Sermon: “Why the Song of Solomon is in the Bible" August 29, 2021
"The Song of Solomon," Claudio Pastro, Virgin's Monastery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Preacher: The Rev. Ryan Slifka
Scripture: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 (Revised Common Lectionary)
Over the past few weeks our scripture readings have featured Solomon, one of the most famous kings in the Old Testament. The son of the greatest king, David, renowned for his wisdom, and for the fact that he built the temple in Jerusalem.
In addition to being a figure in Israel's history, though, Solomon is also known as one of the authors of the Bible. Though scholars debate whether or not he really wrote them, according to tradition Solomon is known as the author of the books known as the “Writings,” or “Wisdom Literature.” This includes the book of Proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Which today's scripture is drawn from.
Now, you may have noticed in listening to this particular text that it's a bit of an oddity when it comes to Bible readings.
You might have deduced that it's a straightforward poem. You might have also recognized that it's a straightforward love poem, about a woman who's been holed up for the winter whose lover finally arrives back home with the buds and new blooms of spring, ready to whisk her off her feet and away. Would make a decent romance novel cover. And finally, you probably have noticed that within this straightforward love poem, there's no mention of religious stuff. No commandments, no angels, no miracles, no covenants. And perhaps most startlingly—no God.
Combine these three things with the fact that there are some real sexual undertones, and you may be left wondering why such a book is in the Bible at all. Too poetic, too steamy, not enough God. It really doesn't fit our normal expectations of Holy Book material at all.
And yet, here it is, in the middle of the Bible, more or less. Sacred scripture for Jews and Christians alike. Why is that?
Well, there are several answers to this question. Each answer is related, and each flows from the other.
The first answer has to do with the surface reading of the text as a poem. And this answer has to do with something of an awkward topic: sex. To be a little more clear: the goodness of human love and sexual attraction. Now, the Bible and Christians have developed a bit of a bad reputation on this. Part of it has to do with some versions of Christian theology that see the spiritual as pure, while body is something to be transcended or discarded. Some of us carry with us deep stories of shaming, condemnation, and fear.
But the fact that the Bible contains this very steamy ancient love poem suggests otherwise. The longing these two lovers feel for each other is presented very positively. And then there’s the fact that the man is pictured as a stag, and spring is front and centre. It’s a not so subtle allusion to havin' babies. In this way it's a direct allusion to the creation of Adam and Eve, the first people, in Genesis chapter 1, created for intimate relationship. One of their very first instructions was to “be fruitful and multiply.” I'll leave it to your imagination as to exactly how that's done. And Jesus himself riffs on Genesis 1 as well when he says that when a man leaves his family he clings to his wife and they become “one flesh.” I'll leave one that to your imagination, too.
This isn't to say that the Bible affirms everything sexual period, across the board, without discernment. Monogamy and fidelity are assumed. And like all good gifts of God, it can be twisted, destructive, marred by sin and selfishness. This shadow side is something modern secular culture is extremely naive about. But the first reason the Song of Solomon is in the Bible is an affirmation of the goodness of human love, desire and attraction. It's a gift from God. That's the surface level reading.
That's the surface level reading of things. It's not the only level, though. It's not even the primary level it's been read at, actually. The Venerable Bede, a seventh century English monk and bible commentator once said that the Song of Solomon “testifies... that it intends nothing fleshly or literal when it speaks, but wants to be understood spiritually and typically in its entirety.”[i] That is to say that the book is meant to be taken beyond face-value, and read allegorically. Symbolically.
This leads to the second reason that the Song is in the Bible. It’s because from the beginning, Jews have read this book as an allegory or symbol for the relationship between God and God's people, Israel. That God desires an intimate relationship with God's people that's analogous to a marriage covenant. God love's God's people in the same passionate way that one ideally loves a spouse. In terms of giving of oneself, unconditional fidelity, sticking by them through thick and thin. God is painted as the best and most ultimate, committed partner.
I mean, what's most interesting in this view is that this isn't like a marriage where both people are putting in 100%. In fact, Israel is often portrayed as an unfaithful spouse. The book of Hosea is probably the most prominent example, which stars Hosea—who is a prophet—and his wife, Gomer—who is maddeningly unfaithful. No matter what, though, Hosea refuses to give her up—his loyalty to her can't be broken by her disloyalty to him. Here she's a stand-in for Israel, and he's a stand in for God. Now, truth be told there are some deeply patriarchal assumptions in that book—you wouldn't write this book this same way today. But the central point still stands—that in spite of worshipping false gods, committing violence, or getting into wars. In spite of their faults, failures, falling short... in spite of their sins—God refuses to give up on God's people.
