Unlike most of the women that we have studied so far, The Shulamite Woman is a fictional character. She is featured in The Song of Solomon as one of the main protagonists alongside her “beloved”. This book of the Bible is an extended piece of lyrical poetry written by King Solomon which, on the surface, appears to be about romantic love (although, like most scriptures about love and marriage, it also contains some parallels between these and Christ’s relationship with the church). As such, The Shulamite Woman has much to teach us- not only about this topic- but adhering to God’s timing.
An Interview with Esther Chen on The Beloved
Today's piece comes from the lovely Esther Chen of forgivenplusfree.tumblr.com, where she collects and displays "beautiful images about Christianity and Christian life". Her interview focuses on The Beloved, why she is her favourite woman of the Bible and the lessons that Esther learned from her, particularly regarding traditional gender roles and expectations. May the words of her testimony bless you as you read on: