His Banner Over Me Is Love
Kristen and I have been reading a commentary of The Song of Solomon titled Romantic Lovers. We found this particular explanation of chapter 2:4-7 which contains “a brief summary of their wedding-night experience” very interesting. In verse four the woman is explaining why she feels so turned on by Solomon:
The anticipation of marriage alone can be enough stimulation, but she also makes quite clear what she is feeling. She is motivated by his loving protection.
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me is love.”
“The banqueting house” is literally “the house of wine.” It speaks of celebration and joy. It is a common reference to the bridal chamber, where husband and wife experience sexual love.
Actually it wasn’t so much interesting as hilarious because of childhood memories. To understand why try to imagine about two-hundred or so uniformed schoolchildren singing a song taken verbatim from this section of scripture. Kind of weird. I know, I know, the song is using the passage to symbolize Christ’s love and protection for his followers or whatever, but still you must admit, that’s kind of weird.
Oh my gosh, Nate didyou have to mutilate all my thoughts of College Heights Christian School chapel? Banner… tent…you know, camping, cookouts, marshmallows and hot dogs, stuff like that. Not wedding nights!!! What’s next? He strengthens me with “raisin cakes and apples”? What’s that supposed to mean? Oh, well. What can I say. It’s the Bible.
ma ma j
21 Jul 05 at 9:34 pm
There’s a whole chapter, but here is an excerpt.
Kristen
21 Jul 05 at 9:46 pm
Long live apples and raisin cakes!!!! Yee haw!!!!
Kristi
21 Jul 05 at 10:00 pm
I’m too young for all this!
ma ma j
22 Jul 05 at 6:22 am
Ha ha! It’s a good thing we didn’t know this back then when we had to sing it like everyday. I bet some of the kids would have been more into the hand motions though.
Nate & Kristen so you guys know, it’s supposed to be really stormy here this weekend, but still really hot. Actually, ths info probably doesn’t really change anything for you, because even you if got wet from the rain it would probably be dry within a couple of minutes.
Nicole
22 Jul 05 at 11:36 am
nicole, are you getting the residuals from the hurricanes down south? hot and humid? or hot and dry?
ma ma j
22 Jul 05 at 2:18 pm
It’s hot and humid, but at least since it’s started raining the temperature has dropped some. Now it’s only 105 instead of 115.
Nicole
23 Jul 05 at 9:25 am
it’s funny how some say that s’o’s is pure symbalism and is about Christ and only Christ, and others say it’s completely about men and women. people get really bent out of shape at the idea that it could be about both. no one in the west wants to mix God and sex. probably cuz sex is icky.
nstryker
25 Jul 05 at 9:26 am
ya, i hate sex.
Randy
25 Jul 05 at 8:57 pm
“no one in the west” ? pretty big generalization, don’t you think?
ma ma j
26 Jul 05 at 1:09 pm
Don’t forget that sometimes generalizations / stereotypes are true, as someone recently reminded me.
JaredB
26 Jul 05 at 4:25 pm
not “no one in the west.” come on. I’m sure Nathan doesn’t mean that. For example, he is in the west, you are in the west, i am in the west, nate, kristen, martha, randy, lisa, etc. you don’t actually think that is a ligit generalization do you? Here’s and example of a good stereotype: all curly haired people have curly hair, all people who live in ventura live in ventura. you see what i mean. sometimes you can say all, but not very often if you want to be at all reasonable. don’t you ALL agree with me.
ma ma j
26 Jul 05 at 11:16 pm
don’t nit pick my generalizations and sarcasm. you know my message, regardless of my words.
nstryker
27 Jul 05 at 10:18 am
yep. just wanted to get in on the nit picking trend. sorry.
ma ma j
27 Jul 05 at 11:35 am