by Doreen Kajulu | 8 January 2024 08:46 am01
Song of Solomon 8:6 (NKJV):
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame.”
The Hebrew phrase for “a most vehement flame” in this verse is often translated as “a flame of YAH” or “a flame of YAHU” in older Hebrew manuscripts. “YAHU” is a poetic or abbreviated form of “YAHWEH”, the covenant name of God revealed in the Old Testament. It’s the same root found in names like Isaiah (Yesha-Yahu) and Jeremiah (Yirme-Yahu).
God revealed His name to Moses in Exodus 6:2–3 (NKJV):
“And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the Lord [YAHWEH]. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord [YAHWEH] I was not known to them.’”
In older English Bibles, YAHWEH was rendered as JEHOVAH. So YAHU, YAHWEH, and JEHOVAH are all representations of the same divine name, just with linguistic and translational differences. Theologically, this name emphasizes God’s eternal, self-existing nature (cf. Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM”).
The Song describes love as strong as death—an extraordinary statement. Death is final and powerful. Likewise, God’s love is unyielding, total, and unchangeable.
Romans 8:35, 38–39 (NKJV) confirms this in the New Testament:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… For I am persuaded that neither death nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This passage shows that God’s covenantal love, expressed fully in Christ, is permanent. Even in times of failure, God may discipline, but He never stops loving His people (Hebrews 12:6).
The second part of Song 8:6 says, “jealousy is as cruel as the grave.” This “jealousy” refers to God’s righteous jealousy—not human envy, but His zeal to protect the relationship He has with His people.
Exodus 20:3–5 (NKJV) highlights this clearly:
“You shall have no other gods before Me… For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
Theologically, this means God will not share His glory or our worship with idols (Isaiah 42:8). Just as a loving spouse would rightly feel pain at betrayal, God is provoked when His people turn to other gods or trust in worldly systems.
His jealousy is protective, not possessive—it flows out of His love and covenant commitment.
The phrase “its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame” (or “the flame of Yahu”) points to the intensity of divine love. Fire in Scripture symbolizes purification, passion, and divine presence (cf. Hebrews 12:29: “Our God is a consuming fire”).
This shows that God’s love is not passive—it’s active, refining, and transforming. It burns away sin, calls for repentance, and restores us in holiness.
Because God’s love is so powerful and His jealousy so holy, we are called to respond with wholehearted devotion. Idolatry, whether in the form of literal idols or misplaced trust (e.g., money, fame, people), deeply offends God.
James 4:4–5 (NKJV) says:
“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?… Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”
Thus, our love for God must be pure and undivided. When we love Him, we are drawn to obey Him—not out of obligation, but out of joyful surrender.
Song of Solomon 8:6 gives us a poetic and profound picture of God’s character: He loves us fiercely and jealously, and He longs for us to love Him in return with sincerity and loyalty.
Let us not provoke His jealousy by following other gods or desires. Instead, let us respond to His unbreakable love with faithfulness, trust, and worship.
May YAHU help us not to grieve Him, but to love Him with all our heart. May His holy flame burn in us and lead us to live in His will.
Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2024/01/08/who-is-yahu-song-of-solomon-86/
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