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SOLOMON.S12
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Study No. 12.
SONG OF SOLOMON
TRANSFORMED BY LOVE - Chapter 5:2 - 6:3
The fourth section of the book begins with the Bride now settled
in her declension and the first few verses of this period reveal
the danger of withdrawing from God's will in our lives. We may
convince ourselves that this is a temporary stage to allow us
time to come to terms with the things we have experienced or been
challenged with.
5:2 - "I sleep, but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my
beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my
love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with
dew, and my locks with drops of the night."
a) - "I sleep but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my
beloved that knocketh".
She is now in a state of total inactivity. The high point of
Lebanon is a remote memory. She first retreated behind a wall
and now she has made her garden of pleasant fruits a
substitute for the total will of the King for her.
Now she is inside and the door is locked (5:5). He is
outside knocking to gain her attention and to awaken her. We
see the Lord in this same position with the Laodicean Church
of Rev. 3:20. Her decline has gone much further than she
realised and although in her deepest desires she still longs
for His presence.
b) The King uses the same terms of relationship as He has
previously used of her - my sister, my love, my dove, my
undefiled, showing that she is not out in the world and lost
in wickedness. She is instead closed to Him at this stage in
her substitute spiritual dimension. Her concentration on
only part of His plan for her, ie. only fruit instead of both
fruit and gifts, has become as much a blockage to their
relationship as the wall of chapter 2:9 was.
c) He says, "My head is filled with dew and my locks with drops
of the night".
Where has He been?
Out in the night looking for the hurt, the injured, the
backslider, those away from God, out all night looking for
them.
This dew comes down at night-time - when the earth is covered
with darkness and some are retreating to a place of security
and avoiding confrontation. The King is active and calls His
Bride to co-operate with Him when the earth is most needy.
She does not exist for her own pleasure, comfort or blessing
but to carry out the King's will in reaching this dark and
needy world with His victory and refreshing life. The drops
of the night may refer to Jesus' struggle in Gethsemane when
He sweat great drops of blood and points out the intensity of
His spiritual battle to win the souls of men. It is into
this battle that the Bride is called and has run away. Note
Philippians 3:10 - "the fellowship of His sufferings", and
Col. 1:24.
5:3 - "I have put of my coat; how shall I put it on? I have
washed my feet; how shall I defile them?"
In this state of unwarranted rest, where she has departed from
the King's will through reaction, a measure of resistance now
arises. Instead of responding to the King's call to open the
door and remove the barrier between them, she debates the point
with Him. She attempts to justify her behaviour, but her view of
things is completely out of perspective.
a) Her answer "I have put off my coat, shall I put it on?".
What is she saying? IT'S INCONVENIENT - I would have to
change. Change my plan. Comforts of home, friends and
family for a mission hut in a distant land. So firstly, she
says, "It's inconvenient."
b) She says, "I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?"
This is an area of distorted spiritual values. She places a
greater pre-eminence on the feelings of her own personal
cleansing and holiness than in obeying the King. She has
become "super-spiritual."
"I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them."
I'M TOO HOLY.
This is a false holiness that says, I cannot go with you, I
don't want to be defiled by your friends. There is a
difference between SEPARATION and ISOLATION.
"How will they hear if someone won't tell them?"
Notice Isaiah 65:1-5, especially verse 5. God said, their
holiness is like smoke - smoke stinks and makes you cry.
The scripture shows the unreality of the Bride's selfish,
introverted holiness. Is. 52:7 declares, "How beautiful on
the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace." The Bride is anxious about her feet
being defiled, but the King's opinion is that they will never
be more beautiful than when they are on top of Lebanon where
her world vision is clear and where she is bringing good
tidings of salvation. In other words she is resisting the
call to His ministry of reaching the lost. He wants her in
touch with the real world instead of cloistered away from
human needs and lost souls.
5:4 - "My beloved put his hand to the latch of the door, and my
heart was moved for him."
The King is not easily deterred in His quest to bring the Bride
out of her protective state. He had previously called her and
knocked on the door (verse 2), but now He attempts to open the
door. It was locked. She had reacted so much to the calling to
His ministry that she attempted to make her retreat from it
irrevocable and permanent. His hand appears through the hole of
the door - in this Eastern culture most doors had the locks on
the inside and a hole for the hand so the owner could insert his
hand and turn the key from the inside.
5:5 - "I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dripped with
myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles
of the lock."
The Bride is so moved by the reminder of the King's love for her
that she arises from her retreat to open the door for Him, and in
doing so finds that the handle is now covered by myrrh. It was
the custom in ancient times for one visiting the lady he was
courting to leave his specially mixed ointment on the lock if he
found she was not home or would not open to Him.
5:6 - "I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn
himself, and was gone. My soul failed when he spoke. I
sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he
gave me no answer."
Earlier in their relationship the King was prepared to wait for
her to respond. Now that she has matured and learned much more,
the King expects her to respond immediately. It is the mark of
her obedience and acceptance of His Lordship. He has withdrawn
His presence to show her that she must develop instant obedience
to His will.
