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Romanticism Holds Husbands to Ransom, Escalating the Idolisation of Women—An Artifice of The Great Whore

Study 10 – Part 2

[Study Aired April 18, 2026]

As with each of these introductory studies, which unveil the Bride’s highly anticipated joy as described physically in the SoS, they starkly reveal the reason Solomon created his Shulamite Bride. It lies in his distressing and unimpressive experiences with his thousand wives, whose treacherous kisses (her word/doctrines/silver and gold) forcefully dictate that he be intoxicated by their wine of emblematic romanticised ravishment, which proved to be as inert as water, corrupted and moth-eaten sentiments of The Great Whore.

Jas 5:1  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Husbands in marital sex are delusively wealthy men who subconsciously believe they are rich in (unrealised) feminine church doctrines as the only way for her to feel emotionally ‘safe, loved, heard and appreciated’ before she can participate intimately. They have physically, denoting them spiritually, drunk the filth of her water, her doctrines imagining it is arousing wine. She is a foil for his worst treachery in Eden for idly letting Eve even look upon the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, let alone touch it. Accordingly, all husbands listening to their wives’ Serpent acquired wisdom of better judgment in boudoir arouses, effectively have their wives witness against them, whereby their flesh, supposedly one in their wives, is eaten up, and burning him with fire for his submission to her. Juxtapose that with the opening verse of the Bride in the SoS 1:2.

Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 

Hos 4:18  Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

Her husband’s unwitting shame of abdication for the most part of his headship and authority, tries to love his wife by her criteria.

2Co 2:17  For we are not as many [… it’s a little flock/Church], which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. 

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine – Son 1:2

Demonstratively in Genesis 28 and 29, Jacob’s love for Rachel was not initially based on romantic love. It was a transactional love based on God’s commands for mate selection among the circumcised, with Jacob grateful for her virtuous beauty and, accordingly, a spiritually uncircumcised natural (1Cor 15:46) coquettish unity we today exaggerate as romance.

Romanticism, insidiously, becomes idol worship where the woman is the focus, the pinnacle of worship, displaying her thighs ungracefully. The sight of a wife, her thighs delicately revealed beneath an elegant dress by her spiritual walk, or, for that matter, any ‘innocent’ occasion, exudes a sense of grace and confidence. Her poised demeanour, complemented by a warm and inviting brightness in her expression, starkly contrasts with the overt lewd theatrics often associated with a harlot. This captivating elegance is reserved solely for her husband, embodying a profound allure. Similarly, the Bride’s walk, a sacred journey dedicated to Christ, carries with it a sense of reverence and beauty that further enhances the sanctity of the moment.

Son 7:1  How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.

In a world where almost every young woman’s tantalising curves are accentuated by seductive attire, the allure of elegantly dressed thighs invokes a powerful desire that captivates both men and women alike. The thought of a woman draped in exquisite fabrics, tailored perfectly to her silhouette, is enough to stir deep passions. While some may sway towards revealing G-strings and provocative ensembles, it’s the sophistication of demurely, gracefully crafted garments that truly ignites the imagination in honouring beauty righteously.

Picture a woman adorned in beautiful fabrics that highlight her body’s contours, her outfit harmonising with her skin tone and hairstyle, capturing her ethnic beauty. The delicate interplay of rich colours and luxurious textures creates an enchanting aura, leaving onlookers spellbound. In such moments, men find themselves captivated and entranced, their usual cravings transformed into a desire not just for physical beauty, but for the elegance and depth that such refinement conveys. It’s a dance of allure that evokes both righteous and unrighteous lust, inviting a celebration of all that is beautiful in this tapestry and song of femininity.

The Song of Solomon is Christ’s equivalent of ‘romantic’ expression in Christ-centricity with and by his Bride.

