Articles
Solomon's Valentine's Day Advice
Solomon's Valentine's Day Advice
In last week’s article we did some heavy lifting, so this week I decided to lighten it up a little.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Men get ready. Do you need help figuring out just what to say and how to say it? We can take a page out of Solomon’s book. The Song of Solomon was crafted by the wisdom of Solomon and inspired by God. Think about some of those rich expressions that you can incorporate into your marriage!
“Behold, you are fair, my love!” (1:15) That is rich! Men, think about expressing that to your wife. Just before that he says, “I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots” (1:9). That one is a little tougher to follow, but the idea is, you are good stock. Are you sticking with Solomon so far? “Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (2:2) Wow! That is beautiful and poetic. Try that on your wife, she’ll love it!
In chapter four things take an unexpected turn: “Your hair is like a flock of goats…. …Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep… …Your temples…are like pomegranate… …Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory… …Your breasts are like two fawns…” (ch. 4) Wait, what? Did Solomon lose you a little? He lost me. Don’t worry, he repeats most of these again with slight variations in other parts of the letter. May I suggest that you NOT try those specific ones on your lovely wife?
I don’t think it will have the same impact on her that it did on Solomon’s Beloved. Imagine, “Honey, your hair and teeth are like a bunch of farm animals.” Yea, she’ll love that. (Please detect the sarcasm) “The side of your head is like the ugliest fruit on the planet.” You’re sleeping on the couch. “Your neck reminds me of things my daddy built.” She is going to change the locks on the door.
Something beautiful those statements DO suggest; Solomon knew how to express himself in ways that his love understood and appreciated. [Her appreciation is evidenced by her responses to him.] We may not get it, but she got it.
Maybe our application then is this:
Do you seek out ways in which to express your sincere love? “I told her I loved her when we got married! I don’t need to say it again!” Go read Song of Solomon in its entirety. Is that the way Solomon felt about “his beloved”? He sought out ways to express how much his beloved meant to him. Actions and passion like that would bring any marriage back from the brink of destruction. To relate it in another way, consider Christ (See Ephesians 5:22f). Look at how Christ expressed His love for His bride. There was no question of His sincere sacrificial love. The bride doesn’t have to wonder if He really loves her. He made it obvious.