5:7 - "The watchmen that went about the city found me; they
smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took
away my veil from me."
One decline leads to another. Her withdrawal from the King's
will on Lebanon had led at first behind garden walls, then to
locked doors, and now she is back in the city again (cp ch. 3:3).
The city is the building of man. It represents all that is man-
made in spiritual life and tends towards a settled experience and
security. The watchmen are the "keepers of the walls." These
walls have been a recurring problem for her. In trying to leave
them for the second time those that are dedicated to the
preservation of religion become her opponents. They smite her
because she is "seeking" the King (v.6). Her re-aroused
spiritual hunger is an embarrassment and indictment to them.
5:8 - "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my
beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick with love."
In her distress she calls upon the Daughters of Jerusalem to help
her find the King again. She feels the need of those around her
to build her relationship with Him again. This speaks of the
assistance we receive in praying one for another that we may be
restored (James 5:16). Previously she had been sick with love
(chapter 2:5) and needed to be balanced by practical things. Now
she is sick through love again, but this time it is because of
the memory of what she once had and has now lost. Her attitudes
are now desperate for restoration and her relationship with the
King is much more important to her than any security she might
enjoy.
She is at the point of praying the effectual fervent prayer of
the righteous which avails much.
5:9 - "What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou
fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than
another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?"
Despite her recent decline from the King's will, the Daughters of
Jerusalem recognise the great development in the Bride. They
call her the fairest among women. Previously only the King had
described her like this (1:8). The progress she has made has not
been lost though the keepers of the walls mock her and take her
veil, yet that very exposure reveals her beauty to those who are
beginning to open their lives to a greater spiritual
appreciation. However, since they have not experienced the
transforming power of His love as the Bride has, they have no
conception of how special the King is.
5:10 - 16 - "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among
ten thousand. His head is like the most fine gold, his
locks are bushy and black as a raven. His eyes are like
the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washing with
milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping
sweetsmelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with
beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with
sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon
sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon,
excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he
is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my
friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."
In this description of the King, the Bride picks up where she had
left off at Lebanon. Now she is ministering again and is
portraying the glory of the Lord to the Daughters of Jerusalem.
The Bridegrooms Portrait
The following description of the King reveal various
characteristics of the nature of Christ.
a. HIS COMPLEXION
i) "White and ruddy". He is spotlessly sinless. His holiness
is absolute and not relative. Heb. 7:26. This perfect
"whiteness" of His character was seen under the examination
He received on the Mount of Transfiguration when He was
declared fit to be the world's sacrifice. Matt. 17:2 & 5.
ii) A perfect healthy complexion, holy, spotless, undefiled, He
knew no sin, sin had no dominion over him, he was pure. She
says, if you saw 10,000 men, my beloved would be like a flag
flying in the midst of them.
iii) "The Chiefest among ten thousand" - This number and the
colour white are both common to the descriptions of the Lord
in Daniel 7:9-14, and Rev. 1. It speaks of Christ as the
glorified Lord. There is no one else in all of human
history like Him. This is true in respect of His
unqualified Holiness (white) and the fact that He is
glorified and as a human being has been raised to the
Father's Throne. John 17:1&5, Phil.2:5-11.
b. HIS HEAD
i) "As the most fine gold."
Sovereignty. See Eph. 1:20-23. Note v.22, Christ is head
over all things to the church. Head over all principality
and power. In him are hid the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.
ii) He was glorified in His humanity, but it must never be
forgotten that He is also absolute Deity. In fact the
scriptures reveal that He is the "fulness of the Godhead
bodily." Col. 2:9.
c. HIS HAIR
i) "His locks are bushy and black as a raven" - There is no
baldness in Him. There is no deterioration. The head
speaks of the source of knowledge - ie. the Brain. Christ
is to us the source of all our spiritual knowledge. "In Him
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" - Col.
2:3.
ii) "His locks are bushy" (curled). This is a token of
headship. Long flowing hair is a token of submission, this
is the reason why a woman is not allowed to plait her hair.
iii) "Black as a raven" (whose beauty is its blackness), is an
expression of youthfulness and manly vigour. Jesus is ever
young - in Him there is no decay. "He is the same
yesterday, today and forever."
iv) Revelation 1:4 depicts Jesus with hair as white as wool.
This is an expression of His eternal divine nature. He is
from everlasting to everlasting.
d. HIS EYES
"Eyes of doves by rivers of water" - Both the "dove" and the
"river" are symbols of the Holy Spirit, and Christ is the
believer's source of the Spirit.
e. HIS CHEEKS
i) "As beds of spices, as sweet flowers."
His countenance was so brilliant with gracious smiles that
cheered the penitent thief, bid the publican repent, and
bid the sinner draw near.
ii) Is. 50:6, 52:14 show us the state of His cheeks. Yet though
He became marred and ugly in His sufferings, this has also
made Him beautiful to us.