Worldly feminine romanticism is the ultimate vanity of vanities that Solomon lamented (in the entire book of Ecclesiastes) and set out to correct. Its earthborn sentimentality has never transformed anyone’s heart to align with Christ. It inevitably leads to frustration, disparity, and bitterness, often resulting in divorce. In contrast, true love involves confronting oneself, reflecting on the depths of who we truly are, and acknowledging our brokenness. When we authentically review that mirror of the woman we are, it is not flattering; it threatens to betray every romantic ideal we deludedly thought shielded us from the responsibility Christ compels us to adhere to.

Love is not about finding the perfect spouse who will provide all our sensual needs and desires, but being forged in the fiery furnace of sustaining it by Christ’s power and might. Utterly foreign to the female world, the Shulamite, we shall ultimately see, is given to reciprocate her Fiancé’s dues enthusiastically.

Our Lord’s immense feeling of rejection by his wife of old is the most painful boudoir experience all husbands, to varying degrees, experience, questioning, ‘Am I not enough?’

Historically, men, symbolised by Christ righteously, have been the greater romantics, igniting a profound romantic desire in women, placing them on a pedestal to which they paradoxically declare, yet inwardly denounce, unable to escape the curse of romanticism. As women exhibit much more sensual expressions that excite both men and women, the world believes they hold the key to all romantic ideals. It sets them up to be idolised and worshipped, a majesty she fiercely protects and inevitably bereaved in that — “he shall rule over thee”.

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

However, in reality, romanticism expressed through the Shulamite’s intentional suspense harvests exquisite physical and spiritual emotions designed by Christ, exemplifying the devotion of a profoundly transformed heart towards her husband and eagerly affirming his headship. It resonates with unspeakable love in her husband, reverberating to his wife and amplifying extravagant spiritual realities that rebound between each other – spiritually forever.

Romanticism unfolds as a deep and intimate dance between a man and a woman, set against the backdrop of divine creation. In today’s whirlwind world, this delicate balance is often inverted. Passion ignites like a wildfire, engulfing two souls in an evening of electrifying chemistry, where every glance and touch sends shivers down the spine. Yet, all too often, this fervour flickers and fades, leaving behind the echoes of what once was.

This intense emotional surge especially captivates women, luring them into a dream of blissful union and endless romance. No doubt romanticising John Keats to pen the memorable quote, “Now a soft kiss – Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss.” Men, in their pursuit of thrilling encounters, might find themselves swept away by the allure of fleeting intimacy. Yet, ultimately, it’s the women who experience the deeper tides of longing and disillusionment. Just as Old Israel found herself torn between desires for material pleasures and the deeper spiritual fulfilment, today’s lovers often grapple with a similar disconnect. They chase the exhilarating rush of passion, overlooking the more profound connections that truly nourish the soul.

Amidst the vibrant chaos of desire, it’s easy to forget that genuine intimacy requires more than just physicality—it longs for an emotional tether—a spiritual bond that transcends the momentary thrill. In this erotic landscape, finding harmony between flesh and spirit is Babylon’s ultimate pursuit—a quest for love that is both passionate and enduring, not found in Zen, Buddhism, Tantra, or other esoteric pursuits, but hidden in Christ, only to be revealed to his Wife’s (the Bride’s) understanding for their mutual glory is in the Father.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Men, driven by both righteous and unrighteous lusts for women, and to women’s delight, both seek the emotional highs that unified chemistry ignites that they unequivocally believe are love—those small and silly moments, a song that only you and she understand. A shared moment of uncontrollable laughter forms a powerful imprint that is recalled with equal hilarity for years. Chemistry is a tremendously powerful influence on mate selection; early in the relationship, it can be deceiving. When the vital spiritual elements are established and agreed upon, chemistry is a glorious and ravishing part of marriage.

Thus, in those verses, the wife, symbolising the church, first desires to be enveloped in romanticism, initiated in Eden, ironically turning away from the very foundation of Christ’s teachings that underpin genuine romanticism! She cannot do those physical and, more importantly, the spiritual things she would that drive the very things she lusts! Consequently, it is crazy stuff to be “against” our Lord’s original husbandly headship, having never had the chance to prove its dynasticism until today.

