when their husbands had died, and how Boaz took notice of Ruth as she's cleaning grain in the field.

She's a woman of stature and honor and such and falls in love with her. It all culminates, the story culminates in the moment when Boaz spread his garment over her feet as his promise that he would be her redeemer and take her as his bride. Beautiful story. There's that banner that cover over her, which symbolizes that same idea of the Jewish wedding. It interestingly coincides with a parallel in the New Testament. God redeems us and covers us with a robe of righteousness. The very righteousness of Jesus Christ is given as a gift.

Glorious robe of righteousness. It mentions this in Isaiah 61:10, "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord. My soul will exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness." That is a gift of love. When you come to the end of the age and you stand before the great Almighty-- and we all know in our heart of hearts that when it comes to the end and you stand before the great Almighty that you do not want to be standing there in the shame of your sins.

The robe of righteousness is given to anyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ who is a part of the church, therefore, the bread of Christ receiving the robe of righteousness as a great gift of love. So that on that great and wondrous day when you stand before the great Almighty, you will be standing there wrapped in the robe of righteousness, and the shame of your sin is gone as far as the east is from the west. Amen, amen. Glorious.

Notice the response in that Isaiah 61. Notice the response of being clothed with the garments of salvation wrapped with the robe of righteousness. Notice. In response to this he says, "I will rejoice in this greatly. I will exult in the Lord my God." See in other words when God has done such great things for you it deserves a response. What has God done for you? He says, "God has clothed me with the garments of salvation. God has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness, and I'm very glad and I want to give God glory. I want to exalt his name. He deserves a response."

How much has God done for you? God's done so much. One of the New Testament stories reveals that glorious understanding. One day one of the Pharisees named Simon requested that Jesus dine with him. When he entered the Pharisees' house and reclined at the table says there is a woman in the city who was a sinner. I submit the worst of kinds of sinner. When she heard that Jesus was there reclining at the table of Pharisees house that she brought an alabaster vial of perfume. Then standing behind him at his feet she began to weep.

She wet his feet with her tears and then kept wiping them with the hair of her head and anointing them with perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet he would know who and what sort of woman this is who was touching him and that she is a sinner." Jesus said, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Say it, Teacher." Luke 7:41 picks up the story. He said, "A moneylender had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. Now when they were unable to pay he graciously forgave them both. Which of them will love him the more?"

Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." Jesus said, "You have judged correctly." Continuing in verse 44. "Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave no water from my feet. A common courtesy to give water to wash their dirty feet, but she had wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss. Common Hebrew greeting is to honor your guests with a kiss on the cheek, but she since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil.

Again common courtesy. Here's some oil. Please refresh. She has anointed my feet with perfume. For this reason, I say to you that her sins which are many have been forgiven for she loved much. For he who is forgiven little loves little. Then he said to her your sins have been forgiven, your faith has saved you, go in peace." What a great story. She loved much because she had been forgiven much. In other words, when God has done such great things for you it deserves a response of great love. How much has God done for you?

II. He Brought Me to His Banqueting Table

Well, I'll speak for myself. God has forgiven me of much, and I am very, very thankful, and I love him with all my heart. Anybody want to join me in this? Amen, amen. Notice how he gives expression today. He brought me to his banqueting table. This is the banqueting wedding feast, and his banner over me speaks of the wedding. When he brought me to his banqueting table, I think of that marriage supper of the lamb spoken of in the book of Revelation at the end of the age.

Again, in the marriage supper of the lamb, he's using the same picture, the same imagery to represent the depth of love that Christ has toward the church. Revelation 19:7-9, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready." Then he said to me-- write this down, write. "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." He said to me, "These are the true words of God." What a wonderful understanding. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

God has given an invitation to you to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb. It shows it. He's the one pursuing. He's the one who's sending forth, "I invite you." It speaks of his love. Even when you are a sinner, undeserved, you can never have redeemed yourself. I send you an invitation to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb. When you get an invitation, sometimes it'll say, RSVP. It's French actually. Répondez s'il vous plaît. Respond if you please.

