Mercy in Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Mercy as I define mercy as someone holding back some or all of the punishment deserved. Wether it is God being merciful or man. God or man treating sinners not as their sins deserve, but either lessening or delaying the punishment.
1 God’s Mercy to all the sinners in the Love Song in not sending them to hell.
2 Solomon’s mercy to the Gentile slave girl in giving her rest in God’s kingdom rather than whipping her and keeping her in slave labor under the hot sun.
3 God’s Mercy to all of Israel in letting them experience peace from their enemies.
1 We see Mercy in God not giving full punishment to the sunburnt Gentile slave girl, Solomon, the daughters of Jerusalem etc. Spiritual Mercy.
I see God being Merciful to Gentile bride who deserves hell for her sins. 1 Neglecting to take care of her vineyard. She was a steward of what God gave her and she should have been faithful to due her duties. She failed and neglected her vineyard. It would have pleased God for her to take care of her vineyard 1:6. She deserved Hell but God was Merciful and held back the punishment she deserved.
2 Mercy is seen in king Solomon not whipping the slave girl but inviting her to be with him where he is in the shade at noon, so she can have some rest. She did not deserve the rest, but since she was born again and had love in her heart toward Israel’s Messiah a type of Christ then this qualified her for the gracious experience of rest and mercy in no longer being in slavery. Physical Mercy.
In the Love Poem I see king Solomon being merciful to the Gentile slave girl who gets to experience God’s peace and rest in the promised land rather than being whipped and working slave labor under the hot sun.
Gentiles did the slave labor during the end of David’s reign, all of Solomon’s reign and into Rehoboams. 1 Kings 9:20–23. They were beaten with whips and Rehoboam said he would be more harsh in his treatment of them by beating them with scorpions.
“My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier.” This is the slaves, imploring Rehoboam for a lighter yoke after Solomon’s death, but Rehoboam says he will make their heavy yoke worse. Implying also that Solomons yoke on the slaves would be more merciful than Rehoboams.
“My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
3 We see God’s Mercy to Israel as a whole giving them rest. This is the time frame in which the Song took place.
But you will have a son who will be a man of peaceand rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peaceand quiet during his reign.
Forgiveness= Not holding in Anger.
God could be merciful in giving Israel physical rest yet if their soul’s were to get rest then that would be because He was no longer angry with them and they knew that God’s anger was poured out on the coming substitute for their sins depicted in the death of a spotless lamb in the sacrificial system.
The lame dying in place of the sinner displayed God’s beautiful holiness. Beholding this holiness was David’s primary delight.
Psalm 27:4
4 “One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.”
The Beauty of the Lord is His Holiness, which His hatred for sin and righteous anger toward sinners is manifested in the suffering and death of the substitute/Substitute. So God’s forgiveness is not directly seen illustrated in any text of the Song but implied just about everywhere.
Solomon forgave his sinful bride. He didn’t get angry when she sinned.
King Solomon’s forgiveness to the Gentile slave girl, that became his bride, is seen in that he kept loving her even when she disobeyed God and him. Love keeps no record of wrongs and is not angry when offended because love forgives.
She didn’t open the door at night when he wanted her to. She sins in 5:2–4 and Solomon doesn’t stay angry with her. This is seen in her own testimony of how king Solomon felt about her in Song 7:10
“I am his, and his desires is for me.”
Just after not listening to her king she testifies that “his desire is for her” meaning that he feels and does only love to her. Love desire the good of the object of its affection and forgives when offended and also is patient and keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Cor. 13:4ff.
I don’t see king Solomon doing anything wrong in the Song, only the bride sins. But I do believe the bride dies and then Solomon goes astray and then God splits the kingdom after Solomon’s reign because of it. Though Solomon goes astray late in life when he was “old” 1 Kings 11:4. Solomon marries the bride in the Song as a “child” compare 1 Kings 3:7 with Song 3:11. Yet even though Solomon sinned at the end of his life God had promised that “His love would never leave him” 2 Sam. 7:15
Thank you for your response. ✨
Application
The king of peace was not angry with his sinful bride. Neither is Jesus Christ angry with His Bride when she sins. He paid for her sins, why would he be angry. He loves her and keeps no record of wrongs. She is holy and blameless due to who He is, what he has done and His relationship to her.
Do not think Jesus Christ angry with you when feeling guilty for sin. Fear not punishment when thinking of the love of Christ for you. 1 John 4.
No matter how many sins you have done Christ loves you.
No matter how big your sins are Christ loves you and is not angry with you if you believe He suffered in your place and that He gives you His righteousness by which God accepts you and is not angry with you.
No matter how long you have sinned Jesus will forgive you. Ask Him!! Plead with Him to forgive you. Are you truly sorry you have offended such a loving God who would sent His Son for a wretch like you, then you love Him because He first loved you, no matter how long you have continued in sin. But you must repent and believe.
The Song of Songs is about two people who become one in marriage. A sweeter, happier and holier marriage cant happen if anger is held in by either person. Forgiveness is a huge key to happiness in marriage.
The Jew was to think of God’s great love in forgiving them then it would be easy to forgive others who has sinned against them. God has forgiven all of us for more and greater evils than we have done to other’s.
No amount of evil should be hard to forgive when your thinking properly of the God whom you have offended and His forgiveness to you in Christ.
Some of in marriage have lost that love and feeling because their is a bitter wall of anger separating the two of you. Don’t let Satan get his way. Forgive each other as Christ has forgiven you.
And husbands, you ought to be the leader in this!! You must illustrate the love of Christ to your wife. Be quick to forgive. Hold no anger in. Be patient no matter how hard it is. If their is anything wrong with the marriage think of whatever you are thinking of that you wife isn’t doing or is doing wrong and forgive her! Now!! Keep no record of wrongs and only have love in your heart to her and she will reciprocate that love and God will be pleased and glorified in your marriage because love will be on display and felt by all.
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