OVERVIEW OF THE STORYLINE OF SONG OF SOLOMON
I. THE SONG OF SOLOMON—THE REVEALING OF GOD’S AFFECTIONS
A. This eight chapter love song contains something so unique to the Word of God. It is the most dynamic and concentrated
book revealing the emotional capacity and makeup of God. In it we have been given access to peer into the deep
movements of God’s heart. Any who will receive the weight of its message by turning it into prayer will experience
certain inward transformation.
B. We do not receive the revelation of God’s affections easily. We resist grace and dismiss it as poetic or
romanticized because of pockets of resistance within. Yet we must pursue and receive this revelation in order to be
transformed at the deepest levels.
II. THE DIVINE KISS & THE BRIDE’S LIFE VISION (SONG 1:2-4)
Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth (Word)- For Your love is better than wine…4 Draw me away (intimacy)!
We will run after you (ministry). (Song 1:2-4)
A. The theme of the Song of Solomon is the Bride’s spiritual journey to be drawn near to Jesus in intimacy and then
to run in deep partnership with Him in ministry. She matures in these two realities as she experiences the kisses of God’s
word touching her heart.
B. This is the summary of the Bride’s theology of how to grow in wholehearted love for Jesus. We cry out for His word and He
progressively releases His Divine Kiss and the fire of His love tenderizes our hearts, enabling us to feel some of what He feels.
C. The overall structure of the book is that the first four chapters focus on the bride’s inheritance in Jesus and the second four
chapters focus on Jesus’ inheritance in the bride.
III. HER JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A PARADOX OF GRACE (SONG 1:5 – 11)
I am dark, but lovely… (1:5) my own vineyard I have not kept. (Song 1:6)
A. Paradox: She discovers that she is dark in her heart but lovely to God. Jesus gives us the gift of righteousness that
makes us lovely in God’s eyes (2 Cor. 5:17-21). She has a desperate cry to have more of Jesus. Yet all the while, she
sees the reality of her sinful desires and shortcomings.
All things have become new…21 we become the righteousness of God... (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
B. Basis of our “Loveliness” to God: God’s personality, the gift of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), the willing spirit given
at the new birth (Matt. 26:41), our eternal destiny as Jesus’ bride (Matt. 22:2)
C. She has a desperate cry to have more of Jesus. “Where will You feed my spirit?”
Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock…For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your
companions? (1:7)
D. Jesus reveals His tender heart for her. Then He reaffirms her sincerity (Song1:8-11).
…O fairest among women…(Song 1:8)
IV. UNDERSTANDING HER IDENTITY IN GOD’S BEAUTY (SONG 1:12-2:7)
A. Jesus expresses His affections for her and she has an initial revelation of His beauty.
Behold, You are handsome, my Beloved! Yes, pleasant! (Song 1:16)
B. She experiences a new powerful revelation of her identity in Christ—a fragrant rose before God.
I am the rose of Sharon, and¬ the lily of the valleys. (Song 2:1)
C. He begins to establish the superior pleasures as He woos her with lovesickness. The goal of her life in these
immature beginnings is her own happiness which is most deeply experienced when God's Presence seems near to her.
Over time her goal will become Jesus’ joy and inheritance.
I sat down in His shade with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
and His banner over me was love. 5 Sustain me…refresh me…for I am lovesick. (Song 2:3-5)
V. CHALLENGING THE COMFORT ZONE (SONG 2:8-17)
8 The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a
gazelle or a young stag. Behold, He stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows…10 My Beloved spoke,
"Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away…17 Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, Turn, my Beloved,
and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains. (Song 2:8-17)
A. Jesus is pictured as effortlessly skipping and leaping over the mountains. The mountains speak of obstacles both
human and demonic. She is accustomed to being fed with grapes and raisins and experiencing the manifest presence of
God—she thinks she has reached the pinnacle of love.(2:3-4).
B. In response to Jesus’ beckoning, she tells Him to turn and go to the mountain without her (2:17). This compromise
is rooted in fear, a fear arising from the immaturity of her love. She feels that wholehearted obedience might cause her to
lose something, and she fears losing her comfort in the earth. She loves Him but does not believe she has the strength
to fully obey.
