The Foundation of Marriage

The Joy of Marriage
Song of Solomon (introduction).
The Song of Solomon has been interpreted in various ways throughout the history of the church. Other than the Book of Revelation, no other book has been interpreted in entirely different ways. The book's vivid description of physical love has perplexed interpreters who see it as unworthy of the biblical text. In the past, one of the most common interpretations has been to view it as an allegory expressing Christ’s love for the church. In this view, the husband is Christ and the woman is the church. This had led to a very imaginative interpretation of the text, in which each descriptive phrase is taken to refer to various aspects of Christ’s relationship with his bride, the church. However, there is nowhere in scripture or the New Testament that the book is quoted in reference to Christ’s relationship with the church. Others have regarded the book as a Wedding song that served as the basis for the wedding ritual.  
In our understanding of the Bible, the starting point of interpretation is not to look for hidden messages or meanings (unless the text itself points us in that direction, as in the apocalyptic and symbolic messages found in the prophets). Instead, we are to start with the plain understanding of the message, which is the most straightforward and most obvious. The simplest and most obvious message of the book is that it is a celebration of the marriage relationship for those in the process of marrying. Thus, the book offers an interplay and dialogue between the bride and the groom as they express their mutual love. In the story, there is also a chorus of women who serve as witnesses and give their approval to the marriage.
The book then provides insight into the beauty and wonder of marriage by pointing to the qualities that form its basis. The references to the physical love between the bride and groom serve as a corrective to the perversion and abuse of sexuality that was present both in the nations that surrounded Israel, as well as in our nation today. The book serves to remind us that sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed in the context of the marriage relationship. It avoids the two pitfalls of condemning sexual love as evil or turning sexuality into wanton pleasure with no moral significance.
However, when we look more closely, we not only find the book extolling the joys and wonders of physical love in the context of marriage, but it also provides essential principles that teach us the basis of a godly marriage.   In a time when there is so much confusion about our understanding of marriage, and we see so many marriages struggling, the Song of Solomon provides guidance and direction by setting forth the principles for maintaining the marriage relationship. The book is more than just a love story; it is God’s manual for marriage.