Song of Songs 4: God's Good Gift
Human passion . . . gives us a hint of God's passion for us. We are most like God's love for us when we are aroused in the presence of our beloved. And we best experience a hint of God's love for us when our beloved pursues us. (Andrew Greeley, Love Song [New York: Warner Books, 1989], p. 28.)
THIS EXCERPT FROM one of Andrew Greeley's novels is an appropriate description of what romantic love between a man and a woman is all about. God has given us this gift so that we can better understand what his love is like. And that is what the Song of Songs is all about.
Warming Up to God
How do you feel about the quote above? Talk to God about how you experience his love.
Read Song of Songs 4. »
Discovering the Word
- What kinds of emotions do you notice throughout this passage?
- What do the lover's explicit words describing his beloved's physical beauty (vv. 1-7) reveal about their relationship?
- What words and phrases help you understand how Solomon feels about his beloved (vv. 9-15)?
- How does the beloved respond to the praise and adoration that is lavished upon her?
- What does their dialogue reveal about their attitude about themselves as sexual beings?
Applying the Word
- How does this picture compare to and contrast with the depiction of married love in current media?
- In what ways does this passage change and/or inform your attitude toward married love?
Responding in Prayer
God pursues you like the lover pursues the beloved in this passage. Praise God for his love that never lets us go.
For Further Study
The Message of the Song of Songs by Tom Gledhill