V.1:1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. The Bride Confesses Her Love
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
3 For your love is better than wine; your name is oil poured out; therefore, virgins love you.
4 Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.
Others
We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.
She
5 I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, alike the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
He
8 If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
Others
11 We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.
She
12 While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi.
He
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
She
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green;
17 the beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are pine.
V.1:1 "The Song of songs, which is Solomon's."
A. The Beloved touches the Bride’s spirit, and for the first time, she feels the freedom to pour her heart out completely to Him. As a result, she desires to be more than an ordinary Christian caught up in all sorts of ‘church’ activities. She longs to have a personal, intimate fellowship with her Beloved King. He shares His innermost thoughts about how wonderful she is to Him. She responds by revealing secret thoughts concerning her love for Him.
B. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes that he had explored every kind of thing possible that he claimed would give satisfaction and meaning to life (Ecclesastes 2:1-11). Those who do not have Jesus as their purpose for living will come to the terrifying conclusion of Solomon, who called his life the "vanity of vanities."
1. Solomon repeated the word "vanity" as a conclusion to life without God over 23 times!
2. Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5). That is, nothing of value! To please Jesus as the sole purpose of living a person's life will go from the "vanity of vanities" to becoming "the SONG of songs"!
3. The SONG portrays the heart seeking Jesus, the Beloved alone, for satisfaction. The Holy Spirit warns us in Ecclesiastes that seeking after things can never satisfy. At the conclusion of the Ecclesiastes, it is written, "...fear God and keep His commandments...."
a. Fear (Heb: Yare') is a primitive root; to fear; morally, to reverence:
4. When a person is filled with the love of Jesus (Romans 5:5), the "righteousness of the law" will be fulfilled in them by being controlled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:4). The Holy Spirit declares that "love is the fulfilling of the law" in Romans 13:10.
5. Fearing God is the beginning of true wisdom in the Christian life. Godly fear will increase spiritual obedience and expand your spiritual love for God. TRUE FEAR OF GOD PREPARES YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE SURRENDERED LIFE OF LOVE FOR JESUS.
6. God is not looking for perfect Christians but a pliable bride who is willing to grow and be changed by Him through His infinite love. It is "the love of Christ constrains us" (2 Corinthians 5:14)!
V.1:2 "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth”
A. There are three directions of the Brides communication
1. She speaks directly to the Father (V.2a). She asks for the King's kisses.
2. She speaks directly to Beloved and acknowledges superior pleasures in Him (V.2b-4).
3. She speaks to all sincere Christians (V.4c). Her strength is related to the King's chambers
B. The SONG starts with an exuberant declaration and desire for the Beloved's love: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth."(NKJV, NIV) - This is the cry for a deep, intimate, emotional relationship. A kiss speaks of this close intimacy. The Greek word for worship is 'proskuneo,' which means 'to kiss towards.' He kisses us (Luke 15:20), and we kiss Him (Psalm 2:12).
1. The Hebrew word for 'kiss,' as used in the SONG, is also used to put on armor in preparation for warfare! Our intimacy with Jesus prepares us for spiritual warfare ahead.
2. What does it mean to be spiritually kissed by the Beloved? Your Beloved Jesus is the living Word itself. He spoke, and the heavens and the Earth were created (John 1:1,10,14; Gen 1:3,6,9).
3. The Bible is a love letter from the Beloved to you. He said, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life (John 6:63)." His mouth is the Word; "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword...." (Revelation 19:15; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).
a. God said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).
4. For the last 3,000 years, Rabbis have referred to this verse as the "kiss of God's Word" or the "kiss of the Torah." This verse is the most prominent way that this verse has been interpreted throughout the Rabbinical schools.
V.1:3a – “For your love is better than wine”
A. "Wine/New Wine” often represents Earthly joy (Psalm 104:15). She is saying that even legitimate Earthly joys cannot be compared with His love!
1. The Love of the Beloved is better than all the wine (joy, satisfaction, experience) of this world. Is this true in your life? Do you desire His intimate presence more than all other experiences in life?
2. She directly speaks to the Beloved after she just asked the Father to commission Him to give His kisses to her. She says to the Son in the second person, "Your love is better than wine." She went from asking the Father to "Let Him" to addressing Him directly. Then she reveals her source of motivation for wanting His kisses and explains, "for Your love (affection) is better than wine." She wants the kisses because His affection is better or more delightful than wine.
3. She is comparing The Beloved to the most exhilarating experiences. There are physical pleasures, emotional pleasures, and mental pleasures. God is the author of all of these. But by far, spiritual pleasures are the most exhilarating of all pleasures that God created.
