Song of Solomon and Lust

I don't know about anyone else but I don't get lust from it. I'm sure many might though. But should we aviod any part of scripture? hmmm I don't know.
Good question!

 

No, because it is referring to the relationship between a husband and wife.

 

1 Corinthians 7:36 But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.

 

I gotta question, Diane.

Since it says first "let him do what he wishes. He does not sin;" and then it says finally, "let them marry". Is letting him do what he wishes, before marriage not a sin as long as they do marry???

 

Diane, you might want to clarify what you intended by citing that verse.

"Let him do what he wishes" means let the father allow his daughter to marry, even though the marital ties might make her and her husband's suffering in "the present distress", the persecution the church was facing at the time of the writing, worse.

It is not an endorsement for fulfilling the lusts of the flesh in the marriage bed, and I certainly don't believe that's what Diane intended to communicate.

 

I believe Song of Solomon is a beautiful account of marital love. The first time I read it, "lust" wasnt my reaction - shock was! But after some personal maturity, I am able to see the beauty of it. Its scripture and God gave it to us for a reason.

 

Tater,

What do you believe God's purpose for the Song of Solomon was?

Joseph Botwinick

 

I believe it is a picture of God's intention for marriage. I do not buy that the sexual relationship is parallel to the Christ/church relationship. Traditionally, some have interpreted this book that way, but such an approach divorces the book from its historical context (mid-eastern setting with long history of romantic poetry).

What do you think, Joseph?

 

I agree with Tater. The problem with viewing it as parallel to the Christ/church relationship is that no one agrees on what that means and that is very problematic.

 

I think people sometimes have a hard time accepting that God intends for the sexual relationship to be enjoyed - just because. But it was in the Song of Solomon.

 

Those poor people.

 

If the institution of marriage is itself a picture of God and His Elect, how can the Song of Solomon NOT be?

That's how it's been viewed for millennia by both Jews and Christians. To divorce the Song of Solomon from that is, in my view, to empty it of any spiritual significance and disqualify it from a place in the Scriptures.

I would recommend Hinds Feet on High Places and Mountains of Spices for those who have difficulty seeing Christ and the Church in the Song.

I would recommend that such folks avoid the Song, at least until they've matured a bit and learned self control and how to view women as God intends them to be seen, not as objects to satisfy our apetites, but as God's vessels for His purposes in Redemption.

An ancient rabbincal tradition forbade a man to read the Song of Solomon until he had reached the age of thirty.

 

Is that all God intends?

 

No, obviously. That doesn't make Tater's statement any less true.

 

No. This book is a picture of sexual love between a husband and wife as God intended. If we believe all of the Bible to be God's Word, then that includes the Song of Solomon without any exception clause.

If any christian married man has a problem with lust, then I would highly recommend this book to help improve his relationship with his wife and how he should treat her. (i.e, affection, compliments, appreciation, etc.).

 

The Song of Solomon is a love song.

The key word being "love".

A man loving his wife, and a wife returning her husband's love.

If you start labeling the Bible as "too sinful to read," you've REALLY taken legalism too far.

 

Is that all God intends? </font>[/QUOTE]Of course not, Aaron. I didnt say that I didnt think the "marriage" relationship wasn't parallel with Christ/church~ I believe I said the "sexual" relationship. Obviously, the marriage theme is used throughout Scripture.

If I am so off base here, then what do you propose IS the reason for the inclusion of Song of Solomon in the Bible?