THE SONG OF THE GREAT SONG IS NOT A PORN BOOK
CHAPTER ONE
PRELIMINARY
Background of the problem
Comprehensive knowledge of God can be found in the Old Testament and the New Testament. However, along with the times, human knowledge is also experiencing development so that more and more understanding emerges. This includes an understanding of the Bible. The Bible is seen as an ancient book that is hard to understand and irrelevant today. The Old Testament has its own theology, namely Old Testament Theology.
Old Testament theology is a branch of biblical science that deals with the revelation of God in the Old Testament and also gives meaning to the biblical text in the past and in the present. [1] Old Testament theology also deals with theological issues in the Old Testament, and seeks to provide answers. One of the issues that is currently developing is regarding the Song of Solomon.
The Song of Solomon is a relatively rare book of attention among Christians and among others. Reading the Song of Solomon at a glance gives the impression as a book that only displays sexuality.[2] The Muslims themselves view the Song of Solomon as a pornographic book because there are words that are considered inappropriate (improper) recorded in this book, for example, Song of Solomon 1:13 To me my lover is like a pack of myrrh, inserted between my breasts; 4:5 Like the two fawns of your breasts; 7:3 Like the two fawns of your breasts.[3] Is it true that the Song of Solomon is a pornographic book? How is it possible for a book whose contents appear vulgar to be part of the Bible, which is a collection of writings inspired by God as the Word of God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16)?[4] Old Testament theology views the Song of Solomon? What is the significance of Old Testament Theology in the study of theology?
In this case, it is necessary to pay close attention to these issues so as to know the author of the book, so as to provide the actual truth. To be able to understand and explain the truth of the above issues, it is necessary to have a complete understanding of Old Testament Theology. [5] Old Testament theology becomes a bridge/means to understand the Old Testament, answer every theological issue and provide solutions to the obstacles that exist above by providing a complete truth value.
CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
Old Testament Theology
John H Sailhamer said that Old Testament Theology is the study and presentation that studies what is revealed by God which comes from the Old Testament. Old Testament theology shows the various sides of God's person who are actively working in the history of human life to this day. So Old Testament Theology is theology based on the Bible specifically the Old Testament which seeks to find categories of thought and norms for studying the Bible as a whole. Old Testament theology emphasizes the theology contained in or binding on the Old Testament. Old Testament theology is theological because it retells what God did in the past but still applies to all times and places. Old Testament theology has its source from the Bible (OT), because a theology can only be built on God's revelation that has been written in the Bible.[6] So, Old Testament Theology is the study of what God presented and stated in the Old Testament which is authoritative for the present.
Song of Solomon
It is said above that Old Testament Theology is part of Biblical Theology, because Old Testament Theology is the most important part of Biblical Theology and other theological sciences. Biblical Theology is indispensable for studying Old Testament Theology with the aim of explaining the theology in it. In this context, it is how to understand the Song of Songs which is considered by Muslims as a pornographic book.
Writing
According to tradition, the Song of Solomon was written by Solomon.[7] Solomon was a wisdom figure who changed 1,005 songs and 3,000 proverbs (1 Ki 4:29-34). Proponents of the view that King Solomon was the author of this book refer to several passages in the Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon 1:5; 3:7, 9,11). Hassel Bulluck argues that the wonderful poetic form of the book must point to a time when the Hebrew language was in good condition, a state that corresponds to Solomon's time.[8]
The naming of the Song of Solomon is very similar to the naming of other books of wisdom believed to have originated with Solomon. The Song of Solomon itself is included in the third part of the kethubim (Hebrew books). In the rabbinic tradition then classify the Song of Adung as the first collection of megilot which is usually read on the Jewish Passover.[9]
Grand ballad (Song of Songs) is a poetic book in the Old Testament which in Hebrew is called "Syir Hasyirim" which means the song of all songs. As a song of love, the book that carries this theme is rightly called the “Song of Solomon” which in the Hebrew canin is used in festivals; usually determined to be read at the Passover celebration, the feast commemorating the deliverance from Egypt.[10]
The Time of Writing the Song of Solomon
There is no agreement among theologians as to the time of the author of this book. However, this song is thought to be from a long time ago, but the material was collected and written down over and over again. According to Telnoni, in the needs of Israel, these materials were written in the exile or later which probably began in Solomon's time by showing his wealth, luxury and wisdom.