When you get an invitation from a king, I submit to you, that deserves a response. If it says répondez s'il vous plaît and he's giving you an invitation to the marriage feast of the Lamb, that's a wonderful invitation, but you got to accept him. Open the door for there is a day coming when he will come for his bride. It's a great picture of the end of the age, the victory that comes at the end of the age, and interestingly, pictured here in the Song of Solomon.

A. He comes for His bride

Notice for example, in chapter 3 starting in verse 6, how the chorus now-- the choir on the stage is declaring, verse 6, "What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke." In other words, the chorus is saying, "What is this? We look out into the distance of the wilderness and we see columns of smoke. It's really the dust of the great entourage coming. "What is this coming up from the wilderness perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, all scented powders of the merchant.

Ah, behold, it's the traveling coach of Solomon. 60 mighty men surround it. Mighty men of Israel, all of them wielder of the sword, expert in war. Each man has his sword at his side guarding against the terrors of the night." What a beautiful imagery of Jesus coming for his bride, the church, at the end of the age. By the way, it's a fantastic study because the Jewish wedding has prophetic elements of the latter days and the return of Jesus Christ. For example, after the proposal and engagement in a Jewish wedding, the bridegroom would leave and then go and prepare a house.

He would go and leave and build a house on his property of the Father. There he would go and prepare a future for them and build a house. He could not return until the house was finished, built to the satisfaction of the Father. Then when the house is built, the Father would say to his son, "Go and receive your bride." Now, this is interestingly spoken of in John 14:1-3, "Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, I will receive you to myself that where I am you may be also."

Beautiful picture. When the Father of the bridegroom was satisfied that the house was well-built, he would send his son to receive his bride. The groom's attendance would go before him shouting, "Behold the bridegroom cometh, come out to meet him." That's in the story too. That's in Song of Solomon 3:11, where the choir, chorus shouts out, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold, look upon King Solomon with his crown on the day of his wedding, on the day of his gladness of heart."

It's a beautiful expression. Jesus uses that marriage illustration when he prophetically speaks to the last days in Matthew 24 and 25. It's all through the Bible. He uses that expression when he says, "No man knows the day or the hour." This is a Jewish understanding. The Father determines the day, the hour in which the son will go to receive his bride. He uses that, but then he says, "Therefore watch--" and he gives in Matthew 25, this illustration.

B. Watch and be ready

"Watch, be on the alert, be ready." Interestingly, in the Jewish wedding tradition again, after the proposal, after the engagement, that the groom would give a gift as a pledge, a seal. A seal of their relationship while he is gone, and that seal is to say, "I will return, but put this seal upon your heart and long for me. I will return to receive you." It's in the book of Song of Solomon. Would you, for example, turn to Song of Solomon 8:6-7, where Solomon, the husband here says, "Put me as a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as severe a shield. Guard your heart. It's flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love." This is famous here. "Many waters cannot quench love. Rivers cannot overflow it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, he would be despised." You can't buy love, interestingly, but that seal over your heart, the Scripture says that the Holy Spirit is a seal over your heart, a gift, a pledge to reside there in your soul awaiting for the day that God will return to receive his bride.

"Watch, he said, therefore, and be ready for you do not know the day that your Lord will come." How do you watch? Well, you watch for the signs of the times. Jesus gave many of the signs of the times in Matthew 24 to watch. I submit to you that we are seeing today what Jesus described as the beginning of birth pangs. In other words, any woman who's had a child will know that the birth pangs grow greater in intensity and closer together as a time draws near.

In the same way, Jesus expressed, "Watch for the signs of the time. These will be like a woman in childbirth. They will grow greater in intensity and closer together as the time draws near." I say we are living in those days and we have to watch very carefully at what's happening in the world today. There are storm clouds on the horizon that I submit that are very near. We are seeing the world changing before our eyes. Be on the alert. Watch. Then he says, "And be ready."

God gave the Holy Spirit that you would be ready by drawing near to God by that Holy Spirit indwelling in your soul, that you would know the depth of the greatness of his love and know the glory that abounds in the nearness of God, that your soul would be right with God. This is an urgent matter. There's no time to waste. The time draws near. The days are changing before our eyes.

I gave you the spirit that while you're waiting, you will know how much I love you. That you would have the glory of God now abounding and abiding in your soul. That you would have joy indescribable, peace that passes understanding. Now, your soul is made right with God now, this is how to stand strong and firm in the days that are coming. Let's pray.

