Song of Songs: The Messiah

1. Song of Songs:The Messiah

2. Introduction • Among the Poetic Books of the Holy Bible • Hidden like a precious treasure • Many people do not study this book, claiming it is difficult to understand, and very symbolic. • Some even wonder why is it included in the Bible.

3. Introduction • The Writer: King Solomon. • He had written many songs: “He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five”. (1Kin 4:32) • However, this book is the “song of songs” • The entire book is one beautiful poem. • The Song of Songs is a dialog between two main characters: • The Shulamite (A Palestinian young girl) and the Beloved. • The Shulamite represents the human soul or the Church as a whole; the Beloved represents Christ.

4. Characteristics • This book is very deep. • It unveils for us the depth of the God's Philanthropy (love of mankind). • It portrays how much God searches for man's soul to offer Himself to him. • It is a commune between the Lord and His bride; between the Beloved and His Church; between Christ and the human soul.

5. Characteristics • It is a symbol of the true prayer • No routine or customary words, but rather a deep communion between God and the soul, without “veils” or “rituals”. • God revels Himself to her, and also revels her. • He speaks openly to her, and she to Him. • She converses her love to Him, communes His love and her longing for Him, informs Him about her "blackness" and her unworthiness for Him, and about her pains and sufferings. • A private dialogue between two betrothed lovers speaking openly about all that is in their hearts. • The true understanding of prayer and worship.

6. Books of Solomon • “The ‘Holy of Hollies’ of the Holy Bible”; • Difficult to be understood by the beginners. • Book for the spiritually mature, not infants; • it soars right into LOVE without any introductions: • “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…” • The books of Solomon gradually lifts the spirit from the earthly matters to the Heavenly: • The Book of Proverbs is presented to the “toddlers” in faith – seeking wisdom • In The Book of Ecclesiastes, the believer discovers the pettiness of the world: “All is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecc 1:14) • In the Song of Songs, the believer realizes that he must now fill his heart with Christ: “My beloved is mine, and I am His.” (Song 2:16)

7. Song of Songs: The Love Story • The “engagement period” • The Messiah (Ch 1- Ch 2:7) • Seeking the Bride (Ch 2:8 – Ch 3) • The Heavenly Wedding (Ch 4) • The Matrimonial Life (Ch 5:1-9) • The Matrimonial Love (Ch 5:10 – Ch 7) • The Serving Bride (Ch 8)

8. The Messiah • Messiah, The Wounded (Ch 1:2-6) • Messiah, The Shepherd (Ch 1:7-12) • Messiah, The King (Ch 1:12-16) • Messiah, The Beloved (Ch 2: 1-7)

9. Messiah, The Wounded (Ch 1:2-6)

10. Kiss of Love 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for Your love is better than wine. • This is the voice of the Church • As She looks up at the Cross, • she smells the aroma of the Crucified • The savor of the Love of Christ has a special attractive force. • On the Cross, as He demonstrated His Love, • “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:32).

11. Kiss of Love • As she saw Him on the cross, she saw his ultimate love: • "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Jn 3:16) • He created the world for her, formed her in His image, promised her salvation even after her unfaithfulness to Him, sent her the laws and prophets • All of that was not sufficient, she wants HIM! • She understood that He loves no one but her. He is HER beloved. • Hence, she did not ask for one or two kisses, but (all) the kisses of His mouth! • She asks for a very specific type of kiss: of his mouth • Matrimonial love: kisses which can not be received from any other than the spouse

12. Kiss of Love • “The Church in the Old Testament was like an immature young girl. She was not enjoying the company of the Bridegroom Himself, but rather his companions, the angels, patriarchs and prophets, through whom she received the kisses of God, which were the law and commandments. She was walking in the way to maturity, to see her Bridegroom coming towards her on the mountains of the law and the hills of the prophecies. Her heart became inflamed towards Him, as she cried out, “Let Him come down to me from the Cross, and kiss me Himself, to take me to Himself in true love, that I may be united with Him” (Origin of Alexandria)

13. Love Better Than Wine • …for Your love is better than wine. • He who drinks of wine and becomes drunk, is not aware of anything else. • Likewise, those who are drunk with the Love of Christ, leave everything and follow him • “…for thy breasts are better than wine.” (Septuagint) • Signify the nurturing and love that a child receives from his mother • “What is exalted in the wisdom of the world is very lowly compared to the Divine teachings offered to children; hence we find that the Divine breasts are better than the human wine” (St. Gregory of Nyssa)

14. Ointment Poured Forth • 1:3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,       Your name is ointment poured forth;       Therefore the virgins love you. • The sweet savor of the ointments of Christ's Love disseminated with great power when His Blood was shed upon the cross. • "This is He Who presented Himself up on the Cross, an acceptable Sacrifice, for the salvation of our race. And His Good Father inhaled His sweet aroma on Golgotha in the evening." (Hymn of the Cross - Fai Etaf Enf - on Good Friday)

15. Ointment Poured Forth • As soon as Christ offered his poured Blood as a dowry for his betrothed, all the (wise) virgins gathered around Him with their shining lamps, ready to meet the Bridegroom, in a deep mystery of Love. • "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Cor 11:2) • The virgin is in a state of purity and holiness • She consecrates all her heart and mind to her betrothed, even during sleep, else, she is not worthy of becoming his bride.