4. She confesses, "Your affection is better than the celebration of other God-given pleasures in this life." There are many different categories of pleasures that we are to celebrate under the leadership of Jesus. But there is one pleasure that is greater than all, and that is the vast affection of God. This conviction will settle deep things in our hearts.
5. Affection-based obedience is obedience that flows out of experiencing Jesus' love or affection, which is better than wine. This is the strongest type of obedience.
6. She positively knew that in one brief moment, giving everything concerning her life to Him would begin a new spiritual walk she had never experienced before. A holy, intensive expectation filled her soul 'till she thought she was going to burst, just as the Psalmist himself had experienced (Psalm 42:1-2). Her lips opened, and from the depths of her heart, she declared to her Beloved, "I am ready, O I am ready, dear Beloved Jesus. Please take all the rights to my life. Do what you must! For You are what matters to me now!"
D. The Bride had asked to be spiritually kissed, and immediately, she was blessed with the revelation concerning Jesus' name!
1. The source of her fervency is the knowledge of God (1:3).
2. Paul wrote that the excellency of the knowledge of the Man Christ Jesus was the motivation of His great zeal. This is a very important theological premise.
I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians.3:8)
3. The knowledge of God awakens the heart to fervency. In other words to know Him is to love Him (simply put). To understand Him is to enjoy Him. More understanding of God's character causes us to enjoy Him more.
E. Perfume is not an activity or a visible substance.
1. The presence of fragrance is not speaking of something we do. It speaks of something God is. The sweet perfume of God’s heart. The fragrance of God speaks of His affection.
2. His Fragrance is not speaking of His actions. We will see His action as His name is poured forth. His fragrance is speaking of the essence of God's personality. This speaks of the fragrance of who He is in the beauty of His being. The revelation of the sweet perfume of God speaks of God’s thought life and His emotional make-up. Perfume in the natural world is not an activity.
3. The sweet, fragrant OIL of God speaks of His emotional beauty.
a. Throughout the SONG, oil is pictured as thoughts and feelings. It expresses the beauty of what is on the inside of one’s personality, like a rose. The fragrance of the rose comes from the beauty of its internal condition.
4. 2 Corinthians 2:14 talks about the fragrance of Jesus Christ. God literally has fragrance; it is not just a metaphor. I believe that in Heaven, around the throne of God, we will literally enter into the most awesome supernatural fragrance of God. Fragrance is a reflection of the state of God's heart. It is the result and expression of the essence of His internal splendor and beauty.
5. She is beginning to understand the emotions of God's heart, the invisible sweetness of the awesome reality of God's emotions. It speaks of Jesus’ lovely personality that is filled with passion and pleasure for His people.
V.1:3b - “Your Name is oil poured out”
A. “His name poured out” speaks of the unique exaltation of His Name. It also speaks of His attributes being openly revealed or poured forth. When God's name is poured out, He is exalted and openly revealed through actions.
1. We can see an introduction to the sweet perfume of God’s personality in the five verbs in Luke 15:20. This is the most comprehensive and concise statement of God's emotional makeup in Scripture.
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on (embraced) his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)
B. This scented oil is costly. Oil was used on sheep to keep parasites from causing them extreme agony and irritation. Also, oils were used for the healing process. The Holy Spirit speaks of the "oil of joy" in Isa 61:3. His spiritual oil gives light to the lamp of our life. Praise God for the name of Jesus! In His name are all the blessed spiritual characteristics for our eternal and temporal needs. It saves (Matt1:21), heals (Acts 3:6), gives authority to deliver (Acts 16:18), leads (Ps 31:3), protects (Ps 124:8) and forgives (Ps 79:9)! O What precious spiritual oil is the name of our Beloved!
C. We rest in the running, embracing, kissing heart of God. He's a God that sees and feels and runs and embraces and kisses. That one verse gives five insights into the fragrance of His good perfumes. The sweet perfumes of the Father’s affection are manifest through Jesus’ life on Earth and in heaven. She begins to see the Christian life as a life of being loved! She is enjoyed to such a degree that it beautifies her.
1. The father saw him -
2. He felt compassion -
3. He ran towards his son -
4. He embraced his son -
5. He kissed his son -
D. Being enjoyed by God is more exhilarating than any pleasure, position, or possession that I could have on Earth. The knowledge of His enjoyment of our lives is one practical aspect of the sweet fragrance of His perfumes.
1. God doesn’t just enjoy us after we mature spiritually. He enjoys us during the process. The knowledge of this is essential to being empowered to mature.