Lord, we are so thankful to you. The expression of this love, you loved us so much that Christ died for us when we were still sinners. That you are the one who pursues. You are the one who knocks on the door and calls our name. That if we would open the door, you would enter in. There would be a relationship. Church how many would say to the Lord today, I want to know the depth of your love for me God. I want to give to you in response to all that you've done for me, I want to give you my love, I'm all in.

I want to give expression to that love. You've won me. You've proven yourself to me. All that you've done for me, it's amazing. I'm all in, God, I honor you as I declare it. Church how many would say that. Would you just raise your hand as a way of declaring to God, I want to know the depths of God's love. I want to just declare to God how much I love you in response of all that you've done. It's amazing. We honor you, we praise you, and lift up your holy name in Jesus' name, and everyone said amen. Can we give God praise? Amen, amen. [applause] Amen, amen. Church we're going to worship.

Song of Solomon 1-8 NASB

1 ¹The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Bride

²“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is sweeter than wine.
³Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the young women love you.
⁴Draw me after you and let’s run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”

The Chorus

“We will rejoice in you and be joyful;
We will praise your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”

The Bride

⁵“I am black and beautiful,
You daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
⁶Do not stare at me because I am dark,
For the sun has tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
⁷Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
Where do you pasture your flock,
Where do you have it lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who veils herself
Beside the flocks of your companions?”

Solomon, the Lover, Speaks

⁸“If you yourself do not know,
Most beautiful among women,
Go out on the trail of the flock,
And pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds.

⁹“To me, my darling, you are like
My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
¹⁰Your cheeks are delightful with jewelry,
Your neck with strings of beads.”

The Chorus

¹¹“We will make for you jewelry of gold
With beads of silver.”

The Bride

¹²“While the king was at his table,
My perfume gave forth its fragrance.
¹³My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
¹⁴My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
In the vineyards of Engedi.”

The Groom

¹⁵“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”

The Bride

¹⁶“How handsome you are, my beloved,
And so delightful!
Indeed, our bed is luxuriant!
¹⁷The beams of our house are cedars,
Our rafters, junipers.

The Bride’s Admiration

2 ¹“I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”

The Groom

²“Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the young women.”

The Bride

³“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
⁴He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.
⁵Refresh me with raisin cakes,
Sustain me with apples,
Because I am lovesick.
⁶His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.”

The Groom

⁷“Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

The Bride

⁸“Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Leaping on the mountains,
Jumping on the hills!
⁹My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering through the lattice.

¹⁰“My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
¹¹For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹²The blossoms have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
¹³The fig tree has ripened its fruit,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

The Groom

¹⁴“My dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the hiding place of the mountain pathway,
Let me see how you look,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is pleasant,
And you look delightful.”

The Chorus

¹⁵“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

The Bride

¹⁶“My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.
¹⁷Until the cool of the day, when the shadows flee,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.”

The Bride’s Troubled Dream

3 ¹“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
²‘I must arise now and go around in the city;
In the streets and in the public squares
I must seek him whom my soul loves.’
I sought him but did not find him.
³The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
⁴Hardly had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”

The Groom

⁵“Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

Solomon’s Wedding Day

The Bride

⁶“What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like columns of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?

The Chorus

⁷Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
⁸All of them are wielders of the sword,
Expert in war;
Each man has his sword at his side,
Guarding against the terrors of the night.
⁹King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
¹⁰He made its posts of silver,
Its back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the daughters of Jerusalem.
¹¹Go out, you daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”

Solomon’s Love Expressed

4 ¹“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.
²Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
Which have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
³Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
And your mouth is beautiful.
Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
⁴Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with layers of stones
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the warriors.
⁵Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
That graze among the lilies.
⁶Until the cool of the day
When the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

⁷“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish on you.
⁸Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
You shall come with me from Lebanon.
You shall come down from the summit of Amana,
From the summit of Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.
⁹You have enchanted my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your necklace.
¹⁰How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much sweeter is your love than wine,
And the fragrance of your oils
Than that of all kinds of balsam oils!
¹¹Your lips drip honey, my bride;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
¹²A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a sealed fountain.
¹³Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates
With delicious fruits, henna with nard plants,
¹⁴Nard and saffron, spice reed and cinnamon,
With all the trees of frankincense,
Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
¹⁵You are a garden spring,
A well of fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”

The Bride

¹⁶“Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its delicious fruits!”

