Who or what is the Rose of Sharon?

The question goes like this:

In Song of Solomon 2:1, the text is referring to “the beloved” as a rose of Sharon and a lilly of the valley.  I have always heard Chrsit referred to this in hymns and  such and it seems to me, hermeneutically, that this does not refer to Christ at all but is an endearment between two lovers.  Is this correct?  I can’t see any way to make it about Christ.

The very simple answer to this question is that Jesus Christ is never referred to as either a rose of Sharon or a lilly of the valley; these are not names of Christ.   The fact that most Christians think Christ is the rose of Sharon and a lilly of the valley shows that most Christians know hymns better than they know their Bibles, which is sad.

Having said that, over the years the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) has been one of the most misunderstood and abused books of the Bible.   There are four basic ways to interpret this book.

1. The Song of Solomon illustrates in poetic fashion the beauty of wedded love.  This would be the literal interpretation; the Song of Solomon shows what real love within the bounds of marriage looks like.
2. It sets forth the love of God for Israel.  This is a largely Jewish approach to this book, given that the prophets frequently referred to Israel as God’s wife.
3. The Song of Solomon is a picture of Christ’s love for the Church.  This is, I think, a bit of a stretch and relies solely on the dangerous allegorical view of Biblical interpretation that the early church fathers  practiced.  There is no New Testament evidence that any of the writers of the New Testament understood the Song of Solomon this way.
4. Finally, some think the Song of Solomon shows the communion of Christ and the individual believer.  In other words, the love between the two lovers is like the love Christ has for the Christian.  Of all the way to misuse Scripture, this one is the most offensive to  me.

My own view is that the Song of Solomon illustrates the glories of wedded love between a man and woman; nothing more.

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