The great purpose towards which all the
dispensational dealings of God are tending, is revealed to us in the fifteenth
chapter of the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "That God may be all
in all." With this agrees the teaching of our Lord in John xvii. 3: "And this
is (the object of) life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God,
and JESUS CHRIST, whom Thou hast sent." This being so, shall we not act wisely
by keeping this object ever in view in our daily life and study of God's holy
Word?
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and
is profitable, and hence no part is, or can be, neglected without loss. Few
portions of the Word will help the devout student more in the pursuit of this
all-important "knowledge of God" than the too-much neglected "Song of Solomon."
Like other portions of the Word of God, this book has its difficulties. But so
have all the works of God. Is not the fact that they surpass our unaided powers
of comprehension and research a "sign-manual" of divinity? Can feeble man
expect to grasp divine power, or to understand and interpret the works or the
providences of the All-wise? And if not, is it surprising that His Word also
needs superhuman wisdom for its interpretation? Thanks be to God, the
illumination of the HOLY GHOST is promised to all who seek for it: what more
can we desire?
Read without the key, this book is specially
unintelligible, but that key is easily found in the express teachings of the
New Testament. The Incarnate Word is the true key to the written Word; but even
before the incarnation, the devout student of the Old Testament would find much
help to the understanding of the sacred mysteries of this book in the prophetic
writings; for there Israel was taught that her MAKER was her HUSBAND. John the
Baptist, the last of the prophets, recognized the Bridegroom in the person of
CHRIST, and said, "He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of
the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of
the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." Paul, in the fifth
chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, goes still further, and teaches that
the union of CHRIST with His Church, and her subjection to Him, underlies the
very relationship of marriage, and affords the pattern for every godly
union.
In Solomon, the bridegroom king, as well as
author of this poem, we have a type of our LORD, the true Prince of peace, in
His coming reign. Then will be found not merely His bride, the Church, but also
a willing people, His subjects, over whom He shall reign gloriously. Then
distant potentates will bring their wealth, and will behold the glory of the
enthroned KING, proving Him with hard questions, as once came the Queen of
Sheba to King Solomon; and blessed will they be to whom this privilege is
accorded. A brief glance will suffice them for a lifetime; but what shall be
the royal dignity and blessedness of the risen and exalted bride! For ever with
her LORD, for ever like her LORD, for ever conscious that His desire is toward
her, she will share alike His heart and His throne. Can a study of the book
which helps us to understand these mysteries of grace and love be other than
most profitable?
It is interesting to notice the contrast between
this book and that preceding it. The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches emphatically
that "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity": and thus the necessary introduction
to the Song of Solomon, which shows how true blessing and satisfaction are to
be possessed. In like manner our SAVIOUR'S teaching in the fourth of John
points out in a word the powerlessness of earthly things to give lasting
satisfaction, in striking contrast with the flow of blessing that results from
the presence of the HOLY GHOST (whose work it is, not to reveal Himself but
CHRIST as the Bridegroom of the soul); "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst: but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up"--overflowing, on and on--"unto everlasting life."
We shall find it helpful to consider the book in
six sections:--
Chapter i. 2-ii. 7.
Chapter ii. 8-iii. 5.
Chapter iii. 6-v. I.
Chapter v. 2-vi. 10.
Chapter vi. II-viii. 4.
Chapter viii. 5-14.
In each of these sections we shall find the
speakers to be--the bride, the Bridegroom, and the daughters of Jerusalem; it
is not usually difficult to ascertain the speaker, though in some of the verses
different conclusions have been arrived at. The bride speaks of the Bridegroom
as "her Beloved"; the Bridegroom speaks of her as "His love," while the address
of the daughters of Jerusalem is more varied. In the last four sections they
style her "the fairest among women," but in the fifth she is spoken of as "the
Shulamite," or the King's bride, and also as the "Prince's daughter."
The student of this book will find great help in
suitable Bible-marketing. A horizontal line marking off the address of each
speaker, with a double line to divide the sections, would be useful, as also
perpendicular lines in the margin to indicate the speaker. We have ourselves
ruled a single line to connect the verses which contain the utterances of the
bride; a double line to indicate those of the Bridegroom, and a waved line to
indicate the addresses of the daughters of Jerusalem.
It will be observed that the bride is the chief
speaker in Sections I., II., and is much occupied with herself; but in Section
III., where the communion is unbroken, she has little to say, and appears as
the hearer; the daughters of Jerusalem give a long address, and the Bridegroom
His longest. In that section for the first time He calls her His bride, and
allures her to fellowship in service. In Section IV., the bride again is the
chief speaker, but after her restoration the Bridegroom speaks at length, and
"upbraideth not." In Section V., as we noticed, the bride is no longer called
"the fairest among women," but claims herself to be, and is recognized as, the
royal bride. In Section VI., the Bridegroom claims her from her very birth, and
not merely from her espousals, as GOD in Ezekiel xvi. claimed Israel.
In
the secret of His presence
How
my soul delights to hide!
Oh,
how precious are the lessons
Which
I learn at JESUS'' side!
Earthly
cares can never vex me,
Neither
trials lay me low;
For
when Satan comes to vex me,
To
the secret place I go!