Is It A Dream Or Reality Series

Song of Songs 5: 1- 16

Is It A Dream Or Reality

1 I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. 2 I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “ Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” 3 I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? 4 My beloved put his hand by the latch of the door, and my heart yearned for him. 5 I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. 6 I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 7 The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick! 9 What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so charge us. 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, chief among ten thousand. 11 His head is like the finest gold; his locks are wavy, and black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. 13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices, banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires. 15 His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16 His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

Verse one should be part of chapter 4 because it is the culmination of the intimacy that Solomon and his wife had just experienced. We read that the groom has been totally satisfied with his bride, “ 1 I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk.” He has entered her garden of delight. He has been taken in by her smell which has now been recorded forever in his mind and he is relishing in the sweetness of kissing her. Now does this sound great or what?

So, as we look back to our honeymoon the memories are fantastic. But now, we begin to live our lives together and hidden issues come out.

We are in chapter 5 and there are only 8 chapters in this book. Why do I bring this fact up? It is because there will be 7 issues that have to be dealt with. Wow! However, this is good because the couple will deal with them and not just ignore them which many cases ruin marriages. With the hundreds of couples I have counseled with marriage issues, I can group them into two categories. The first is those couples who have been married under two years. After the marriage bliss has faded and the couple begins to see in their partner characteristics that annoy them, they realize that they will not be able in the long run to put up with them and need to deal with them or they fell they will not be able to hang in there until the finish. These are the smart ones in my opinion. The other group seems to be the ones who have been married for 20 years or more. This for me is the sad group. What they have done is to have children right away and not deal with their issues. They basically live for their kids. But one thing always happens. Kids grow up. The couple now faces the empty nest syndrome. They look at each other as total strangers. This is a critical time. They now realize that if they do not do something for their marriage then serious consequences can occur.

Three problems emerge in this chapter. The woman is bugged about her husband’s work schedule, his approach to sex, and lastly her living conditions.