Understanding the Song of Solomon, Ruth, and Job

The Song of Solomon, Ruth, and Job are three of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. They deal with life's most poignant questions: why marriages fail, why marriages succeed, and why bad things happen to good people. We often feel we are the victims of random acts of evil, perpetrated by a vengeful Satan and permitted by an indifferent God. These three books teach, on the contrary, that God has designed rules in life not to restrict or punish us, but to make us happy. When we color outside the lines, we suffer.The Song of Solomon is not, as often taught, and allegory of Christ's love for the church. It is an admonition that happiness in marriage is only possible within the boundaries set by God in Eden: one man and one woman. Solomon's whole life, and his behavior in the Song, is a tragic example of departure from God's design.The Book of Ruth shows the power of unceasing kindness. Mercy and kindness originate with God. When humans reflect these qualities, they enter a cycle of virtue, in which God works all things together for good.The much-misunderstood Book of Job in fact teaches the opposite of this - that putting ourselves in the hands of a merciful God is what redeems us from tribulation and brings hope, security, and peace.A key misperception of Job is that he was righteous and yet God placed him in Satan's hands. Accurate reading of the text shows us that Job thought he was righteous, but God never said he was. As long as Job relied on hypocritical moral posturing to save himself, he, not God, placed himself in Satan's hands. But as soon he humbled himself, stopped his "holier than thou" pose, and prayed to God, he experienced a rush of God's mercy and love.What is prayer for? Does it change God's mind when we appeal to Him? No. God does not change. Prayer changes us. It aligns us with God's will, and when we are so aligned, things go well for us. When we are out of alignment, they go ill. Proper prayer says, "Not my will, but yours be done." This was Job's lesson - and the lesson we can learn from Job.