Odd Analogies
Song of
Songs 2 continues the agricultural analogies.
Yesterday I jokingly commented about not many women desiring to be
compared to a horse. However, remember
that the Hebrew people at the time of Solomon were very agricultural. Horses were things of beauty in their
eyes. They still are things of beauty –
but I daresay that not too many women today would enjoy being called a
horse. It was a different world back
then.
So today
we come upon an image for a husband that is equally odd to our ears. After all, how many men do you know that want
to be called an apple tree? After all,
are not the oaks known for their strength?
Are not the pines known for their height and grandeur? Apple trees grow between 10 and 40 feet tall
– not grand by any measure. Their
branches are not overly sturdy. As with
all fruiting trees, they are susceptible to something as simple as frost.
What is so
special about an apple tree?
An apple
tree has the ability to provide for those who are in its vicinity. The fruit of the apple tree is not only
life-sustaining, but it is life-promoting.
Apples are known to help fend off the effects of dementia. Apples don’t contain much vitamin C, but they
are high in antioxidants. As with all
fibrous fruits, the fiber content can help the body fight against cancer –
specifically colon cancer. The fiber can
also help the body in the fight against excess weight and heart disease. The fiber can even help fight the battle
against cholesterol as the fiber helps prevent reabsorption. Apples can provide a spice and a flavoring to
other food as well as nutrition. Its
wood can be easily burned as a source of heat.
As we
learned yesterday in the comparison between women and the mare, we can learn
another agricultural analogy about the importance of a spouse in a
marriage. Husbands can provide for their
families. A good husband can enrich life
and help fight off things that are against life. A good husband provides a certain spice to
life that cannot be found otherwise. A
good husband can provide shelter and shade, but a good husband does not grow
larger than life, either.
The Beast Within
In Song of
Songs 2:7 (as well as in 3:5 and 8:4) we have a phrase that goes a long way to
speak towards abstinence. The bride of
Solomon abjures the young virgins of Jerusalem to not stir up love “until it
pleases.” In fact, the bride claims to
not even “awaken love” until it pleases.
The message seems to be clear.
Until the time for love is truly right and pleasing, it is best to leave
it alone. One might even say to not
awaken the “beast” within.
Of course,
there will be the traditional argument.
That is, “The Bible says ‘pleases.’”
So who is to say that sexuality only pleases within the confines of
marriage? Ultimately, the answer is that
nothing in this particular passage makes that point. Clearly the rest of the Bible makes the point
that the proper place for sexuality is within marriage. But I don’t think we have to abdicate that defense
just because the world “pleasing” is used here.
After all, sex is an event that makes us incredibly vulnerable. Sex is an event that exposes our inner needs,
passions, and desires. Where is it most
pleasing to have our true inner self exposed completely? The only truly pleasing place to be that
vulnerable is within a marriage bond that has been blessed by God.
Foxes
As we
conclude this chapter, I’m going to turn to the significance of verse 15. We hear a call to “catch the foxes that spoil
the vineyard.” What does this passage
mean?
Simply
put, the vineyard is an analogy for the marriage bond. The foxes are those things that come into
life and ruin the marriage. Perhaps it
is too much time apart. Perhaps it is
too much time together. Perhaps it is
too much time around the wrong people.
Perhaps it is our devotion to work.
Perhaps it is when we get our priorities out of whack. Perhaps it is personal finances. Of course, I can go on and on.
The
reality is that there are many “foxes” in this world that can spoil a
marriage. Some of these foxes are
obviously bad. Some of those foxes don’t
reveal themselves as bad until it’s too late.
We can’t always avoid their effects before they come. But we can take the call seriously. Be on guard for the foxes of your
marriage. Guard the vineyard of love.
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