Jacob never had time to develop romantic feelings. Since it was ‘doctrinally’ established that he must marry within his own family, the moral basis for choosing a wife was already set. All he needed was to notice a woman’s intriguing beauty, confident that she would be traditionally submissive to his authority as her husband.

Gen 29:9  And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
Gen 29:10  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
Gen 29:11  And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

Romanticism originates from genuine love. The most well-known biblical stories of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Rachel do not portray romanticism as essential before engagement. Only through reflecting on these biblical accounts do we see how the concept of romanticism develops in our minds. The righteous men and women of old consistently teach that Godly covenant unity takes precedence over all emotions. Ideally, based on Christ’s truths, the minimally standard key for choosing a virginal mate, it subtly yet powerfully addresses various personal nuances and quirks of intimacy, such as hygiene—linked to spiritual cleanliness—and mutually agreeable traits, including raising children, work security, and creating a home. Spiritually, this too is the key to developing the wonderfully stimulating emotions and feelings the Bride longs to be imprinted by placing Christ first, as demonstrated in the Song of Solomon.

Christ introduced the concept of romanticism — God did it to incite mankind’s experience of evil further (Ecc 1:12-18) as a powerful means for mankind to boost self-glory, distinctly for women (representative of men and the harlot churches) and their inherent schemings manipulating men and patently husbands, collectively rejecting (“against”) Christ.

The supreme protagonist, Christ, represented by Solomon in the Song of Solomon, personifies the Bride of Christ and spectacularly reverses the curse, showcasing an elegant type of romanticism that glorifies her Husband. Having been a whore, she knows every detail of her former artifices that ruled her carnal husband. She is now highly skilled at using her former negative scheming to her righteous advantage, enthusiastically building her spiritual house to his pattern for him.

Eze 28:13  Thou [Mankind, typified by the woman] hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets [Timbrel, tambourine & representative or her “Song” no man could learn] and of thy pipes [Jewel settings; her joint of the Bride] was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. [Sounds pretty romantic to me]
Eze 28:14  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:15  Thou wast perfect [Perfectly subject to corruption] in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Eze 28:16  By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:17  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds [the Elect]; I will be like the most High. 
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

What is Romanticism?

Romanticism was an artistic, intellectual, and literary movement originating in Europe toward the end of the 18th century (roughly 1790–1850) that championed emotion, individualism, and the power of nature. It emerged as a reaction against the scientific rationalism of the Enlightenment and the ordered, formal constraints of Neoclassicism.

Key characteristics and aspects of Romanticism include:

Emphasis on Emotion and Subjectivity: Prioritising intense personal feelings, imagination, and intuition over logic, reason, and empirical, objective truth.

Awe of Nature: Viewing nature as a spiritual, sublime, and untamed force, often in contrast to the artificiality of industrialisation.

Individualism and the Hero: A focus on the “heroic” individual, the artist’s inner struggles, and the genius of the human spirit.

Interest in the Past and Exotic: A fascination with the medieval period, folklore, the supernatural, and the exotic, rejecting the modernisation of society.

Contextual Factors

The movement was heavily influenced by the social and political changes brought about by the French and Industrial Revolutions, which sparked a desire for emotional escape and a return to nature.

The fundamental distinction between contemporary Babylonian elements of romanticism and, perhaps, the romantic facets of Solomon and his Shulamite creation is that both he and she place primary importance on God’s reality as expressed through His truth. In contrast to Babylonian romanticism, this emphasis motivates only the Elect’s sensual perceptions, which are rooted in His empirical spiritual truth and are far more sensually arousing, both physically and spiritually, because they are anchored in Christ’s faith in the Father for the supreme truth, rather than centred on ourselves. Those characteristics represent the elusive love Solomon and the world seek and cannot find.

We know that God is love, but what does that mean?

Interestingly, the name” God” appears 700 times in the Bible, symbolising God’s fulfilment of the creation process.

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:8  He that lovethG25 [G5723] notG3361 knowethG1097 [G5627] notG3756 GodG2316; forG3754 GodG2316 isG2076 [G5748] loveG26.

