Meet The Puritans

Canticles: Communion with Christ?

Posted on 07. Sep, 2009 by Mark Jones in Book Reviews

Interpretation of Canticles or “The Song of Songs” in the last fifty years has predominately favored the view that the book reflects the love between a man and his wife, and not, in the first instance, the intimate relationship a believer has with Christ.  Many in the (Reformed) church today seem to talk so little about the enjoyment of sweet communion with the risen Savior who “dwells in our hearts by faith”.  They can speak about the ordo-historia issue all night long, but they are decidedly silent on Christian experience; indeed, they may even be embarrased to speak of their relationship with Christ in the manner we read of in the Song of Songs.

Interpreting Canticles along the lines of a believer’s communion with Christ is not, of course, peculiar to the Early Church or to the Puritans.  In fact, the Reformation theologian, Theodore Beza wrote a fine exposition of the Song of Solomon, which contains not only many important Christological insights, but glimpses into the nature of our communion with the Lord.

In the seventeenth century Canticles was often translated and sung to various Psalter tunes. One anonymous work is titled: The Song of Solomon, called The song of songs. Translated into English meeter, and fitted to be sung with any of the common tunes of the psalms. Besides that, we have Henry Ainsworth’s Solomon’s Song of songs In English metre, which could also be sung in church. Wouldn’t that be interesting? When was the last time you were in a church that sang the Song of Songs?

Beza’s work on Canticles is titled: Master Bezaes Sermons upon the first three chapters of the Canticle of Canticles (wherein are discussed the chiefest points of religion). This really is a fine work on Christology.  Beza argues that the Song is to be taken in a Spiritual sense and not to be taken as a marriage song between Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter, as some have insisted (1 Kings 11 condemns this marriage). Rather, this is a most excellent psalm touching on the spiritual bond between Christ and his Church (Genesis 2 & Eph. 5).  For Beza, the Song speaks of betrothing (engagement) and marriage that refers to Christ in his infirmities (betrothal) and Christ in his glory (marriage).

Incidentally, one of the best sermon series I have ever heard was on the Song of Songs; the series was preached by a South African preacher who understood it in much the same way as Beza, James Durham, John Owen, Samuel Petto, Thomas Brightman, John Cotton, Edward Leigh, Richard Sibbes, Matthew Henry and Johannes Cocceius (to name a few).

For your information, the Westminster Assembly condemned those who understood the Song of Songs as “a hot carnal pamphlet formed by some loose Apollo or Cupid”.  Moreover, John Wesley found the literal reading repulsive.  And, after reading Longman’s commentary on the Song of Songs, I felt like it was a complete waste of time.  Indeed, some of his own interpretations seemed to me to be far more “allegorical” than the stuff I’ve read from Beza and the Puritans!

If Canticles does describe the communion that a believer ought to have with his Savior, then I suspect that not a few of us will be exposed for having such a dry and boring relationship with the one who is “chief among ten thousand!”

Tags: Beza, Christ, Owen, preaching, Song of Songs, Westminster Assembly