A number of scholars have recently admitted doubts about a solely literal interpretation of the Song, recognising the force of the allegorical interpretations without endorsing their methodology.39 What seems to be required is something akin to the typological interpretation that allows the text to function at the literal level with all its poetic artistry and yet to maintain its spiritual application by means of a proper concern for its biblical context. Such an interpretation cannot, however, be arbitrarily imposed on the text but must be shown to be required by the text itself. (Page 12)

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It follows, then, that since the proper view of the metaphor in the Song is as a depiction of the relationships between the Lord, the land and the people using the vehicle of human marriage, the primary use of the Song in the church must be to teach about the Lord-land-people relationships. This liberates the Song from its restricted use in instructing married couples and allows it to profit the whole people of God, without denying its value in teaching about marriage. Indeed, this value will be increased if it is recognised that the marriage in the Song is not only an ideal marriage but also a metaphorical counterpart to the Lord's relationship with his people. (PDF page 56)