16. Ointment Poured Forth • On the Cross, this ointment was poured, and Christ took it into the tomb, that the dead may inhale it instead of the stench of death, and may live. • By His Resurrection, he offered this ointment to the world. • “This is what the believer experiences, when he is buried with Christ in baptism and rises; he inhales the aroma of the Lord, and His Name being poured on the Cross, so that he is overpowered by the aroma of the Resurrection” (St. Ambrose)

17. Messiah, The Shepherd (Ch 1:7-12)

18. Shepherd of the Flock • 1: 7 Tell me, O you whom I love,       Where you feed your flock,      Where you make it rest at noon.       For why should I be as one who veils herself      By the flocks of your companions? • The Lord is the shepherd to the one universal flock: across the world and across time. • The Church is the field where the flock “rests at noon", protected from the sun of temptation and pains of this life. • Noon (according to Origin): • The completeness of God’s glory • The complete knowledge of God’s words • That’s how the bride finds rest

19. Shepherd of the Flock • The bride feared to be separated from the rest of the flock: • For why should I be as one who veils herself [that turneth aside (LXX)] by the flocks of your companions • It is one flock for One Shepherd: • "We believe in One Holy catholic (universal) and Apostolic Church” (The Orthodox Creed)

20. Follow in the Footsteps • 8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,       Follow in the footsteps of the flock,       And feed your little goats       Beside the shepherds’ tents. • In order that the bride may not get lost or go astray, she needs to live in the spirit of the saints • “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1)

21. Messiah, The King (Ch 1:12-16)

22. King at His Table • 12 While the king is at his table,       My spikenard sends forth its fragrance. • The Lord reigned on the Cross • His Table: The Altar • The bride offers herself as a sacrifice to him • She pours herself: service • Her aroma spreads: evangelism • The sacrifice of the King, is credited to the queen – He offered Himself on our behalf: • “You all are above the Altar, you all are inside the cup!” (St. Augustine) • In the Liturgy, we offer our sacrifices, which is the Sacrifice of the Lord

23. The Royal House • 16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!       Yes, pleasant!       Also our bed is green. 17 The beams of our houses are cedar,       And our rafters of fir. • The bride used the weak organ of her tongue to describe His beauty and the loveliness of life with Him: • handsome, beloved, pleasant…

24. The Royal House • …our bed is green: • The relationship with Christ is always fruitful. • “The Body of the Lord brought forth fruit: obedience to the father, instead of our disobedience; purity instead of our filth; triumph over Satan and his armies on our behalf; worship to the Father on our behalf – offering up new fruits for humanity’s account” (Origin)

25. The Royal House • …The beams of our house are cedar: • It is a relationship build on strong faith, therefore it will last • Cedar was used for making: • Ship sails: guides believers to the Divine Port • Musical instruments: fills one with joy • The inner court of the Solomon’s Temple: the heart – the dwelling place of the King

26. Messiah, The Beloved (Ch 2: 1-7)

27. Sweet Fruit • 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. • The Bride confirms to the Bridegroom that He is the most desirable being for her. • She tastes Him, savors His loveliness, and is filled by Him alone. • "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good..." (Psl 34:8) • She has experienced the splendor of conversing with Him (His fruit was sweet to my taste), because His Words are Spirit and Life. • "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psa 119:103)

28. Under His Shadow • "I sat down under his shadow with great delight“ • As much as the soul listens to her only Bridegroom, and is satiated with His Words, she desires to sit with Him. • As the soul starts to understand God's Love for her, she is filled with His Words (apples) in the His Holy Bible, and wishes to sit with Him. • This is the true worship: the worship of Love, where one desires to meet God (with great delight) and sit and communicate with Him.

29. Wine House • 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house [wine house (LXX)], and his banner over me was love. • The depth of God's love. • Where one goes in and becomes drunk with His love and forgets his self, and disregards the worries, sufferings, pains and pleasures of the world. • No one can enter this house unless he is BROUGHT IN: "He brought me to the banqueting house..."

30. Embraces Me • 2:6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. • Her love for Christ caused her to place His left hand under her head (receive discipline from his loving hand without murmuring), • because she realized that His right hand embraces her, • her rest and stability is found only in the bosom of His Love. • In the time that it seems that God is being harsh by permitting temptations and sufferings, she feels that He is compassionate, caring, and loving.

31. The Messiah • Messiah, The Wounded (Ch 1:2-6) • Kisses of His mouth: love/sacrifice • Your name is ointment poured forth • Messiah, The Shepherd (Ch 1:7-12) • Where you feed your flock,      Where you make it rest at noon. • Messiah, The King (Ch 1:12-16) • While the king is at his table,       My spikenard sends forth its fragrance. • Messiah, The Beloved (Ch 2: 1-7) • His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.