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SOLOMON.S05
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Study No. 5.
SONG OF SOLOMON
BEGINNING OF LOVE CONTINUED - Chapter 1:9 - 17
1:9 - "I have compared you, O my love, to a company of horses in
Pharaoh's chariots"
The Bride compared to a steed (company) of horses in
Pharoah's chariots. These were the choicest horses in the
world. They were disciplined horses - able to be harnessed
- swift and quick to obey in every minute detail - complete
submission to authority - able to control themselves in a
company and flow together.
The Bride of Christ is made up of a company of disciplined
ones, who will be united one with the other by love (a
company that has all things in common).
Note the following scriptures on the horse.
(1) Job. 39:19-25 gives a description of the battle horse - a
type of the Church.
(2) Zech. 10:3 - His flock, the house of Judah (Praise) is
His battle Horse.
(3) Rev. 6:2 The Church is seen as the white horse going out
conquering and to conquer. It is in total submission to
the rider - Christ.
(4) Rev. 19:11-16. The saints on their horse follow Christ on
his white horse.
This more correctly translated "I compare you to my mare
harnessed to Pharaoh's chariot."
a) The King calls her "my love" for the first time, and it
occurs in the context of correcting her. He never
condemns, but lovingly adjusts the Bride and although He
is pointing out a weakness in her, it is done with the
reassurance of His love for her and also with a positive
solution to the problem.
b) The King points out to the Shulamite that there is still
much of the world in her. Horses speak of the strength
and pride of the world system and as such are a
substitute for the power of the Holy Spirit. cf Ps.
20:7, Zech. 4:6, Ps. 147:10. The horse, from the
standpoint of its natural characteristics, was a symbol
of speed in those days. The swiftness described in the
maiden's movements are parallel to her running after Him
(1:4), except that here her swift movements have a
natural and not a spiritual source. Note also Ps. 33:17,
Amos 2:15, Hosea 1:7, Job 39:19-25, Is. 31:1-2, and Ex.
15:1.
i) She is still pulling Pharaoh's chariots and he is the
ruler of Egypt which is type of the world (Rev. 11:8),
and is the place which God delivered Israel (the
Church) from.
ii) This is a picture of the Church advancing the cause of
the god of this world. God's work must be done in
God's way. If a spiritual motive is mixed with a
fleshly programme, the flesh will dominate. John 3:6
- that which is born of the flesh is flesh.
iii) The Bible says, "Be not as the horse or the mule which
have no understanding" - Ps. 32:9. This refers to the
Shulamite/Church as being still insensitive to the
ways of God. She needs to be pulled in with the
bridle and bit to be kept on course. She still
doesn't understand what is happening and depends on
correction instead of revelation for spiritual
progress. Ps. 103:7 shows us that Israel was
spiritually insensitive and could only see the acts of
God. Moses knew God's way.
1:10 - 11 - "Your cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, your
neck with chains of gold. We will make you borders
of gold with studs of silver."
The King does not point out her need without referring to the
solution to the problem, or His view of her.
a) The cheeks refer to her natural beauty. The cheeks
determine whether a person is beautiful or not; and in
the maiden they are figurative of a natural endowment of
good looks.
The cheeks of Jesus were not comely. His visage was
marred more than any man's (Is. 52). His beard was
plucked out (Is. 50:6). There was no beauty that we
should desire Him. Out of His brokenness has come beauty
for the Bride.
The King sees her new nature as beautiful and adorned
with jewels. These jewels are the gifts of God and the
result of His work in the Church. These include the gift
of salvation, Holy Spirit, 9 Gifts, 5 Ministries,
Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. 1 Pet. 3:3-4 etc.
b) "Thy neck with chains of gold". An unadorned neck speaks
of a stiff-necked rebellious and stubborn person. But
the chains of Gold (deity, divine nature) - speaks of
capturing, chaining and harnessing the rebellious with
gold chains to God's will. Our will is to be brought
into complete subjection to His.
c) "We" speaks of the total involvement of the Godhead in
this work of revealing His nature in His people.
