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This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song 5:16)
The beloved here completes her description of her divine Lover. It is significant to note that she refers to him not only as her Lover, but also as her friend. This marks yet another phase in her spiritual development for she is beginning to take her place as a co-labourer with him in his vineyards and gardens. She, who has previously (Song 1:6-7), found no real satisfaction in working for the Lord is now discovering what it means to work with him. This theme is developed more in the remaining sections of this book.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:13-15)
Where has your lover gone, most beautiful of women?
Which way did your lover turn, that we may look for him with you? (Song 6:1)
This is a strange question from the daughters of Jerusalem as the beloved had only just asked for their help in looking for her Lover. But her inspired description of him has done two things for them. Firstly, it quickly convinces them that they are well out of their depth and could not help in her search.
Secondly, it creates in them an intense desire to experience the closeness of the one she has described. In other words, they are convinced of the relative shallowness of their own current experience of, and relationship with, the Jesus she describes, and they now desire something greater.
My lover has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices,
to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies. (Song 6:2)
Without hesitation she replies telling them just where they can find her Lord. It seems that her own impassioned description has redirected her thoughts and brought her to a realisation of the place towards which he is now drawing her.
In fact he is among his gardens gathering lilies. Firstly she acknowledges that he is in his "garden" (singular) which refers to her own inner being. She now understands that he has never left or forsaken her and that, despite her feelings, he has been constantly bringing to perfection his purpose within her. The "gardens" (plural) refer to the lives of the many of God’s children for whom he is caring. Here he is down among many gardens tending and caring for the tender plants and enjoying the beauty he is creating in so many lives. Thus, even though the Lord relates to his beloved in an intimate, personal and individual way as if she were the only one, he is of course doing the same in countless lives and has been doing so throughout the ages.
I am my lover’s and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. (Song 6:3)
Her declaration of love here is no longer primarily self-centred, as it was previously (Song 2:16). Now her first concern is the pleasure and satisfaction she is giving her Lord. She now understands that it is "browsing among the lilies," that is enjoying the fruit of his labours in the lives of his beloved ones, that fills her divine Lover’s heart with joy. Her own need has receded into the background although, it must be said, it has not entirely disappeared from her view.
Lilies again speak of the beauty of adornment (Matt. 6:28-29). In gathering the lilies he is observing and enjoying with great satisfaction those beautiful qualities of character that he has been producing and which now adorn the lives of his beloved ones.
It is down amongst these gardens that she now finds her Lover. Their separation is now over and never again does she experience anything like it again. Even though there is yet more spiritual growth ahead, her relationship with her Lord from here on, remains one of mutual joy and ever-growing satisfaction.
She has now reached another significant stage in her spiritual development, and the Lord celebrates this with another outpouring of praise for his beloved (Song 6:4-9). She has now been fully faced with the consequences of sharing in the sufferings of Christ, she has counted the cost and, despite her initial hesitation, has yielded herself without reserve to the will of God. Here again there is rejoicing in heaven.
You are beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, (Song 6:4)
Firstly, the Lord compares her with two cities, namely Jerusalem and Tirzah. Jerusalem, as we have seen, represents the church particularly as it is depicted as the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:9-10). He is here comparing her inner beauty to that which he will openly display before all creation when he is finally united with his bride forever. He is preparing her to take her place in that company. All that has happened to her and all that lies before her is directed to this end.
"Tirzah," meaning "delight," was a city of great natural beauty situated about forty miles north of Jerusalem. It was noted for its abundant water supply and its beautiful gardens, being what may be referred to as a "garden city." 1
Thus, the Lord, whose great delight is to "browse in the gardens and to gather lilies" is expressing his joy at observing the growth and development of her inner life and character. In this he is seeing the incomparable beauty of his own divine nature being expressed through the life and personality of his beloved.
majestic as troops with banners. (Song 6:4)
Not only does the Lord praise her beauty of character but also the strength and power of God that is now so evident in her life. She now presents an awe-inspiring sight which strikes fear in the hearts of her enemies and gives great comfort and courage to those about her.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Eph. 3:16)
...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,... (Col. 1:11)
She is by now well equipped with all the armour of God (Eph. 6:10-18) and, having long since abandoned the worldly weapons which are so ineffective in spiritual warfare, has mastered the use of the spiritual weapons with which she has been endowed by the Holy Spirit.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
This would strongly suggest that her faith is no longer passive and defensive, but has gained an element of aggression, taking the battle to the enemy and possessing the spiritual ground, not only for herself but for the Body of Christ around her.
Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. (Song 6:5)
Once again, the Lord expresses the exquisite joy that he is now deriving from this love relationship (see Song 4:9). This time, however, it is almost too much for him to bear. As he looks into her (doves) eyes he sees not only love but a profound understanding of his own deepest motivations and desires, and he is overwhelmed by it.
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, not one of them is alone.
Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. (Song 6:5-7)
These descriptions are almost the same as several of those made before (Song 4:1-3) They are repeated here because the qualities described have particular relevance to the experience she has just been through.
Her dedication to the will of God, as symbolised by her hair, has now reached a new level. Despite her initial hesitation, she has experienced the profound joy of sharing in the sufferings of Christ and any reluctance she may have felt to take up her cross and follow Jesus has now evaporated.
Her ability to absorb and understand the Word of God and to yield herself to the dealings of the Holy Spirit as he works to integrate it into her everyday experience, has also entered a new dimension because of her greater identification with Christ. The reason for this has to do with our tendency to read and understand the Word of God according to our current experience, blocking out, often unconsciously, those things that we do not wish to see. This is not necessarily due to any conscious lack of devotion to the Lord but may simply be our sub-conscious defense mechanisms trying to prevent us from entering situations which it feels may prove painful or, in some way, humiliating.
Now, all these barriers are gone. She is now like the disciples (Acts 5:41) who rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name. She is fully able to fearlessly take in all the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to weave it into the very fabric of her inner-most being.
It is worthy of note that the words "just shorn" which appeared before (Song 4:2) are missing here. The previous description appeared after she had just been freed (shorn) of her entanglements with the world and with her old nature. This is not the case here where she is being dealt with on an entirely different level.
Her temples once again refer to her renewed mind. But here again her strength of thought and mind have been brought to a new level by her recent experience.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. (1 Pet. 4:1)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:5-8)
Armed with this attitude of mind she is now impregnable.
Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favourite of the one who bore her.
The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her. (Song 6:8-9)
This passage represents one of the apparent contradictions of the Song of Songs. The Lord is talking to this beloved Christian as though she is the favourite, the most spiritually advanced and somehow unique among all of God’s children. And yet we know that he has been working in the hearts of countless numbers of his loved ones in just the same way in all parts of the world and in all ages.
It is also an apparent contradiction that although the Lord speaks to her in this way, it does not produce in her the slightest sense of elitism or superiority. On the contrary, she demonstrates throughout a profound humility towards those around her in the Body of Christ. They in turn overflow in their respect, admiration and affection for her.
These contradictions bring home to us, in the most powerful terms, the personal and intimate nature of the relationship to which Jesus is calling us. She was surrounded by queens, concubines and virgins, representing Christians of varying spiritual stature. But the Lord never addresses this company as a group. When the Lord speaks with his beloved it is as though she is the only one.
Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? (Song 6:10)
The daughters of Jerusalem are here describing the beloved in terms of the dawn appearing over the horizon with ever-increasing brightness.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. (Prov. 4:18)
The fruit that her intimate love relationship with the Lord is producing is now clearly visible to those around her, and is becoming more and more so as time goes on. The daughters of Jerusalem are here expressing fulsome praise for what the Lord has wrought in her life.
She has a softness and gentleness about her that is compared to the soft and gentle light of the moon, and yet, at the same time, she radiates truth and spiritual understanding that illuminates those around her as the light of the sun.
In the Hebrew, the phrase "majestic as the stars in procession" is exactly the same as that translated "majestic as troops with banners" previously (Song 6:4). Thus we have the children of Jerusalem repeating the Lord’s description of this awe-inspiring sight. In other words the spiritual power now possessed by the beloved is visible to the Christians around her. Which ever way this phrase is translated, it depicts a Christian who is fully equipped with the armour of God and who knows how to wield the weapons of spiritual warfare.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Cor. 2:14)
I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. (Song 6:11)
This passage, although attributed to the Lover in the NIV, is more generally thought of as being spoken by the beloved. This interpretation would fit well into what has gone before.
For here is the beloved expressing her ever deepening devotion to and relationship with her divine Lover, going down to the place she knows her Lord loves best, that is among the gardens, vineyards and orchards tending the delicate plants and looking for fresh growth. As before, this refers to the lives of the saints which are producing and bearing the fruit which brings so much joy to his heart.
It is important to note that what is being described here is not a physical ministry but a state or attitude of heart and spirit. What the beloved is involved in here may or may not be a ministry in a formal sense. What is important is the fact that she is at one with the Lord in his longing and desire for his beloved ones to bear fruit to his glory.
Before I realised it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people. (Song 6:12)
As she joins her Lord in his devotion to these gardens and the precious fruit that they are producing, she is suddenly and unexpectedly caught up among a mass of chariots, literally the "chariots of Ammi-nadib."
"Ammi-nadib" has been translated in a number of ways such as "people of the prince," "my princely people" (ASV), "beside my prince" (RSV) among others. All of them have the idea that the chariots and the people relate to the Lover of this poem, and that the chariots are for the transport of his people.
Here we get a glimpse of something that has up to this point hardly been alluded to in this book. Just for a moment, the Scripture is not talking about his relationship to one beloved, "the only daughter of her mother," but is referring to his preparation of the whole church, the bride, in readiness for the marriage supper of the Lamb.
‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ (Rev. 19:9)
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (Rev. 21:2)
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (Rev. 21:9-10)
It is her "desire" that sets her amongst the chariots. This word is also translated "fancy" (RSV) and has the connotation of "imagination." Thus as she observes the Lord at work in the lives of his people and joins him in that work, she suddenly, in her imagination, catches a vision of the glory of the Lord’s ultimate goal in creation and in redemption. She finds herself caught up in the excitement and thrill of it all.
The transforming work that is going on now within the hearts and lives of multitudes of God’s people is hidden from public view. But then it will be openly displayed before principalities and powers and before all living things on the grandest of grand scales. All creation waits expectantly for that moment and at that time will bow down and worship the King of Kings and acknowledge his wisdom and power.
...that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Rom. 8:21)
Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! (Song 6:13)
Four times the daughters of Jerusalem plead with the beloved, the Shulammite, to come back to where they can see, or gaze upon her. It is apparent from their previous request to "look for him with you" (Song 6:1) that these Christians are, in a sense, following her lead. It is clear, however, that they are not following her, nor are in any way her disciples. They are seeking to know and to follow Jesus as she does, for those possessing true spirituality direct people’s attention to Jesus, never to themselves.
Nevertheless, in their own immaturity they are still dependent upon the beloved, to some extent at least, for spiritual direction and illumination. There are at least two possible reasons for their urgent, even desperate, plea, and there may be truth in both.
Firstly, as time goes by, the rate at which the beloved is growing and waxing strong in spirit is accelerating rapidly, and it is possible that these Christians are beginning to feel that they are being left behind and are out of their depth again. This would also illustrate the fact that the beloved Christian is becoming increasingly independent of the environment in which she lives. Her thoughts, emotions and actions are more and more the direct result of her deepening love relationship with the Lord and less and less of the world around her.
...because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom. 8:14)
Secondly as they observe the beloved one in the previous passage (Song 6:12) being caught up in the glory and grandeur of things to come, they may be feeling, rightly or wrongly, that she has somewhat lost touch with, or perhaps even lost interest in, what was happening around her now.
Whether or not this could be truly said of the beloved, it is a valid concern. It is true that this age will end with cataclysmic events in which every knee shall bow to Jesus Christ, every tongue confess that he is Lord of all, where the church shall be revealed in all its glory and where the judgment of a righteous God shall be poured out upon a rebellious and evil world. Of this there is no doubt.
But that is not happening now. The work of God that is going on right now is in preparation for these events. The work being referred to is the virtually invisible work of the Holy Spirit reshaping the lives of humble people who have yielded themselves to his call. This is unnoticed and ignored by the world and, largely, by the organised church. Yet it is here that the eternal purpose of God finds its focus in this age.
The call is urgent and the concern is not without foundation. They are wanting to make sure that she comes back to the gardens, the orchards and vineyards to tend and care for the immature yet healthy and growing spiritual lives of themselves and others like them.
Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim? (Song 6:13)
This verse, although attributed to the Lover in the NIV is more probably spoken by the beloved. This fits the context better as the Lover has been overflowing with praise for the beloved and, indeed, continues with even more fulsome praise in the following nine verses.
Mahanaim was a city of some importance in the early history of Israel. However, there is nothing known about a particular dance being associated with the city. "Mahanaim" is also translated "two armies" (RSV) and "two rows" (JB) and has the literal meaning of "two camps" or "two groups" and this could thus be simply a reference to "the dances of two groups." This leads to a reading of the verse as, "Why to you want to look at me when there are so many others in this dance?"2
Thus, this verse becomes an expression of the profound humility of this child of God. Because she has reached heights of spiritual maturity which are clearly recognisable to those around her, she is even more acutely conscious of her total dependence upon her divine Lover for everything she has.
She is also conscious of the fact that there are many others labouring in the Lord’s gardens and vineyards who have progressed as far as she has and many who have gone beyond. She knows that she is not unique or special in this regard. When the Lord speaks to her she is the special and only one, and yet this only has had the effect of producing a profound humility and respect for the worth and achievements of others.
This is by no means false or feigned modesty when she asks those who have so urgently called her to come back so that they could observe her character and life and learn from her, why they should want to do so. She knows full well that it is Jesus on whom they must gaze, and she will now do all in her power to ensure that their looks of admiration are directed away from her own person and on to the Lord.
She is now firmly established in her work in the Lord’s gardens and vineyards. She fully understands what her labours are all about as she is now filled with "the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1:9) and is "bearing fruit in every good work" (Col. 1:10). In other words, she has ceased working for the Lord and is now working with the Lord, having entered fully into the spirit of his labours. In this she has found a profound sense of rest.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 12:29-30)
This marks another significant milestone in the beloved’s spiritual development and is followed by an outpouring of praise and admiration (Song 7:1-9), as has each major achievement along her journey. There is some debate as to whether this entire passage should be attributed to the Lover as it has been in the NIV. Some have suggested that the first section (Song 7:1-5) is spoken by the "daughters of Jerusalem" and the text could suggest that this is the case.
Be that as it may, what we can be sure of is that this is a description in highly glowing terms of the spirit and inner life of an extremely mature child of God. It parallels in various ways the description given of the Lord himself (Song 5:10-16) and many of his characteristics are now recognisable in her life. That is, the fact of her being a "partaker of the divine nature" has borne much fruit.
Significantly, this description of the beloved starts with her "sandalled feet" and works upwards to her head, whereas the description of the Lord starts at the head and works its way down. This symbolises the fundamental difference between the divine Lover and his beloved. He who is God has taken on humanity, whereas she, starting as the dust of the earth has, by the grace of God, taken on divinity.
How beautiful your sandalled feet, O prince’s daughter! (Song 7:1)
Her feet speak of the beloved’s journeying down into the Lord’s gardens, caring for the tender new growth and gathering the harvest.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7)
This is the first time that the beloved’s feet have been described either by her Lover or by the onlookers. This is because it is only now that she has really discovered what it means to join her Lord in tending to the gardens, the orchards and the vineyards. She is now completely at one with what the Lord is doing there.
It is important to note, once again, that the work being described here does not necessarily relate to what we would call a "ministry" in the Body of Christ. It may or may not be a ministry in the formal sense at all. But it is work in the Lord’s gardens nevertheless, tending the precious buds, shoots, blossoms and fruit in the lives of those the Lord loves. The beloved and the Lord know what that work is and that is all that matters.
Her feet are "sandalled" indicating that although she walks in the world she remains uncontaminated by the world.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
She makes contact with those in need and brings hope and comfort in a world of darkness and confusion. But none of the world attaches itself to her spirit. She is leaping over the mountains and bounding over the hills with her Lord.
The nobility of her character now prompts the Lover or the onlookers (or both) to refer to her as "princes daughter." The fact that she is a child of God, a member of the royal family can now be clearly recognised by those around her.
Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman’s hands. (Song 7:1)
"Your graceful legs" which is better translated as "The curve of your thighs," represent strength and her unbending resolve to carry through the work God has given her to do.
The distinctive features of jewels are their beauty and their rarity. Both of these characteristics are the result of their being produced in the bowels of the earth under extremes of heat and pressure over a long period of time.
So it was with the beloved whose strength is the result of the dealings and discipline of the Master Craftsman himself. She now has a job to do, she understands clearly what that task is and now she applies herself with all the strength that the Lord himself has built into her life to enable her to accomplish that task.
Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. (Song 7:2)
The navel and waist (or belly) represent her inner emotional life.
The "rounded goblet" refers to a large and heavy two or four handled clay or metal bowl, while the blended wine is wine mixed with spices to enhance its aroma.
Firstly the inner emotional life of this beloved is described as being a large receptacle constantly filled with a fragrant wine. The wine refers to the fruit which has been produced by the Lord’s inner workings within her life. But it is more than fruit, it is matured and processed fruit that is provided for the Lord’s pleasure. To this has been added the spiritual fragrance associated with Jesus' death on the cross.
Further we see that just as the Lord’s emotional life had been tempered by suffering and death and had emerged with strength and beauty (Song 5:14), in like manner her emotional life is described here as a "mound of wheat encircled by lilies."
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25)
"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." (Luke 12:27)
Here we have the beloved one who, as that kernel of wheat, has been sown in the ground and has produced a rich harvest. From the very depths of her being she has yielded herself to the will of God, has shared in the sufferings of Christ and has entered into his labours.
The stability of her emotional life is based upon the fruit that this process has borne. Having died to herself, she has nothing more to lose. She fears nothing, for nothing can harm her. She has lost her life only to find it again.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3)
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (Ps. 112:7)
The mound of wheat is surrounded by lilies which are used in Scripture to depict the beauty of adornment. Her emotional strength and stability, her joy, calmness and serenity in the face of pressure and opposition are visible for those around her to see and admire. They are a beautiful adornment to her life and character which here receive fulsome praise.
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. (Song 7:3)
Here again, the two breasts represent the twin virtues of faith and love which are the very foundation of this love relationship. This is the same as the previous reference (Song 4:5) except that here the phrase "that browse among the lilies" is omitted.
We have here a picture of the beloved whose faith and love have grown and developed to the point where she is leaping across the mountains and bounding over the hills with the eternally youthful vigour of his life. However, we should note that whereas the Lord has been described as a "gazelle or a young stag" (Song 2:9), the beloved’s faith and love are still twin "fawns," that is infant deer.
Thus, her spiritual stature, although greatly praised by the Lord and admired by the Christians around her, is yet in its infant stage when judged by the standard and the goal set before her, which is, as always, Christ himself. Despite her great spiritual advances there are, and ever will be, greater heights to which to aspire.
The absence of the phrase "that browse among the lilies" would suggest to us that now she is firmly established in her work among the gardens and has entered into the "fellowship of his sufferings," that her primary concern is the joy that the Lord experiences as he observes the beautiful adornments in the lives of his loved ones. There is no doubt that she continues to experience the fullness of joy as she tends the gardens, orchards and vineyards, but her spiritual maturity is such that this is no longer at the forefront of her mind. She lives for his pleasure and his joy.
Your neck is like an ivory tower. (Song 7:4)
Previously (Song 4:4), her neck was likened to "the tower of David." Now it is an ivory tower.
The neck, as before, refers to her strength of character and determination to carry out the will of God at all costs.
Ivory, as we have seen (Song 5:14), is something of great strength and beauty, but is produced at the cost of the suffering and death of the great mammals which bear it. The beloved now understands the experience of being identified with the shame, humiliation and death of Christ. This has only served to strengthen her resolve to fulfil the purpose of God in her life.
Also, now being established in her work in the Lord’s gardens, orchards and vineyards, she has a clear view of what that work means. This has served to focus her resolve and determination more than ever before.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. (Song 7:4)
The eyes are the "windows to the soul," the revealers of our inner thoughts and feelings. The pools refer to large, deep reservoirs of water just outside the wall of the city of Heshbon, which were fed by the plentiful and clear springs which bubbled up from the earth around them. The language used suggests deep calmness and transparency. Bath Rabbim is unknown as a place name, but was probably the name of a gate in the city wall, literally meaning "the daughter of many."
Thus the Lord, and the "daughters of Jerusalem" see, within her innermost soul, a large reservoir of peace, serenity and calmness that remains undisturbed by the most severe trials. Also, being near the gate of the city, it is available for many of the city inhabitants to observe, admire and draw upon for inspiration and comfort.
She has thus fully entered into her rest having died to herself and joined the Lord in his gardens, orchards and valleys.
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Heb. 4:9-10)
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus. (Song 7:4)
Spiritual fragrance or aroma, which are referred to much in the Song of Songs and, indeed, throughout the Bible, have already been discussed in some detail (Song 4:13-15). It is the spiritual aroma that the death and resurrection of Christ has released into the world and which is that indefinable presence which registers with our spirit, attracts our attention and causes us to seek its source. It is by this "fragrance" that we are attracted to Christ in the first place. It is by our sensitivity to this aroma that we are led along the pathway to maturity. It is by our readiness to respond to this prompting that we can understand in what direction the Lord is leading us, and obey.
Her nose represents her sensitivity to this spiritual aroma, that is, her sensitivity to the leading and promptings of the Holy Spirit. The "tower of Lebanon" refers to a range of towering, white limestone mountains, up to ten thousand feet high, starting at Mt Hermon and running north towards Damascus.
Thus, her sensitivity to the Lord’s leading and to his desires and feelings has reached towering proportions. This has been greatly enhanced by her entering into the "fellowship of sharing in his sufferings" (Phil. 3:10), for her understanding of the moving of the Holy Spirit has been fed by her willingness to obey.
Just as importantly, her sensitivity to his leadings and promptings has been greatly increased because she is now firmly established in working in his gardens, and has gained a "knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1:9). In other words, she is now completely at one with the Lord in what he is doing in the lives of those he loves. Thus she can readily understand what he is telling her to do and where he is leading her.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. (Song 7:5)
This has also been variously translated as, "Your head is held high like Carmel" (JB) and, "You carry your head like Carmel" (NEB). The attitude of the head, as we have seen (Song 2:6), speaks of our inner sense of victory or defeat. A head held high indicates confidence, faith and victory. A bowed head may indicate subjection and defeat.
The Carmel referred to is thought to be a wooded mountainous region on the western coast, about fifty miles north of Jerusalem, in the area originally allotted to Assher (Jos. 19:24-26), and was noted for its natural beauty. The Scripture talks about the "splendour of Carmel" (Isa. 35:2).
It was in this area that Elijah challenged Ahab, Jezebel and the prophets of Baal calling down fire from heaven and crushing, for the time, the worship of Baal (1 Kings 18). Thus it was both a place of beauty and a place of conflict and overwhelming victory.
Thus we have a picture of the beloved who, having experienced conflict and great victory through Christ, is holding her head high and is full of faith, assurance and hope. This is praised by the Lord and greatly admired by those around her.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ... (2 Cor. 2:14)
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57)
Your hair is like royal tapestry; (Song 7:5)
Her hair is said to be "like royal tapestry" or, more literally, "like purple," referring to the purple cloth used to signify a position of royalty.
Her hair, once again, speaks of her dedication to the will of God. But here she has moved far ahead of simply giving of her time and talents to the Lord’s service. She is now so completely at one with the Lord in his work in the gardens and vineyards that she appears as royalty herself. She is now so fully absorbed in the Lord’s own motives and desires, that she is able to give herself totally to bringing satisfaction and joy to his heart.
the king is held captive by its tresses. (Song 7:5)
This statement adds support to those who believe that this section (Song 7:1-5) is spoken by the "daughters of Jerusalem" as it seems to be spoken of the King rather than by him.
