The Loveliest Song

The Loveliest Song

When I began expounding the Song of Solomon under the title The Loveliest Song, I wondered whether I could raise the love of Solomon and the Shulammite to the beautiful love of God and draw out its meaning. Then I realized that if we, who receive God’s one-sided love, could not unfold this love, we would never hear the lovely song of Solomon and the Shulammite. Once I set foot in the Song of Solomon and opened my heart to their love, I began to hear that song. The love song they sing together showed me how great the love of God is, and what a deep and mighty watercourse it is.

As you read these sermons one by one, you too will come to know the love of God, and how highly honored you are as one who receives that love and rejoices in it. Through meeting Christ, God’s people have received the special blessing of becoming his children. Had we never met Jesus, we would never have presumed to call God our Father, nor would we have received eternal life. Christ paid the price for our sins and died on the cross, and that is God’s very love for us sinners. For the sake of loving sinners lower than worms, God went so far as to put his only Son, Jesus, to death. If you hold that precious love in your heart as you look at Solomon’s love, you will realize that you are the Shulammite, the one he loves.

Just as the Shulammite received Solomon’s love with her whole being, loved him, and boasted of him, so you too must receive the love of Christ with your whole being and boast of the Lord’s love to all the world. The Shulammite was a keeper of vineyards, yet regardless of her station Solomon loved her first, protected her, and raised her up. Solomon’s heart is the very heart of God. He called us when we were sinners, loved us first, guarded us from evil spirits, and lifted us up as the bride of Christ. Now it is our turn to answer that love. As the Shulammite danced with joy before Solomon, may you dance the dance of faith in thanksgiving for God’s love. That dance will go on forever, and because of it the Lord, your Bridegroom, will cherish you all the more.

Every time I turned a page of the Song of Solomon, I was truly happy, as if I were watching Solomon and the Shulammite smiling at each other. Because I know how warm the hearts of those whom God loves are, I knew how tender the love between the Shulammite and Solomon was; and because I wrote these sermons feeling that love, I think I heard the lovely song all the more clearly. Just as I felt God’s deep love through these sermons, I hope you too will become the Shulammite, enjoy God’s love to the full, and listen to Solomon’s lovely song.

I have gathered some of my prayers into an appendix. As you, too, speak with God in love, you will come to understand the Father’s heart and turn back from the road that was leading you into the world. As I prayed, I received words of grace and words of rebuke from God. They were given to me, of course, but I wanted to share them with you, so I have chosen a few to set before you here. In them you will see how great a love God has as he looks upon his people.

Like the Shulammite, who lived for Solomon alone, may you love God alone and, through a good heart and good choices, be loved ever more deeply.

Cho Chun-sook, Pastor of Watercourse Church