1 It is one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible Its Oriental expressions of intimate love partly account for this It is the only book of the Bible where love between humans is the main plot and theme (Other similar passages of love are to be found in Psalm 45 and the book of Ruth.) There is only one direct reference to God in the book (“the LORD,” 8:6) (In the King James Version there is no such reference Instead, at 8:6 the Hebrew word Yah is translated “vehement.” The book of Esther records no name of God.) There is no speci c or direct reference to sin There is no speci c or direct reference to the religious realm as such No other Old Testament book is alluded to here 7 The book is not alluded to by Christ, nor is it quoted elsewhere in the New Testament.14 V KEY WORDS AND VERSES Read the key words which are listed on Chart 77 Add others to the list Do the same for the key verses VI APPLICATIONS This book was written especially to stir up t h e feelings of God’s people Ecclesiastes st r e sse s thinking; the Song of Solomon stresses feeling, of the meditative type Andrew Miller wrote long ago, “There is nothing which the men of this world dread more than solitude and re ection They would rather be overpressed with engagements than have leisure for thought.”15 Has human nature changed since then? The Christological purpose of Canticles is to inspire Christians to take time to meditate on Jesus Christ “The calm, re ective quiet of the soul in communion with the Person of the exalted Lord, is what characterises its sweetest moments while here on earth.”16 Canticles’ teachings about love should be applied in two ways: typical and literal A TYPICAL The key to the full meaning and purpose of the Song of Solomon is Jesus Christ The book as a love story is unexcelled only if Christ is the Lover in its pages—for no one can surpass His love: “Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Gal 2:20, italics added) In the Song of Solomon it is the person of Christ, not His work, which is the prominent characteristic (“He is wholly desirable,” 5:16) The Christian reader who involves himself in the book is overwhelmed by the beautiful and reassuring truth of his union and communion with such a Saviour B LITERAL No other book of the Bible gives such an extended description of the beauties of a love relationship between a man and a woman The inclusion of this human love story in God’s Book demonstrates the sacred honor which He has given to the union of husband and wife Study the Song of Solomon to learn its literal teachings about the kind of human love that honors God Below is a partial list of aspects of love which are referred to in the book physical: beauty, purity, body, sexual instincts, desire, attraction, satisfaction, giving and receiving, presence and ... since then? The Christological purpose of Canticles is to inspire Christians to take time to meditate on Jesus Christ ? ?The calm, re ective quiet of the soul in communion with the Person of the. .. other book of the Bible gives such an extended description of the beauties of a love relationship between a man and a woman The inclusion of this human love story in God’s Book demonstrates the. .. and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Gal 2:20, italics added) In the Song of Solomon it is the person of