I’ve been married for 8 years now, and I still remember my wedding day very well. I remember how beautiful my wife looked that day, and to this day, she is still beautiful in my eyes.
In chapter 3, you can see Solomon’s limousine coming to pick her up for the wedding, escorted by all his secret service men (okay, so it was a chariot and soldiers, but you get the idea).
Her eyes light upon Solomon looking stunningly handsome in his wedding garb.
Solomon in turn, is totally infatuated with his new bride, as we see him in chapter 4, saying,
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! (Song of Solomon 4:1)
He then goes into intimate detail of all the things he likes about her, from her eyes, to her teeth, to her temples, to her lips, to her neck, and down to her breasts.
I can imagine him kissing each part as he whispers these words of love.
And unlike in chapter two, where she bade him to leave until the break of day, now he says to her,
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. (Song of Solomon 4:6)
I don’t think you have to stretch your imagination far to understand what he means by mountain and hill, particularly after looking at verse 5.
At any rate, he and she intend to totally enjoy their first night together. And Solomon concludes by saying,
All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you (Song of Solomon 4:7).
This is the language of love, and very erotic. And it is good.
How often do husbands and wives continue using this kind of language 10 or 20 years into their marriage?
How much better would marriages be if they did?
He calls her to leave behind her home in Lebanon and to be with him forever, saying,
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.
How delightful is your love my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice! (Song of Solomon 4:9-10)
It’s a little weird in our culture to refer to our wives as sisters, but in their culture it was common. The idea is that she was now part of his family.
And if there’s any thought that French kissing started in France, take a look at verse 11. Solomon knew well about this type of kissing as well. 🙂
But one thing that Solomon admired about her was that she had saved her body for him and him alone.
Before their wedding day, she had been a locked garden, a spring enclosed, and a sealed fountain. Though there was much to enjoy of her in a sexual and passionate relationship, she had preserved herself for marriage.
But now, she opens up her garden to him, giving her whole self, body and soul to him, saying,
Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad.
Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits. (Song of Solomon 4:16)
After coming together, and as they lie next to each other, Solomon says,
I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. (Song of Solomon 5:1a)
At this point, someone speaks.
Who? Some say it’s her friends.
But my guess is it’s God himself. And he says,
Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers. (Song of Solomon 5:1b)
That’s what marriage is supposed to be. Two people loving each other, saving themselves for each other, and enjoying each other in every way.
This is what God blesses.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 