VI. DIVINE CHASTISEMENT (SONG 3:1-5)
By night on my bed I sought the One I love; I sought Him, but I did not find Him. 2 "I will rise now," I said, "…I will seek the
one I love." I sought him, but I did not find him. 4 …When I found the One I love. I held Him and would not let Him go…
(Song 3:1-4)
A. She experiences the discipline of God as He hides His face from her. The sweetness of what she experienced just
prior (Song 2:3 -5) is gone. He refuses to come to her until she obeys Him. He loves her too much to leave her in a
weakened position of disobedience. The divine discipline does not mean He is angry with her but that He is going to pry
her fingers off of the things that will destroy her by withdrawing until she obeys Him wholly.
B. She soon “arises” to obey the call to leave her comfort (Song 3:2). Compelled by love, she arises to obedience. She
finds Him and resolves deep in her heart never to lose the freshness of the Holy Spirit in her spiritual walk. Jesus’
manifest Presence returns in response to her obedience.
VII. A FRESH REVELATION OF JESUS AS A “SAFE SAVIOR” (3:6-11)
In this section, Jesus reveals Himself as one who is safe to obey 100%. He shows Himself to her as the trustworthy
Savior who extravagantly provides for her spiritual security. He wants her to have firm, deep belief and assurance in
who He is as a perfect leader, as well as an affectionate Bridegroom.
VIII. PROPHETIC HEART OF THE HEAVENLY BRIDEGROOM (SONG 4:1-8)
A. He reveals to her how beautiful she is to Him.
Behold, you are fair (beautiful), My love! Behold, you are fair (Song 4:1)
B. He describes eight distinct virtues of her beauty that He sees emerging in her life. (4:1-5). Jesus prophetically
proclaims her “budding virtues”. He calls things that are not as though they were (Rom. 4:17). God names us according
to our prophetic destiny. He looks into her heart and sees the cry in her spirit. He calls her beautiful, dedicated,
discerning, consecrated etc. God names us according to the cry of our heart (not our failures).
IX. LOVE PREVAILS OVER ALL COMPROMISE AND FEARS
A. The cry of her heart arises in abandoned love, “I will meet You at the mountain.” I must go all the way. I cannot remain
where I am. I am ruined in love. Yes. I say yes to You.”
Until the day breaks…I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh...(Song 4:6)
B. Initially, she refused His call to come to the mountain (Song 2:9-10). However, in this season she commits to go.
She agrees to deeply embrace His death. She is only in the initial stages of her obedience. Later she becomes mature.
X. RAVISHED HEART OF THE HEAVENLY BRIDEGROOM (SONG 4:9-5:1)
You have ravished My heart…My spouse; you have ravished My heart with one look of your eyes…How fair (beautiful)
is your love…My spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the scent of your perfumes than all spices!
(Song 4:9-10)
A. As she is on her way to the mountain, Jesus reveals Himself as the heavenly Bridegroom with this statement,
“You have ravished My heart.” He reveals His passionate affection for His Bride. This revelation of His ravished heart
equips her to fully embrace the cross.
B. Jesus describes His pleasure over her character (4:10d-11) giving a seven-fold description of the Bride (4:12-15).
C. She desires that Jesus receive His inheritance in her. She cries out for increased anointing (Song 4:16). North winds
speak of the cold bitter winds of winter. South winds speak of the warm refreshing winds of summer. God knows we need
both winds to reach maturity.
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my Beloved come to His
garden and eat its pleasant fruits. (Song 4:16 )
D. “Let my Beloved come to His garden.” The entire storyline turns on this verse. In the first four chapters she was
only concerned with her inheritance (her garden). Yet in the last four chapters, His inheritance in her is her focus.
I have come to My garden, My sister, My spouse; I have gathered My myrrh with My spice; I have eaten My honeycomb
with My honey; I have drunk My wine with My milk. (Song 5:1).
XI. THE ULTIMATE 2-FOLD TEST OF MATURITY (5:2-8)
“It is the voice of my Beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for Me… My love…My perfect one; for My head is covered with
dew, My locks with the drops of the night." (Song 5:2)
A. Jesus embraced the cross in the long and lonely night in Gethsemane. Jesus comes to her as the man of sorrows
in Gethsemane (Song 5:2) and invites her to share His sufferings (Phil. 3:10).
