Title: 13
Author: Joe G
Last saved by: Auth User
Company: GDC

© 2005 Joe Griffin		05-10-23-A.CC02-516 /

The Shulammite Is the Horse for Solomon’s Chariot, SOS 1:9; Pick-Up Lines 2 & 3: Solomon Compliments Her Facial Structure & Symmetry, v. 10

13.	The Egyptian chariots were state of the art for the day but they were useless without the horse that pulled it.  In battle the chariot must be able to maneuver but without a horse it has no function.
14.	Solomon is wise and has doctrine, but due to reversionism he has been overtaken by the doctrine of demons and functions on his own emotions in pursuit of his lustful desires in many categories.
15.	However, he is able to remember the principle stated in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
16.	A man without his right woman is not complete.  He has no soul mate and no body mate.  Solomon in his frantic search for happiness has pursued hundreds of women, none of whom have fulfilled him.
17.	Now he believes he has discovered his right woman and makes the point that without her he is incomplete and as a result can never be happy.  In fact without her he is as useless as a horseless chariot.  
18.	There are many ways that a man might express the importance of a woman in his life and probably the most time-tested and effective way to do so is through lyric and song.  
19.	As we move through Song of Solomon I will illustrate some of Solomon’s pick-up lines with legitimate works by some of America’s greatest popular composers.  Their lyrics express both poetically and musically the sentiments of generations of couples who identified each other as right man-right woman.
20.	The first we will note was written by George DeSylva and Ray Henderson for the stage play Hold Everything (1929):

“You’re the Cream in My Coffee”
You’re the cream in my coffee,  		You’re the starch in my collar,
You’re the salt in my stew;		You’re the lace in my shoe;
You will always be my necessity, 	You will always be my necessity,
I’d be lost without you.  			I’d be lost without you.
Most men tell love tails,
And each phrase dovetails.
You’ve heard each known way,
This way is my own way.
You’re the sail of my love boat,
You’re the captain and crew;
You will always be my necessity,
I’d be lost without you.
You give life savor,
Bring out its flavor;
So this is clear, dear,
You’re my Worcestershire, dear.
You’re the sail of my love boat,
You’re the captain and crew;
You will always be my necessity,
I’d be lost without you.
1.	This lyric conveys a man’s lighthearted expression of how every aspect of his life is incomplete or nonfunctional without his right woman.  Solomon’s may appear to us to be completely thoughtless but in his day it was not much different than those expressed by DeSylva and Henderson.  (In fact, according to 1 Kings 4:32 Solomon wrote 1,005 songs of which Song of Solomon was his greatest.)
2.	Women respond to such thoughts especially when they are put to music.  The early twentieth century enjoyed phenomenal musicians and lyricists that produced hundreds of standards that addressed the principle of right man-right woman.
3.	The Shulammite, under different circumstances, might have been enticed by Solomon’s analogy of her being a “horse for his chariot” and a “singletree for his traces” but she is already committed to her Shepherd Lover and thus the king’s line fell on her ears as trite and out of tune.
4.	Although Solomon’s principle is sound, his application is wrong.  The true chariot in his comparison is not him but rather the Shepherd Lover of which the Shulammite is its horse.
5.	The Shulammite is an illustration of the church and the Shepherd is an illustration of Christ.  Therefore the principle that emerges from Solomon’s comparison is the believer fulfilling the plan of God in the Church Age.
6.	The believer is the horse, the plan of God is the chariot, and the Holy Spirit is the Charioteer.  The believer is useless in the plan of God without the direction of the Holy Spirit and the plan of God is nonfunctional for the believer who is negative.
7.	If a horse is to be effective in pulling a chariot it must be fed.  If a believer is to be effective in executing the plan of God he must grow in grace.
8.	It is through the mentorship of the Holy Spirit as Charioteer that the plan of God, illustrated by the chariot, becomes effective in the Angelic Conflict by means of the believer growing in grace and using the power of doctrine as his spiritual energy for application.
9.	In marriage, the right woman, who represents the Church, becomes a powerful witness as she submits to her right man under the ministry and direction of the Holy Spirit.
10.	Solomon assumes he is the right man for the Shulammite and therefore continues shooting her his lines:
SOS 1:10 -	[KS: Pick-Up Line #2]  “Your cheeks are a beautiful set of orderly rows,  [KS: Pick-Up Line #3]  your neck with strings of jewels.”
1.	These compliments emphasize the Shulammite’s facial structure with emphasis on the symmetry of her cheeks and neck.

	2.	King James’ version of Pick-Up Line #2 reads, “Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels.”   But “of jewels” is in italic and thus does not appear in the original.  The word “rows” is the masculine plural of roT tor and means a “set or series of things placed in an orderly arrangement” [Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, (McLean: Macdonald Publishing), 362].
	3.	The beauty Solomon observes is the Shulammite’s facial structure.  She in all probability did not wear jewelry on her face while chasing foxes from the vineyard.  The setting of the cheek bones gives a woman’s face symmetry and hers lined up in perfect rows that resulted in a beautiful face.
	4.	This symmetry was complemented by her neck which Solomon mentions has “strings.”  This word is the masculine plural of zWrj* charuz and refers to a string or chain containing such things as pearls, beads, jewels, or shells.
	5.	Solomon observes that her neck complements the Shulammite’s facial symmetry which is emphasized by her choice of jewelry.
	6.	It is not inappropriate for a man to comment on the beauty of a woman provided his words are motivated by an honest appreciation for her appearance.
	7.	In this case, Solomon truly appreciates the Shulammite’s beauty but he has an ulterior motive in verbalizing it: he uses flattery in hopes of playing on any narcissistic trends she might have.
	8.	It doesn’t work.  She knows she is gorgeous but she is not arrogant about it, therefore, the only compliments that cause her to respond romantically to another man are those voiced by her Shepherd Lover.  
	9.	Seeing that the Shulammite is not being immediately won over by Solomon’s lines, some of the Daughters decide to try their hand again at currying her favor:
SOS 1:11 -	[DJ]  “We will make for you orderly rows of gold with beads of silver.”

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