Week 42, October 12–18: Song of Solomon 1–8; Ecclesiastes 1–12; Psalms 112–118

• Sun      Oct 12 Song 1–3         Ps. 112
• Mon     Oct 13 Song 4–6         Ps. 113
• Tue      Oct 14 Song 7–8         Ps. 114
• Wed     Oct 15 Eccl. 1–3         Ps. 115
• Thu      Oct 16 Eccl. 4–6         Ps. 116
• Fri        Oct 17 Eccl. 7–9         Ps. 117
• Sat       Oct 18 Eccl. 10–12     Ps. 118

Shifting back to the OT, we pick up where we left off there and read the Song of Solomon next. This book follows Proverbs and Ruth in the Hebrew Bible order, and Ecclesiastes comes after the Song of Solomon. The sequence is different in our English Bibles, where Proverbs is followed by Ecclesiastes, then comes Song of Solomon. Regardless of the particular order, it makes sense to group these three books together since they all are associated in some way with king Solomon.

The book’s title comes from the first line of the book, which can be translated in this way: “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s” This is why the book has been known as either the Song of Songs or the Song of Solomon. In a way, it is both. And the designation, “Solomon’s” could mean that he wrote it, or it could mean it is for him or dedicated to him. It is not entirely clear which way we are to understand it, but either way, we are to read it with Solomon in mind.

The phrase “song of songs” can be taken a couple different ways. It can refer to one song that is made up of multiple individual songs, and that can be an apt description of the book. The other option is to take it to mean the most excellent song, the song above all other songs. This is like the biblical phrase “holy of holies,” which means the most holy place (Exod. 26:34), or “God of gods and Lord of lords” (Deut. 10:17) to refer to God being the God above other gods, the one true God among many other so-called gods.

Either way, we know Solomon wrote many songs, 1005 of them according to 1 Kgs. 4:32. This one stands out among all his songs, and as a part of Scripture, it is inspired by God and relevant for us today.

The fact that this book is associated with Solomon should shape the way we understand it. We know about his life and his fall into idolatry, which came about largely because he accumulated an outrageous collection of wives and they turned his heart away from following the Lord (1 Kgs. 11:1–4). This book is about love and intimacy between a man and woman, and we should read it as a stark contrast between the kind of monogamous intimacy God ordained in marriage and the perversion of God’s design for marriage Solomon practiced in his own life. It could be that this is a song Solomon wrote early in his life, before he strayed into the sinful practice of taking multiple wives. Or it could be written by Solomon, or about Solomon, as a later reflection on the kind of faithful intimacy that was lacking in his own polygamous experience. Either way, the contrast between the Song and Solomon’s own life is striking, and it contributes to the impact of the book.

The Song of Solomon can be difficult to understand, and scholars are divided on how we are supposed to read it. Is it meant to be read simply as a series of poems extolling intimacy, and sex, in marriage? Or is the marital intimacy portrayed in the Song meant to be seen as a picture of God’s relationship with his people—either the Lord and Israel or Christ and the church.

I thing there is merit to taking a both-and approach and seeing it as a celebration of marriage, which is a picture of God’s covenant relationship with his people. Throughout both the OT and the NT, marriage is used as a metaphor for the relationship between God and his people (Isa. 54:4-8; Jer. 2:1-2; Ezekiel 16, 23; Hosea 1–3; Eph. 5:22-23; Rev. 19:6-8). Taken as a poetic picture of God’s love for his people and their love for him, the Song of Solomon fits right in with this biblical metaphor.

If this approach is taken, however, it is important to remember that a general figurative sense does not justify drawing specific allegorical meaning from every detail in the Song. It is also important to notice that much of the poetic setting of the Song is in a garden (2:3-13; 4:12-5:1; 5:2-6:3; 6:11; 7:10-13; 8:13-14), which is probably meant to be read in light of the background of Genesis 2. This supports the idea that the Song of Solomon is painting a vivid picture of what marital intimacy looks like in its ideal form.

Whether the Song is meant simply as a celebration of intimacy in marriage or it is a depiction of God’s relationship with his people, or both, what can be said is that it offers a corrective against two different ways of twisting the biblical view of sex in marriage. First, it corrects the view of sex that sees it as an idol or obsession, something to be experienced however or with whomever you want. In this view, one’s own selfish desire is the most important factor, and the Song of Solomon paints a much different picture.

On the other side, the Song also corrects the view that sex is to be considered taboo, or unclean. The Song of Solomon portrays the wonder and beauty of physical intimacy in the context of marriage as God designed it before the Fall. This ideal was broken when Adam and Eve sinned, and marriages now suffer the consequences of the curse of sin (Gen. 2:24–25; 3:7, 16). But by God’s grace in Christ, marriages can still reflect the ideal of marriage, albeit imperfectly. In so doing, they point to the Lord and his loving relationship with his people, the church, and they look ahead to the culmination of this relationship in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6–10).

Ecclesiastes comes next after the Song of Solomon. This is an interesting book and one that speaks relevantly to our time. It opens with an introduction to what follows. These are the words of the Preacher, or literally, the one who assembles (Eccl. 1:1). He is also introduced as the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Even though he is not named explicitly, we are supposed to think of Solomon here, the one who assembled all Israel, spoke to the people, and led them in a prayer to the God of heaven after building the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8).

Ecclesiastes presents a sort of counterpoint to Proverbs. In Proverbs, Solomon says essentially, “If you live wisely, things will go well for you; and if you are foolish, there will be consequences.” As we saw in our reading a few weeks ago, Job offers a nuanced perspective to that and reminds us that suffering is not always a result of sin or foolishness. Similarly, Ecclesiastes explores a different facet of wisdom and makes the point that in this life, “under the sun,” all things (even seeking wisdom) appear to be futile and meaningless.

There are certainly different perspectives in these three so-called wisdom books of the OT—Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes—but together they present a unified, multifaceted call to pursue the true kind of wisdom, the kind that begins with fearing the Lord and seeking the wisdom that comes from him (Job 28:28; Prov. 9:10; Eccl. 12:13–14).

One of the most often-repeated ideas in Ecclesiastes is the idea of what ESV translates as “vanity”. The Hebrew word is hebel (pronounced hevel) and it occurs 38 times in Ecclesiastes. Its literal meaning is “vapor” or “breath” (Eccl. 3:19; Isa. 57:13), and elsewhere in the OT it is associated with idolatry, or worshiping something that is basically nothing as if it is God (Deut. 32:21; Jer 14:22). In Ecclesiastes it describes something that is meaningless, transitory, fleeting, or mysterious and hard to explain. It seems it can take on different nuances throughout Ecclesiastes depending on the context, but in general it describes things that give no real satisfaction or meaning in life.

The overarching message we are to get from reading Ecclesiastes may be summed up in this way: Life without God is a vapor, and fearing him is the only antidote to living a fleeting life that…

…is devoid of meaning

…ultimately produces no lasting profit under the sun

…lacks any kind of lasting satisfaction or pleasure

…fails to fulfill the purpose and duty of all humankind

…and is mysterious and impossible to understand.

To frame things more positively, the book of Ecclesiastes is a timely and poignant challenge to us. It urges is to respond to the realistic perspective the Preacher presents in three ways. First, we must recognize that we are mortal and that this life under the sun is not all there is. Second, we should enjoy this life as a gift from God even as we long for the next life. And third, we should fear the Lord, worshipping him as God and trusting him with our whole being.

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl. 12:13–14)