the longer we love

I am my beloved's,

and his desire is for me.

Song of Solomon 7:10

Marital monogamy is celebrated in the emotion captured by the bride of Solomon in this poetic phrase. Monogamy is often wrongly thought of as monotony. That is totally wrong. Now, unfortunately, for the bride in Song of Solomon, her longings would not fit reality. Solomon was, we know, a sexually binging glutton… a modern day “sex addict”. And the Shulammite bride was just one among a thousand wives and concubines in his harem. But I believe the Song of Solomon shows us that to Solomon she was perhaps THE ONE among that crowd that captivated his heart. Certainly there is no mention of the kings’s polygamy anywhere in this love song. This places the focus squarely on how love, attraction, romance, and sex all draw a couple into intimate closeness as a gift from God.

For instruction then, this concept of the exclusivity shared between a husband and wife is captured in the Shulammite’s expression of commitment. She is her beloved’s and he desires her. And that principle is amplified, enforced, and joyfully celebrated in every solid, monogamous marriage. Long term Christian marriage celebrates this and knows it as fact. I can testify to this. So do you want a really great intimate romance? Stay married for 35 years! The desire only grows as you cannot imagine life without one another. Commitment through the good and the bad of life, through your agreements and your struggles, over sickness and in health, during times of ease and seasons of uncertainty, all of these life building moments draw two lives into the deepest of commitment and desire to be simply, and always, together.

Lord,

Thank You that in my life you are making two people one in You. And that desire only grows stronger. May my wife always confidently celebrate: “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.” May I always have a heart craving her companionship, closeness, and strength right beside me. And each day that we have can truly know this life You have given. May we rejoice enthusiastically in worship of You, celebrating each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually, thrilling each other with the joys You have given us to know together as You have woven our lives in a tapestry of Your design!

Amen