The Importance of Sex

We last left off with the bride of Song of Solomon in search of her lover after having missed the chance to be with him. Fast-forward to chapter 6. When the women ask the Shunammite where her beloved has gone she is ready with an answer:

Song of Solomon 6:2–3 (ESV) My beloved has gone down to his garden to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and to gather lilies. 3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies.

What is this talking about? She is the gardener. And the lilies refer to her body. The physical love captured in Song of Solomon is very apparent. 

The text teaches us the importance of physical love between husband and wife. Earlier she missed out on this and deeply regretted it. She then sought him out and apparently found him again. What created the distance from before in chapter 5? They missed out on love making that belongs in the marriage bed. 

It is very true that sex binds a husband and wife together. It must not be avoided or withheld. Even Paul commands this of God's people in 1 Corinthians. 

1 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT) Do not deprive each other of sexual relations unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
 
Want infidelity to creep into your marriage? Refuse to give yourselves to one another bodily. Sex is not some kind of add-on to a relationship, is an essential physical expression that deepens the bond between you.

Notice the response of the man to his bride after this romantic encounter:
Song of Solomon 6:4–5 (ESV) You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners. 5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me— Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead.

Women may not like to hear this, but a man is captivated by you when you make love to him. I know I know, you want a man who only wants to be with you for you. But sex is important whether you believe it or not, whether he tells you or not. Sex is not dirty, it's not sinful in a marriage between man and woman, and in fact, it was created by God for you to share. It brings you closer. 

And here's the result for the woman. The sexual encounter stirs her up for more intimacy with him! 
Song of Solomon 6:11–12 (ESV) I went down to the nut orchard to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom. 12 Before I was aware, my desire set me among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince.

The imagery here is clearly (if not humorously) sexual. And it's proof positive of the way in which God's Word continues to speak to our reality. Sex is not off-limits in God's eyes. It's a positive good. Moreover, it's a hint of heaven - the glory that is ours in Christ Jesus where we experience pleasures for evermore.

And for married people, it can offer you the healing possible for a brokenness between you.



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