2. In this passage, The Beloved describes how the human heart works. He explained to Simon that when people experience much forgiveness, they overflow with much love. He wanted Simon the Pharisee to see that when people understood how The Beloved felt towards them, they would respond in extravagant love back toward Him.
“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." (Luke 7:47)
V.1:3c – “therefore, virgins love you."
A. The Hebrew word for "love" in this verse is pluralized. It was their way of making it a superlative! In other words, the Holy Spirit is telling us that no number of words can describe it. The love of Jesus far surpasses any Earthly love to be found.
B. The love of God is forgiving, healing, providing, protecting, tender, peaceful, assuring, guiding, comforting, strengthening, overcoming, sanctifying, and the Beloved's love! It is His love alone!
C. Spiritual virgins are those who have a single, pure desire to please the Beloved. They are not perfect in their walk, but they are perfect in their commitment to Him.
1. All the Beloved ever wants from us is that longing desire in our heart for more of Him (Psalm 42:1,2; 73:25). Paul himself, late in life, stated that he had not reached a perfect (totally mature) walk, but he had a perfect commitment to press on (Philippians 3:12-14).
D. The revelation of God’s love, as described in 1:2-3 produces this love back to God even in the weak daughters of Jerusalem, which is the inevitable result of the Holy Spirit’s revelation of Jesus’ beauty to our hearts. To see Him is to love Him. We will see the excellence of God’s beauty as it produces love and worship in us together
V.1:4a – “Draw me after you; let us run.”
A. This is her heart's cry for deep intimacy with God. She longs to become an extravagant worshipper of God. This speaks of passion for the Beloved and shows us beautifully the right order of things. We must be drawn into His presence before we can run together with Him in the company of others.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37)
B. The Hebrew word for 'draw' means to be 'scattered as seed' or 'stretched out' - she literally cries to be scattered as seed and stretched out beyond her limits. This should be our cry!
C. She also prays, “let us run.” Running represents obedience in action, reaching out to others, and stepping out in faith.
D. She acknowledges that it takes God to love God, so she asks Him to “draw her” to Him. The understanding that we need to be drawn minimizes our spiritual pride.
V.1:4b "...let us run..."
A. What a blessing it is to have others who are filled up with the Beloved overflowing and sharing in this wonderful intimacy. O the joy of pursuing Him together with others through praise, worship, and adoration. They are proclaiming their heart's longing to Him (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:11-14). They are saying, "We are not pursuing anything else in life but You, Jesus!"
B. Only after this declaration of desire will He draw her into His chamber of spiritual revelation. What are you running after in this life? What is your consuming passion? Love loves to be pursued and to pursue. When two people are deeply in love, they pursue each other with a zeal that knows no bounds! They pursue to bless each other. They can’t do enough to demonstrate their deep love for each other’s hearts! As you pursue your Beloved, He is pursuing you! Glory to God! The excitement of “first love” love is the driving force.
V.1:4c - "...the king hath brought me into his chambers;..."
A. The King’s chamber is a preparation place for the Bride’s future task of radical obedience to the Beloved. In His chambers, her secret history in God (her hidden life) is being developed as the Beloved visits her and draws her forth to Himself.
B. The young Bride asked the Beloved to draw her (take the initiative to help her), and The Beloved answered by carrying her into His chambers.
C. It is only when Jesus is King of our life that He will bring us into His secret chamber, the chamber where the Holy Spirit begins to reveal Jesus' heart to you in ways you never thought possible. What an awesome privilege to be taken into the secret chamber of the King. He knows when you are ready, and at the precise moment, He will draw you into a deeper experience with Him. It does not say that the Beloved brought her into the chambers. It describes Him as the King. If He is the King of my life, then I will love to keep His commands. In loving the King, the Holy Spirit will reveal the secrets of the King's heart to you! So marvelous is this experience that no words could describe your inner joy. Jesus died that He might be your Lord (Romans 14:9). The key to the secret chamber is His lordship. When you taste the joys of your Beloved in His chamber, you will want absolutely nothing else except more of Him (See Psalm 73:25).
C. This is a prophetic encouragement given to the virgin daughters of Jerusalem by the young Bride about rejoicing in God and remembering His love. She says, “We are going to rejoice in God through all the seasons.
V.1:4d - “We will exult and rejoice in you”
A. Rejoicing in God is a primary goal of true Christianity. She is describing herself as well as all the virgin daughters of Jerusalem.