The borders of gold is better translated `a crown or
circlet of gold'. This then supercedes the glory of her
hair and shows us that God's glory in us far surpasses
any natural graces or beauty we may have. 1 Cor. 1:29
and 31. It takes time and skill to beat gold into this
type of braid and only the Lord Himself can do His own
work in us to overshadow and make absolute our natural
beauty or skills.
d) The "studs of silver" have a two-fold meaning:
i) The stud was actually an earring. Rebekah, as a type
of the Bride of Christ, received the earring from
Eliezer, who represents the Holy Spirit preparing the
Bride for her union with Christ. Gen. 24. This
earring is also identified with an acceptance of the
Lordship of Christ. Exodus 21:5-6 tells us of the
slave who voluntarily chose to become a "love-slave"
for ever. His ear was pierced as a sign to all, of
his acceptance of his master as the total authority in
his life for ever. In Rom. 1:1, Paul declared himself
to be the "doulos" (Greek) of Jesus Christ. This
means the "love-slave."
ii) The stud or earring was of silver, which is a type of
redemption. The King is making her to understand that
the only freedom from the horse nature is to stay upon
redemption ground, realizing that there is nothing in
her natural life or old nature which is appealing to
God. The only beauty she will ever have is because of
redemption. Her acknowledgement of the Lordship of
Christ and her faith in His redeeming work gives the
Godhead the opportunity to bestow chains of gold
(Divine nature) over her rebellious will and to
supercede her natural glory with that which is of God.
1:12 - "While the King sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth
forth the fragrance thereof."
This is a reference to the daily provision of Solomon's table
which has typical significance. 1 Kings 4:22-23, 27, 10:5
shows us that the King Himself and His work on behalf of His
bride evokes a spiritual response from her far more than any
legalism could do. He inspires her to respond to him by the
revelation of Himself. The whole of the Christian faith is
built on this revelation of Christ. It is the "rock" on
which the Church is built. Matt. 16:17-18.
a) There are five things revealed in the kinds of food on
Solomon's table:
i) Meal Offerings - some of the foods were of the
category from which the Meal Offerings were taken.
These speak of the Humanity and Holy life of Christ.
They are those things which grew out of the earth as
He was the "root out of dry ground." Is. 53:2
ii) Meat Offerings - the meat dishes typify the blood
atonement of Christ on our behalf. Like the
sacrifices of the Old Testament and Christ Himself,
they had been slain before coming to the Table.
Note - the only eating in the Tabernacle was Shewbread
(meal) and offerings (meat).
iii) The Abundant Provisions speak of the availability of
His grace to everyone, and His ability to meet our
total needs. His resources are far beyond our
capacity to exhaust them.
iv) Solomon spread the same food every day at his table.
It tells us that the cross and its cleansing work is
basic to our relationship with the King. It is the
basis of fellowship with Him every day.
v) The Shulamite has to be a partaker. Jesus said unless
you partake of me you have no part in me (John 6:53-
58), and it is by this means that the "horse nature"
is dealt with. Note 2 Pet. 1:4.
b) The Shulamite says when she sees what has been done for
her that her spikenard sends forth its fragrance. There
is a voluntary response to this revelation and a
sacrificial one. Note Mary's offering of spikenard -
Luke 7:36-50. She saw Jesus (by revelation) and knew Him
as the perfect man preparing for the cross.
The oil of spikenard was usually reserved for the
marriage relationship. The Living Bible version of this
section is, "The King is enchanted by the fragrance of my
perfume." Our sacrificial love for Him gives God His
greatest delight in us. Eph. 5:2.
C.T. Studd, the mighty missionary to the Congo, said
after a life of supreme Lordship in the Gospel, "If Jesus
Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice that I
can make for Him can be too great."
1:13 (a) - "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me."
a) This refers to an Oriental custom in which a woman would
wear a small sack of myrrh, a kind of perfume, around her
neck at night. All the next day a lovely fragrance would
linger there. She is likening Solomon to that sachet of
myrrh: whatever beauty and charm she has is brought out
by him.
b) Myrrh is produced from a small bush which spontaneously
exudes this fragrant gum and is a type of Jesus laying
down His life voluntarily. John 10:18 - "No man taketh it
from me." It is both precious and bitter, and is
associated with death. Mark 15:23. Jesus received it as
a gift from the wise men in his infancy (Matt. 2:11),
which was a sign that He was born to die. His body was
embalmed with it. John 19:39. He was a man of sorrow
and acquainted with grief. Is. 53:3.
1:13 (b) - "He shall lie all night between my breasts."
Speaks of the Lord close to the heart through the darkness of
night. In Scripture, the two breasts speak of "faith" and
"love", 1 Thess. 5:8. In faith and love I will hold the Lord
close to my heart during this long dark night of man's
wickedness and my Beloved's bodily absence.
