Welcome to Week 5 of the First Comes Love Reading Plan! This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here.  Read More

Highlight In this final poem we see the summary and conclusion of our epic love story. Eros love is mysterious in many ways. In the context of marriage, in its unadulterated form, it’s pure bliss. However, the Song ends with a reminder about the power and intensity of love and a warning that it can be both beautiful and destructive. And yet God chooses to offer it to us for our good, to help quench a piece of our human longing to know and be known…and perhaps simply for our pleasure because part of His very nature is joy and delight. To know our spouse in this intimate, transformative way is also to know Him more.  Read More

Highlight Our lovers have finally united and their passion is unhindered. Twice leading up to these chapters we hear the Young Woman ask her friends to help her ‘not to awaken love until the time is right’ (2:7 & 3:5). It’s implied that in the early chapters of the book that our young couple is betrothed, but not married. Their anticipation is palpable…we’ve all been there. The Young Woman’s concern is not about the goodness of love and sex itself, but her sincere desire to receive this gift from God in the way she knows it can be fully enjoyed as He intended, in the context of marriage. Safe in the protection of this sacred union her heart is set free.  Read More

Highlight It may seem out of place to find such sultry language in the Bible, and it begs the question ‘why?’ Why would God include a book of passionate love poems in His Word to us? Well, there are a few traditional answers to that question. The Jewish tradition was that the Song of Solomon was an allegory representing Israel as the woman and God as the man, with their love as a symbol of the covenant between God and his people. After the time of Christ, many Christians interpreted it similarly as an allegory of the love of Christ for his Church, and we see similar language used by Paul in Ephesians 5:25-33. But it’s also possible that it is simply exactly how it reads, beautiful poetry celebrating the gift of Eros love given by God to be enjoyed in marriage.  Read More

Since this is a book of poetry, the author is not held to a linear plot line. However, there are several interesting themes that weave their way throughout the work. Clearly the intense desire of these lovers and the joy they find in their passion for one another is a primary theme. However, you may also notice that there is quite a bit of garden imagery used throughout the book as well. Some scholars believe it’s possible that the author is using this imagery to connect us to the Garden of Eden - where the Eros love between man and woman was first created and called good by God and where Adam and Eve were ‘naked and felt no shame’ (Gen. 2:24-25). Here we are painted a beautiful picture of unrestrained love in its purest form, untainted by selfishness and sin.  Read More

Highlight This week we’re learning about the ‘Eros’ form of love described in Scripture. Eros is a Greek word from which we derive the word ‘erotic’. In Scripture, it describes the passionate, physical expression of sexual love between a husband and wife. What better place to explore ‘eros’ than the Song of Solomon? We’re going to work our way through this steamy book of Jewish love poetry throughout this week, so buckle up and stay cool.   Read More