B. This foreshadows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. These words describe our testimony of love on the great Wedding Day. We will all be glad and rejoice in His great leadership over our lives on the last Day. She has a prophetic understanding of her heart's responses of love on the Day that she stands before Jesus in eternity.
"Let us be glad and rejoice…for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7)
C. This confession of assurance that one day we will rejoice as we see Him face to face at the end of time. We rejoice in the excellence and perfection of God’s personality.
D. The Bride’s prophetic revelation in the King’s chamber. She prophesies to the virgins' daughters that they would all be enlightened so as to rejoice “in God”. They had not yet attained to it. This understanding was given to help them in their present resolution to rejoice by faith in Jesus’ leadership in times of pressure and testing. The enemy seeks to disturb this foundational resolution, wanting us to be offended by God.
E. She commits to recalling His love as a primary source of strength and cleansing to her soul. A powerful aspect of spiritual warfare is this faith confession of the love of God in times of testing.
V.1:4e - "... we will extol your love more than wine"
The pursuers had tasted the Beloved King's special love in the chamber of His heart. Once you taste your Beloved's love, you will only want to talk about Him with others who have experienced it. You will relive it over and over again with them as you share it. Everything that is truly unnecessary fades into insignificance. He loves to be remembered (Isaiah 43:25-26). That is why He instituted the Lord's supper. He will never allow the precious moments of remembrance concerning Him to be forgotten (Malachi 3:16)! Your Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, will not allow one word spoken in heartfelt prayer and praise to be forgotten. They are being kept for a very special moment in eternity
V. 1:4f - “Rightly do they love You”
A. The only real joy and gladness is "in" Him. All true spiritual blessings are found "in Him." Let Him bless your heart through them (Ephesians 1:4,10,12; 2:18; 3:6; Colossians 1:19; 2:6; 2:7; 2:9-10; 1 John 2:5).
1. In setting the Beloved before us in all we do, making Him our sole purpose for living, then our hearts will be made glad and rejoice! Being drawn into His chamber gives us the time to meditate quietly upon Him, and the result is Psalm 104:34!
2. Surrendered love activates trusting-faith! His love for me and my love for Him is the catalyst for all spiritual blessing and strength.
3. The “measure of the Father’s loving affection and enjoyment” of Jesus is the standard of the Son’s affection for us.
V.1:5a – “I am very dark, but lovely”
A. The theme of the SONG reveals the Bride’s resolutions, commitments, and confessions. The testimony of her actual journey now begins (1:5).
B. The “paradox of grace” is her first experience. She sees the reality of her sinful desires, but she also sees that she is lovely to God in her God-given passion for Jesus and in her position in the grace of God. Her first revelation of Jesus is “the counseling Shepherd,” who compassionately teaches her the way forward in her weakness.
C. Her two-fold confession of faith
1. Her first spiritual crisis and her first confession of faith are described here. God reveals to her the sinfulness of her heart, but at the same time, that she is lovely in His sight. Another way to describe her condition is that she possessed weak flesh but a willing spirit (Matt 26:41).
a. Dark of heart (sinful desires). Our weak flesh is dark to God
b. Lovely to God (sincere intentions to obey Jesus). Our willing spirit is lovely to God.
c. This passage does not describe a person who is rebellious against God but a sincere Christian with weakness in their life.
D. Her confession of faith in this struggle reveals a very important truth that enables her to grow in holy passion. A person can not grow consistently without this confession. Of course, we don’t have to use this language. To consistently grow spiritually requires that we know that we are lovely to God while we are in the process of discovering the darkness of our hearts.
E. The Bride’s journey begins with this principle that we have just considered in Peter’s life. Her journey starts with a spiritual crisis common to every fervent Christian. It is a great paradox for a young Christian to discover their sin but at the same time to find God’s love for them and their beauty in God and to God, which speaks of a major crisis in our lives when we love the Lord, and yet we sin grievously.
F. The real issue at hand is understanding divine affections and imparting beauty in the midst of our spiritual weakness. The journey to holy passion starts with this 2-fold revelation.
1. Many people fail this early test in that they run from Him instead of to Him because they misunderstand the personality of God. They make the same mistake that Peter initially made. They resign, they give up, and they fall into a mindset of shame. In other words, a stronghold of shame. A life of shame leads to a life of sin. If you feel dirty before and then you will live dirty. The Lord does not want us to resign ourselves to a second-class status.
G. God is committed to revealing the weakness of our flesh to us. God strategically plans ways to reveal to us how weak we are. God does not make us sin.