Loveth G25 – Tense, present.
Agapao
– Phonetic: ag-ap-ah’-o
– Definition:

of persons
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
of things
to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

God G2316
Theos
– Phonetic: theh’-os
– Definition:

a God or Goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
the Godhead.
God the Father, the first person in the Godhead.
Christ, the second person of the Godhead, in submission to the Father.

Love  G26
Agape
– Phonetic: ag-ah’-pay
– Definition:

brotherly love, affection, goodwill, love, benevolence
love feasts

G25
Agapao
– Phonetic: ag-ap-ah’-o
– Definition:

of persons
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
of things
to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

G53367
 Phileo
– Phonetic: fil-eh’-o
– Definition:

to love
to approve of
to like
sanction
to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend
to show signs of love
to kiss
to be fond of doing

Nowhere in those definitions is there a direct indication that the sentimentality of ‘romanticism’ is a derivative of love.

Considering the meanings of love mentioned above, here is God’s definition of love leading to eternal life:

1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth [As God loves] is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 
1Jn 4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit.
1Jn 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

If we do not demonstrate love for God by adhering to His commandments, we lack the understanding necessary to love a spouse appropriately; we will fumble and bumble, focusing on sensual pleasure rather than on the supreme joy of spiritual knowledge, thereby amplifying our physical pleasure. Such is the result of the profound blindness when focused on the flesh.

Can we align the contemporary idea of romanticism with God’s love and appropriately grant that form to another person, particularly a husband or wife, appropriately reflecting Christ’s romanticised love for us? The following excerpt from Dr Brenda Ayres, with orthodox Christian leanings, is a full professor of English and member of the graduate faculty at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, helps us understand the Babylonian Christian’s view of romanticism. Ayers’ brief exposé on the origins of Romanticism reflected in Christianity, for this study’s purpose, somewhat commends and highlights a Christian’s struggle to ‘see through a glass darkly’ and to understand Christ through the beauty of nature and mankind. This represents the noble aspect of contemporary ‘romanticism’ that is widely recognised—indirectly enhancing the poetic Song of Solomon, which all Christians aspire to comprehend and diligently explore without one jot of success. It is understood solely by the Bride of Christ, that is to her, and by contemporary terminology, is inherently and phenomenally ‘romantic’ by her God-given spiritual understanding of who she is and how her idea of romance is utterly reversed!

Dr. Brenda Ayres
30 November 2016
Romanticism and Christianity

The Romantic Era, beginning in the late 18th century and flourishing in the early 1800s, made an unforgettable contribution to literature, intriguing scholars, students, and casual readers alike with its enchanting approach to the world. Reacting against the urbanisation and modernisation brought about by the Industrial Revolution, Romanticism recognised defects in modern society and sought refuge in what was simple and organic. Crafting literature that sparks the imagination and captivates the senses, the Romantics colored their poetry with themes of beauty, nature, youth, emotion, and escape. In each of these prominent Romantic features, the fervency of Romantic notions sometimes caused the Romantics to stray from Christianity; [Bold Grant’s] nonetheless, Romanticism offers many insights that can enhance Christian life and inspire worship of God.

One of the most appealing qualities distinctive of Romanticism is its appreciation of beauty. In “A Defence of Poetry,” Percy Bysshe Shelley describes poetry’s effect on the reality it portrays: “Poetry turns all things to loveliness; it exalts the beauty of that which is most beautiful, and it adds beauty to that which is most deformed” (1176). The Romantics not only wrote about beauty but also created it; their works, which include some of the most beautiful poetry ever written, focus on the stuff of daily life, drawing out the beauty in nature and in common things. A master at capturing beautiful scenes and settings, William Wordsworth exemplifies the Romantic inclination to find beauty and delight in nature. In his poem “It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free,” Wordsworth describes the stillness of an evening, painting a picture of the scene with his simple but beautiful descriptions, such as the quiet time’s likeness to a nun “breathless with adoration” and the sun’s “sinking down in its tranquillity” (3-4). He follows his description of the peaceful setting by expressing to his young companion that, through her participation in the serene moment, she is unknowingly brought closer to God. It is in its wonder at beauty that Romanticism perhaps best contributes to Christianity: the poets allow themselves to be filled with awe at the beauty of the world around them—a world that Christians know is the handiwork of a magnificent Creator. Beauty did not always lead the Romantics to worship the Creator God; yet Christians should seek to discover and delight in beauty as the Romantics did, with even greater appreciation for its Creator. [Bold Grant’s. End]

