Theological Bites
The Song of Songs in the Bible is evidence enough that God is behind our romantic feelings and he has designed us with those feelings.
How to Interpret
Many scholars in the past have come up with ways of interpreting the book and I know of 8 views of the book by different schools of interpretation. The most popular view, however, is the Allegorical View, it is this view that the Protestant church has adopted from some of the Jewish interpreters. These scholars have allegorized the book since they were not comfortable with such romance to be in the word of God.
An allegory according to Encarta is “a work in which the characters and events are understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning.” Many able scholars have concluded the book is allegorical and have embarked on the mission of discovering its meaning. One of the best theologians in the past, by the name Origen in his commentary of the Song of Songs 1.4 quoted in Phipps, p. 51 translated the following romantic language in the book thus:
- the kiss of your mouth = the Incarnation
- the cheeks of the bride = outward Christianity, good works
- the golden chain = faith
- spikenard = redeemed humanity
- hair like flocks of goats = nations converted to Christianity
- navel of the Shulamite = cup from which God gives salvation
- the two breasts = the OT and NT
The problem with this kind of interpretation is that what is in the book of Song of Songs can mean anything to anyone. This allegorical view has essentially two problems, first there is no consensus on the meaning and secondly, there aren’t any accepted means of validating whatever conclusions in what is interpreted. For example, Archer (Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 492) points out that the eighty concubines referred to in Song of Songs 6:8 have been interpreted as eighty heresies destined to plague the church, but there is no validation of this suggestion anywhere outside the Song. I don’t see how the bride’s two breasts in 4:5 and 7:8 mean the Old and Testament of the Bible. The allegorical view is therefore deprived of objectivity and any means of validation I insist.
Though scripture has some allegories in it, I insist Song of Songs is not an allegory but an analogy. Again an analogy according to the Encarta is “a comparison between two things that are similar in some way, often used to help explain something or make it easier to understand.” Looking at these two definitions one might easily confuse the two (Allegory and Analogy) to be the same yet they are different. An analogy, unlike an allegory, breaks down at some point and therefore the means of validation are possible. Under an analogy, there is consensus and in the words of Chuck, “one’s simply indicating that the two things in comparison are “similar in some way” — then using that similarity to increase understanding of an entirely different item, idea, or situation.”
Song of Songs uses the analogy of human love not to teach us about the love between us and God but to emphasize that we love this way because of two truths; first we are originally created as love beings and secondly, we can only love others (spouses especially) right only if we are in love with God. It is for this matter that I conclude that the book can be best interpreted through the Literal-Didactic View. The Song is didactic as well as literal.
The theology of the book of Song of Songs argues that romance and all the love language we use while we are saying all the sweet-nothingness to each other is divine. We are created as love-beings and this love was exhibited pre-fall and it is still demonstrated even post-fall. The truthfulness and procedures that the lovebirds in the Song of Songs employ have too much to teach us today in relation to our view of love and intimately relating.
Song of Songs Love is not Kama Sutra
In Ancient Indian Culture, there is a book entitled ‘Kamasutra’. This is a text addressing one of the four main Indian cultural virtues and life goals. These virtues are:
- Kama: represents a sensuous aspect of life that unveils a physical and emotional enjoyment.
- Artha: stands for cognition, competence, material prosperity, glory and power.
- Dharma: means morality and wisdom.
- Moksha: liberation.
Kamasutra is the love text that has influenced all teachings about sexual love in the world. Much of Pornography material, the psychologists and intimate relationship experts are inspired by the Kamasutra. Scholars argue that “the Kama Sutra is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions, but written as a guide to the “art-of-living” well, the nature of love, finding a life partner, maintaining one’s love life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure oriented faculties of human life.” (Devi, Chandi (2008). From Om to Orgasm: The Tantra Primer for Living in Bliss. AuthorHouse. p. 288.)
This manual is a Hindu text on erotic love. It is a Hindu text that lists desire, sexuality, and emotional fulfillment as one of the proper goals of life. It shares methods of courtship, trains in the art of being socially engaging and enticing, finding a partner, flirting, maintaining power in a married life, when and how to commit adultery, sexual positions, and other topics. This is the philosophy behind most of all the world love theories and conclusions.
It is important that we understand that there are two fundamental differences between the love that the book of Song of Songs teaches and that taught in the Kama Sutra philosophy. These differences are:
- Divinity: While the human intimate-love in the Song of Songs is love in reference to the love of one God, in Hinduism, love is in reference to self in the context of a pantheistic spirituality.
- Duality: In the Kama Sutra, Love is equally bad and good and one’s enjoyment depends on how they behave while in love. Love in this world is the cause of evil and that is why it should be held tight on the right leash. In the Bible, however, Love is all good and only good and never the source of evil.
These differences once understood clearly set the book of Song of Songs as one of the greatest books in the Bible’s section of wisdom books. For the book addresses the issue of intimate love as a child of divine love. The love we share with our loved ones is not by our creativity like technology and industrial work but divinity exhibited in our intentions, language and demonstrated in all that we do. Let me repeat myself here; ‘Intimate love is a child of divine love’. The Love in the Song of Songs is intimate love as it should be under the guidance of its Parent-love which is Divine-love.
God not mentioned
Song of Songs does not mention God but exhibits human intimate love under the tenets of divinity. While God is not mentioned by the lovers in the poem, divine values are exhibited throughout their love life. Real authentic Christian lovers need not trumpet the name of God or even have an ecclesiological language to prove they are faithful Christian in love. Legit believers in love behave human but within divine values. It is, therefore, wisdom enough for the name of God not to be mentioned but his will to be the agenda throughout. God himself warned us in these words: “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Mathew 7:21 RSV).
Christians in love should stop acting like they are on the pulpit for this would be hypocritical and unnatural. You don’t have to prove you are spiritual by moaning Amens, Hallelujah, Jehovah Jireh, reciting Bible verses, etc. during sexual intercourse with your spouse that would be an absurd blasphemous impression. Christians need to be themselves and speak their mind and a renewed mind (Romans 12:1) will always be within the will of God even in its natural ways.
The name of God is not mentioned in the book but the love discussed in there is not a Godless love. Has anyone (those who have spouses) ever asked themselves the texture of their love life without God in perspective? Intimate love without God in perspective is love in its duality (equally bad and good) form. Godless intimate love has emotions but erotic in nature. Pure natural intimate love is not one in which God participates, but rather one that identifies God as its origin and sustenance. Intimate love is one of the three intertwined-divine loves endorsed by God himself in the Bible.
God bless you I invoke TRUTH, REASON, and FAITH (2Tim 2:7)
Priest Isaiah White (+256-793822833/+256775- 822833 for further inquiries)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
@Think & Become
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