Song of Solomon 2:16-17: It's Mutual

[Her]

[16] My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies.
[17] Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.


(Song of Solomon 2:16-17 ESV)

This, again, is another passage I approached thinking that it's simple, without much to teach.  So I prayed and asked God to open my eyes, to show me things in this text that I couldn't see, before.  He answered.

He also gave some very practical advice for single/dating people from this verse, despite it talking about a married couple.  This verse is a goal for single/dating people, a sign of what the future should be.  As a result, it has some good teaching for us.

Song of Solomon 2:15: Kill the Foxes, Save the Love

[15] "Catch the foxes for us,
              the little foxes
          that spoil the vineyards,
              for our vineyards are in blossom.”

(Song of Solomon 2:15 ESV)


The theology of this verse is actually fairly simple, although working out what it means practically could take a lifetime.

Song of Solomon 2:14: Face and Voice

[He]
[14] O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
(Song of Solomon 2:14 ESV)

Solomon again communicates something vital about dating to us through this verse.  This is part of the longer passage, 2:8-15, that focuses on the romantic life before marriage.  To put it simply, this verse focuses on the realm of Face and Voice, which Solomon teaches us is the way to enjoy the most romance and joy in our relationships.

To be sure, Jesus forgives and redeems; God can redeem any failure or sin and restore joy, and even romance.  Yet God knows how life should work.  The whole point of studying Song of Solomon is that God knows best how romance works; if we follow the wisdom of this book, we'll experience a romance far and away more pleasurable and delightful than anything we could have by following the world's way of romance.  So if we can have the best joy possible in romance, why would we settle for less, even if God can redeem the lesser joy?  Follow the wisdom of Song of Solomon and embrace the best joy that romance has to offer!

Song of Solomon 2:10-13: Spring Time Lovin'

[10] My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
[11] for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
[12] The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
[13] The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.


(Song of Solomon 2:10-13 ESV)

This passage is a delight to read.  For a single guy, it's like a how-to manual of for how to romance a woman in the dating realm of life.  So men, if you've ever wanted to improve your game, or if you're just learning romance for the very first time, pay attention!  This is how it's done!

Solomon communicates.  As is often said, men are visual, women are verbal.  Solomon here wants to delight the heart of his beloved bride-to-be, so he speaks extensively to her.  He doesn't just say, "Hey get in the car, let's go," he is very poetic and romantic, lavishing this dear woman with beautiful words as he invites her to spend this lovely spring day with him.  Appropriately, these words move her heart, and she is swept away in romance with this man.  

Men, there's a reason poetry works, and it's not because it displays your inherent genius.  When you use words for romance, you are playing the language of a woman's heart.  As one very beautiful woman told me: "Words are the way to a woman's heart."  

Once again, remember that at this point in their relationship, Solomon and his bride are dating.  It's likely that the wedding will come soon, but for now, they're going to enjoy going on a date.  It's spring time, the most romantic time of the year.  Solomon eagerly desires to spend a glorious spring day with his bride-to-be, so he races to her home.  He gazes at her beauty, which sets her heart a-flutter, then he speaks flattering poetry to her, inviting her to spend her day with him.

This man knows how to win a woman's heart!  He knows that women are verbal; women love to talk, to be complimented, to be invited, to have long conversations.  He sets aside his own visual orientation and adopts the verbal communication that women prefer.  He has composed poetry which he recites for her, playfully and charmingly inviting her to go on a date with him.

In other words: men, this is how it's done!

Song of Solomon 2:9: The Lover's Gaze

[She]
[8] The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
[9] My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.


(Song of Solomon 2:8-9 ESV)

Last time we talked about Song of Solomon 2:8, and focused on attraction in dating.  Today continues that theme, but in a slightly different light.  It still deals with matters of attraction in the realm of dating, but one of the topics is a little awkward to discuss in today's society.  Rest assured, if you keep reading, you'll learn a bit more about attraction, and what makes hearts flutter.  The first point in this post might be a bit more awkward than the last, but it's mentioned in the text, so I have to talk about it.

Despite the potential awkwardness of this post, next post will be more similar to last post, as we discuss the amazing charm and flirtatiousness of Solomon as he invites his beloved out for a glorious spring date.  So stay tuned!

So with that, let's get down to work!

Song of Solomon 2:8: How Attraction in Dating Works

[She]

[8] The voice of my beloved!

Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.


(Song of Solomon 2:8 ESV)

For starters: Song of Solomon is insane.  I had intended to study this book rather quickly, but God kept forcing me to slow down and dig deeper.  There is far, far more wisdom in this book than I originally gave it credit for.

So originally, I was going to comment on the whole 2:8-15 passage.  Yet there's plenty in just verse 8 for an entire post.  So if you want some context, read the whole passage.  We'll get to it eventually, but it might help at first to put everything into perspective.

So what is it about this verse is teaching?  Basically, it's describing how this woman is attracted to her man.  So men, if you want to learn how to attract a woman, keep reading!