Sharper Iron — God's Gift of Marriage - Song of Solomon 8:5-14: Love Is Strong as Death

As the Song concludes, Solomon brings us to the theological point. His love for his bride sets her as a seal, meaning that she is his. As Solomon notes how powerful love is, he uses the divine name for the only time in the Song, allowing us to see that God’s love for us pursues us even to death and brings us out of the grave. As the others wonder and ask concerning this love, the Church is given a concern for the gift of chastity and marriage. As the Song extols God’s gift of marriage throughout, so God has given us the opportunity to rejoice in the love that Christ has for His Church.

Rev. Andy Wright, pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Topeka, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Song of Solomon 8:5-14.

To learn more about St. John’s, visit stjohnlcmstopeka.org.

“God’s Gift of Marriage” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that studies the Song of Solomon and other key texts from the Bible concerning marriage. Although the world is terribly confused concerning what marriage is, God’s Word reveals how good a gift marriage truly is and points us to the relationship between Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Church, the Bride.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Together in faith, LCEF helps to start, sustain and strengthen LCMS ministries through financial and strategic partnerships. Visit lcef.org.

Song of Solomon 8:5-14

⁵Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.

⁶Set me as a seal upon your heart,
    as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
    jealousy^[a] is fierce as the grave.^[b]
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
    the very flame of the Lord.
⁷Many waters cannot quench love,
    neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
    all the wealth of his house,
    he^[c] would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

⁸We have a little sister,
    and she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
    on the day when she is spoken for?
⁹If she is a wall,
    we will build on her a battlement of silver,
but if she is a door,
    we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

She

¹⁰I was a wall,
and my breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who finds^[d] peace.

¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
    he let out the vineyard to keepers;
    each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
¹²My vineyard, my very own, is before me;
    you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
    and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

¹³O you who dwell in the gardens,
with companions listening for your voice;
let me hear it.

She

¹⁴Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.

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Footnotes

Song of Solomon 8:6 Or ardor
Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew as Sheol
Song of Solomon 8:7 Or it
Song of Solomon 8:10 Or brings out

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).