Without knowing the context behind Song of Solomon, we might think that it’s a “happily ever after” story about a relationship that most of us desire. But given the context, it is more of a picture of our own relationship with God than it is a romantic story we can dream about.
Solomon had a thriving and beautiful marriage where he and his wife freely enjoyed true intimacy the way God created us to experience intimacy. They were naked and felt no shame. Does this sound familiar? Genesis 2:25 says after the marriage and sexual union of Adam and Eve: “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (NIV). Humankind not only had a perfect relationship with God, the Creator, but with one another. They were relationships marked by nakedness instead of shame. Their physical nakedness was a representation of the vulnerability they enjoyed where they could be fully known and loved by God and one another.
Later, when Adam and Eve are deceived by Satan, Adam says, “ ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid’ ” (Genesis 3:10, NIV). Like Solomon, we chose, and still often choose, cheap pleasure in exchange for true intimacy with our Father. We choose our own way as we distrust God’s design. Because our relationship with God is fractured, none of our relationships can be fulfilling. Our soul still craves what we were created for, but we can’t seem to find satisfaction in what the world has to offer. In fact, we end up more broken and empty no matter how hard we try to fill up on the world’s pleasures.
It is only through Christ that our relationship to God and our relationships with one another can be reconciled. It is only through Christ that we can return to the fully-knowing, fully-loving relationship we were created to experience with God and one another in marriage.
Reflection/Discussion Question: How do you see the effects of sin in your own heart when it comes to sexual intimacy?
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