A Dozen Red Roses - Pt 3

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7: ESV).

As Solomon comes to the end of this incredible song describing his deep relationship with his beloved, we see an important principle revealed concerning the commitment to longevity of marriage. Our reading begins with the declaration that “love is as strong as death” (v. 6). I’ve attached a picture from our wedding day, forty-nine years ago. You may notice a few things about it and have a question or two. I’ll try to briefly answer them for you. Yes, that is me in the coal black hair; I haven’t always been gray and old. Yes, Mary is wearing a very short dress; after all, that was the style in 1969 and she has the legs to looking stunning in any length dress, then or now. Yes, we are running to duck the throwing of real rice; they did that in those days and it wasn’t done gently. It is our “going away” picture. As we rushed to the car to drive to the first destination of our honeymoon, the car was thoroughly decorated with appropriate words and phrases for the occasion with cans tied to the back bumper. We were driving to San Antonio the first night and because of the late hour we wanted to scoot away quickly. Mary’s sister had other ideas as she and some others from the wedding party got in their car and blocked our “getaway” by driving very slowly in front of us for miles. It was all in good fun and wonderful to experience such a first day of marriage. There would be many more. I suppose our “honeymoon” lasted longer than many. That’s at the heart of the matter though. Solomon makes a reference to this idea that while the honeymoon phase will end, the joy and love in marriage doesn't have to. Most interpreters of the Scripture believe the whole book (or song) takes place between one and two years; thus, we can assume the marriage becomes challenging pretty quickly. But they don’t give up on their relationship, and after struggling through some challenges, they repair and restore their loving devotion to one another. This is a great example of the reality of marriage. The Hallmark Channel does a great job of showing a couple falling in love and making it to the altar, but they stop there. Perhaps because love gets tough after life begins. Marriage is a lifetime commitment and takes hard work, but the mature love shown at the end of Song of Solomon is a beautiful picture of the intimacy God desires couples to share. That’s the kind of love He has for us. It is the kind of love we must develop for one another if we are to have a long and satisfying relationship. Renew that commitment this Valentine’s Day!