Solomon’s Love Song (Solomon): The Song of Songs is King Solomon’s poetic celebration of the romantic love and attraction that God intended for a healthy marriage. But how do love, marriage, and sexuality work in a broken world? Solomon’s love song reminds us of how marriage ought to be and also points to the perfect love of God for his people. Recorded on Nov 2, 2025, on Song of Songs 1:1-2:7 by Pastor David Parks.
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This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
Well, we’re continuing to explore the life of one of the most important ancient kings of Israel in a sermon series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. Almost 3,000 years ago, Solomon was chosen by God to succeed his father, David, as the king. And we’ve been asking, “How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy?” Well, two weeks ago, we saw that when the young King Solomon asked God for wisdom to administer justice, God was so pleased with this request that he graciously gave Solomon wisdom and more. This was the most helpful thing because every day, we all make decisions that would benefit from God’s wisdom. Last week, we considered a few of the thousands of wise sayings or proverbs written by Solomon with the wisdom God had given him. If you missed that or any other sermon in our series, you can always go back and watch or listen online if you’d like. But today, we’re going to have one more example of King Solomon’s writing that was included in the canon of Scripture, before we jump back into the historical narrative next week. But I need to ask you a very important question: when I ask you to think of the greatest love song of all time, what comes to your mind? Don’t shout it out, I just want you to picture it. What do you think of? I remember being a kid, skating around Gem Roller Rink to songs belted out by Whitney Houston or Bryan Adams. I had no idea what romantic love looked like, but I knew these songs knew what it was about. One of the songs that was a big deal when Holly and I started dating was the song, More Than Words, by Extreme. I feel like there’s a lot of Ed Sheeran played at weddings nowadays. Today, we’re going to consider another of Solomon’s writings, but this time, it’s not a proverb; it’s a love song — maybe the greatest love song of all time — it’s the Song of Songs. If you have your Bible/app, please open to Song of Songs 1:1. If you aren’t sure where the Song of Songs is, you can always look it up in the table of contents. But we’ll read through this passage and unpack it as we go.
Song of Solomon 1:1-4a (NIV), “1 Solomon’s Song of Songs. [She] 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. 3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you! 4 Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.” Whoa, right? What are we reading, and did you know this kind of thing was in the Bible? Well, verse 1 starts off saying Solomon’s Song of Songs or, more literally, The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. Now, this is a little ambiguous because it could mean that Solomon wrote this spicy love song, or that it was written for Solomon, or perhaps it was something like an anthology of poetic love songs that was collected and published by King Solomon. Commentator Philip Ryken thinks it was a wedding song. He writes, “Weddings in ancient Israel lasted as long as a week, and singing was always part of the festivities. From its presence in Holy Scripture, we may infer that the Song of Songs was at the top of the charts in those days. What wedding would be complete without it?”Could be! And it makes sense that it was associated with King Solomon, since he was later known for having an absurd number of wives and concubines. As wise as he was, tragically, he didn’t appear to have any limit to his sexual relationships. That being the case, and given his incredible creative output, if anyone had a collection of love songs, it probably would’ve been this king. Ok! So, one design feature you might’ve noticed is that there seems to be multiple voices singing here. This first passage is marked in the NIV Bible translation as “She.” This is the voice of the bride. Other verses are labeled “he” referring to the groom, or “friends” referring to the friends of the bride. These labels are not part of the original text, but have been added for clarity, because different lines of the song have different gendered pronouns and other details that help us understand who is singing to whom. With that context, let’s jump into the song. The bride wants to make out. “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” She’s saying even the mention of his name reminds her of the pleasing aroma of his presence. Wine and perfume are both often part of a romantic evening together, but this isn’t the only thing she wants. “Let the king bring me into his chambers,” means she wants to hurry up and get married already! The song starts with a couple that is engaged or betrothed to be married. If you’ve ever been married, can you think back to the feelings of being engaged? When you knew you wanted to marry this person, but it hadn’t happened yet? That’s the feeling of our girl, here. She just wants to be with her man. To this statement of impatient desire, her friends respond in v. 4.
Song of Solomon 1:1-4b (NIV), “[Friends] We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine.” They’re like, “Girl, he’s perfect for you! You’re the perfect couple! We will praise your love more than wine!” I imagine there were lots of squeals and people wanting to see the ring again. But there’s something so contagiously fun about a wedding. It’s a celebration for everyone at the ceremony and at the reception. Even mostly uptight people loosen up a little at a wedding. But the bride’s friends totally support this relationship. They aren’t jealous or bitter; they just share her joy, as they should. She responds to them at the end of v. 4.
