What the Women of the Bible Have Taught Me

Song of Songs

Last week I made a big breakfast for my family. Usually my morning routine consists of me and a warm cup of coffee. I try to catch up on my favorite shows before the day begins. As I whisked together the ingredients for the homemade waffles, I thought of Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz. I want to be more like her: hardworking, energetic and reliable for those that need her most. When I finished making breakfast I felt a sense of accomplishment as I woke the boys and told them that breakfast was ready. I felt like the Proverbs 31 woman "She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls."  Why can't I be more like this on a consistent basis? It is selfishness really. When I choose to start my day with myself in mind instead of giving the day to God I suffer greatly for it. 

A book of the Bible that has always intrigued me has been Song of Songs. The words of pure romance from the wisest of writers. As a young woman I would read it as if it were a romance novel not really realizing the enormity of all that is spoken. It is pure poetry of a relationship that blossoms in God's terms. It goes through the phases of attraction, dating, marriage and intimacy and shows us the beauty in it. When a man loves his wife as God loves the church the woman is willing to give herself to him. When a woman shows respect as she does unto the Lord, her man will embrace her in the way she so desperately craves. What is the character of this Song of Songs woman?

I am dark but beautiful,
O women of Jerusalem—
dark as the tents of Kedar,
dark as the curtains of Solomon's tents(1:5).

The woman in this book describes herself as dark but beautiful. She has a confidence in herself that is lovely. If you read further you find out that she is dark because she spends her time working in the vineyards for her brothers. There were times when a dark complexion showed a woman status in society. If she was light complected, it showed that she was more well off and spent her time indoors where as a dark complected woman was seen as poor and having to work in the fields. This shows us just how different the world sees one another compared to God's perspective. Solomon sees the woman and embraces her beauty.

How beautiful you are, my darling,
how beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves(1:15).

Oh, how beautiful you are!
How pleasing, my love, how full of delights(7:6)!

The Song of Songs woman is also submissive. When her brothers tell her to work in the fields she doesn't argue with them but does as she is told in humble submission. Many of us are willing to accept that Jesus is our savior but less are willing to submit to him entirely. We must not only accept the Gospel at a point in time but also overtime. It is a daily struggle, sometimes a moment by moment one. How would our lives look if we chose to submit ourselves to Jesus and live out the words that he says? I would argue that if we chose to put him first, rather than ourselves, our lives would change for the better.