Today’s Scripture Reading (October
27, 2019): Song of Songs 7
Titles can be important to some
people. And sometimes they fill the one who has to bear the title with stress.
After her divorce, Princess Diana was able to keep the title “princess” because
she was the mother of a future king. But there was a discussion over whether or
not she could keep the style with which she was to be addressed; “Her Royal
Highness.” According to the rumors heard outside of Buckingham Palace, the
family was split on the issue. Queen Elizabeth wanted Diana to keep the style.
Prince Charles was insistent that Diana lose the style. And a very young Prince
William promised to return the style to his mom, “when he became King.” But
Diana’s mom fell out of favor with her daughter when she revealed that in private
discussions she had had with her daughter, Diana told her that she was happy to
let her style go. She just didn’t want to bother with all of the ceremony that
came with it. It is a bother that most of us will never have to experience.
On a more personal note, I do have
a princess in my family. As I write this, she is seven years old, and she claimed
the heart of her grandfather the day that she was born. I know she is not a
real princess, although there is possibly a little (minuscule) amount of royal
blood flowing through her veins, but that does not make her any less of a
princess in my eyes. She is, and always will be, an honorary princess in the
family. And it would take an extraordinary marriage to change that.
Solomon calls his bride a “prince’s
daughter” as he begins another lengthy section extolling her beauty by focusing
on various parts of her body. But while his description of her body probably
reflects the way that he views her, his description of her as a “Prince’s
daughter” is perhaps more honorary rather than literal. Oh, she is a princess,
but like Diana, it has nothing to with who her father is and everything to do
with who it is that she has married. Lloyd Carr makes this comment; the use of
Prince’s daughter “is not necessarily that the girl is of royal
birth, but rather that she is of gracious and noble character and person.”
Solomon might spend a lot of time describing the physical characteristics of
his new bride, but he is acutely aware that her inner character matches her
outward appearance. And both are important to Solomon.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song
of Songs 8
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