4:9 - I know when you first look at it, it seems a little weird, but I love that he refers to her as "sister and bride." To me this denotes the deep level of love and respect that Solomon has for his wife. He understands that she is more than just a person to have sex with. His statement speaks to an understanding that he and his beloved are both the children of God - they are a part of a worldwide family of people created in the image of God and worthy of respect. She is not only his wife, but his spiritual sister and his friend. This is what a marriage relationship should look like...it should be a union of respect and honor (as well as desire and pleasure as we see over the next few chapters).
5:1ff - The imagery here is unmistakable - they are enjoying one anothers' bodies in the midst of a married love relationship. Solomon and his beloved are delighting in their marriage union. We must never forget that sex is a beautiful, God-given act that is too often ignored and made negative by the Church. Sex in the midst of a loving, committed, spiritually driven marriage is absolutely amazing...and when you have experienced it in such an environment of trust and respect, you know how shallow and unsatisfying the meaningless, lust-driven non-committed sex of the world is.
5:14 - Here is some great advice for the all the ladies out there. Solomon's beloved knows what he wants to hear. She says that his arms are like rods of gold, embedded with jewels - she tells him that he is ripped. She praises his strength. You may not know this because of all the bravado that gets thrown around by men, but we are generally very self-conscious creatures. Most try to act tough as a means of overcompensating for their fear of the weaknesses they see in themselves. A wife who is willing to build up her husband and confirm his strength is a wife who is making serious investments in the love bank. We are sensitive people! I remember when we were first married...I had been working out and I came home all excited because I had been working out with reps of over 300lbs. on bench press. I told my wife about it and she said something to the effect of - "I didn't marry you because your strong" or "I would love you no matter what." Sure, she said those words to be nice and emphasize her unwavering commitment to me, but I was hurt. My sensitive little ego needed confirmation that I was a strong guy. Over the years she has learned how fragile I really am and does a great job of making me feel strong - and it has nothing really to do with physical fitness or strength as much as it has to do with building me up. Wives, if you want your husbands to be leaders in your family (Not "the boss" but God-honoring leaders), probably not a good idea to emasculate him.
6:13 - I like this...the woman who has given herself to her husband is no longer available to other men. She is for Solomon and he is for her. They have chosen to forsake other men and women...chosen to leave their families behind and become one in body and heart. They fulfill each others' desires and no third parties are welcome in that realm.
7:10 - The woman who is giving herself as a wife for a man is the only vessel through which he should be attaining sexual satisfaction. A man's desire should be for his wife and his wife alone (And vice versa). This brings honor to his wife, brings honor to God and twisted perversion out of the marriage bed.
8:6-7 - Seal your heart and seal your body - they are only to be shared with your spouse. A lot of marriages in this world would be a lot more healthy if this is the kind of commitment husbands and wives made to one another.
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