Many can relate to the Shulamite of a life born in pain. A cursory read through the Song of Songs gives us a glimpse into a woman who had a hard, if not abusive past. But then enters Solomon, and her life will never be the same again! Who is this man? And what is it about him that makes the music of this love Song so melodious?
Regardless of whether Solomon wrote it, (authorship seems to be debatable for almost every book of the Bible to some degree) it is noteworthy that his name is mentioned in the Song seven times.¹ This doesn’t include multiple references to things that would apply to him and the time period in which he reigned as king of Israel.
At the least, I think it can be said with confidence that in this book Solomon is a “sign and wonder.”
“Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” ~ Isa. 8:18
A sign points to and pictures something, and Solomon in this book points to and pictures the love of Jesus Christ for His bride.
Perhaps another way of saying it is a “shadow.” And like a shadow there are grey areas, but the reality always stands near the shadow if only we get our focus up off the ground to see Him!
Solomon at His Best
We know from Solomon’s history that he didn’t end well. Temptations overtook him. However, sin does not negate God’s promises and ultimate purpose. Many shadows of Christ sinned “royally.” (no pun intended) Solomon’s father, King David, was one of them. He committed adultery with Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother) and craftily arranged her husband’s death to cover his guilt. And yet David is clearly a “sign and wonder..” Many of his Psalms, for example, were understood and quoted as prophetic in nature for the Messiah.
One of the prophecies given to King David was that from his lineage the Messiah would come to sit on the throne of an eternal reign. Even the religious scholars of Jesus’ day who were confused about so much, knew that the Messiah would be a ‘son of David.’ ² It is in this sense that Solomon, by far the greatest king that ever reigned since David, can be seen as a shadow of the King of Kings. When Jesus Christ came He fulfilled all the prophecies of all the ‘shadows’ and declared unto a nation in bondage, “The Kingdom of God has come upon you.” John the Baptist who prepared the way for this message recognized what was happening when he called himself the “friend of the Bridegroom”.³ It was the long awaited time for God to obtain His Shulamite Bride! And a most beautiful bride too, that invites anyone in, both Jew and Gentile.
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” ~Jer 23:5
.
More thoughts about Solomon? Please share below.
Your comments are valuable and welcome.
¹ Song 1:1, 1:5, 3:7, 3:9, 3:11, 8:11, 8:12
² Matthew 22:41-46, also see 1 Chron. 17:11-14, Isa. 9:6-7, 11:1-4, Lk. 1:32-33, Jer. 23:5-6
³ John 3:29
8 comments
Skip to comment form
I know I’m straying from your request, but as I considered it, this came to mind when I read this:
“However, sin does not negate God’s promises and ultimate purpose. Many ‘shadows’ of Christ sinned ‘royally’”
Not only shadows of Jesus, but his ancestry as well, which depicts the ‘wonders’ of his redemption for those God has “…subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”. The geneology of Jesus in Matthew 1 is quite a mess as well! From man’s point of view, It is hardly a lineage for the King of Kings that is worth boasting about. But the bridegroom does!
Author
Thank you for sharing this, Paul. I’d say that was more like a ‘stroll’ than a ‘stray’. :-)
Solomon depicts man under the sun with nothing lacking materially. Yet in this under the sun perspective he sees nothing but vanity. His thoughts are drawn to intimacy, and this is the theme of the Song of Songs. Solomon is indeed both shadow and linage for the true Bridegroom Jesus Christ. Solomon in his wisdom points us to what is above the sun…The Son of Man, and the intimacy of His Loving Kingdom.
‘WHEN THE queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions,..”
“And when the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon’s wisdom, the house he had built, The food of his table, the seating of his officials, the [standing at] attention of his servants, their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.
She said to the king, The report which I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and of your wisdom was true, But I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the fame that I heard of you.” 2 Chron. 9
Solomon’s wisdom, and his kingdom impressed Sheba immensely “there was no more spirit in her”, and her eyes saw far more than she had heard. What a beautiful expression of our entering His Kingdom, to ‘see’ the Lords table is to see Jesus Christ, to taste of Him and find that His flesh is food, and His blood is drink, to sup on the Manna, and to bask in His Love,
“the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the fame that I heard of you.”
Author
Yes, and to think, that Jesus is said to be “greater than Solomon”, Luke 11:31.
So if that is the case that “half wasn’t told the queen”, and Jesus is greater, then that means?
I better stop here. Heavenly math is mind-blowing! :-)
The Cray One has melt down! So be it!
i believe that when we can recognize that we ARE (already & fully) the righteousness of God, then we can not only see ourselves in light of the Truth, but we also see everyone else that way as well. Including David, Solomon, etc. For some reason, ive been taught about these great people of the bible in light of their errors, kind of like their mistakes (their human-ness) were our saving grace (so to speak) showing us that there is still a chance to become ‘a man after God’s own heart’ or ‘the disciple whom Jesus loves’ because David & John made grave mistakes (too) but were highly honored by God. Now im beginning to see that we arent seen by God in light of our mistakes & his willingness to forgive them each time we fail. We are seen in light of: everything we will ever need forgiveness for has already been granted & all of our sin is as far as the East is from the West SINCE BEFORE the foundations of the world. So this new insight is causing me to look at these imperfect people of God differently. It is also helping me see myself differently. My perception & perspective is being greatly altered & it is a beautiful sight & a beautiful place to sit. Shadows, signs & wonders all look different depending on the Light.
Author
Beautifully put, Shelby. So true!