As I promised – today we start in earnest.

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. – Song of Songs 1:1

The Song of Songs…

At first glance, you may think we’re looking at the title and author. Well – yes and no.

Check out the pattern: Song of Songs. Does that remind you of anything? Handel (or should I say John?) used this pattern in his song of songs, the Hallelujah Chorus – King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:6)

King of Kings–the high King of heaven above all earthly rule and authority.

Lord of Lords–the Master of all masters, Boss of all bosses.

So before us looms the Song of songs. Hey–if this tops Solomon’s charts as his best work that’s saying something. 1 Kings 4:32 tells us He wrote 1005 songs. I was impressed when I learned that Fanny Crosby of  “Blessed Assurance” fame wrote 80 hymns.

But the implication of this pattern in scripture goes beyond Solomon’s catalog of work. It implies this is THE SONG of ALL SONGS, the greatest song ever written. One song to rule them all.

An interesting contrast here – just 7 verses earlier, before the Song of Songs in another of Solomon’s writings, Ecclesiastes, we have this pattern again:

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!” – Ecclesiastes 12:8

(Note to the marketing department at Bathrooms R us. This is not a great marketing pitch for your furniture division.)

It strikes me that the number one song in God’s hymnal is not an anthem of courage or a victory chant. He didn’t choose the ballad of a sinner come home or a psalm of deliverance. He chose a love song. And the sweetest part is that it’s OUR SONG.  When I hear these lyrics anywhere, I glance up and say, “They’re playing our song!”

…which is Solomon’s

So who is Solomon? You can read up on him on your own, but for our purposes here is what you need to know.

He was the third king of Israel.

He was the son of David (of giant-killing fame) and Bathsheba (of roof-bathing fame.)

He ruled Israel in its best and most glorious days–her golden age. It was 40 years of peace and prosperity. Israel increased and extended its borders without a single day of war.

At home, there were those 300 wives and 700 concubines.

He amassed riches unequaled in history, the stuff of legends and Hollywood extravaganzas.

Notably, he received a greater measure of wisdom that any man before or since.

Come back next week and we will take a look at a Kiss that will rock your world.

Thanks so much for reading today.

Walk in love,

Ben

Photo Credit: The final measures of the Hallelujah Chorus original handwritten score. By George Frideric Handel 1685–1759 – Scanned from The Story of Handel’s Messiah by Watkins Shaw, published by Novello & Co Ltd, London 1963, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17994890