The Power of Human Love

READ: Song of Songs 7,8; Psalms 62; 1 Corinthians 8

SCRIPTURE:   Song of Songs 8: 6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give     all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

OBSERVATION: Critics often use the book “Song of Songs” to attack the Bible and its reliability. Some Christians struggle to explain the purpose of “Song of Songs” in the Bible. There were attempts to downplay Song of Songs and remove it from the Bible. Traditionally, Christians view Song of Songs as an allegory of the love between God and Israel, Christ and the Church, and Christ and individual Christians. For example, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a notable eleventh-century monk wrote 86 sermons on the first two chapters of Song of Songs. However, biblical scholars warn against using the allegorical approach as it raises many questions. To keep it simple, Song of Songs is an exchange of love between a married couple. We all would agree that Human sexuality and love are the gifts of God. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone,” and created Eve. Marital relationship is god-ordained for human beings. Song of Songs does not speak about the love relationship outside marriage or of any illegal relationship. It says of the love that freely expresses the inner thoughts about the spouse and their thoughts of celebrating love.

Song of Songs 8:6,7 says of the characteristics of marital love that it is strong, unyielding, invincible in human experience. It helps to understand the power of marital love and warns us that we cannot buy love with our wealth. Marital love is mutual and shared by both the husband and wife. It continues till death separates them. So, love needs proper care and time to sustain, grow, and prosper in it. Finally, marital love is a gift from God, and it should be honored accordingly.

APPLICATION: The world presents a distorted image of human sexuality and God’s creation. The Bible helps me to understand the purpose of the marriage relationship and to express love. Jesus said, “a man will…be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Mt.19:5-6). Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” I must be careful to love and honor God.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for imparting the wisdom concerning human love and its usefulness in marriage life. Jesus, help me to love and obey my spouse as I love you. Lord, help us to remain in love for your glory. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573

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