The order of the Song of Solomon as the first book in Megilot (Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Song of Solomon) corresponds to the Passover celebration which was held at the beginning of the year in the Jewish calendar. The relation took place between the two couples (cf. 2:16, 6:3). A love relationship is a reciprocal relationship, a relationship that is free from control, domination, and hierarchy.[12]
Situation, Social, Culture and Politics
In various literatures, there is an understanding that sentence by sentence in the poems and poems of the Song of Songs represents the social customs of the Ancient Near Eastern people, namely in Mesopotamia and Egypt. According to Loprieno, song or love poetry is part of a unique phenomenon in Egyptian and Mesopotamian literature.[13] For example, there are metaphorical descriptions of the body similar to those in the Song of Solomon in Egyptian and Mesopotamian hymns praising the bodies of the gods, and descriptions of a person's beauty occur in a variety of literary contexts. So, these rhymes and poems are expressed to a person according to the social circumstances in which they live. Egyptian romance lyrics use a lot of metaphors and parables. Most of it is taken from the natural world: plants, animals, landscapes of the Ni Delta with marshes.[14]
Middle Eastern culture has a different pattern of life. Closed clothing models color the picture of the clothes of the ancient Israelites. Therefore, Israeli society imagines the life of a loved one's body with certain literary/poetry forms such as those in the Old Testament. In Jewish tradition, body touching is something that is not done haphazardly.
In the Jewish mystical tradition, kissing is a sign of bonding that symbolizes emotional bonding through bodily intermediaries.
Writing purpose
This book was written in the canon, to explain the divine origin of the dignity of human love in marriage. The book of Genesis states that human sexuality and marriage preceded the fall of man into heaven (Genesis 2:18-25). Yet even though sin has tainted the realm of human experience, the author of the Song of Solomon explains that marriage can be pure, healthy, and beautiful.
The Song of Solomon is specifically used as a book of understanding sexuality. The goal was that in the Middle Ages, Christians were far from living a blemish and holy life. The poems in the Song of Solomon are a dialogue between a man, a woman, and a third party who is referred to as the daughters of Jerusalem. Indeed, love is not merely a matter of biology (physical) but a matter of conscience. Even desire is closely related to taste, conscience, emotion, and spirit. The Song of Solomon provides a proper and noble biblical meaning of sexuality.
Old Testament Theology of the Song of Solomon
In this case the author will focus on chapter 1:13 "To me my lover is like a pack of myrrh, inserted between my breasts". The nut is wrapped (package; Hebrew: tseror). The package itself can be a pouch that is hung around the neck of the person who wears it or woven into one with the clothes so that it may indicate its location between the breasts. Another meaning that can be seen here is that by placing the beloved young man on the chest, the girl gets a shield so that she is safe, free from interference from people. At the same time, the girl seemed to want to say to her lover "in my chest there is you." It is the power of love from this young man that can arouse appreciation or awareness of love in this girl. Thus the vital parts of a girl cannot be approached by just anyone, but only she is called my beloved (Hebrew: dodi). This shows that the young man and the lover have been united in a warm embrace.[15]
Esra Soru gives the opinion that, the Song of Solomon is a book of hymns (which contain noble songs) sung at Jewish weddings, a special wedding hymn. The word breasts in this book, is normal in a marriage relationship (not something taboo) ). Sex is something sacred because God Himself created it). The sinfulness of man makes him judge the majesty and glory of sexuality as something very low (smells negative). The Jews considered this book to be a great book. [16]
The Song of Solomon is the greatest praise that has the most beautiful form among all other forms of praise. In this book, the physical expressions of a pair of humans are described based on true love so that they both feel complementary in the midst of each other's strengths and weaknesses. The Song of Solomon provides an illustration of the splendor and power of human love which is expressed through sexual intercourse. The Song of Songs also gives a discourse on the importance of true love. Explicitly or implicitly, the Bible never despises the issue of sex. Sex is something that is experienced and felt by every human being that is confirmed by the testimony of the Bible. However, sex is only legally performed by a husband and wife who are already bound in marriage.[17]
If it is related to the theological issue about the Song of Solomon which is called the Book of Porn with the meaning of pornography, it is very contradictory, because the Song of Solomon was not written to arouse someone's lust but to show the romance of Solomon and the Shulammite who loved each other and the romance shown in this book is in the context of a husband-wife relationship, something that is very natural for a husband and wife to do. From this understanding it is very clear that the Song of Solomon does not contain verses that are pornographic, because this book discusses married couples, it is very natural for them to discuss the romance of their love. The Song of Songs is a book that is intended for married couples to realize domestic harmony. The ideal husband-wife life is implied in the Song of Solomon, where a husband is taught to flatter his wife's beauty (not something pornographic). This book of Scripture shows a profound form of joy because of the intimate experience of a husband and wife who have made a commitment through marriage. This only happens as long as husband and wife can maintain the sanctity of their marriage. The Song of Solomon is a lesson that is built on the reality of domestic life (marriage relations) which illustrates how extraordinary the wealth of human love is; In this book, the beauty and holiness of conjugal love is expressed in very clear and very healthy words. Where they live in the sanctity of human love life. If examined biblically, the Song of Solomon is not a Book of Porn (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16), all writings inspired by the Holy Spirit are beneficial for every believer. In this case, the Book of Songs is also beneficial for every believer, and can build faith, especially for married couples.
