We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? – Song of Songs 8:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 22, 2016): Song of Songs 8

One hot summer Sunday I was at the church getting ready to start the service when one person came up and said: “you know, it is okay to let us go home early.” I totally understood the sentiment. There was nothing I wanted more than to say a quick amen and get out of the church and into the sunshine (hot and sun is rare where we live. As one wise man living to the south of us remarked, “This far north we only see the sun through an elaborate series of mirrors.” No, that is not really true, but I fully understand the sentiment.)  Yet, there were also important things that need to be said. And for all of those that had made the commitment to share this bright summer day in the church, I desperately wanted to say something of meaning making their sacrifice of coming worth the trouble. To dismiss early after a few songs and some meaningless words seemed to me to be sending the message “you didn’t have to come. After all, the sun is shining.” 

If beginnings are hard, so are endings. When is it that we have said enough? I often struggle with that. I spend almost as much time trying to end something as I do working to start it. Apparently, I am not alone. By all indications, the Song of Songs actually concludes with verse seven. It seems that verse is the summation and conclusion of the poem. Which means this is – extra. Scholars have tried to fit these last verses somewhere else in the text but have had little success. The closing verses of the poem simply have a feel to them like someone attached them later.

Does that mean that these verses are without purpose? No, I believe that every word of the Bible has some meaning. So as most Christian scholars consider verse eight, the consensus seems to be that an allegorical interpretation is the one that is of most use to us here. The younger sister of this passage is the Christian Church. We are the younger sibling of the older and more mature Jewish church. Historically, in many ways, we have proven to be the prodigal child. We seem to have little faith or love, which is reflected in the phrase “her breasts have not yet grown.” And there is a challenge being issued to our Jewish sibling. What will be the Jews response to this young child? Will they chase after us and attempt to teach us faith and love, or will they react like the older son in Jesus parable of “The Prodigal Son” and simply be glad that we have wondered away.

Almost three thousand years later the words, at least according to this allegorical interpretation, still hold to be true. We are still the little sister, and we still show that we have a lot to learn about faith and love. We are spoken for (after all, we are the bride of Christ), but we still have some maturing to do before he comes back. If that is going to happen soon, then we need to grow up quickly.

   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 10