The Song of Songs, also referred as the Song of Solomon, is the only book of love poems in the Bible. A lyric poem in dialogue form, the Book describes Solomon's love for a Shalammite girl. The king comes in disguise to her family's vineyard, wins her heart, and makes her his bride.
The setting takes place in the hill country of Ephraim, about fifty miles north of Jerusalem at a vineyard of King Solomon. He let it out to keepers, consisting of a mother, two sons, and two daughters- the Shalammite, and a little sister. The Shalammite was the "Cinderella" of the family, naturally beautiful but unnoticed. Her brothers made her work hard tending the vineyards. She pruned the vines and set traps for little foxes. She also kept the flocks.
One day a handsome stranger came to the vineyard. It was King Solomon disguised. He showed an interest in the girl, and she became embarrassed concerning her personal appearance. She took him for a shepherd and asked about his flocks. He answered evasively but also spoke loving words to her and promised rich gifts for the future.
He won her heart and left with the promise that some day he would return. She dreamed of him at night and sometimes thought he was near. Finally he did return in all his kingly splendor to make her his bride.
The Song of Solomon is interpreted as the love affair between God and the Shekinah (God the Mother and God the Bride), on other levels, it is contemplated as the love-play of the Bridegroom and Holy Bride or as the relationship of the Christ-presence to the assembly of the elect. As the love affair of God and the Shekinah, the Song of Solomon indicates bliss as the foundation for creation- for creation comes into being and is sustained through the love-play of God and the Shekinah.
When human beings pray, meditate, perform sacred ceremony, and bring their souls into union with God, they join the Shekinah that indwells them to God. According to the Kabbalah, when a man and woman join together in love and there is an awareness of the divine in their union, their unification below brings about a spiritual union of God and the Shekinah above- and thus the union of the man and woman is blessed.
The passion of the Shekinah does not only extend to God but also to the faithful and elect who are lovers of God, to whom she is also a companion. She cleaves to the Lord and she cleaves to those who unite themselves with her in her love of the Lord, and thus joins together lovers with their beloved.
References~ Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ by Tau Malachi and www.preceptaustin.org
The setting takes place in the hill country of Ephraim, about fifty miles north of Jerusalem at a vineyard of King Solomon. He let it out to keepers, consisting of a mother, two sons, and two daughters- the Shalammite, and a little sister. The Shalammite was the "Cinderella" of the family, naturally beautiful but unnoticed. Her brothers made her work hard tending the vineyards. She pruned the vines and set traps for little foxes. She also kept the flocks.
One day a handsome stranger came to the vineyard. It was King Solomon disguised. He showed an interest in the girl, and she became embarrassed concerning her personal appearance. She took him for a shepherd and asked about his flocks. He answered evasively but also spoke loving words to her and promised rich gifts for the future.
He won her heart and left with the promise that some day he would return. She dreamed of him at night and sometimes thought he was near. Finally he did return in all his kingly splendor to make her his bride.
The Song of Solomon is interpreted as the love affair between God and the Shekinah (God the Mother and God the Bride), on other levels, it is contemplated as the love-play of the Bridegroom and Holy Bride or as the relationship of the Christ-presence to the assembly of the elect. As the love affair of God and the Shekinah, the Song of Solomon indicates bliss as the foundation for creation- for creation comes into being and is sustained through the love-play of God and the Shekinah.
When human beings pray, meditate, perform sacred ceremony, and bring their souls into union with God, they join the Shekinah that indwells them to God. According to the Kabbalah, when a man and woman join together in love and there is an awareness of the divine in their union, their unification below brings about a spiritual union of God and the Shekinah above- and thus the union of the man and woman is blessed.
The passion of the Shekinah does not only extend to God but also to the faithful and elect who are lovers of God, to whom she is also a companion. She cleaves to the Lord and she cleaves to those who unite themselves with her in her love of the Lord, and thus joins together lovers with their beloved.
References~ Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ by Tau Malachi and www.preceptaustin.org
