Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Song of Songs 1:2
The Song of Songs also known as the Song of Solomon paints a vivid picture of village life; vineyards, vast grasslands, animals and the expression of gentle romance. The imagery and emotionally powerful words describe a rich model of loyal personal relationship rooted in God’s creation and its Creator.
Written thousands of years ago by King Solomon the successor of King David, who was appointed by God to lead the kingdom of Israel.
Here’s the background …
King David: Call in Bathsheba
(So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.)
King David: As surely as the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every danger, your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the LORD, the God of Israel.
(Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and
exclaimed, “May my lord King David live forever!”)
A few moments later …
(and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is about)
Jonathan: What’s more, Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne as king
(you can read through in the book of Kings 1 and 1 chronicles 29)
Let’s read together the songs of our new king,
Salomon: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for your love is more delightful than wine.
Kisses? Ewww, Who wants to read this book?
Buttt….
It is the word of God.
Most of us will never read the Song of songs again for our whole lives, perhaps because of its fully perplexing and perpetual poetic language. Nobody wants to sing Song of Songs, Or maybe I prefer a hymn, Pop song, or romantic love song, Or maybe, If you want to talk about love, just go to Paul’s letters and the gospel of John.
The fact is we will never fully satisfy our deep longing for love through human beings alone. We fail and fail, from time to time when we try to feed our souls with finite affection, a void and empty earthly love. We long for the true infinite love to fill the depths of our hearts. As John wrote,”God is love”
Love for us human beings is a reflection of our Majestic Triune God’s love. It is expressed in the one we love and how we deliver out our affection deeply and sacrificially, much like Salomon wrote in the Song of Songs “for your love is more delightful than wine.”
Later in his prayer and accounts (1 Kings 3 and 2 Chronicles 1) we see the source of his creative work, which produced more than a thousand poems or songs. There is no doubt where His inspired wisdom originated, meant to teach us and to enrich us with full the knowledge of God.
As J.R. Thomson put it,“The desire of the soul awakened to the higher life is a desire which earth cannot satisfy; it is a desire for God, for the manifestations of Divine favour, the proofs of Divine affection. As one has said, “The Christian is not satisfied, like Mary, to kiss the Master’s feet; he would kiss the Master’s face.” The enjoyment of God’s kindness enkindles a desire for more knowledge of God, a closer intercourse with God. This is the result of a sense – an imperfect but genuine sense – of the incomparable preciousness of Divine friendship and favour. “Thy love is better than wine.”