The Torment of Separation

The Groom

5 ¹“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends;
Drink and drink deeply, lovers.”

The Bride

²“I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, my sister, my darling,
My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is drenched with dew,
My locks with the dew drops of the night.’
³I have taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
⁴My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my feelings were stirred for him.
⁵I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
⁶I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and had gone!
My heart went out to him as he spoke.
I searched for him but I did not find him;
I called him but he did not answer me.
⁷The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
⁸Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For I am lovesick.”

The Chorus

⁹“What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”

Admiration by the Bride

The Bride

¹⁰“My beloved is dazzling and reddish,
Outstanding among ten thousand.
¹¹His head is like gold, pure gold;
His locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
¹²His eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their setting.
¹³His cheeks are like a bed of balsam,
Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are lilies
Dripping with drops of myrrh.
¹⁴His hands are rods of gold
Set with topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with sapphires.
¹⁵His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like Lebanon,
Choice as the cedars.
¹⁶His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”

Mutual Delight in Each Other

The Chorus

6 ¹“Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
That we may seek him with you?”

The Bride

²“My beloved has gone down to his garden,
To the beds of balsam,
To pasture his flock in the gardens
And gather lilies.
³I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,
He who pastures his flock among the lilies.”

The Groom

⁴“You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
As lovely as Jerusalem,
As awesome as an army with banners.
⁵Turn your eyes away from me,
For they have confused me;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Gilead.
⁶Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
That have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
⁷Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
⁸There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
And young women without number;
⁹But my dove, my perfect one, is unique:
She is her mother’s only daughter;
She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her.
The young women saw her and called her blessed,
The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

¹⁰‘Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
As beautiful as the full moon,
As pure as the sun,
As awesome as an army with banners?’
¹¹I went down to the orchard of nut trees
To see the plants of the valley,
To see whether the vine had grown
Or the pomegranates had bloomed.
¹²Before I was aware, my soul set me
Over the chariots of my noble people.”

The Chorus

¹³“Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
Come back, come back, so that we may look at you!”

The Groom

“Why should you look at the Shulammite,
As at the dance of the two armies?

Admiration by the Groom

7 ¹“How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
Prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.
²Your navel is like a round goblet
That never lacks mixed wine;
Your belly is like a heap of wheat,
Surrounded with lilies.
³Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.
⁴Your neck is like a tower of ivory,
Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon
By the gate of Bath-rabbim;
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
Which looks toward Damascus.
⁵Your head crowns you like Carmel,
And the flowing hair of your head is like purple threads;
The king is captivated by your tresses.
⁶How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your delights!
⁷Your stature is like a palm tree,
And your breasts are like its clusters.
⁸I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree,
I will grasp its fruit stalks.’
Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
And the fragrance of your breath like apples,
⁹And your mouth like the best wine!”

The Bride

“It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
Flowing gently through the lips of those who are asleep.

The Union of Love

¹⁰“I am my beloved’s,
And his desire is for me.
¹¹Come, my beloved, let’s go out to the country,
Let’s spend the night in the villages.
¹²Let’s rise early and go to the vineyards;
Let’s see whether the vine has grown
And its buds have opened,
And whether the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
¹³The mandrakes have given forth fragrance;
And over our doors are all delicious fruits,
New as well as old,
Which I have saved for you, my beloved.

The Lovers Speak

8 ¹“Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
²I would lead you and bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
³Let his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me.”

The Groom

⁴“Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

The Chorus

⁵“Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”

The Bride

“Beneath the apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.
⁶Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
The flame of the Lord.
⁷Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

The Chorus

⁸“We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
⁹If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.”

The Bride

¹⁰“I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
¹²My very own vineyard is at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

The Groom

¹³“You who sit in the gardens:
My companions are listening for your voice—
Let me hear it!”

The Bride

¹⁴“Hurry, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle or a young stag
On the mountains of balsam trees!”

La canción por encima de todas las canciones

Cantar de los Cantares 1-8
22 y 23 de febrero de 2025

En muchas versiones de la Biblia, este libro se llama el Cantares de Salomón, otras versiones le dan el título de el Cantar de los Cantares. Ambas son correctas y ambas se encuentran en el primer versículo del libro.

