In The Messianic Music of the Song of Songs, Dr Jim Hamilton persuasively argues that the original readers of the Song of Solomon viewed the author as the “ultimate expression of David’s royal seed…the Davidic King, with all the messianic connotations that status carries.”[1] In other words, when they read the book or sang the Song they saw more than the best human king’s best human love. They entered into God’s gracious love expressed through His anointed King to His undeserving people. Despite all their failures and faults the Song assured the Israelites that Love would win through the Messiah alone.
In that excellent article, Jim argues against the allegorical approach, but he also expresses reluctance about seeing any typology in it:
This messianic understanding of Canticles is not allegorical, nor need it even be typological, it is strictly historical and canonical. It assumes that the Song of Songs was written from the hope for an anointed king reflected in the rest of the OT, but it neither imposes foreign concepts nor imports the NT into the interpretation of the poetry.
To me it seems such a tiny step to go from the “historical and canonical” Messianic understanding of the Song to a typological understanding, that I’m not quite sure why we would would to hold back from this. Perhaps it’s because of the way the song has been “over-allegorized” or “over-typologized” in the past. But we needn’t be afraid of opening the door to this if we use a sound definition of typology to keep us on track. Try this one:
A type is a real person, place, object, or event that God ordained to act as a predictive pattern or resemblance of Christ’s person and work (or of opposition to it).
Let’s unpack that a little:
- A type is a real person, place, object or event: it is true, real, and factual
- That God ordained: it does not resemble Christ’s person or work by mere coincidence but by divine plan
- To act as a predictive pattern or resemblance: the same truth is found in the picture and the fulfillment
- Of Christ’s person and work: the truth in the picture is enlarged, heightened, and clarified in the fulfillment
- (or of opposition to it): God also gave prophetic pictures of Christ’s enemies.
The Song is a little different to normal typological literature in that it is written as poetry rather than pure historical narrative. However, there is a substantial historical element to it; a true, real, and factual relationship forms the basis for it. Add that definition of typology to the contextual and genre considerations we’ve been proposing and we are well on the way to recovering a sane Christ-centered interpretation of the Song of Solomon to the Church. And it should help a few marriages along the way as well.
Anyway, as I said yesterday, I’ll finish this short series of four posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) on interpreting and preaching the Song of Solomon with a few sample sermon outlines that reflect the historical, canonical, and literary approaches we’ve been advocating, but which also take that extra little step to typological (not allegorical) understanding. And remember we’re trying to resist the temptation of trying to find an exact spiritual parallel or marriage parallel for every detail.
He is everything to me (1:1-17)
- He is beautiful but I am damaged (1:2-7)
- He is generous in praise and gifts (1:8-11)
- He refreshes me (1:12-14)
- He returns my love (1:15-16)
- He enriches my life (1:17)
A taste of heaven on earth (2:1-17)
- Love is beautiful/fragrant (2:1-2)
- Love nourishes (2:3-6)
- Love is patient/sensitive (2:7)
- Love is enthusiastic (2:8-9)
- Love invites (2:10-13)
- Love is bashful (2:14)
- Love is tender (2:15)
- Love is possessive (2:16)
- Love is imperfect on earth (2:17)
He is all-over lovely (5:10-16)
- He is outstanding (5:10)
- He is noble/royal (5:11)
- He is tender (5:12)
- He is fragrant (5:13)
- He is rich (5:14)
- He is strong/solid (5:14)
- He is authoritative (5:15)
- He is affectionate (5:16)
Love Wins (8:5-14)
- Love returns to its roots (8:5)
- Love reflects on its strengths (8:6-7)
- Love relies on the protection and support of close friends (8:8-10)
- Love re-prioritizes relationships (8:11-12)
- Love recognizes that it has not yet won (8:13-14)
[1] Jim Hamilton, “The Messianic Music of the Song of Songs: A Non-Allegorical Interpretation,” 13.
These have been really helpful for giving grist for the mill about this difficult book.