Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/alphon_3/7654/solomon.s06

Text File | 1992-10-29 | 16KB | 279 lines

        Study No. 6.
                             SONG OF SOLOMON

         BEGINNING OF LOVE CONTINUED  - Chapter 2:1 - 7

        2:1 - "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."

            The  woman  is still speaking and her self-image has  greatly
            improved.   Through her re-discovery of the King's  presence,
            the revelation of His nature and provision for her, the fixed
            vision  she has of Him and her rest with Him,  she no  longer
            sees herself as black.  Her revelation of the King is leading
            her on a progressive journey of self-discovery.

            She  recognizes that changes have taken place in her and  she
            is now closer to accepting the King's view of her.  She still
            does  not see the unique nature of her relationship with Him,
            and  tends  to compare herself with others  and  reduces  her
            relationship  with the King to the level of the ordinary  and
            common.   Her  faith is not yet ready for a full appreciation
            of  what He has done for her,  but at least she has left  the
            bondage  of  seeing herself as black and  is  protected  from
            sunburn now.

            She  likens  herself to a tender flower that has grown up  in
            the  quietness  of rural life.   Sharon is a  region  between
            Tabor and the Sea of Galilee in the neighbourhood of Nazareth
            where Jesus grew up in northern Galilee (1 Chron. 5:16).  The
            rose  of  Sharon was a flesh-coloured meadow  flower  with  a
            leafless stem which, when the grass was mown, appeared by the
            thousands  in the warmer regions.   Humbly describing herself
            as a meadow flower, she had understandable fears of being out
            of place, a common meadow flower in King Solomon's palace.

            The  lily  of the valley is a beautiful red  flower  commonly
            found  in  Palestine.    She  thinks  humbly  of  herself  in
            comparison  to  the  king and alludes to herself as a  common
            country girl.

        2:2  - "As  the  lily  among thorns,  so is  my  love  among  the
               daughters."

            a)  The  King is now responding to her new faith declaration,
                but puts it in its proper perspective.   He declares that
                she is not just a common lily hidden in the valleys,  but
                that  she stands out in this world in sharp  contrast  to
                all around her.  Just as He is as conspicuous as camphire
                in  a vineyard,  so she is like a lily among  thorns.   A
                bright  spot  of  beauty amongst the  ugly  and  depraved
                things of this world. Phil. 2:15.

            b)  The  lily  speaks  of Resurrection  life,  and  the  King
                declares  that not only is her beauty in contrast to  the
                world,  but that her life source is different also.   The
                thorns  originated  with the curse (Gen.  3:18)  and  are
                opposed to the life of God in us. Matt. 13:7.

            c)  The  King  also  draws a comparison between her  and  the
                daughters  of Jerusalem - the mother's children who  made
                her the keeper of the vineyards (1:5).

                He points out that there is no comparison between her and
                those who have not gone on in their spiritual life.  They
                are the ones who are still entangled in the cares of this
                life  and  bring no fruit  to  perfection.   His  special
                relationship  is  reserved for those who really seek  Him
                and are not content to be merely "saved."

                The  other  group  spoken  of  throughout  the  book,  ie
                virgins,   daughters  of  Jerusalem,  mother's  children,
                companions,  etc,  are always seen in close proximity  to
                the  Bride,  but not to the Bridegroom.   Many  Christian
                people  find it less demanding to relate to the Church or
                to  those  who  are  leading in  God  that  to  seek  Him
                personally.

            d)  Then  we see that what she is,  is enhanced by where  she
                is.  Those who are not spiritually minded will most often
                be the source of opposition to any new move of God.   The
                King  says  that this contention against  her  experience
                with Him will only strengthen it.   Like Joseph, they may
                put  her feet in the stocks,  but the iron will come into
                her soul (Ps. 105:18).

        2:3  - "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,  so is  my
               beloved among the sons.   I sat down under his shadow with
               great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."

            a)  The  woman  responds to the King's comparison of  her  by
                drawing comparisons of her own.   The apple tree referred
                to  here  is almost certainly the "citron" - a  beautiful
                evergreen tree.  (The "sons" are those who aspire to lead
                us, but have no life to give us [John 10:11].)