Dice claramente que Salomón escribió este libro como una canción para ser cantada. De hecho, es la mejor de todas las 1,005 canciones que escribió Salomón, por lo que se llama el “Cantar de los Cantares”. Es lo mejor de lo mejor. Dos palabras similares usadas juntas significan el estándar más alto posible. Es como la frase “Santo de los Santos” para describir la misma sala del trono de nuestro Dios y el lugar más santo del templo.

Esta canción estaba por encima de todos ellos porque tocaba el tema más grande en el corazón del hombre: el amor. Específicamente, el amor entre una novia y su novio. Es romántico, es hermoso, está lleno de la maravilla y la belleza del amor.

Interesantemente, este libro se lee comúnmente al comienzo de la Fiesta de la Pascua cada año. Se lee en la Pascua para celebrar el amor entre Dios e Israel, que comenzó con el Éxodo de Egipto. Así es como los judíos interpretan este libro hasta el día de hoy. Muchas personas pasan por alto o evitan leer este libro, sin embargo, los judíos lo tienen en alta estima. Un maestro judío, Rabí Aqiba, un comentarista judío, dijo de este libro: “Toda la historia del mundo, desde su comienzo hasta el día de hoy, ensombrece el día en que este libro fue entregado a Israel. Todas las Escrituras, en verdad, son santas… La expresión “Cantar de los Cantares” es similar a la expresión de “Santo de los Santos”.

Los eruditos judíos ven este libro como una alegoría, una historia o un poema en el que se escribe un significado más profundo y oculto, generalmente moral o espiritual. Por ejemplo, el Progreso del Peregrino es una alegoría del viaje espiritual de la vida.

Algunos maestros bíblicos cristianos también creen que este libro es una alegoría, pero aplicarían el significado más profundo y oculto a la relación entre Jesús y la iglesia. Entonces verían este libro como profético ya que la iglesia no existía durante los días de Salomón.

Otros maestros de la Biblia ven este libro como una tipología. Esta perspectiva ve al Cantar de los Cantares como un tipo, símbolo o analogía de la relación entre Jesús como el novio y la iglesia como la novia de Cristo. Así es como yo también interpreto este libro.

Como tipología, o simbolismo, informa que la relación entre Jesús y la iglesia estaba destinada a ser gloriosamente hermosa, íntima y gozosamente satisfactoria para el alma. El apóstol Pablo usó la misma imagen cuando escribió en Efesios 5:25 “Maridos, amad a vuestras mujeres como Cristo amó a la iglesia y se entregó a sí mismo por ella”.

Hay un hermoso simbolismo en este poema hebreo lleno de una rica visión de la relación entre Jesús y la iglesia.

Esta canción poética también es bastante explícita al describir el romance entre el esposo y su novia en este libro. De hecho, los antiguos rabinos sostenían que a los jóvenes judíos menores de 30 años no se les permitía leer este libro. Tenían miedo de encender las pasiones de un hombre.

Este es un libro de gran simbolismo espiritual que también tiene una aplicación práctica. Los esposos podrían aprender algo del libro de Cantar de los Cantares de Salomón acerca de la importancia de dar expresión al amor. Escuché la historia de una esposa que le dijo a su esposo: “Significaría mucho si dijeras que me amas”. El esposo respondió: “Te dije que te amo el día que nos casamos, y si cambio de opinión, te lo haré saber”. Son esos hombres los que necesitan leer el Cantar de los Cantares y tomar notas.

Sin embargo, es importante situar el libro en el contexto de la época y la cultura de los días de Salomón. Usó palabras y expresiones de amor y romance que ciertamente no usaríamos hoy. La gente tendría reacciones muy diferentes si usáramos algunas de estas frases para expresar amor hoy.

En otras palabras, si bien este es un libro bellamente romántico, es posible que no desee usar algunos de estos dichos en su próxima tarjeta de San Valentín … Por ejemplo:

1:9 – “Para mí, querida mía, eres como mi yegua entre los carros de Faraón”. Quiero decir, a la gente le gustan los animales en las cartas, ¿pero una yegua? No creo. A ella no le gustará esa comparación.

