Monday 08 December 2014

Psalm: Psalm 45

Background

The Song of Solomon is a collection of love poems about the loveof a man and a woman. It has been variously interpreted as anallegory about God's love for Israel and Christ's love for theChurch but this perhaps diverts us from its more simple meaning. Attimes erotic, it presents an unabashed look at the joy of love (andsex) between two lovers.

Some interpreters have spoken of a class issue between the manand the woman with the man perhaps being the King and the womandescribed by some as 'rustic'. Certainly the flowers that shecompares herself to in verse 1 are wild and quite common flowers inIsrael and Palestine. But her lover adds to the value of theseflowers in verse 2 by saying that she is "a lily amongbrambles".

The imagery continues with the woman comparing her lover with anapple tree, the fruit of which is sweet to taste (verse 3). Ofcourse an apple tree is so much better than most other trees simplybecause it produces edible apples. But the eroticism of a lover whois sweet to the taste should not be lost on us.

The man then takes her to his banqueting house, suggesting amarriage feast and therefore marriage between the two. Thesubsequent verses then continue by describing how the beloved womanis overwhelmed by the love offered by her lover.

Within the Christian tradition, the writer perhaps mostinfluenced by the Song of Solomon is St John of the Cross. His various poems all contain imagery taken from this book,which he uses to express his own spiritual longing, love andexperience of God. Seeing his own soul as the beloved woman and Godas the lover he uses similar nature imagery and other motifs fromthis book to explore his relationship with God. It is a passionateand erotic exploration of prayer and spirituality.

To Ponder

• The Song of Solomon is unashamed of sexuality and eroticlanguage. What can this teach us about our attitudes?

• John of the Cross sees in this book an image of God as loverand ourselves as the beloved. How can this imagery influence ourprayer lives?

• "... his intention toward me was love". We often speak of beingintentional in mission and church life. What does it mean to havean intention of love?