The Kiss of God: Rediscovering the Song of Songs

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ? for your love is more delightful than wine. (Song of Songs 1:2) How do you see God, really? As holy? Distant? Demanding? Unjust? Unfeeling? The Song of Songs?or Song of Solomon?is a tiny book in the heart of the Old Testament with a big message: God may not be who you think he is. While many people view the Song as a kind of marriage primer, Senyard and Pepper take a different approach. They dare readers to engage with the book as poetry--and in so doing, risk encountering the healing power hidden within its verses. The Kiss of God unpacks the scandalous story of a king so smitten with his bride that at times, he can hardly even speak. Who is she? Where does she come from? And what does he see in her? You might be surprised to find out. Deeply personal and highly readable, this book invites readers to find themselves within one of history?s most beloved texts. ?This book will send you to places you haven?t gone, cause you to ask questions you haven?t asked, and bring to your mind thoughts you haven?t considered. Then, if you ?get it,? you?ll dance and laugh in the presence of a God who loves you beyond anything you ever dreamed. This is a life-changing book even for an old cynical preacher like me.? -- Steve Brown, Key Life Network ?[The Kiss of God] is a refreshingly honest and boldly insightful book! Reading these well-crafted pages may well help you find the love out there that can actually heal. But don?t be surprised if along the way some of your unhelpful images of God become shattered.? -- Gary W. Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus ?Rabbi Akiva is reported to have said that if the Torah was not given, the Songs of Songs would have been sufficient to guide the world. The authors have persuaded me that this Talmudic sage may have been right.? -- Eliyahu (Ilya) Lizorkin, Evangelical Theological Seminary (Nazareth, Israel)