Walk Through the Bible: Song of Songs
Text for Sermon: Song of Songs 1:1-45; 2:10-11; 7:10; 8:6-7
Introduction.
All Scripture is inspired by God and all Scripture is profitable for instruction and training in righteousness, for training in wisdom and in the knowledge and love of God.
Song of Songs is wisdom literature, the fifth and final book of wisdom for how to take care of God’s good gifts so that they are a blessing to us and don’t become a curse.
The Poetic Books: Wisdom for Time and Eternity
- Job: Wisdom for Suffering
- Psalms: Wisdom for Worshipping, for praying and praising
- Proverbs: Wisdom for Living, acting, behaving
- Ecclesiastes: Wisdom for Dying, and enjoying life under the sun until we do.
- Song of Solomon: Wisdom for Loving
This book has been titled several ways. The Song of Solomon, obviously designates the author. In some Catholic versions it is called the Canticles, which is Latin meaning simply “songs.” The Hebrew title from verse 1, The Song of Songs, means “the most superlative, or best or greatest, of songs.”
We find a similar construction in other famous biblical phrases: Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and Holy of Holies.
I Kings 4:32 [Solomon] also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
This is the song to end all songs, the best of all songs. A rabbi said “All the writings of the Old Testament are holy, and the Song of Songs is the holy of holies”.
Solomon’s name is mentioned at least six times in the book, along with several royal advantages, palaces, gardens, all of which support his authorship, as well as the mention of many wives and concubines (6:8). He is fairly young, as the youthful exuberance suggests and the low number of women in his harem (140, I Kings 11:3).
Song of Songs is unique in the OT. The uniqueness of the book is profoundly evident from verse 2 on.