Bible Reading: Numbers 10; Psalms 46 & 47; Song of Solomon 8; Hebrews 8
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. (Song of Solomon 8:6)
As Solomon and the Shulamite return from their village getaway she is sitting beside him and leaning on his arm in the chariot. He asks her to set him as a seal upon his heart and his arm. A seal is a sign of ownership and she is asking for unending love and faithfulness. Is this too much for a husband to ask of his wife? Is this too much for a wife to ask of her husband? No, it is necessary for the marriage to last.
Solomon declares that love is strong as death. Death is final and irreversible. Love is that strong. Love lasts. It is not something that you 'fall' into. The love of a husband and wife is strong and will last a lifetime therefore there is great jealousy that goes along with it. There is nothing wrong with a husband being jealous of his wife's affection; nor of a wife being jealous of her husband. Jealousy is cruel as the grave and if it is aroused will burn hot like coals of fire. If a husband doubts the faithfulness of his wife, this jealousy will burn. The same goes for a wife who doubts her husband's faithfulness.
The king is bringing up an important point about the marriage relationship. The husband and wife actually belong to each other. There can be no wavering affections in the relationship. For this reason, a man should not spend alone time with any other woman than his wife. The wife should not be alone with another man other than her husband. There should be no cause for jealously to burn in the relationship.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:7)
You cannot quench love nor can you buy it. The love of a man and a wife is a powerful thing. It should be cultivated and the promises revisited from time to time. A man and his wife must let nothing come between them. A beautiful thing is to see a young bride leaning on the arm of her husband. An even more beautiful thing is to see a wife of forty or fifty years leaning on the arm of hers! If love is like a fire that cannot be quenched, then stoke the fire and fan the flames!
Husbands need to show and tell their wives that they love them. Wives need to do the same. Jesus said it best:
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Mark 10:9)
In Christ,
Rody
