Pastor John, you are a language guy, and I love that, but given the profound connections

between marital intimacy and the relationship of Christ with the Church in Ephesians chapter

5, you said recently of marital intimacy, in episode 278, quote, we should be amazed

that our Savior chose to describe his relationship with the Church with a parable of such exquisite

pleasure, end quote. So given that, just how valuable is the Song of Solomon in articulating

the intimate language of the Church's relationship to Christ? Or is this a misuse of the text?

This is risky to make statements about the Song of Solomon. In history of the Church,

it has been treated mainly as an allegory of Christ's love for the Church and God's

love for His people. In modern times, where our sensibilities are a little different, it has

been treated mainly as a very sensuous love song between Solomon and his bride. What makes it

so risky is how explicit the sensuousness is. Your navel is a rounded bowl that never lacks mixed

wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat encircled by lilies. Your two breasts are like fawns,

twins of gazelle, chapter 4 verse 5. Your stature is like a palm tree and your breasts are like

its clusters. I say, I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its fruit. That's, I mean,

this is unmistakable pictures of the sexual delights between a man and his wife. There's no

escaping that. But let's just make sure we don't isolate this kind of language in the Song of

Solomon as if it must be allegorical because that kind of language is used in Proverbs as a command

to young husbands. Which, chapter 5 verse 18, rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer,

a graceful doe, let her breasts fill you at all times with delight, being intoxicated always

in her love. Why would you be intoxicated by some with a forbidden woman and embrace the

bosom of an adulteress? So that's Proverbs. So it's not as though this book Song of Solomon is

in some world of its own in dealing with explicit sexual enjoyments between a husband and wife,

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