CHAPTER III
CLOSING
Significance of Old Testament Theology in Theological Studies
Old Testament theology provides answers and resolves theological issues that are debated in the study of theology, especially regarding the Old Testament Scriptures. Old Testament theology functions to state the biblical truth about "the Song of Solomon is called a pornographic book" by looking at the entire Song of Solomon; the history of its authorship, the purpose of its authorship, the location of its authorship so that it can fully understand the meaning of the book. So that it can provide an answer to the issue, where the Song of Songs does not deserve to be called a pornographic book, because this book is the most glorious and noble song of the book. If viewed from the background above, the author concludes that the significance of Old Testament theology in the study of theology is, Old Testament theology shows the importance of the Old Testament for today's life, because many people do not realize and do not believe that the Old Testament tells a single, unified, and unified story. attached to one another. Because it all comes from God. Therefore, Old Testament theology seeks to display this unity.
Old Testament theology refocuses our attention on God as the subject of the Old Testament itself. Old Testament theology was naturally God-centered. This Old Testament theology (biblical theology) provides a better method of interpretation. Old Testament theology seeks to understand the whole of the Old Testament in relation to its parts in God's progressive revelation. Old Testament theology seeks to understand the entire Old Testament book so that it can be consistent in its interpretation and application.
Conclusion
So it can be concluded that the Song of Solomon is not a pornographic book. But the Book which symbolizes the love story of a husband and wife who are very close. Sexuality is appropriateThat is noble, and can only be done in the shutter of marriage. The Song of Songs displays a love that does not only focus on physical (biological) or sexual aspects (desire) but also on emotional aspects, conscience and inner bonds.
[1] Evendy Tobing. Old Testament Theology (is the Old Testament Relevant for Today). Malang: Widya Kusuma 2018. Page 19
[2] Dunamis: Journal of Christian Theology and Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, April 2020
[3] Islam unite, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSdv_exuOqM . Retrieved April 14, 2021.
[4] Anwar Tjen and Lady Mandalika, “The Song of Solomon: Vulgar or Sacred?,” in Biblical Forum: Popular Scientific Journals (Jakarta: Indonesian Bible Institute, 2016)
[5] Journal of Christian Religious Education Regula Fidie, Horst Dietrich Preuus Dab Gerhard Von Rad Approach in Old Testament Theological Methodology. Vol 4 Number 1 March 2019.
[6] Dr. Retna Wangsa, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TWUg3aA-Rg. March 23, 2021
[7] W. S. Lasor, et al. "Introduction to the Old Testament". (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2010) 166
[8] C. Hassel Bullock. An Introduction To The Old Testament. (Chicago: Moody Bible Institute Press, 1988) 304
[9] Weldemina tiwery, Desire Of Love “Interpreting the Song of Solomon 7:10-8:4, Echo Theology. Vol. 39, No. 1, April 2015, 1
[10] Lasor et al, The Songs of Songs: Revelation of God. 1988, 10
[11] Telnoni, Song of Solomon: Liberation, Song of Solidarity for Women, Song of Equality for Women and Men, 6.
[12] Ibid 3, 5
[13] Antonia Lapiero, “Searching for a Common Background: Egyptian Love Poetry and the Biblical Song of Song”, in Perspectives on the Song of Songs. (Berlin Walter de Gruyter 2005) 105
[14] Bloch, Tge Song Of Song: A New Traslations with introductory and Commentary. 147
[15] Barbiero, Song of Songs: A Close Reasing, 75
[16] Rev. Esra Soru. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFpPqrV9CDg. Retrieved March 26, 2021. 14:36
[17] Rifai, Light of Love: Revealing the Meaning of the Song of Solomon. (Yogyakarta: ANDI, 2005) 6
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