Más tarde, la novia dice: “Mi amado es como una gacela o un ciervo joven…” Bueno, si ella va a ser una yegua, al menos él debería ser un ciervo.

4:1 – El novio dice: “Tu cabello es como un rebaño de cabras que han descendido del monte de Galaad”. Más tarde añade: “¡Eres tan hermosa como Jerusalén, querida mía, eres tan asombrosa como un ejército con banderas!”

7:2 – El novio dice: “Tu vientre es como un montón de trigo”. Hagan lo que hagan, hombres, no subrayen eso en su Biblia, y no lo escriban en una tarjeta de San Valentín.

Salomón escribió esta canción para ser interpretada frente a una audiencia. Se podría pensar en esta como una ópera. Una ópera es una pieza teatral que cuenta una historia completamente a través de la música. Hay trama y suspenso, hay amor y romance.

Hay varios actores en el escenario. El esposo, que es Salomón, la esposa, una campesina sulamita que era sorprendentemente hermosa y encantadora. Hay un coro de cantantes probablemente colocados en una esquina del escenario, interponiendo una melodía para responder a las declaraciones de la novia o el novio. Hay un público, llamado las hijas de Jerusalén, a quienes la novia o el novio les habla directamente y varias veces desde el escenario. “Esta es mi amada, y esta es mi amiga, oh hijas de Jerusalén.”

I. Como Cristo amó a la Iglesia

⮚ Los judíos han sostenido durante mucho tiempo que la relación entre el novio y la novia descrita en este libro representaba el amor que Dios tenía por Israel.

Oseas 2:19-20- La Biblia de las Américas

19 “Te desposaré conmigo para siempre; sí, te desposaré conmigo en justicia y en derecho, en misericordia y en compasión; 21 te desposaré conmigo en fidelidad, y tú conocerás al Señor”.

Jeremías 31:31-32- La Biblia de las Américas

31 He aquí, vienen días —declara el Señor— en que haré con la casa de Israel y con la casa de Judá un nuevo pacto, 32 no como el pacto que hice con sus padres, el día que los tomé de la mano para sacarlos de la tierra de Egipto, mi pacto que ellos rompieron, aunque fui un esposo para ellos —declara el Señor”.

⮚ Ese versículo es fascinante porque habla de un pacto que Dios hizo con Israel, el cual ellos rompieron, a pesar de que Él era un esposo para ellos. Luego, promete hacer un nuevo pacto con la casa de Israel; un pacto iniciado en la sangre de Jesús para el perdón de los pecados.

⮚ Pero ellos también rechazaron ese pacto. Lo que es tan asombroso es que Dios no se da por vencido con ellos. Al final de los tiempos, cuando Jesús ponga pie en el Monte de los Olivos y entre en Jerusalén, se presentará como el Mesías y Rey de Israel, y derramará sobre ellos el Espíritu de gracia y súplica para que todo Israel se salve bajo la sangre y el estandarte (la bandera) de Jesucristo.

⮚ Esa profecía de un nuevo pacto es un pacto de amor… Esa es la naturaleza de la relación de Jesús con la iglesia.

⮚ Versículo 2:4 – “Él me ha traído a su mesa de banquete, y su estandarte (bandera) sobre mí es el amor.”

⮚ Este es probablemente el más famoso de todos los versículos de este libro. Había una canción de adoración que solíamos cantar en la iglesia cuando éramos jóvenes, basada en las palabras de este versículo.

A. Yo soy de mi amado y Él es mío

⮚ Estas son las famosas palabras de la canción de adoración, pero también palabras directas de este libro…

⮚ Versículo 2:16 – “Mi amado es mío, y yo soy suyo; Él apacenta su rebaño entre los lirios”.

⮚ Esto simboliza la profundidad del amor que Jesús tiene por la iglesia. Cuando Jesús murió en la cruz, fue obligado por el amor.

Hebreos 12:2-La Biblia de las Américas

2 puestos los ojos en Jesús, el autor y consumador de la fe, quien por el gozo puesto delante de Él soportó la cruz, menospreciando la vergüenza, y se ha sentado a la diestra del trono de Dios”.