                There are two things about this that are significant.

                i) The King is an evergreen.   All the other trees of the
                   wood are seasonal.   Their beauty will fade.   His  is
                   constant.  The companions of 1:7 cannot be compared to
                   the  King.   It was these "sons" who had made her  the
                   keeper   of  the  vineyards  and  occupied  her   with
                   religious  duty.   Religion  is a poor substitute  for
                   life and only He can give it.   The sectarianism of  1
                   Cor.  1,  "I am of Paul,  I am of Apollos,  etc",  is
                   idolatry.  He must be first and foremost always.

               ii) He  is her covering.   Her rest is maintained when she
                   stays under His protection.   Previously, she had been
                   sunburned  (1:6),  but  now she has  learnt  to  avoid
                   temptation and remain in the only place of safety.

            She  discovers  that there is great delight in this  personal
            and intimate relationship of His table and our bed.  Whatever
            pleasures there are in sin cannot be compared to the  lasting
            joy of a right relationship with the King.

            The  apple  tree is used throughout the Song as a symbol  for
            sexual  love (cf.8:5).   In effect,  then,  the Shulamite  is
            telling Solomon what a skillful lover he is.   He is an apple
            tree, skilled at making love.  "Raisin cakes, which were used
            in fertility rites (cf.  Hos.3:1),  served like the apples as
            an erotic symbol of an increasing level of relationship.

            b)  "His  fruit was sweet to my taste" refers to the  produce
                of His evergreen - (resurrection) life.  This is not just
                a  revelation  of what He is - shown in  1:12,  but  what
                effects  are  produced  by  what He  is,  and  has  done.
                Righteousness,  sanctification  and the gift of the  Holy
                Spirit  are some of the products of His life and  atoning
                death. Gal. 3:13-14.

        2:4 - "He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner  over
              me was love."

            As  the Shulamite sits in Solomon's  (protective  care),  she
            immediately associates his "banner" with his love,  since his
            love provides security, care and protection.

            a)  She has now returned to the King's chambers.   Once again
                the King is bringing her in.  The banqueting house can be
                translated  "house  of wine."  It is a place of  feasting
                and  joy.   It compares with 1:4,  and shows us that  far
                from  being the high point of our relationship  with  the
                King, the beginning will be eclipsed by a deeper and more
                meaningful  experience between Him and  ourselves.   This
                restoration to the King's chambers is as a wiser believer
                and  one more committed to Him than to  anything  He does
                for us.

                This  joy  and gladness are absolute necessities  to  our
                relationship with the King (Ps. 126:2).

                This  verse  also  contains the first clue  to  the  real
                purpose of the Bride's relationship.  "His banner over me
                is  love."   One  of the names of the  Lord  is  "Jehovah
                Nissi" - Ex.  17:15-16.  It means, "The Lord our Banner",
                and  was symbolized by Moses' upraised hands as a  banner
                of war over Israel in their fight with Amalek.

                This  gives us to understand that the King's love  poured
                upon us is for a purpose.  It in turn produces a response
                of  praise and worship shown in the upraised hands.   The
                love  between  the King and the Bride is not just  for  a
                happy   introverted   spiritual   experience,   but   for
                aggressive  displacement of enemy power.   The  Bride  is
                destined  for spiritual warfare and all of the  blessings
                such  as  revelation,  covering,  the  gift of  the  Holy
                Spirit,  the fruit of righteousness,  joy,  etc,  are the
                means of preparing her for this high destiny.

        2:5 - "Stay with flagons,  comfort me with apples:  for I am sick
              of love."

            The  phrase  "I  am lovesick" is literally "I  am  sick  with
            love."   She means that at this point in  their  relationship
            she is completely overcome with intense desire.   In order to
            alleviate   the  "lovesickness"  she  requests  that  Solomon
            sustain her with raisin cakes and apples (symbols of love).

            The new depth of her experience with the King had reached the
            limits of her capacity to contain.  She felt the need for its
            mystical  and  spiritual effects on her to be  balanced  with
            something  practical  and  tangible,   lest  she  become   so
            "heavenly minded that she was no earthly good."

