Bible Study Looking for clarity on Song of Songs

[Not_Now.Soon]

If anyone has insight on what the Song of Songs is about, I'd appreaciate it. It seems to be talking about a love and a marriage. But from there the details and the interpretations get me fairly lost.

•Is the book for a relationship looking at marriages in general. A symbolic relationship between Christ and the Church? Or a relationship between God and Israel?

•When it looks like the bride and groom are about to be together, more then once the groom leaves. This detail leaves me lost in the context of the book, or in any interptation.

•Lastly, recently the book was pointed out to me again concerning a portion in it that is repeated three times. In Song of Songs 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4.

"I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please."

Since this is repeated 3 times there must be some siginifance. However, the conversation that brought this to my attention, referred these verses to something called "the three oaths." Which by one Jewish interptation was interpreted as an oath for Israel to not raise up a banner to fight against the other nations. This interptation is apparently used against Israel becoming a nation and defending itself.

I can't refute that interpretation because I don't know what these verses mean either.
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Any insight regarding the three bullet points, or insight about Song of Songs in general is appriaciated.

 

[Knotical]

Some say that it is Soloman writing about one of his wives. Others say it is Christ talking about the church. Both rather interesting perspectives.

 

[for_his_glory]

In the OT Israel is regarded as the bride of Yahweh just as it does in the NT. The Song of Solomon illustrates the former and anticipates the latter. God's love for His covenant people Israel and anticipates Christ's love for His Bride the Church.

There are four key elements that relate to the Bride and her Groom.
1. Falling in love (courtship) 1:1-3:6
2. United in love (wedding) 3:7-5:2
3. Struggling in love (problem) 5:3-7:11
4. Growing in love (progress) 7:12-8:14

All eight chapters depicts the love of a married couple.

 

[JohnDB]

The whole book is filled with metaphors and euphemisms and idioms of speech detailing God's passion for his "Bride" or the "Church".

It uses these literary devices about sex (almost 3,000+ years ago) to show how passionate God is about us. Not that God wants a sexual relationship with us...but on the same passionate level God desires us.

The passage in question is where the "Groom or Bride" has expended himself and is taking a nap. The bride or bridegroom (I can't remember which) is watching over the other while they sleep and is admonishing everyone to keep the noise down.

Pretty heady stuff...

 

[Jim Parker]

If anyone has insight on what the Song of Songs is about, I'd appreaciate it. It seems to be talking about a love and a marriage.

One description of the relationship between Israel and God is that of husband and wife.
When Jews worshiped other gods, the prophets called it "adultery" and "fornication."
When God sent Israel and then Judah into exile, the events were compared to a divorce.
In the New Testament, the church is called "the bride of Christ" and, at Ephesians 5, Paul talks about the Church and Christ becoming "One Flesh" as a husband and wife.

So, your understanding is correct.

 

[Razeontherock]

One of the (many) things I love about this book is the ecstatic writing, that gets caught up in who's talking to whom.

It's supposed to be unclear! It's a cycle; love grows ...

Another really cool but obscure thing is there are 9 plants in the garden. These directly parallel the fruit of the Spirit, and that language is consistent from Gen -Rev (at least in the KJV).

Example: pomegranate. Did you ever eat a pomegranate? Boy is it a lot of work, just to give you a very little bit! And it's bittersweet. But SO worth it!! God's telling us Love can be like that.

Just about every type of literature known to man is in the Bible, and it really helps to know what type we're reading. This is erotic literature, as well as Prophecy. No Doctrine that is "Salvific," but drinking in the contents sure can Save the soul in the here and now!