¿Cuál fue el gozo puesto delante de Él que obligó a Jesús a soportar la cruz y despreciar la vergüenza? Era el gozo de saber que su sufrimiento en la cruz llevaría a muchos hijos a la gloria. Que Él liberaría a muchas personas de su cautiverio y las llevaría a tales profundidades de gloria que sería un gozo indescriptible.

⮚ En otras palabras, Jesús no murió solo para pagar el castigo por tus pecados, Su muerte y resurrección hicieron posible que un pecador tuviera una relación de amor. Las profundidades de ese amor se representan en la relación del matrimonio.

A. “Su estandarte sobre mí es el amor”

⮚ La expresión: “Su estandarte sobre mí es el amor”, proviene de una tradición matrimonial hebrea.

⮚ Un estandarte es una cubierta que simboliza la relación y la protección.

Ilustración (ILUS) – Recuerda la historia de Rut, una moabita que había llegado a Israel con su suegra hebrea después de la muerte de sus maridos; cómo Booz se fijó en ella cuando salió a recoger granos de trigo. La historia finalmente culmina en el momento en que Booz extiende su manto sobre sus pies como su promesa de ser su Redentor.

⮚ Dios nos redime cubriéndolos con un manto de justicia, la misma justicia de Jesucristo…

Isaías 61:10-La Biblia de las Américas

10 En gran manera me gozaré en el Señor, mi alma se regocijará en mi Dios; porque Él me ha vestido de ropas de salvación, me ha envuelto en manto de justicia como el novio se engalana con una corona, como la novia se adorna con sus joyas”.

⮚ Eso es un regalo de amor. Cuando llegues al fin de la era y estés delante del gran Todopoderoso, no estarás allí parado en la vergüenza de tu pecado, serás cubierto con un manto de la justicia de Jesucristo.

⮚ Fíjate en la respuesta de ser revestido con vestiduras de salvación en Isaías 61… Se regocija mucho en el Señor; su alma se regocija en Dios. En otras palabras, cuando Dios ha hecho cosas tan grandes por ti, respondes con gran amor…

ILUS – Uno de los fariseos le pidió a Jesús que cenara con él, y él entró en la casa del fariseo y se sentó a la mesa. Había una mujer en la ciudad que era pecadora, y cuando se enteró de que Él estaba reclinado a la mesa en la casa de los fariseos, trajo un frasco de alabastro lleno de perfume, y poniéndose detrás de Él a Sus pies, llorando, comenzó a mojar sus pies con sus lágrimas, y los secaba con los cabellos de su cabeza, besaba Sus pies y los ungía con el perfume. Al ver esto el fariseo que le había invitado, se dijo a sí mismo: “Si este hombre fuera profeta, sabría quién y qué mujer es ésta que le toca, que es una pecadora”.

Jesús le respondió: “Simón, tengo algo que decirte”. Y él respondió: “Dilo, Maestro”.

Lucas 7:41-43 – La Biblia de las Américas

41 Cierto prestamista tenía dos deudores; uno le debía quinientos denariosy el otro cincuenta; 42 y no teniendo ellos con qué pagar, perdonó generosamente a los dos. ¿Cuál de ellos, entonces, le amará más? 43 Simón respondió, y dijo: Supongo que aquel a quien le perdonó más. Y Jesús le dijo: Has juzgado correctamente”.

Lucas 7:44-50 – La Biblia de las Américas

44 Y volviéndose hacia la mujer, le dijo a Simón: ¿Ves esta mujer? Yo entré a tu casa y no me diste agua para los pies, pero ella ha regado mis pies con sus lágrimas y los ha secado con sus cabellos. 45 No me diste un beso, pero ella, desde que entré, no ha cesado de besar mis pies. 46 No ungiste mi cabeza con aceite, pero ella ungió mis pies con perfume. 47 Por lo cual te digo que sus pecados, que son muchos, han sido perdonados, porque amó mucho; pero a quien poco se le perdona, poco ama. 48 Y a ella le dijo: Tus pecados han sido perdonados. 49 Los que estaban sentados a la mesa con Él comenzaron a decir entre sí: ¿Quién es este que hasta perdona pecados? 50 Pero Jesús dijo a la mujer: Tu fe te ha salvado, vete en paz”.

II. Me llevó a su mesa de banquete

⮚ Versículo 2:4 – “Él me ha traído a su mesa de banquete, y su estandarte sobre mí es el amor.”