            Spiritual  experiences always contain the danger of mysticism
            and it is possible to develop a "super-spiritual" attitude to
            life.    Spiritual  experience  must  always  be  related  to
            practical living and include meeting the needs of others.

            2 Cor.  4:7 tells  us that we hold God's treasure in  earthen
            vessels  and often the light is more intense than the  vessel
            can  bear.   Note Moses' request to see the glory of God (Ex.
            33).   He  couldn't see it all.   There is then a need for  a
            different approach to spiritual things so that the experience
            may be fully assimilated, understood and applied.

        2:6  - "His left hand is under my head,  and his right hand  doth
               embrace me."

            All we know of God is in Christ.   All the promises of God in
            Him  are yea and Amen (2 Cor.  1:20).   He is the Son of  the
            right hand (Matt.  26:64,  Mark 16:19, Luke 20:42, Acts 2:33,
            7:55-56,  Col.  3:1, Heb. 1:3, 1 Pet. 3:22).  "His right hand
            doth embrace me",  refers to our love relationship with Jesus
            Christ   as  the  representative  of  the  Godhead  and   the
            expression of God's love to us.   John 3:16.   "His left hand
            is  under my head",  speaks of the Holy Spirit sustaining our
            mind.

        2:7 - "I charge you,  O ye daughters of Jerusalem,  by the  roes,
              and  by the hinds of the field,  that ye stir not  up,  nor
              awake my love, till he please."

            "Do not stir up love till love itself shall please" (Berkley)
            - the King speaks.

            Shulamith  does  an amazing thing from the point of  view  of
            today's  attitudes  about sex.   She emphatically  warns  the
            daughters  of Jerusalem not to become sexually involved  with
            any  man  other  than the one they  intend  to  marry.   This
            warning  for maintaining chastity is repeated in 3:5 and 8:4;
            thus we know God wants us to pay special attention to it.

            As  an  orthodox Jewish girl she was raised in a  home  where
            pre-marital  chastity  was stressed  (4:12,8:8-12),  yet  she
            seems to have nothing but a healthy,  positive attitude about
            sex  in  marriage.   Sex  education in the home is  often  an
            attitude  communicated  by  the parents  rather  than  actual
            information  or rules regarding sexual  behaviour.   Thus,  a
            home  with very specific standards will not produce  children
            with negative attitudes about sex as long as the attitudes on
            sex  and the spirit of the physical relationship between  the
            parents is healthy.   A child often picks up attitudes  about
            sex from the spirit emitted by the parents.

            a)  There  is a right time to be aroused in love.   It is not
                possible to live continually on an emotional  high.   The
                King  is  saying  that this is a time for  rest  and  for
                "waiting" on Him and learning to surrender the initiative
                of our spiritual walk to Him.

                The daughters of Jerusalem, the uncommitted believers who
                are more interested in sensation than sanctification.

            b)  The  roes  are  of  the gazelle family  and  are  a  very
                sensitive  species.    They  are  easily  alarmed.   This
                section speaks of the wisdom needed in bringing people to
                an in depth relationship with the King.   Soulish stirring
                will deter rather than develop the seeker after God.

            c)  It  is often difficult to handle apparent inactivity  and
                some  feel  the need to constantly keep  things  "stirred
                up."  This can be distracting when the King is seeking to
                develop  their  relationship  by His embrace or  the  re-
                assurance of:
                i)   His love for her
                ii)  Her place of security in Him

            d)  The  hind  of the field is a specific  reference  to  the
                Resurrection  life  of  the King (note  verse  8-9).   He
                always deals with us by new life which grows and develops
                in  us rather than by sensations which are  imposed  upon
                us.
        This  concludes the first section of the book - "The Beginning of
        Love."

        In   this   period  the  Bride  has  discovered  much   that   is
        disappointing  about  herself  and has to  learn  to  accept  her
        identification with the King.   This is brought about in the main
        by  a  revelation of the King's character and work for  her,  the
        futility of trying to keep the vineyards as a means of buying His
        favour, dealing with her "horse nature", and learning to " rest "
        in Him.

                                END of STUDY SIX