Song of Solomon 1:1-4c-7 (NIV), “[She] How right they are to adore you! 5 Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. 6 Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. My mother’s sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I had to neglect. 7 Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?” Have you ever felt self-conscious about your appearance? Most people have physical features they wish they could change or that they feel embarrassed about. It was no different almost 3,000 years ago. The bride tells her girlfriends, the daughters of Jerusalem (all the single ladies), that even though she knows she’s lovely, she’s worried her beloved might not find her as attractive because she’s so tan, because her brothers made her work out in the sun. Maybe all the pretty girls of Jerusalem were lighter in complexion, not having to work out in the vineyards. But she was a country girl, not a city girl. Would he be attracted to her, or would he stare at her, but like not in a good way? Maybe she didn’t think she could compete with the standards of beauty of her day. So, in her worry, she wants to go to him to see if she can get some confirmation. “Where are you, my love? Where are you grazing your flocks?” She wants to visit him at work to make sure he still feels the same way about her. Now, would King Solomon have been doing the work of a shepherd? It’s possible. His father, David, was a shepherd, as had been other notable leaders of Israel, such as Moses and Abraham. Solomon might’ve been doing the work or he might’ve been with the shepherds tending to the royal flocks. But the woman isn’t sure where her fiancé’s job site is. Her friends reply in v. 8.
Song of Solomon 1:8 (NIV), “[Friends] 8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds.” Again, they just affirm her. Like, “Go to your man, girlfriend. Just go to his work. I mean, you’re the most beautiful of women; you have nothing to worry about. But if you need to hear it from him, follow the tracks of the sheep and you’ll find the shepherds.” We all need friends like this, don’t we? Who just pump us up? But friends like this can sometimes not tell us the whole truth. It might not completely alleviate her fears to hear that they think she’s so beautiful. The real question is: does her man find her attractive? Let’s hear from him in v. 9.
Song of Solomon 1:9-11 (NIV), “[He] 9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariot horses. 10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver.” Doesn’t seem like the strongest start from our boy. You, my darling, are like a horse…but not just any horse…ok, so we’re kind of a long way away from the culture of ancient Israel and the beauty of Hebrew poetry. So some of the beauty of this poetry might be a little difficult for us to appreciate. But Solomon is saying she is majestic and noble and beautiful, and she deserves jewelry to match the natural beauty of her face. Notice that the king keeps his comments to the neck up. We haven’t gotten to the king’s chambers yet, so he’s being respectful of her publicly and privately. But her fears are unfounded! She kind of put herself out there by going to him, and he tells her he does think she’s beautiful! Her dark complexion is no problem. He’s attracted to her, too. She doesn’t have to be so self-conscious around him. She can relax in his love. Of course, a healthy marriage is more than just physical attraction; it’s also sacrificial love and friendship, but physical attraction certainly helps! In fact, it’s usually the first connection to develop. You see someone and you think they’re cute, so you lean into the relationship a little bit more. And then, over time, you see that they’re actually a really good person with lots of great qualities, and they get to know your great qualities, so the relationship continues to grow. This is where this couple is at. It’s a tale as old as time. But let’s hear from her and see how she felt being compared to a horse. v. 12.
Song of Solomon 1:12-14 (NIV), “[She] 12 While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. 13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. 14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.” Whew! Solomon’s response must’ve done the trick. Now they’re having dinner together, and she made sure to wear her favorite perfume. From here on out, she calls him her beloved. Don’t those little pet names people have in a relationship seem so annoying to people outside the relationship?? But they’re kind of fun for the couple in the relationship. My baby, my pookie, is to me like an intoxicating aroma resting between my breasts. We’re starting to get more intimate here as we start to think below the neckline. But what do they talk about over dinner? v. 15, Solomon says…
Song of Solomon 1:15-2:3 (NIV), “[He] 15 How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. [She] 16 How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. [He] 17 The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs. [She] 1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. [He] 2 Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women. [She] 3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.” So they’re whispering sweet nothings to each other here. “You’re so beautiful!” “You’re so handsome!” “You’re a lily.” “You’re an apple tree.” They can’t help but start imagining their future together. Our bed is verdant, meaning it’s green and life-giving. In other words, we’re gonna make beautiful babies together. And we’re going to build a beautiful home together. And he’s like, you’re a lily among thorns, my darling (which is a much better line than you remind me of a horse). There’s no one else I’d want to build a life with. She feels the same way. He’s like an apple tree among all the other trees of the forest. She wants to do more than just be near him. Ok! I think it’s time. They just need to get married already! They need all of their lives to be united as one in order for this passionate desire for physical oneness and intimacy to have a safe place to grow and flourish. The original description of marriage goes back to Genesis 2. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Ge 2:24–25). God’s intention for marriage is that, as important as the relationship is between parents and their children, the relationship between a husband and wife is even more important and intimate. Two individuals become one flesh, that is, one in body sexually, but also one legally, financially, emotionally, relationally, and in every other way. There should be nothing to hide and nothing to come between the two. This is why Adam and Eve were naked but felt no shame. They were perfectly one. But in a broken world, perfect oneness is impossible. Sin comes between people, including a husband and wife, and becomes a wedge that drives them apart. At least in a godly marriage of two believers, you have two people who understand the problem of sin and the kind of relationship God intended marriage to be. You have two people who understand the regular need for repentance and forgiveness, and their need for a savior. This is the safest place to be for the vulnerability of sexual intimacy. This is also why sex outside of marriage is not just wrong, since you’re being unfaithful to your spouse (whether or not you get married in the future), but it’s simply unwise. Why would you be one-flesh with someone physically when you don’t trust them enough to be one-flesh financially or legally? Why would you sleep with someone without the mutual commitment to be together no matter what? That is what our wedding vows mean, you know. It’s the promise of future-love, as Tim and Kathy Keller write in The Meaning of Marriage. No matter what happens, I will love you and you will love me. That’s safety. That’s security. That’s a love relationship that can survive the ups and downs of life in a broken world. So our bride and groom are attracted to each other. Good! And they can imagine a beautiful future together. Good! Time to call the Levitical priest, book the venue, and send out the invitations. It’s wedding time in v. 4.