⮚ Cuando escucho ‘mesa de banquete’, inmediatamente pienso en la cena de bodas del Cordero de la que se habla en el libro de Apocalipsis al final de los tiempos.

⮚ Una vez más, él usa la misma imagen del matrimonio para representar el amor de Cristo Jesús…

Apocalipsis 19:7-9 – La Biblia de las Américas

7 “Regocijémonos y alegrémonos, y démosle a Él la gloria,

porque las bodas del Cordero han llegado y su esposa se ha preparado. 8 Y a ella le fue concedido vestirse de lino fino, resplandeciente y limpio, porque las acciones justas de los santos son el lino fino. 9 Y el ángel me dijo*: “Escribe: Bienaventurados los que están invitados a la cena de las bodas del Cordero”. Y me dijo: “Estas son palabras verdaderas de Dios”.

A. Él viene por Su novia

⮚ En Cantar de los Cantares 3, se desarrolla una poderosa escena en la que el novio viene a buscar a su novia.

⮚ Versículo 6-8 – “¿Qué es esto que sube del desierto como columnas de humo, perfumadas de mirra e incienso?… He aquí el coche de viaje de Salomón; sesenta hombres valientes alrededor de él, de los hombres valientes de Israel. Todos ellos son portadores de la espada, expertos en la guerra; Cada hombre tiene su espada a su lado, protegiéndose de los terrores de la noche”.

⮚ Es una hermosa imagen de Jesús viniendo por su novia, la iglesia, al final de los tiempos.

⮚ La boda judía tenía la tradición de que después de la propuesta y el compromiso, el novio se iría y se prepararía para su futuro juntos construyendo una casa.

Juan 14:1-3 – La Biblia de las Américas

14 “No se turbe vuestro corazón; creed en Dios, creed también en mí. 2 En la casa de mi Padre hay muchas moradas; si no fuera así, os lo hubiera dicho; porque voy a preparar un lugar para vosotros. 3 Y si me voy y preparo un lugar para vosotros, vendré otra vez y os tomaré conmigo; para que donde yo estoy, allí estéis también vosotros”.

⮚ Cuando el padre del novio estaba convencido de que la casa estaba bien construida y lista, enviaba al hijo a recibir a su novia. Los sirvientes del novio iban delante de él gritando: “¡He aquí el novio! ¡Sal a su encuentro!”

⮚ Versículo 3:11 – “Id, oh hijas de Sión, y he aquí al Rey Salomón con Su corona… el día de su boda, y el día de su alegría de corazón”.

B. Mira y prepárate

⮚ Curiosamente, después de la propuesta y el compromiso, el novio daría un regalo como prenda, un sello de su relación hasta que él regrese.

⮚ Versículo 8:6-7 – “Ponme como un sello sobre tu corazón, como un sello en tu brazo. Porque el amor es tan fuerte como la muerte, los celos son tan severos como el Seol, sus destellos son destellos de fuego, la misma llama del Señor. Muchas aguas no pueden apagar el amor, ni los ríos lo desbordarán; Si un hombre diera todas las riquezas de su casa por amor, sería completamente despreciado”.

Efesios 1:13-14 – La Biblia de las Américas

13 En Él también vosotros, después de escuchar el mensaje de la verdad, el evangelio de vuestra salvación, y habiendo creído, fuisteis sellados en Él con el Espíritu Santo de la promesa, 14 que nos es dado como garantía de nuestra herencia, con miras a la redención de la posesión adquirida de Dios, para alabanza de su gloria”.

⮚ Jesús dijo, Velad y estad preparados, porque no sabéis el día en que vendrá vuestro Señor.

⮚ ¿Cómo usted vela? Usted está atento a los signos de los tiempos y se mantiene alerta.

⮚ Pero, ¿cómo debes estar preparado? Dios dio el Espíritu Santo como una prenda y como un sello en su corazón. Prepárate acercándote al Espíritu Santo y poniendo tu alma bien con Dios ahora.

⮚ Él dio el Espíritu Santo para que usted experimentara la grandeza de Su amor ahora. Regrese a tu primer amor. … “las muchas aguas no pueden apagar el amor; los ríos no pueden desbordarlo”…

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