It was the sufferings of Christ and the destruction of His
flesh which has brought healing to us - Is. 53:5. His
horrendous humiliation has become the point of greatest
beauty to us - as sweet flowers.
f. HIS LIPS
"Like lilies (soft and gentle). Dropping sweet smelling
myrrh. This is an expression of His gracious words. We
read "Never man spoke like this man." Jesus never said
anything negative about His death. It was always with the
positive declaration, "I shall rise again." Even on the
cross His dying words were triumphant - "It is finished."
The lily speaks of resurrection life and the speech of
Christ always had a quality about it that others could never
duplicate.
With every message of His resurrection life there is also
the remembrance of His atoning death. His lips also drop
sweet smelling myrrh - the symbol of His suffering and
sacrificial death.
g) HIS HANDS
"His hands are as gold rings set with beryl" - Jesus said,
"No man shall pluck (my sheep) out of my hand" (John 10:28).
Gold rings speak of:
i) The marriage covenant expressed in rings.
ii) Gold is a type of Deity.
His covenant with His people is not dependent on the weaker
party - the Bride, but on His never failing strength.
The beryl is a precious stone which is listed in both Daniel
and Ezekiel's vision of the throne of God and occurs also in
the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21) and in the Breastplate of the
High Priest. He wore this Breastplate into the Holy of
Holies to meet with God, and the Beryl teaches us that the
covenant of Christ on our behalf is our promise of being
transformed and translated into the very presence of God in
heaven.
h) HIS BELLY
"His belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires" - The
seat of His affections - the center of His being, is as
ivory which is a product of life, but is harvested by the
death of the animal which grows it. His love for the Bride
has cost Him everything and has been borne out of pain.
NOTE Sapphires - Blue - Heavenly nature
Ivory - White - purity
Tender compassion combined with heavenly
purity.
i) HIS LEGS
"His legs are as pillars of marble set in sockets of gold."
Pillars - strength and steadfastness
Marble - white spotless purity
Gold - Sovereignty - also, it lasts forever
The word "marble" is the same as that for "fine linen" (Heb.
"shesh"). The support and foundation of Christ's life is
His uncompromising righteousness.
This righteousness is set up on sockets of fine gold - which
is a type of His Deity. Both His human and Divine natures
perfectly complement each other and fit together. There is
no disharmony between His human righteousness and His
Godhead.
j) HIS STATURE
"His stature is as Lebanon - excellent as the cedars" - His
ministry is emphasized here to show the reason for His
perfect humanity. The cedar is an almost incorruptible
timber and stands for perfect human nature. Jesus did not
come to merely save us and take us to heaven, but to change
us and mature us so that we can enter into His ministry.
k) HIS MOUTH
"His mouth is most sweet" - Previously she had observed that
His fruit was sweet to her taste (2:3). Now she realizes
the depth of His sufferings for her. He has tasted death
for every man (Heb. 2:9). The Shulamite had said let Him
kiss me ... for His love is better than wine, or natural
stimulation. At that point she was experience orientated,
but now through her revelation of the character and purpose
of the King, she sees His love in a different and more
mature way. Now everything is related to His death for the
Church. This makes our love relationship with Him and the
kisses of His mouth most sweet.
l) HIS COUNTENANCE
"He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and my
friend."
In chapter 5:1 in the midst of her decline she recognized
others as the King's friends or those doing His will. Now
she is fully recovered and claims this relationship with Him
again. The word says, "You are my friends if you do
whatsoever I command you" - John 15:14. This restored
relationship is based both on her recommitment to His will
and His preciousness to her. "He is altogether lovely."
Never before had she shown this level of appreciation of
Him, and in her witness to the Daughters of Jerusalem of His
glory and exclusive place in her life, she is enabled to
recover from her decline to take up the Lebanon ministry
which she had so abruptly left. Her heart now is to win
others to His love.
6:1 - "Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?
whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him
with thee."
The Daughters of Jerusalem respond to her testimony of the King's
redeeming work and perfect nature with a repeated desire to seek
Him for themselves. Despite her up and down progress, she has
had an effect on them since Chapter 1:5. Even in the earliest
moments of her relationship with the King, it had been her
intention to win others to a love relationship with the Lord -
1:3, "draw me and we will run after thee".
The Daughter of Jerusalem repeat their description of her "thou
fairest among women" and this shows that when we restore our
relationship with the Lord others can see what He has seen all
along (Note 1:8).
6:2-3 - "My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of
spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I
am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among
the lilies."
She answers the Daughters of Jerusalem by pointing them to the
place where she had last seen Him. The garden of spices (5:1)
was the last place He had been seen before He had knocked at her
door. This time, however, He is gathering lilies instead of
myrrh and spices. He is now looking for a forward move of faith
in her life based on Resurrection Life. She now understands well
the place of His sufferings and death seen in the myrrh and
spice, but she cannot stay at this point. She must go on to
accomplish the things for which He suffered and died. We cannot
live through the cross. This is designed to put to death the old
nature, but new life depends on the Resurrection life of Christ
alone. It is this which saves us (Rom. 5:10) and it is this
which makes us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:15-17).
END of STUDY TWELVE
