Song of Solomon 4-8

“I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine” (6:3). Romantic love has been celebrated through the centuries because the deep and secure commitment between two spouses is as close as humans come to a sense of total belonging. “Set me as a seal upon your heart” (8:6). We value love above all other good things: “If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised” (8:7). Solomon’s wedding-poem reminds us that this love has a source: “the very flame of the Lord” (8:6).

“Many waters cannot quench love” (8:7). Human love at its best still has limits, but God’s redeeming love reaches out even when we are unlovable and draws us close.