Women of God
The Shulammite Woman: Waiting Until the Right Time to Awaken Love
Song of Songs, also known as Song of Solomon, is a dramatic love story, a lyrical poem written by King Solomon himself. Here’s a little of his backstory:
Solomon was King David and Bathsheba’s son.
When Solomon took over the throne, God granted him an abundance of wealth, power, and wisdom.
King Solomon reigned for forty years and accomplished much:
**He settled disputes, and his wisdom gave him the ability to form alliances and bring his kingdom safety and peace.
**He was a skilled architect who strategically built the Holy Temple.
**His wisdom also gave him a flare for the arts, specifically writing. He wrote much of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. I Kings 4:32 says he wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. That’s pretty incredible! It’s also pretty incredible that God saw it fitting to put his Song of Songs into the Bible.
Song of Songs
Song of Songs was legitimately a story told through music, a sort of opera or musical during its time. It’s told from the perspectives of King Solomon, the Shulammite Woman, and Friends of either the king or the woman.
** It is noteworthy that, even though King Solomon is the author of this song, the story is mostly told from the perspective of the Shulammite woman.
So…Is the Shulammite Woman Fact or Fiction?
Solomon paints a vivid picture of this woman; her character stands out and is well-developed. We get to read her dialogue, see into her inner thoughts. We can surmise from this that Solomon is writing this song from his own experience. After all, he is the romantic lead in this story. He was her husband, and she was his wife.
Should I Even Read Song of Songs?
To put it delicately, this lyrical poem freely talks about the intimacy of marriage. In fact, according to a lecture by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D., titled “The Significance of Song of Solomon”, any Jewish male under thirty years of age was not allowed to read Song of Songs unless he was already married (http://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d070801.htm). In other words, this story was not ‘Rated G’ back during its time.
So, then…Why Is It in the Bible? The Book Itself Doesn’t Even Mention God!
If “all scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching…” (II Timothy 3:16), then we must trust that God had a reason for allowing this book in the Bible. Think of how many times scripture compares marriage to God’s relationship with His Church. Just to name a few:
- Eph. 5:25-27
- Rev. 19:7-9
- Is. 62:5
- Matt. 25:1
What’s more, the intimacy between a married man and woman is not sinful in the Lord’s eyes. What was the very first thing God did after creating Adam? He saw it fit to create a woman for Adam to share his life with. God wants us to take joy in—to feel strongly for—to love our significant other. Through Song of Songs, it is made clear that the passion we feel and give to the one God has set aside for us should be kept until the right time.
Wait…If This is Really a Love Story, Why Did Solomon Have So Many Wives & Concubines? Sounds More Like Lust to Me…
We must take into account the times in which Solomon lived. It was not uncommon or forbidden for royalty to have more than one woman, married or not. We must also realize that lusting after women and the pleasant things of the world shows that Solomon was a fallen, imperfect human just like all of us. Ecclesiastes reveals his reflection and regret about his weakness; he cautions us not to chase after “meaningless” things (Ecc. 1).
It should be a comfort to us that, even as imperfect as Solomon was, God still used him to impart God’s wisdom, for ALL scripture is the wisdom of God.
Finally, Solomon’s sinful nature doesn’t change the fact Solomon wrote about the Shulammite woman—a woman who waited until the right time to “awaken love” (Song of Songs 3:5). Out of all the women he had to choose from, he wrote only about her.
So let’s take a look at her character.
The Shulammite Woman
She is unashamed, and she has no reason to feel ashamed. The first chapter begins with the woman’s marriage to Solomon. It is made clear from the beginning that intimacy is to be enjoyed after marriage. After the wedding, she allows herself to be giddy with joy by saying, “Take me away with you—let us hurry!” (1:4).
It’s stated clearly that she was a wall and not a door (8:10). What does that mean exactly? In chapter 8, we look back to when she was younger. Her older brothers decided if she was like a wall, standing firm against temptation, she would be praised, but if she was like a door, open to immorality, they would shield her from temptation.
She struggles with feelings of insecurity like some women do. In chapter 1, when she recalls the first time she and Solomon met, she said, “Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun” (1:6). Her brothers had made her “take care of the vineyards”, and she had been sunburned. During this time, most women considered beautiful had fair skin because they protected their faces from the sun, but she had been unable to take care of her own “vineyard”—herself (vs. 6).
Solomon made her feel beautiful and secure. Therefore, she longed to be with him. She says, “I delight to sit in his shade…He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love” (2:3,4).
Her Relationship with Solomon
The Shulammite woman goes through all the stages a couple goes through in a relationship with Solomon:
INITIAL ATTRACTION
She meets him while working in the vineyards and immediately wants to look presentable for him.
DATING
She looks for chances to be around him (1:7).
COURTSHIP
She remembers the days Solomon would court her and compares their love to spring. This is a perfect metaphor to a growing love and a strengthening bond.
FALLING IN LOVE
She experiences what it’s like to feel lovesick when she says, “Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love” (2:5). It’s that googly-eyed stage we all like to make fun of until it’s happening to us.
DEDICATION
Once married, she delights in her husband and longs to be with him. She says, “My lover is mine and I am his” (2:16). She dreams about “[searching] for the one [her] heart loves” (3:2), and when she finds him, she does not “let him go” (3:4). The word ‘searching’ indicates she has a deep desire to care for him. When we search for something or someone, we give our time and energy—we dedicate ourselves to that search.
CONFLICT
She goes through moments of tension with her spouse after marriage. In chapter 5, she dreams that Solomon is knocking on her door begging to come inside, but she doesn’t bother to get out of bed to open the door. When she finally does, he is gone, and her heart aches. This paints an honest picture that marriage is not always cheery. Inevitably, we will become frustrated or angry with our spouse; we will have arguments; we will go through hardships.
CONFIDENCE
It’s relieving to see that even though Solomon and the Shulammite woman did not have a perfect relationship, they were able to endure through rough patches because they loved each other. The love they shared shows the Shulammite woman move from a young girl, insecure about her sunburned skin, to a confident married woman in chapters 7-8.
The Shulammite Woman’s Wisdom
There are two HUGE statements of wisdom she imparts to single and married women:
**She considers Solomon to be her lover and her friend (5:16). Isn’t that what we, as women, should look for in marriage? Someone we can safely confide in, laugh with, and share the deepest part of our hearts with?
**She warns other women not to “arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (8:4) in three different places within this book. Song of Songs is only eight chapters long, so the repeat of this verse is a continuing theme.
The Shulammite woman waited for a man who pursued her, desired her, protected her, and loved her. She waited for a man who was just as much a friend as he was a romantic partner. She cautioned other women to wait, because she knew that when the waiting was finally over…
The joy to come after would be well worth the wait.