For anyone who is familiar with King Solomon, in addition to being known for his wisdom, one astonishing fact about his life comes from 1 Kings 11:3, which tells us that this man had 700 wives and 300 concubines – OH MY! To me that sounds, well, more lustful than wise! It’s a good thing to know that God’s allowance of something does not mean His approval of that thing!

So what could a lustful yet wise man have to share with us about the ideal marriage relationship, which is what the Song of Solomon is known for? What if I were to tell you that a secret to the Song of Solomon is understanding that it goes way, way beyond the ideal earthly marriage.

Also known as the Song of all Songs, this love story was prophetically written and is most notable as an allegory – figurative of the relationship between the Bridegroom King (Jesus) and His Bride (the Church). Zeroing in on God’s relentless pursuit of our affections (from “The Sacred Journey” by Brian and Candice Simmons), it is not just the Church collectively, but speaks directly to each one of us individually. It is the story of the Bride’s transformation journey to maturity and full partnership, side by side with her Bridegroom King.

There’s a song we’ve been singing for years, written by Alfred B. Smith in 1965 titled “His Banner Over Me Is Love”. In case you’re not too familiar, it comes from a verse found in the Song of Solomon:

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love”
– Song of Solomon 2:4, KJV

Imagine my surprise when I learned more of the true meaning behind chapter 2 verse 4 and the happy little song I, to this day, enjoy singing! Having been raised in a denomination steeped in religious tradition, I never gave “the banqueting hall” (or table, as the song goes) a second thought. The original text translated into the English version of scripture we used was the only translation I need understand. Or was it? I had always pictured a long table with the perfect place settings, jammed full of every delectable and wonderful kind of food imagined. What else did I need to know?

He brought me to His banqueting hall… The word “banqueting” in the original Hebrew is יַיִן (or “yayin”). Literally translated, it means “wine (as fermented); and (by implication) intoxication“. OH if my great grandfather had ever caught wind of that I’m sure he would be rolling in his grave! On one hand, having a husband who is European, it makes perfect sense because he has told me several times how drinks in the middle ages needed to be fermented just to take care of any little “bug” that might have been in the water. On the other hand, why would an allegory of the perfect relationship include the idea of being intoxicated? What is the deeper meaning? Consider the Apostle Paul’s teaching:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”
– Ephesians 5:18 KJV

The deeper meaning of being brought to the house of wine (literal translation) is that the wine in this allegory represents the Holy Spirit, which is the God I never knew in the first 25 years of my life. So if we are to be inebriated by anything, Paul is telling us the best thing to be inebriated with is the person of the Holy Spirit Himself. So cool!

Ahhh… Traditionalism (the practice of adhering to tradition as authoritative). It’s a slippery slope that can so often allow us to honor God with our lips when our hearts are far from Him (Mark 7:5-9). Tradition would tell us God does not speak outside of certain versions of scripture. It’s a fallacy to believe God no longer speaks to us today outside of what has already been written (or translated). It’s the lie of the enemy. If He no longer speaks then we no longer believe we have to listen. If we’re not listening then we’re not tuning in to hear what He is saying.

Let’s tune in and discover what He is truly saying, shall we?