T he S ong of S olomon is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible because of the abundance of Oriental imagery to be found in its pages. The natural man and the carnal man see very little in the book, but spiritual men and women of all ages have delighted in its message. If the book be taken literally, we have set before us the beauty and glories of wedded love. From a dispensational viewpoint, the relationship between the Lord and His people Israel is set forth. From the standpoint of redemp tion, the book pictures the unbreakable bond between Christ and the church. Viewed from the angle of its spiritual import, it declares the communion be tween the individual soul and the Lord. In this series of love lyrics we have an extended section from 5:2 through 8:5, which deals with the interruption of communion and its restoration. In this portion our pas sage, 5:9-16, is found. This division of the Song of Solo mon treats, first of all, of T he D emand . 9. “What is thy beloved more than an other beloved, 0 thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, That thou dost so adjure us?” In the text of the Song, the Shulammite, the bride, is seeking her beloved, because he has departed when she was indifferent to his plead ings. She was more concerned with her personal ease and comforts. Now she is so earnestly beseeching the daughters of Jerusalem to aid her in her search for him, that they are com pelled to ask why she considers her beloved more important and more out standing than any other loved one. So many would accord Christ the Beloved a place alongside other masters, teach ers, and leaders of the world. They cannot tolerate the claims made for Him by His own. They wonder, as did
the daughters of Jerusalem relative to the Shulammite, what entitles Him to special consideration, devotion, and adoration. They ask wherein lies His pre-eminence above all others. They are not entirely clear as to the fea tures wherein He excels. Men have been asking these questions through the years, and they will continue to do so. It is told that a Hindu of rank was troubled in his conscience on the sub ject of a future state. He had heard of Christians, and longed to converse with them about their religion, and to know who Christ was. So he visited England, the Christian’s land, sup plied with introductions to some lead ing people. Being asked to a great dinner, he turned to his neighbor in the course of conversation, and said, “Can you tell me something about Christ, the founder of your religion?” “Hush,” said his new acquaintance, “we do not speak of such things at dinner-parties.” Later, he was invited to a large ball. Dancing with a young
Dr. Feinberg carefully checkt manuscript. He is Dean of the Talbot Theological Seminary. 21
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs