The Bible is written in a marvelous way. Some words in the Bible are clear, direct teachings, but many are in the form of parables, of allegories, of pictures in words that are full of meaning. Those who argue that such things should not be interpreted cast aside the means by which God has chosen to communicate to man. Many portions of the Bible cannot be understood as anything other than figurative language.
Any thoughtful reader can realize that the poetry in the Song of Songs cannot be interpreted literally, yet it is nowhere explicitly interpreted in the New Testament. What wooer would tell the object of his affection, “Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory: a thousand bucklers hang on it, all the shields of the mighty men” (4:4)? If, however, we perceive that the book speaks of a fabulously rich king wooing a girl of lowly estate, we can begin to understand that the entire poem is an allegory of our Lord, as the lovely Bridegroom, seeking and wooing man to gain a bride. Without a proper interpretation this book would not profit us at all. The following article from Shepherding Words further explains how allegorizing the Bible can help us take it as God’s speaking to the church today.