Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 1: God’s good gift of marriage

Begin in prayer

Before we read the Song of Solomon, let us come to the Lord together and thank Him for marriage, His good gift. Ask Him to open our eyes to the love of Christ for His people as we read.

Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 2:18

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Thank You for marriage, a good gift from Your hand. Show us the love of Jesus for His people. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The title calls this the Song of songs, which means the best of all songs, and Solomon wrote it. It is a love poem about a young woman and her beloved, while the women of Jerusalem listen. She longs for his love, and she says his name is like oil poured out. She is dark from the sun, because her brothers were angry with her and made her keep the vineyards, yet she calls herself lovely. Her beloved answers with praise, and he compares her to a horse among Pharaoh’s chariots and promises earrings of gold and silver. They tell each other, “Behold, you are beautiful,” and they speak of their house, with beams of cedar and rafters of fir.

As you read Song of Solomon 1, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God gave marriage as a good gift, where a husband and wife love and praise each other.

God made marriage in the beginning, when He said it was not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2 verse 18). The Song of Solomon is a love poem about the marriage God made, between one man and one woman. She asks the women not to stare at her, because the sun has made her dark (verse 6). She calls herself lovely, like the tents of Kedar (verse 5). Those tents were made of black goats’ hair, yet they were a fine sight on the plain. Her beloved answers, “Behold, you are beautiful, my love,” and she answers him with praise (verses 15 and 16). This is how a husband’s love is meant to speak. God’s Word tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5 verse 25). So marriage is holy and good, and it also speaks of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5 verses 31 and 32).

How does Song of Solomon 1 show us that God gave marriage as a good gift, where a husband and wife love and praise each other?

A husband and wife speak love and praise to each other.

He says, “Behold, you are beautiful, my love.” She answers, “Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant.” Kind words like these show that each one delights in the other. Proverbs says that whoever finds a wife finds a good thing (Proverbs 18 verse 22). The Bible keeps this praise on its pages so that husbands and wives may learn to speak it.

A husband’s praise lifts up his wife.

The young woman says she is dark, because the sun scorched her while she kept the vineyards (verses 5 and 6). She asks the women of Jerusalem not to stare at her. Her beloved answers with praise, and he promises her earrings of gold with studs of silver (verses 9 to 11). Christ loves His church, and He cleanses her until she is holy and without defect (Ephesians 5 verses 25 to 27).

God made one man and one woman to start a home together.

They speak of “our house,” with beams of cedar and rafters of fir (verse 17). God’s Word says a man will leave his father and his mother and join with his wife (Genesis 2 verse 24). Jesus said that God made them male and female from the beginning (Matthew 19 verses 4 to 6). What God has joined together, no one should tear apart.

Memorise

Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are doves. Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant

Song of Solomon 1:15-16

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, have I turned to Jesus, who loved His people and gave Himself for them?

“Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved,” says the young woman to the one she loves. God made marriage as a good gift, and a husband and wife may delight in each other as these two do. Yet the Bible says this good gift points to a greater love, the love of Christ for His church (Ephesians 5 verses 31 and 32).

That love went all the way to the cross. We are sinners, and no one is lovely before a holy God on his own. Jesus gave Himself up for His people, and He cleansed them by His own blood. All that was needed to make them clean was done on the cross, and three days later He rose to live forever.

So come to Him, whoever you are. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. Everyone who trusts Him is cleansed and forgiven, and His love will keep them to the end.

Parent's note

Tell your children that God made marriage for one man and one woman, and that Jesus loves His people. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Please explain verses 2, 13 and 16, which speak of married love, and be gentle with a child without married parents. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for marriage, His good gift, and for the love of Christ for His people, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.

Ephesians 5:31-32

Lord God, thank You for making marriage and for giving it as a good gift. Thank You that Jesus loves His people and gave Himself for them. Forgive our sins, and lead us to trust Him. Let our home be full of kind words and praise for one another. Amen.