This is the only place in the book where she refers to the
King as "my well-beloved" and it speaks of a new depth of
relationship which occurs in the revelation of the bitterness
of His suffering for her and the provision of the Atoning
work of the cross.
1:14 - "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in
the vineyards of Engedi."
a) The cluster of camphire (henna flowers) spoke of two
things:
i) Camphire is the henna flowers - bright orange used by
Jewish women for adornment, which ordinarily did not
occur within a vineyard. In fact, even the flowers of
the vines were not seen as they were covered by the
leaves. This reference shows us how conspicuous
Christ is. Henna flowers in this environment would be
as conspicuous as a burning bush in the desert. He
stands out among all the vineyards. Previously she
had been made the keeper of the vineyards. Now with
the King dominating the scene her service is kept in
right perspective.
ii) The word "camphire" comes from the Hebrew "Kopher"
which means to cover and is the same word used for
"atonement" in Lev. 17:11, and also for "pitch" in
Gen. 6:4. The ark was "pitched" within and without.
It was the atoning work of the cross which has made
Jesus conspicuous to all human history. He is beyond
comparison with any other.
iii) "Of Engedi" Means a "fountain" and was located in
Judah (praise) Jos. 15:62 Vineyards (the local
churches) in the fountain and stream of praise. Note
the fruitfulness of Engedi, Ezek. 47:10, it is a place
to spread forth nets - an abundance of fish.
His full atonement will be experienced by those
established in local vineyards where the fountain of
Praise is flowing freely. The results will be much
fruit (fish).
1:15 - "Behold, you are fair, my beloved, you are fair; you have
doves' eyes."
Her fairness is determined by her vision. Since the
revelation of the King at His table, she has been looking
only at Him and this has produced such a change in her that
the King twice emphasizes her fairness. The doves' eye has
"fixed focus." It can only focus on one thing at a time.
Her concentration on the King is producing revelation within
her. Matt. 6:22 - "If your eye is single, your whole body
will be full of light." Note also 2 Cor. 3:18 - what she sees
is what she is. Previously she had been as the horse -
insensitive, but now her perception or spiritual insight
makes her commendable to the King.
The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and this speaks of
the supernatural dimension of her relationship.
The King sees in her eyes the Holy Spirit that was at work in
her being. He looks into her eyes, "I can see what the Holy
Spirit is doing, I see the potential that he can bring in
your life, all that I want from you, and all that you want
from me, the Holy Spirit is able to do that for us."
1:16 - "Behold you are fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our
bed is green."
a) The woman discovers the total satisfaction of His
presence - "you are fair, yea, pleasant", and in this she
finds rest. She has sought rest in verse 7. She now has
a proper balance between feeding (verse 12) and rest.
Psalms 23 says, "He makes me to lie down in green
pastures." True spiritual rest, as outlined in Hebrews
4:1-11, will also bring refreshing and freshness (green).
Her rest is the product of the "revelation at His table"
and "the myrrh between her breasts."
b) Note that she says "our" bed. This represents a new
place of her acceptance of the King's work in her. The
last time she had gone into His chambers the effect on
her was self-condemnatory. Now she sees herself
"identified" with Him - a joint heir with Christ. Rom.
8:17. The next verse also carries this thought of
identification with Him - our house, our rafters. When
we have Christ we have everything. Col.2:10 L.B.
1:17 - "The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of
fir."
The strength of "their house" - the local Church is the
humanity of Christ which the cedar speaks of. It is almost
impervious to rot and is extremely durable. It represents
the incorruptible human nature. Though He was a root out of
dry ground (Is. 53:2), yet He never succumbed to the
corruption of the human race. The doctrine of the humanity
of Christ and His Incarnation are essential to having us as a
house built for God's habitation. 2 John:9 & 10.
Note the various places Cedar is used. Each time it depicts
a vital truth. eg. It is used .....
(a) in the purification of the Leper, Lev. 14:4. (Leprosy of
sin, flesh, bitterness etc.), dealt with by the Truth of
Christ our purification.
(b) in waters of Separation, Num. 19:1-10 for the unclean who
had touched a dead body (speaking of the world), dealt
with by the Truth of Christ our Separation from the
world.
These truths of Separation: Purification: His resurrected life:
His Ascension Glory are all beams, pillar truths in the House
(Church).
"Our rafters of fir." They form the roof, the covering of the
house. Fir speaks of Praise, singing and instruments of praise.
"David made instruments from Fir." 2 Sam. 6:5.
END of STUDY FIVE