Here the Lord is utterly captivated by his beloved’s devotion and her depth of understanding of his will and purpose. He rejoices now, not only in the fruit that this Christian is bearing in her own life, but also in the fact that she has, from the very depths of her heart, joined with him in caring for the tender fruit in the lives of those he loves.
How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!
Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. (Song 7:6-7)
There is no disagreement that from here on (to the first line of 7:9), the words are spoken by the lover to his beloved. Now he praises the beauty of her inner spiritual attainment and rejoices in the pleasure that they bring to his heart. To him they are "delights."
Here again, the curtain is momentarily drawn aside, and we see something of the love and the intense desire for love’s response in the heart of God. What he has wrought in the heart of this beloved one is bringing a level of joy and satisfaction to him that it is not possible for us to imagine. How can we ever deny him the access to the innermost recesses of our being when he asks it of us?
The Lord likens her spiritual stature to the date palm which Scripture uses to symbolise stateliness, dignity and prosperity.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, (Ps. 92:12)
Her faith and love, symbolised again by her two breasts, are no longer described as "fawns" (Song 4:5; 7:3), that is infants, but as "clusters of fruit" ripe for the harvest. It is significant here that the youthful exuberance of the fawns has been replaced by a maturity of love and purpose ready for the enjoyment of the Lord in a deepening and ever more satisfying love relationship. Her faith and her love have now been tried in the fire and have come forth as gold.
I said, "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit."
May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, (Song 7:8)
The Lord, however, is not satisfied with just praising the beauty of his beloved’s inner life and the prolific spiritual growth that has been observed, but is urging her to aspire to even greater heights. Only this will satisfy the yearnings of the heart of him who is love.
The Lord expresses his desire to "climb the palm tree" to harvest the dates. Such is his longing for the mature response of love, that he will not wait for the fruit to fall to the ground. His desire is for her faith and love to be like "clusters of the vine," that is a bunch of grapes, as opposed to the "clusters of fruit," dates, as mentioned before (Song 7:7) and as they are now. The fruit of the date palm is indeed honey-sweet to the taste and is greatly pleasing to the Lord. However the clusters of grapes are not only beautiful to eat but are destined to be matured and processed into something of even greater value. The Lord is thus longing for her faith and love to develop, through the processes of God, to an even greater level of maturity. This we see, and wonder at, in the remaining sections of the Song of Songs.
the fragrance of your breath like apples, (Song 7:8)
The phrase "fragrance of your breath" is better translated as "smell of your nostrils" and refers to her sensitivity to the moving and leading of the Holy Spirit, that is, her ability to detect and respond to "spiritual fragrance." The Lord’s great desire is that his beloved will become aware not only of his specific directions but more of his unspoken longings and desires. We stand in awe as we see this coming to fruition as the narrative comes to a conclusion.
The word translated "apples" here refers to an unknown fruit which was used as a decorative motif on cloth and on buildings.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Prov. 25:11)
Thus it is that her greatly heightened spiritual awareness is seen as an adornment of her character that is most appropriate in the context of all the other qualities that the Lord has worked into her life. In other words, it is an attribute of her life that is needed to give true value to the rest of her character.
What this is saying to us is that whatever other good qualities which may have, by the grace of God, become part of our lives, they are diminished in value without a finely developed sense of the presence of God and a readiness to follow the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit wherever they may lead.
and your mouth like the best wine. (Song 7:9)
This should be compared with the first statement made by the beloved.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine. (Song 1:2)
At that time she was rejoicing in the experience of the love of her divine Lover, longing for the expressions of his love, that is his kisses, and comparing them to the sweetness and exhilaration of wine.
Now the position is reversed and it is the Lord who is longing for the expressions of the love of his beloved. He compares them to the "best wine," which refers to the end of time, the best wine being kept till last (John 2:9-10). In other words, the love of the beloved is providing for her divine Lover a foretaste of the inexpressible joy that will flow when all things are consummated in Christ and the New Jerusalem appears in all its glory.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." (Rev. 21:1-3)
At this time, Jesus will be united with his bride and they together will experience the unbounded joy of unbroken fellowship throughout all eternity. It is this longing for a response to divine love that is at the very heart of the eternal purpose of God.
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