1:3 - "Your name is like oil poured out." Solomon's name is his character. She is saying that his reputation, his character is very good. Like a fragrant oil, his name goes before him and people know that he is a good man. Women of purity are drawn to him because they know he can be trusted. This is the kind of man that Christian women (all women for that matter) should be looking for!
1:7 - She wants to be around Solomon...she wants to spend time with him and get to know him, but notice how she wants to do it. She wants to be around him in the middle of the day, out in public, around his friends. She wants built in accountability. If they are hanging out together in broad daylight, there is less chance that they are going to do anything to compromise their purity. She says, "I don't want to be like the prostitutes that hang around your friend and veil themselves - I am a woman of honor and I will make sure there are boundaries for our integrity." Song of Solomon has a lot to teach people who are in relationships - don't put yourself in situations where you are alone for long periods of time...set boundaries!
1:9 - I know this doesn't sound too great...most women would be offended if someone called them a horse, but you have to understand the context. The mare that pulled Pharaoh's chariots would be the most magnificent horse in all of Egypt. Beautiful. Powerful. His most treasured possession. And a mare would lead the armies out, because the other male horses would be drawn after her - they would long to follow. This is an incredibly beautiful compliment. Solomon is saying that she is his most treasured possession...she is beautiful beyond compare...powerful...that any man would follow her every move. Little more romantic when you put it that way, huh?
1:13 - What is it that lies in the middle of the chest? The heart, right? In ancient times (when bathing wasn't really frequent) women would were perfume boxes so that they would only smell beautiful fragrances. She is saying that she keeps Solomon in her heart, and that the love she has for him makes everything better. AWWWWWWWW!
2:1 - This is cool...the love for Solomon has actually made her blossom as a person - she has become more confident. If you go back to chapter 1 verse 6, you see that she doesn't even want Solomon to look at her, because she feels like she is too dark. But he has spoken such confidence into her heart, that she now sees herself as beautiful. Single men and women should look to be in relationships with people who help them to become better...more godly...more confident.
2:2 - "A lily among thorns." Lilies grow on lily pads...roses grow on thorn bushes - what is Solomon talking about. He doesn't think the rose is a good enough comparison to his love. Lilies only grow one single unique flower. Roses grow many identical flowers on the same bush. Solomon is saying that his beloved stands along in her beauty...that no one is like her...in fact the other women look like thorns to him in comparison to his beloved.
2:5-7 - These are absolutely sexual terms. Raisins and apples were thought to be aphrodisiacs in the ancient world. Think about the position of the hands and arms described...that shows two people laying down and embracing. Solomon's beloved desperately wants to sleep with him. She is in love with him...she finds him incredibly attractive and she wants him. It is that plain and simple. Every young engaged couple understands this feel. But look at verse 7...this verse comes out like a subconscious reminder to the young woman - "Do not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." Don't mess with your purity...wait until there is no guilt...wait until there is utter commitment...wait until marriage.
2:9 - This is a two-way street...Solomon is also deeply in love and attracted to his beloved. He is filled with desire for her as well. He is depicted like a stag...stamping at the ground outside of her home.
2:17 - She sees his desire and love for her and actually invites him to enjoy her body...she wants him to run wild over her like a wild stag - their passion continues to increase with each chapter. Again - I think anyone who has been close to marriage understands this fully. Before Mandy and I got married, the desire for sex was almost overwhelming, but like Solomon and his beloved, we were able to wait until it was right before God after marriage. Even if mistakes have been made with regards to purity, couples can make the choice to stop...to make the commitment to reclaim the control and do things as God wants them to be done.
3:1 - With the desire overwhelming both of them, the Beloved goes into Solomon's room to find him, but he is not there. He knows that he cannot trust himself alone with her and has made the choice to do whatever it takes to maintain their purity. How many men in the world are like this today? The woman offers herself to him and it is the man who has the character to wait. That is awesome. So many times in the lives of even Christian couples, it is the women that have to make the boundaries and fight for purity. We need some Christian men in the world who will stand up and be leaders for purity in relationships. That is the kind of men you should be looking for ladies!
3:4-5 - She finds Solomon and she will not let go. So they go to her mother's house. The desire is burning them up...they are in love...they are committed to one another and the time has come to get married.
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