Doctor Ayres’s astute comment that “the fervency of Romantic notions sometimes caused the romantics to stray from Christianity” is, as we know, initiated by women, meaning the church’s unrighteous lust, and indicative of wives to their husbands in carnal marriages, to insist that their (unwitting) other Jesus’s obligation is to solely ravish her! Ayer’s final comment advocating the glorification of our creator, Christ, our husband, through righteous romanticism strongly reflects the Shulamite’s deportment in The Song of Solomon, mirroring her Husband’s —the Royal Lyricist of the Bible! So, yes, we can justifiably romanticise our interactions, righteously ‘inventing‘ (Ecc 7:26-29) anticipatory foreplay, precisely as the Bride does with Christ, and he, with her, each day in preparatory espousal incitements, consummately.

Deu 12:28  Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.
Deu 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deu 12:30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, [for this cause, the largely feminine notion for the only way for her husband to arouse her, is by her romantic methodology] saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 
Deu 12:31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 
Deu 12:32  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. 

Typically, the Babylonian Christian mindset we are fleeing leans towards imagining that we are glorifying Christ by attributing a ‘romantic’ term to our journey from being a whore, to becoming His Bride. That ethos is akin to the Israelite’s taking on their heathen neighbour’s ways and doctrines, where we could spiritually sanitise a term to describe our “romantic” journey, maybe by calling it ‘Divine Eros’; to describe the passionate longing for God, viewing natural love as a reflection of the supernatural yearning for the divine. In the Song of Solomon, the connection is clearly observable. However, and in complete accordance with the integrity of God’s word, that passion between Solomon and the Shulamite—articulated effectively by Christ to His Bride, with Him placing the words and her actions He desires in her mouth spoken in the third person—is demonstrably his pure construct, namely, “love”—that’s all—simply, “love”.

However, mankind’s version of romanticism, compared to Christ’s in the Song of Solomon, sets carnal, espoused love up for failure.

Romanticism has enslaved the world to the worship of women. Its universally accepted stencil is: 1. marriage; 2. love and sex; 3. the end of Adamic loneliness; 4. adoration, all blithely accepted without any— 5. practicality of implementation and adjustment for mutually beneficial romantic change.

Romanticism is deeply optimistic about marriage; yet, in plagiarised marriage, fusing it to a sensually volatile shape and form in a passionate love recital, each party (in subconscious deceit) enthusiastically sees the other as their lifelong perfect match, made in heaven.

Compared to historically more localised observations of potential paramours from the field and community in agrarian society, the relatively modern notion of dating and its intensified focus on a possible mate for compatibility forces an unrealistic appraisal of the prospect. It’s a breeding ground for feminist ‘inventions’ highly evident in women and ever so easily accepted in men, as Solomon grieved in Ecclesiastes 7. It fostered unrealistic affections rooted in lust and often led to uncontrollable sexual expressions with individuals they didn’t truly care for, while their distorted ideals of love propelled the delusional, unending quest for extraordinary sex. The so-called ‘free sex’ became a fertile ground for catastrophe, and around and around the deadly cycle goes, ever searching for knowledge and with multiple partners, never coming to the truth of Shulamite-designed romantic love.

In all the purity of nude innocence, Adam’s intrinsic and righteous lust for everything Eve, and, to her unspoilt curiosity and delight, to him, seems to mark the conclusion to his loneliness. For us today, such a unifying chemistry in marriage, intuiting our souls, is overwhelmingly refreshing. Unconscious of the holy spirit, such virginal impressions retrospectively cause mankind to yearn for a return to nature, nude in Eden.