Song of Solomon 2:4-7 (NIV), “[She] 4 Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. 5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. 6 His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. 7 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” This is God’s word. So they went with the banquet hall for their wedding and reception. And a banner in their day was like a flag or standard that represented a nation or tribe or king. But his banner over her is love. It’s not his family name or position of authority, but their covenant of love and commitment to one another. And the two have become one. And now they’re a little worn out by all their love. They’re eating fruit to keep their strength up! Meaning, they’re enjoying each other as much, if not more so, than they’d imagined before the wedding. And what a beautiful picture of the love, intimacy, and attraction of a healthy marriage! This is what God intended for marriage. God isn’t embarrassed or squeamish about this. God created us with these emotions and desires to help glue a husband and wife together (and keep them glued together) in a beautiful, God-honoring way. Sexuality isn’t inherently sinful or something to be ashamed of. But as is true of other beautiful things, even a passage from the Bible like this might awaken feelings or desires within us that are premature. This is why the bride ends this section with a solemn charge to her young, single friends. “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” Do not pursue this kind of intimate, one-flesh kind of relationship with someone until the time is right, until you’re both ready for everything in your lives to become one. Why? Because sex is so powerful. It’s the reason it’s used to sell everything. It’s why hook-up culture is pervasive. We often awaken love at the wrong time or with the wrong people. It was common enough that it was worth a warning 3,000 years ago, but the addictive nature of sexual sin is maybe even more powerful today. Pornography is ubiquitous, and AI-powered sexual immorality is right around the corner. But also, sexual sin is extremely shame-producing, so it’s hard for people to be honest about their temptations and sins and get help when they need it. But sexual sin brings us back to the most uncomfortable question about the Song of Songs. If Solomon was the one who wrote this, which one of his hundreds of wives or hundreds of concubines was this about? And wouldn’t his insane levels of marital unfaithfulness, the hundreds of wives and concubines, undermine the beauty of the song? The answer is definitely yes. Now, perhaps Solomon wrote the Song of Songs early on when he only had one wife. Or maybe Solomon wrote this song at the end of his life, when he reflected back on all his relationships and the idolatry and dysfunction that came from his polygamy. We can’t know for sure. But either way, given what we know about King Solomon’s actual love life, the Song of Songs ought to make us long for a better love. A more faithful love. The Song of Songs is first about human love, specifically the wonderfully intimate and pleasurable love that a healthy marriage can enjoy. This is what God intended for marriage to be from the beginning, and if you are able to have a relationship like this, then receive it as the blessing that it is. But we live in a broken world. So marriage and sexuality are often places of brokenness, pain, and shame. So second, the Song of Songs can serve as a sign pointing to the higher and deeper love of God for his people. Whether you’re married or single, whether you have a good, healthy, and life-giving marriage or a dysfunctional marriage that may not last, there is a higher love that is not only possible but is offered freely to all people because of the person and work of Christ. Not only does God know us completely and love us unconditionally, but his love has allowed us to be forgiven for all our sins, including our sexual sins. We can be declared righteous and washed clean from the stain of what we have done or what has been done to us. The best marriage on this side of eternity points to the love of Christ for his bride, the church. But every marriage at times ought to make us long for the better and more faithful love of God for us. So, husbands love your wives. And wives, love your husbands. Do not awaken love at the wrong time or with the wrong person. But above all, look to the unending, unconditional love of God found by faith in Jesus Christ. One day, there will be a feast in his banquet hall, and his banner over us will be love. And in that happy day, nothing “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro 8:39). I’m not sure if the Song of Songs is the greatest love song of all time, but I know the gospel is the greatest gift of God’s love for us. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Let us pray.
