INTRODUCTION: This is our final week with the Song of Solomon. To tell you the truth, I’m sad about it. I never thought that would be the case when I read over this book at the beginning of the quarter. Let’s pick up the last few verses of the Song. Remember last week we ended with Shulamith talking about her youth and how she “was a wall” (as opposed to a “door”), meaning that she was a virgin when she became married. The result, she says, is that she brings value and contentment to the marriage. Let’s dive into our study of the Song of Solomon!
I. Love Is a Gift
A. Read Song 8:11–12. What kind of business relationship is described here? (Sharecroppers, renters of farm land)
C. In v. 12 Shulamith says that she too has a vineyard. Is she a landowner too? (No. In 1:6 she refers to her body as a vineyard. And there are repeated references to her being a garden (Song 4:15–16).)
D. So what is the comparison that Shulamith is making? (This is a contrast between the land that Solomon puts out for sharecroppers and Shulamith’s “vineyard.” Solomon gets a financial return from this land and those who work it get money too. But Shulamith says that her vineyard is hers to give, and it is beyond financial value.)
E. Does this suggest that in marriage love must be freely given?
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- Are prenuptial agreements out?
- Marriage should not be approached like a business?
- Love cannot be purchased and it cannot be forced?
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F. Is it possible that Shulamith was making a reference here to other wives of Solomon who were married to him because of financial or political reasons? (1 Kings 11:1 reports that Solomon was married to Pharaoh’s daughter—and it seems she was his first wife.) (Perhaps Shulamith is saying that hers is a real marriage.)
G. Read Song 8:13. Who do you think dwells in the gardens? (This is probably a reference to Shulamith.)
H. When you are in love, do you want to hear the voice of your spouse? (Sure! It seems that Solomon is calling out to Shulamith. He wants her to be near—to talk to him.)
I. Now in Song 8:14 we hear her voice. Let’s read what she says to Solomon. What is her response in v. 14? (Come to me.) (The Greek means “bolt,” so hurry; and she refers to herself as the spice-laden mountains.)
J. So the Song ends much as it started: Shulamith saying, “Come to me!”
K. God is the greatest lover of all, and he shows that to us in this book on how love can be!
II. Our Relationship to God and Others
A. The primary point of our lesson this week is to compare the love of Shulamith to Solomon the king with our love of Jesus our King. It suggests that we consider John 13, so let’s turn to it.
B. Read John 13:1–5. Put yourself in Jesus’ place. The God of the universe has put everything under your power. You have won. You are going home. How do you feel? (Triumphant.)
D. Notice that v. 4 starts out, “So” he started to wash their feet. How does that square with this feeling of success?
E. Is love like that? When things are going just right, do you want to do some degrading task?
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- What about something that is just helpful? Let’s say someone you love gets sick—does love make us want to do these kinds of things?
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F. What if someone you love does not want to do the menial things because they are too menial—like washing the others’ feet?
G. What if we do not want to do this because another person has hurt us, let us down?
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- Is that an aspect of Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet? (Yes, Judas.)
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H. Today people say in the marriage relationship that someone is a chauvinist or a feminist. Is there any room for that kind of struggle or talk in the presence of the King who washes feet?
I. Let’s go back to the Song for just a little bit. Look again at Song 8:6–7. We discussed this quite a bit last week. Read.
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- What do you think could be the waters that will not wash love away or put out its flame? (Looking back at the example of Jesus, it could be:
- a. Insult (doing the menial task)
b. Betrayal (Judas)
c. Physical injury (what Jesus would be going through)
d. Lack of gratitude (Jesus spit upon by those whom he was trying to save)
- a. Insult (doing the menial task)
- What do you think could be the waters that will not wash love away or put out its flame? (Looking back at the example of Jesus, it could be:
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J. Now let’s continue in John. Has your love for God ever lessened because:
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- You felt insulted because of him?
- You felt that God had betrayed you?
- You were injured and God did not seem to help you?
- God (or better, his followers) did not show enough gratitude towards you?
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K. If the answer to any of these is “yes,” thank God that you are not him. And our love to him is inferior to his love for us, because those are exactly the things that he went through for us!
L. Is it natural that our love towards Jesus is inferior to his love for us? (Read John 13:12–17. Jesus says that he is the Master and we are the servants, so what basis do we have for failing to do at least what he is willing to do?)
M. If we are not willing, does it say something about whether we have accepted him as our Master?
N. Read John 13:6–8. Why did Peter refuse to have Jesus wash his feet? (He knew that in the usual order of things this was ridiculous. Peter may have been too proud to wash the feet of the others, but he was not going to let this get out of hand.)
O. Read John 13:8–10. Why was it necessary for Peter to allow Jesus to wash his feet?
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- And why not wash all of Peter’s body? (We must accept God’s love towards us. Jesus was offering to do something special for Peter—something that may have symbolized baptism—and Peter should accept what Jesus was going to give him. However, the custom was that you would come to a dinner like this bathed, so it was only your feet that would be dusty and would need to be cleansed. It might be that Jesus was saying that the eleven were generally on the right track (v. 10 says that all twelve, but not Judas, were clean), but they needed this particular washing—the washing of love that puts away pride.)
P. And that is where we should end the Song of Solomon. We all need the washing of love: love towards our spouse, love towards God, love towards each other.
III. Next Week we go to a new series of lessons on the Bible and health reform.
