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

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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

5 Who 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.

6 Set 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.
7 Many 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

8 We have a little sister,
and she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day when she is spoken for?
9 If 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

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

11 Solomon 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.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

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

She

14 Make 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