In this poem, God is revealed as the lover who bounds over hills and valleys, to come searching for Israel, his long lost love who's been isolated, trapped in a winter of her own making. And, in the same way God brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt, in the same way God rescued God's people from exile in Babylon, taken captive far from home, God, God brings the spring-like promise of a new and better day, singing “arise, my fair one and come away.” Even during Israel's darkest hour.
And in this way it really is an analogy for grace. God’s unmerited, unconditional, one-way love for each of us. The life of faith isn’t about earning or performing in exchange for love. It’s about being loved warts and all. Of God’s faithfulness to us, in spite of all we do wrong.
This text is an allegory or symbol for the relationship between God and Israel. God is passionately and unbreakably committed to God's people. God’s passionately and unbreakably committed to us. No matter how many times we may turn away, God's not going anywhere. That's the second reason why the Song is in the Bible.
That's the second reason. But there's yet another symbolic layer here. For Christians, anyway. And it has to do—believe it or not—with Jesus. Of course the church has affirmed the traditional Jewish reading of this text. In addition to this reading, though, we read the whole of scripture in the light of Jesus. The Song of Solomon is no different.
One thing I didn't know before preparing this week is that the Song of Solomon was one of the most beloved texts of the early church. It had the most commentaries written on it other than Genesis and the Psalms. Which seems crazy, that this little poem would be so beloved.
It makes sense once you read early church commentators. Listen to what St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan in the sixth century, said about today's passage:
“'Arise, come, my dearest one,' [this means], arise from the pleasures of the world, arise from earthly things and come to me, you who still labor and are burdened, because you are anxious about worldly things. Come over the world, come to me because I have overcome the world. Come near, for now you are fair with the beauty of everlasting life [...]”
For Ambrose, the call of the lover to his beloved to come, arise, and run away, is the call of Christ to his disciples. To give up their burdens, fixations and anxieties and follow him into a whole new and beautiful world and way of life.
He continues:
“Winter is now past,” he says. “Winter now is past that is, the [...] pardon is come, forgiveness of sins has arrived, temptation has ceased, the rain is gone, the storm is gone, and the affliction. Before the coming of Christ is the winter. After his coming there are flowers.”[ii]
Before the coming of Christ is the winter. After his coming there are flowers.
Winter is the world in all its darkness, hopelessness and despair. It's us in our sin and shame. With the arrival of Christ, these chains have been broken by his self-giving love. By his cross we are forgiven, and in his resurrection the world has been set free, given new and fresh hope. In the same way spring buds break through ice and snow.
The third reason the Song of Solomon is in the Bible is because it points us to Jesus. And the hope we have in his resurrection. It's an allegory, or symbol for Easter. God is faithful to us in life and death, and beyond calling us out of the tomb with Christ. I love it.
And as much as I love it, though, I know it can be a tough thing to believe at any time. Let alone now. We’re presented with one crisis after another, after another. We thought the long pandemic season was behind us, with Dr. Henry and the Premier rushing out across BC to toss our masks in to the trashcan. As we head back into fall and winter with more restrictions, many of us are feeling a kind of demoralizing Deja Vu. When will the clouds disperse for good? Yet another false thaw before more of the same old grey.
Yet, the Song of Solomon is in the Bible to give us a hope to cling to in all seasons. First, it tells us that even our human loves and romantic desires reveal a deeper Love at work in all things. Second, it offers a reminder of God's unbreakable fidelity, and fierce love for us even in our times of darkness. And finally, it reveals that this love is so fierce and so faithful that he sent his only Son, to retrieve us from the winter of sin and despair towards the eternal spring of salvation.
This Song is in the Bible as witness to Jesus, through whom we have been given an eternal patience, peace, and an everlasting hope. Meaning we have no need to give into despair—not now, not ever. Because in Christ, spring is always right around the corner.
I’ll end this sermon with a couple other pieces of poetry.
The first a hymn you can find in Voices United #165, “Come You Faithful, Raise the Strain.” The words are by John of Damascus wrote in the 8th century:
Tis the spring of souls today, Christ has burst his prison,
and from three days sleep in death as a sun has risen,
all the winter of our sins, long and dark is flying...
from his light, to whom we give laud and praise undying.[iii]
Or, in the words of a certain St. George Harrison of Liverpool:
It's been a long, lonely winter.
I know it's been days since it's been clear.
But here comes the sun. Here comes the sun,
And I say it's alright.[iv]
Arise, beloved and come away. Because ev’ry little thing’s gonna be alright. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
[i] Quoted in Fleming Rutledge, “Love Against the Odds,” in God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011), 211.
[ii] St. Ambrose of Milan, Isaac, or the Soul, 4.34-35.
[iii] John of Damascus, “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain,” in Voices United: the Hymn Book of the United Church of Canada, 165.
[iv] The Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun,” words and music by George Harrison, Abbey Road (London: EMI), 1969.