Well, my dear friend, thank you for asking, and I’ll do my best to tell you what I know about the Song of Solomon. By way of background, it is accepted by scholars that this book was penned by Solomon himself, possibly at a younger age; and that despite the form of being a very beautiful and poetic song of love, it does teach us something about the relationship that exists between God and His children. In any case, it is loved by Jews and Christians alike. and It is definitely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is therefore deservedly in the canon and as such is very profitable for the child of God of any generation (2 Timothy 3:16-17). William MacDonald in his Bible commentary gives a nice background on this book as follows: “King Solomon probably wrote this loveliest of his 1,005 songs (1 Kgs. 4:32) some time during his forty-year reign (971-931 BC). The tradition that he was still young and not yet jaded with too many women is logical and attractive.”

Now, to my mind, this Song by the king is a kind of metaphor for God’s loving relationship with His people (Israel and also true Christians who make up the Church in its universal sense). I believe that it also speaks of the love and devotion that God’s people should have for God. Now, as to what I call this metaphor of marriage, in the Scriptures, you’ll probably notice that God often speaks of the relationship between Himself and His people in terms of the marriage covenant. In the Old Testament, there are scriptures that tell of the infidelity of God’s people likened to infidelity in marriage (see Jeremiah 13:27; and Hosea 2:1-8). Of course, in the NT, we see the theme of marriage between Christ and the church (see Ephesians 5:25-27; and Revelation 19:7-9). It is appropriate to consider the Shulamite woman to be a type of the faithful remnant of Israel, who will receive the King and respond to His love in a latter day (see Isaiah 53 for the voice of the future faithful remnant of Israel who will receive and adore their King).  It is just as appropriate to think of the Shulamite as being a type of the church in its universal sense (Christians), and Solomon would then be the type of Christ. We can easily see in Ephesians 5:25-27 how that Christ has given Himself for His Church (the body of all true believers), that He might prepare “her” as His bride, whom He will one day receive to Himself, perfect and without blemish. To cite MacDonald one more time in terms of another possible interpretation of this book: “…(a) view, very popular today, is to see the book as an encouragement to true love and purity within the bonds of matrimony. In light of the world’s exploitations of sex without married love, this is a viable option, fitting in well with Genesis 1:27 and 2:20-24. “

But now, as to interpreting this beautiful love story in terms of the Lord wooing His children, and the desire of His children for the presence of the Lord, I want to share a portion of the J. N. Darby Synopsis of the Bible as he explains Song of Solomon Chapter 8 as the faithful remnant of Israel: “The full satisfaction of all the desires of the remnant is prophetically announced, and the path of their affections is marked out. But this picture is drawn for the encouragement of those who are not yet enjoying it, and expresses the desire for its accomplishment (giving thus the sanction of God to the ardent desire of the remnant to possess Christ, and to have full liberty of communion with Him)…The ardent affection of the loved one is manifested, and the Beloved desires that she may rest in His love, and enjoy it as long as she will without being disturbed. Afterwards she comes up out of the wilderness, leaning upon Him…From Christ alone she derives her life. Thus only can Israel give birth to this living remnant, which, at Jerusalem, shall become the earthly bride of the great King, which desires to be, and shall be, as a seal upon His heart, according to the power of a love that is strong as death — that spares nothing, and yields nothing.”

My dear friend, you will forgive me, I pray you, for quoting so often those who are much more learned in the Scriptures than I, but I felt their excellent expressions might be helpful to you in better understanding this very unique portion of God’s Word. Whether you interpret these verses in terms of Christ’s love for His Church; or whether you look at these things in terms of God’s relationship with Israel, or whether you enjoy this book as a treatise on the beauty and purity of human marriage, marriage being instituted by God in Genesis 2:24, I hope you can just enjoy the thoughts of the love and devotion that God has for His people, and can appreciate the love and devotion that we as His children have for Him. We long to be with our Lord in the glory, and to enjoy his love bestowed upon us.  (SF)  (586.3)