Song of Songs

What is a love poem doing in the middle of the Bible?

We go from reading the songs and prayers of David and others in Psalms, the words of wisdom from Solomon and others in Proverbs and the confusing musings of Solomon in Ecclesiastes to this?  It is such a departure from what I just read.  

Am I wrong, or is there quite a bit of double entendre in Song of Songs?

This is not a book of the Bible I ever read as a child, that is for sure.  I don't recall any Sunday church lessons coming from Song of Songs either.  About the only thing that seems to be in line with the previous books is that King Solomon is mentioned by name.

Was this put in the Bible to remind us that love and desire are completely normal?  

She: "My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.  His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.  His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels..."  He: "Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead.  Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing.  Each has its twin, none of them is missing...my dove, my perfect one..."  She: "I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me...for love is strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.  It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame..."

The words may be a bit outdated, but the sentiment is still there...love, love, love.

Ecclesiastes - Huh?

Ecclesiastes is a confusing book.

Chapter 1, Verse 2:  Everything is meaningless.  

What?

Chapter 3, Verse 1: There is a time and a season for everything.

I really had a hard time understanding Ecclesiastes.  

First, who wrote this?  Was it Solomon?  The first verse starts out with The words of the Teacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem.  The last verse again talks about the Teacher who wrote the Proverbs.  I am pretty sure that would be Solomon, right? But, if it was Solomon, why didn't they just say so?

Meaninglessness is the initial theme of the day.

I just didn't understand what he was trying to say.  If everything is meaningless, why do we try to live good lives?  He says wisdom is meaningless; pleasures are meaningless; toil is meaningless; advancement is meaningless; riches are meaningless.  So what is meaningful, then?  

Maybe meaningful lives are lives that are good and follow God's will without trying to change His plan.

Chapter 3, Verse 1-8:  There is a time and a season for everything.  I had heard that verse before.  Okay, I knew the song based on that verse.  Turn, Turn Turn by the Byrds.  The song just basically repeats this Bible verse over and over.  I always thought of it as an anti-war anthem (the last line is A time for peace, I swear it's not too late which is not from the Bible verse), but was it was more than that?  Was there a Biblical lesson being given in the form of a pop song?  We should take life as it comes, don't try to force it into something else?

Ecclesiastes had a few other "lessons". 

Wisdom is better than folly - of course.  Invest in many ventures (don't put all you eggs in one basket, huh?).  Remember your Creator while you are young.  (You will need these memories to sustain you later in life.)  In other words, build a strong foundation?  There is a common destiny for all - we all will die someday, we just don't know when, so live life well every day.

Maybe I understood more than I thought...