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Summer of Solomon
Lessons From the Wisdom Literature

Song of Songs

Jack Dodgen
August 13th, 2025
41:19
In this lesson, we explore the Song of Solomon as more than poetry—it’s a powerful reminder of God’s good creation, the beauty of love in its proper context, and His relentless pursuit of His people. Through humor, biblical insight, and practical application, we see how this ancient book speaks to marriage, faith, and hope for our future with God.
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We opened with a few laughs, sharing tongue-in-cheek “bad sermon series titles” for the Song of Solomon—like Holy Honeymoon and Your Teeth Are Like Sheep and Other Compliments. Humor aside, these titles hint at what the book is about: marriage, romance, physical attraction, and the sexual relationship within marriage—topics God saw fit to include in His Word.

Song of Solomon is eight chapters of Hebrew poetry—creative, non-linear, and rich with imagery. Rather than following a progressive storyline, the themes weave in and out: courtship, marriage, physical attraction, separation, reunion. Jewish readers called it the “Song of Songs”—the greatest song about love, desire, and marriage.

A key question often asked is whether it’s allegory or a real love story. The answer may be both: a real relationship that also points to something greater—God’s love for His people in the Old Testament, and Christ’s love for the church in the New Testament.

Two main themes run throughout:

  1. Physical Attraction – Descriptive poetry celebrates the beloved’s beauty—not for literal portraiture, but as expressions of love and delight.

  2. Seek and Find – The lovers repeatedly separate and reunite, mirroring the ebb and flow of relationships and even our walk with God.

The book concludes in chapter 8 with a vivid declaration: “Love is strong as death… many waters cannot quench love.” The message is that love is powerful, priceless, and best experienced in its proper place and time. The final verses return to the “seek and find” theme—realistically portraying love as a continual pursuit, not a story that simply ends with “happily ever after.”

Three major lessons emerge:

  1. A Reminder of God’s Good Creation – In the Hebrew order of books, Song of Solomon follows Ruth and precedes Ecclesiastes, tying together wisdom about godly living with a celebration of marital love.

  2. A Reminder of God’s Love for Us – Jewish tradition read this book at Passover as a picture of God’s faithful pursuit of His people, even when they wandered away.

  3. A Hope-Filled Future – Garden imagery throughout points back to Eden and forward to a restored future with God, where nothing can separate us from His love.

Ultimately, Song of Solomon calls us to remember the goodness of love as God intended, His relentless pursuit of us, and the eternal future He promises. The invitation is the same now as it was then: “Seek Me… and you will find Me.”