STUDY NUMBER SEVEN – SONG OF SOLOMON 3:1-11

Song of Solomon 3:1-11

v. 1 How I miss the one I love so deeply.  I could not wait to see him.
v. 2 I thought to myself, “I must get up and find him.  I will get up now and look around the streets and squares of the city for him.  Surely I’ll be able to find this one I love so much.”  But I could not find him.
v. 3 When the night watchmen of the city found me, I immediately asked them if they had seen this one I loved so deeply.
v. 4 But they had not. Yet no sooner did I pass from them than I found my beloved. I held on and on and would not let him go until I could bring him to my home.  I still held on until my fearful anxieties left me and I felt peaceful once again.  How hard it is to be patient!
v. 5 You women of the court, we must promise ourselves, by the gazelles and deer of the field, not to awaken love until love is pleased to awaken itself.
v. 6 What can this be coming from the outskirts of the city like columns of smoke, perfumed clouds of myrrh and frankincense, clouds of the scented powders of the merchant?
v. 7 Look!  It is the royal procession with Solomon carried upon his lavish couch by his strongest servants.  And take a look at all those soldiers around it! That is the imperial guard, the sixty mightiest warriors in the entire kingdom.
v. 8 Each one is an expert with his weapon and valiant in battle.  Yet now each one has a sword at his side only for the protection of the King and his bride.
v. 9 Look at the luxurious couch Solomon is carried on.  He has had it made especially for this day.  He made its frame from the best timber of Lebanon.
v.10 Its posts are made of silver, its back of gold, and its seat of royal purple cloth. And do you see its delicate craftsmanship!  It reflects the skill of the women of the court who gave their best work out of love for the king and his bride.
v.11 Let us all go out and look upon King Solomon wearing his elegant wedding crown.  Let us go out and see him on the most joyful day of  his life.

QUESTIONS:

1.  Read Song of Solomon 3:1-11 and in your own words pull out the main thought of this passage.

2.  What is Shulamith’s problem in verses 1 & 2?

3.  Describe how Shulamith responds to Solomon in verse 4.

4.  What promise needs to be made, according to verse 5?

5.  Describe what is happening in verses 6 & 7.

6.  What is the purpose of having the imperial guard with Solomon on this occasion, according to verse 8?

7.  What has Solomon done, according to verse 9, for this special wedding day?

8.  What two things are said about King Solomon in verse 11?

9.  What verse in the study has meant the most to you?

10.  What lesson have you learned from this study?

LESSONS FROM THE PASSAGE:

What are some of the lessons we can learn from this particular study?

LESSON #1: Painful partings and the deep desire to be together is an indication of the growth of love in a relationship.

LESSON #2: Solomon is sensitive to the needs of his bride.  He builds her self-image and sense of security.  He makes her feel valuable and loved and important.

LESSON #3: Patience and purity are the two major ingredients of a growing relationship.

LESSON #4: We must promise ourselves “not to awaken love until love is pleased to awaken itself.”

LESSON #5: A good marriage involves the grand, the grind, the groan, and the growth.

LESSON #6: A good marriage partner must be a soldier, a student, a statesman, and a servant.

LESSON #7: Solomon offered his bride the best he had and his love for her brought out the best in him.

LESSON #8: A common commitment must be made on the part of each partner to catch the foxes of sloth, sex, silver, selfishness, and Satan in order for a marriage to accomplish its goals.

LESSON #9: Marital love is painful, possessive, persevering, and priceless.

LESSON #10: God’s desire for each marriage is that it might be the most joyful day of your life.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: