The Songiest Song . . . Courtesy of James-Michael Smith

As I posted last week, my friend and colleague James-Michael Smith is leading “Let’s Talk About Sex,” a four week class on developing a mature, biblical sexual ethic.

Last night’s session focused on The Song Of Songs and was titled, appropriately enough, Hot Bible Sex.

A literal rendering of the name of that Old Testament erotic opera is “The Songiest Song”; meaning, the best song ever.  By the way, in September of 2014, I gave a series of sermons on The Song Of Songs called Love Song.  You can see those messages here.

Here are some of James-Michael’s winners from last night:

  • The sad truth is that with all those concubines, Solomon was a human trafficker.
  • You have to know the culture that surrounds any song to make sure you don’t read too much into it.
  • How does a book this overtly sexual get into the bible?  We give bibles to third graders!  And tell them to read it!
  • Song 1:9:  “I liken you to a mare among Pharoah’s horses.”  At first glance it’s not too flattering to call a woman a horse.  But do you know what a mare among Pharoah’s horses did?  Egypt and its Pharoah had chariots, which made them invincible in battle.  So the Jews would release a mare in heat into the middle of Egyptian chariots.  All of a sudden the Egyptian horses were . . . distracted!  So the song writer is telling his beloved that she is a “head turner.”
  • What happens in the bedroom is private.  But the relational context (marriage) is very public.
  • In married sex, two image bearers of God come together.
  • The Song contains unashamed appreciation of the other person’s body.
  • The guy in 5:14 has guns:  “His arms are like rods of gold.”
  • Sexuality is our Garden of Eden.  How are we treating our Garden?  Who are we letting into it?  Who are we locking out of it?