Consequently, romanticism facilitated the conception that choosing a spouse should be guided by feelings rather than practical rationality let alone by our Lord’s covenant ministrations—you recognise that you are in love because you have a magical feeling, unwittingly enslaving you; rather, those endorphin-induced feelings should be the catalyst driving the pursuit of who her husband is designed to represent, and not solely to luxuriate in the sensuality they incite. Subsequently, that ministration of serving him is guaranteed to rebound most deliciously in his wife. Perhaps the unrivalled dissolute examples of lust were Amnon’s with his half-sister Tamar, and Ahola and Aholabah’s escapades with any endorphin-inducing young men’s eroticisms (2 Sam 13; Ezek 23), their parallel feelings unrighteously expressed most sinfully, far removed from the purity of Solomon’s conceptions of interactions with his Shulamite Bride.

Son 5:8  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. 

Typically, romantic love overshadows the lingering concerns that issues related to finances, bathroom and toiletry etiquette, and dietary laziness will inevitably change once married. It is so unromantic to make an issue of those matters while blissful feelings flood the senses. Romanticism suggests that true love corresponds to accepting everything about the other person, pushing to the background the need for personal change that he should easily see. It’s insulting to either party that one must change, and such expressions convey a strong message that the relationship is doomed.

Historically and complicated through modern courtship, everyone accepts this broad template, which has led to an advanced experience of evil (Ecc 1:13 CLV), causing the world, the woman, to cry out in pain of being born. We shall see that the Shulamite laps it up as food, nourishing her to reverse the curse and overcome a succession of lies, her 1,000 sisters of Solomon’s court, ‘tabering’ each other their sensual rulership over their husband and king.

Nah 2:7  And Huzzab [make one’s stand] shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering [play a sound {prattling}] upon their breasts.

These are some of the myths of romanticism: that a particular person is unique in inner and outer beauty and intelligence, inciting exquisite feelings of attraction to them and us; that the first few years of sexual curiosity and experimental delights should last forever; and that it should all happen intuitively, without guidance from elders or parents, as their examples are prominent by example, detrimental. We naively believe that we will learn the finer nuances of love along the way, without secrets, in constant company, work and raising a family, we believe, will never impede sexual interest or intensity.

Christ, the Lord of the Old Covenant, inspired Solomon through the holy spirit to critically examine the modern ideals of romantic love and to thoroughly explore what about his wives and his wisdom caused him and the husbands in his kingdom to experience marital discord and bitterness. Because the flesh is highly prone to corruption of body, mind, and spirit, instinctive feelings alone cannot help us hit the mark. Therefore, he endeavoured to create the ‘perfect’ wife (illusory in the flesh) in the Shulamite. In his Song of Songs, a rare few husband-and-wife elects get to enact the Shulamite version, physically and spiritually, in a beautiful way. Still, the rest of the Elect receive only the coveted spiritual version in and with Christ, their husband.

The opposite of love is hate.

Perhaps the first yet most significant example of someone’s love contrasted with hate was Jacob’s dispassion for Leah. His hatred for her wasn’t so nasty that he couldn’t fulfil his ‘espousal dues’ (1Co 7:6).

Gen 29:29  And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
Gen 29:30  And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
Gen 29:31  And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Jacob’s love for Rachel and the rivalry with Leah typically embody the positive and negative aspects of lovers’ interactions, evoking potent emotions in both the cast and the audience and creating a volatile atmosphere of romanticism. Since the Bible is about two men, the Old Man and the New Man, paradoxically reconfigured as a Bride, it is one of the most multi-faceted, dramatically romanticised plots ever devised — the Bible’s many tales having inspired playwrights, musicians and poets endlessly for six thousand years.

In continuation of the realities of the contemporary term of the influence of ‘romanticism’ on carnal marriages, and next week, we will continue to review ‘How Romanticism Escalates the Idolisation of Women’, and, essentially, one’s wife.