B. Jesus asks her to open up for Him as He reveals Himself as the Man of Gethsemane. Jesus wants to be the goal of her
life, and not just the stepping stone to her agenda of success and happiness.
C. She responds in obedience saying she took off her dirty robes and washed her feet (Song 5:3). She is not afraid
of obeying Jesus and thus, asked for the bitter north winds of pressure. She rises immediately with a heart yearning in
love for Him. The locks of her heart have myrrh on them, which speak of her heart commitment to embrace death in
her pursuit of Jesus.
4 My heart yearned for Him. 5 I arose to open for my Beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh…on the handles of the
lock. (Song 5:4-5)
D. She experiences her first test of suffering-- His withdrawn presence in intimacy (5:6). This test of withdrawn
presence is not due to disobedience as in 3:1, but to mature obedience. Some medieval teachers have called this “the
dark night of the soul.” God hides His face, sometimes from the most devout, to draw forth their hearts to be wholly
and only His.
I opened for my Beloved, but my Beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when He spoke. I sought
Him, but I could not find Him; I called Him, but He gave me no answer. (Song 5:6)
E. She experiences her second test of suffering--persecution & rejection (5:7). The watchmen strike and wound her,
taking away her spiritual covering, and keeping her from functioning in ministry in the Body.
The watchman…struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. (Song 5:7)
F. Summary: the Lord called her to join Him in Gethsemane. She responded in instant obedience. Then He gave her a
two-fold test related to her life vision prayer to be drawn in intimacy with God and then to run in ministry together
(Song 1:4).
G. She responds in deep humility, asking the less spiritual daughters of Jerusalem to deliver a message of love to
Jesus. Instead of offense at Jesus for this testing, she is lovesick for Him.
O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved…tell Him I am lovesick!(Song 5:8)
XII. THE BRIDE’S RESPONSE TO THE TWO-FOLD TEST (SONG 5:9-6:5)
A. The spiritually dull, passive daughters of Jerusalem ask the mature bride a question. Provoked by her deep love
for Jesus and her profound humility in seeking their help, they conclude she must know something about Him that they
don’t. They had never seen such maturity and humility.
What is your Beloved more than another Beloved, O fairest among women?
B. Her answer reveals her source of love for Jesus. She gives ten descriptions of Jesus’ majestic beauty (5:10-16).
This is one of the greatest proclamations on Jesus’ beauty in the Scripture.
10 My beloved is white (dazzling, NAS)…and chief among ten thousand. 11 His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy…
and black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters…13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices…His
lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is carved ivory inlaid with
sapphires. 15 His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the
cedars. 16 His mouth is most sweet, Yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my friend…
(Song 5:10-16)
C. She proclaims, “I am in it for Him! I am not offended right now in the midst of north winds. I know they will bring
forth the fragrant spice of my garden.”
XIII. JESUS PRAISES HER AFTER THE SEASON OF TESTING (6:4-10)
A. Jesus finally breaks the silence and lavishes His affection and praise on her now that the season of testing is
over. Jesus describes the Bride’s three-fold hidden beauty.
O My love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners! (SONG 6:4)
B. A returning army in the ancient world came back with banners. She defeated the greatest enemies, those that
were found in her own soul. Jesus has been watching and His heart is so moved by her abandonment. I imagine Him
turning to His Father and saying, “Father, she is in this for Me alone. I am not a stepping stone toward her pleasure,
but the very reward of her heart.”
C. Jesus is conquered only by the Bride (6:5).
Turn your eyes away from Me, for they have overcome Me. (SONG 6:5)
He says “Turn your gaze from Me.” He doesn’t mean this literally but in the ultimate language of love. Her eyes of devotion have
overwhelmed and conquered the very heart of God with Love. All the armies in hell cannot conquer Jesus, but the eyes of
devotion of the redeemed overwhelm Him when they are true to Him in times of testing.
D. Jesus describes the Bride’s maturity (6:5 -7) and pre-eminence (v.8-9).
There are 60 queens and 80 concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my perfect one is the only one, the only
one of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. (Song 6:8-9)
E. The Holy Spirit describes the Bride’s crown of glory (6:10).
Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?
