In Song of Solomon, chapter eight, verses six through seven, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” There is nothing more powerful and beautiful than the expression of mutual and passionate love between a bridegroom and his bride who are fully committed to each other. On the other hand, Jealousy here can be translated as “ardent love.” It is as inflexible as the grave, a place which no man can escape. However, trying to buy love for money is someone to be scorned; it cannot be done. Similarly, any marriage that is based on the attractiveness of earthly possessions of either the husband or the wife is doomed to failure.
The three relationships in these two theme verses: the passionate relationship between the bridegroom and bride, the intense jealousy of one for another, and the phony relationship of buying love. Love is strong in a passionate relationship because the two who come together are willing to commit to each other until the end of their lives. Jealousy is cruel because it robs the one in that state of the opportunity to pursue whatever desirable thing or situation they intend to achieve. Watching someone due to what they possess can cause trouble for them in life. Buying or renting love is a time waster; knowing it is artificial and not real makes it more burdensome for both parties. Believers should be mindful of these.