Today’s Scripture Reading (October
28, 2019): Song of Songs 8
Comedian
Steve Martin once commented that “I believe that sex is one of the
most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy.” The idea that
all sex is, at its most basic function, an economic transaction is an ancient
concept. The question is not whether or not sex can be bought, but rather, what
is the price? In our culture, the price for sex, even within the church, has
been dropping over the past few decades. Can sex be gained for the price of a
dinner, or maybe three good dates? Perhaps it is a time period, being in an
exclusive relationship for a year, or six months, or even a month. Whatever the
price was in the past, that price is much lower now. Even with the rise of HIV
and other sexually transmitted diseases that threaten our lives and ability to
have sex in the future, we still seem to value it less. The idea of saving that
first sexual experience for the wedding night almost seems archaic, as if sex
is maybe not worth that much.
Sometimes it seems that the
biblical experts, maybe especially Christian experts, often try to travel
through the Song of Songs without really mentioning the actual subject matter
of the book; sex. As I read the literature, there is often symbolic connections
between the book and the Christian Church that is found in King Solomon’s
words.
And yet, the subject matter here is
sex. So let’s talk about sex. The bride has, at various times, been
self-deprecating in her dialogue. She all too clearly sees her faults. Her skin
is too dark, a result of her many hours working in the sun. While her beloved
sees only her beauty, the woman is all too aware of her imperfections. Humbly
she wonders why the king would choose her.
And yet, here, she also recognizes
the immense value of her body. She has steadfastly refused to give it to anyone
all through her life. And at this moment, she is glad. Because now she has found
the one who is worthy of this valuable gift that only she has to offer. Her
beloved is the one who is willing to pay the price and make her his wife. All
of the offers that came before pale when compared to what the king offers her
now. There is no doubt that her beloved has imperfections as well. But still,
he is the right one, the one worthy of her gift.
Sexual desire is powerful, but
there is a sexual lesson that we need to hear from the story of the King and
his bride. In a culture that seems to want to devalue the gift of sex that we
have to give, we need to be careful about what we are willing to take to give
it away. A fun night after a meal might seem appropriate. But the truth is that
the time will come when we will wonder why we gave it away for so little.
The last clause of this verse has
caused some trouble in interpretation, but for me, the intent of the statement
is that the bride recognizes that others had helped her protect her body as she
grew up. Her father and her brothers, and maybe other close relatives were
important to the process. These are the ones who tended “her vineyard” so that
the bride could give this valuable gift to her husband on this day.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings
10
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