XIV. THE VINDICATION OF THE PERSECUTED BRIDE (SONG 6:11-7:9A).
A. As the Bride walks in this revelation of who she is before the Lord, she is persecuted.
B. Mature love and commitment to serve the whole church (Song 6:11) overcomes her (Song 6:12).
C. She receives a sincere response from some within the church (Song 6:13a,b) yet a hostile response from others
(Song 6:13c,d). The Bride is vindicated by discerning saints (Song 7:1-5). The Bride is vindicated by Jesus Himself
(Song 7:6-9a).
XV. THE BRIDE'S MATURE PARTNERSHIP WITH JESUS (SONG 7:9B-8:4).
A. Bridal Partnership: The wine of the Holy Spirit is able to revive those who are spiritual sleepers. The Lord uses
her to awaken those who spiritually asleep. This is the right way of nurturing desire in others.
The wine goes down smoothly for my Beloved …moving gently the lips of sleepers (7:9)
B. Entirety: This is her greatest revelation in the Song. She has profound insight into Jesus' affection, longing, and
enjoyment of her. His enjoyment of her is the great power of her life. She acknowledges that she belongs fully and utterly
to Him.
I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me. (7:10)
C. Partnership in Intercession: The Bride intercedes for more power. The cry, "Come" is the same intercessory
prayer seen at the end of the age when the Spirit and the Bride both cry, "come" to the Lord. Great transformation has
taken place in her life. She is now committed to the very things that He is committed to. She experiences undistracted
intimacy in the midst of ministry. She says, “In the fields of labor, I will give you my love”.
Come, my Beloved, let us go forth to the field…There I will give You my love (7:11, 12)
XVI. THE BRIDAL SEAL OF MATURE LOVE (8:5-7)
A. The Holy Spirit proclaims the Bride’s final victory. He is prophesying her inevitable victory as a mature Bride at the end
of history. “Coming up” speaks of her victory in the midst of testing, temptations and difficulties that purified her in this life.
Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved? (8:5)
B. Bridal Seal: Jesus’ invites her to receive the bridal seal of Divine love. Jesus is the bridal seal. Jesus is extending
an invitation to her to take Him as the seal on her heart. The book starts off with a cry for a kiss and ends with a seal of
love. This seal is the eternal uncreated fire of God burning in the human heart to empower supernatural love. The seal
on our heart is communing with Jesus that releases God’s authority to protect us.
Set Me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the
grave. Its flames are flames of fire. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give
for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. (8:7)
XVII. THE BRIDE’S FINAL INTERCESSION AND REVELATION (SONG 8:8-14)
A. The Bride intercedes for the church (Song 8:8–9) and for Jesus’ return (Song 8:14). In Song 8:8–9, her apostolic
passion for the church is seen.
B. In Song 8:10, Her three-fold confidence is as a wall (selfless motives), as a tower (her supernatural abilities to
nurture) and as one with peace (emotional hindrances are removed).
C. In Song 8:11-12, she experiences the power and enjoyment of living before His eyes instead of before the eyes of men.
Her sense of importance is rooted in eternity as she has revelation of giving account before God (8:11). She has a
revelation of her own spiritual maturity before God (8:12).
D. Final Commission: Jesus gives one final commission to her. These are the last words that He speaks to her.
Therefore, these are essential, wise and romantic words. These believers eagerly listen for her voice because they take
her ministry seriously. “Let Me hear it!” - He is beckoning her again to worship and intercession. He says,” In this great
overflow of all the people listening, let Me hear your voice as well. Do not get so busy that you forget who you are.
You are My bride first and you are a discipler of people second. Let Me hear it, too.”
You who dwell in the gardens, the companions listen for your voice—Let Me hear it! (8:13)
E. Incessant Intercession: The cry of the Bride rings throughout the final moments of the Song as her last words are
those of intercession. And this prayer will continue, incessantly, until the Day He returns. This is our final cry unto Jesus,
as the corporate Body of Christ together with the Holy Spirit in perfect union cry for the Return of the Lamb, “The Spirit
and the bride say, Come!” (Rev. 22:17). We cry out, “Make haste, Beloved Jesus, and be like a gazelle and a young
stag upon the mountain of spices (Song 8:14)” And Jesus responds, “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20).