Surprised by the Song of Solomon- part 2

In my last post, I wrote about how challenging it was to preach through the Song of Solomon. It was the most difficult book I have preached through, up until now; and the fact that there is so much disagreement among biblical scholars is one of the main reasons. Another surprise for me in this study was the challenge to get people to believe how important this study is. It seems that many people assumed that this book was not for them. The misunderstanding is, I think, that the Song of Solomon is a sex book; and unless you are married and having sexual difficulties, that it is not for you. I can understand the hesitation.

But, what surprised me was that I had to emphasize theme verses that were not even in the Song of Solomon:
II Timothy 3:16,17 - "All Scripture is inspired by God; and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Our church is known for its stance on the inspiration of the Scriptures; and I would put our people up against almost anyone in a contest of Bible knowledge. However, we all seem to struggle with accepting this book as God-breathed; at least on the same level as all the other books of the Bible.

Could it be, that this collection of Hebrew love songs from over 3,000 years ago, applies to my life right now? Can it really teach me what God wants me to know? Can it really correct me from a wrong path? Can it really train me to live God's ways, today? Can it really lead toward spiritual maturity? The answer is: YES! But, it was a continual battle for me and the rest of our church family, to come to Song of Solomon, take it all in, and expect that there would be something specific for ALL of us to apply.

This is nothing against our church family. We are one of very few churches, I am finding out, that would even consider preaching this particular God-breathed book in morning services. But, throughout the series, working so hard at convincing the audience that this is worth our time, was a surprising development I didn't expect. Now, that it is over, I can say: It was worth it. Just don't ask me to do it again!