H. There are three reasons why we are beautiful and lovely to God in the midst of our spiritual immaturity.
1. The finished work of the Cross. She saw her loveliness as possessing the gift of righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are lovely in His sight because of His work, not because of what we did. He wrapped us in the robes of righteousness as a gift.
2. He has given us a willing spirit at the new birth. The work of the Holy Spirit to produce a "Yes!" in our spirit appears as beautiful to God. Many underestimate how powerful this is to Jesus. The movement of our heart to God is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is called a willing spirit. When David sinned with Bathsheba, he prayed, “Restore unto me a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:7).
3. The nature of God’s personality - The passions and pleasures of God’s heart determine how God feels toward us. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It is because of the heart of the Beholder that we are beautiful to God. Our beauty is related to God’s emotional makeup. If He were an angry God, then we would not be beautiful by virtue of a willing spirit. It is the nature of what is in God’s heart that constitutes us beautiful.
V.1:5b - “O daughters of Jerusalem”
A. “O, daughters of Jerusalem” represents immature Christians who lack discernment in the Spirit. They do not understand the various operations of the Holy Spirit nor the different seasons in God.
V.1:5c - “Like the tents of Kedar”
A. The dark tents of Kedar were grayish-black tents. She is using language understood by the common person. These tents were common in the geographic area outside of Jerusalem.
B. They were made out of the dark skins of wild goats.
V.1:5d - “Like the curtains of Solomon”
A. Solomon’s curtains were bright white curtains in the holy place in the temple. In this passage, they speak of the inward work of grace and God’s glory in her life.
1. These curtains were not seen in the outer court but were hidden from the common person. The beauty of these curtains was hidden from the common eye since they were in the holy place. Only a priest was able to see Solomon’s curtains.
B. She is saying, “I'm dark of heart like the tents of Kedar but lovely to God like the curtains of Solomon.” The contrast that describes her is seen in the difference between the dark curtains of Kedar and the glorious curtains of Solomon.
a. Outwardly, people see her as the dark tents of Kedar.
b. Inwardly, God sees that she is lovely, like Solomon's white curtains.
C. She becomes self-conscious because of her sin
V.1:6a – "Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me.”
A. When the daughters heard this, they became indignant. This woman before them is not an Israelite but simply a treaty wife given to the King.
B. She is "dark" - a Gentile without the rights that a daughter of Jerusalem possesses because of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This lady is a foreigner, yet the king had singled her out above all the others and had given her his heart.
C. When you have surrendered all to your wonderful Beloved, expect to be misunderstood and misrepresented. Others will still see the old you, they will remember your past and bring it up in gossip.
D. The enemy will try to distract your loving gaze for Jesus onto yourself or others. When this happens, speak to your mountain and pray for them (Luke 6:27-28), then return your gaze to the eyes of your beloved! People will look at our outward appearance, but remember, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Don't get focused on what others think. Remember Mary of Bethany? She kept her eyes upon the Love of her heart!
E. Because the Beloved has become your all-consuming reason for living, you will find those who used to be close to you, seldom seeking your fellowship. You are really not the problem, but it is the Beloved shining through you who disturbs them! Pray for them.
V.1:6b - "... My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!"
A. Her mother is described as the agency in God that was used to birth her in the Holy Spirit.
B. She describes the beginning of her first crisis as being rejected by some who acted as “sons who were angry with me.” She experiences the common crisis of being rejected and misunderstood (V.1:6c). Mother’s sons are the other members of the Body of Christ.
V.1:6c - “They made me the keeper of the vineyards.”
A. The vineyard here speaks of her own heart. Throughout the entire SONG, her garden is her own heart before the Lord, her vineyard. The weeds of sin, shame, and weariness have choked the life out of her garden. She has lost the cry for the kisses of His mouth that were so strong initially.
B. Taking care of her vineyard means nurturing her communion with God and doing His will. She is saying, “I’ve served in many areas of ministry, but my love for God has been diminished.”
V.1:6d – “but my own vineyard I have not kept!”
A. The Holy Spirit reminds her of a problem embedded deep in her soul and doesn't expose everything all at once. It will be little by little throughout our lifetime. He will choose the perfect time.
“…your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
B. She has done all the work she was asked to do. She kept all the other vineyards, but she neglected her vineyard.
C. The angry sons gave her many responsibilities. They made her responsible for other vineyards. She is being overworked, and she burns out. They mistreated her because they overworked her. She was vulnerable because she was so zealous and thus willing to do anything to please her beloved Jesus. She complains that the angry sons took advantage of her zeal and overworked her
1. Her first responsibilities include her walk with God and the responsibilities God gave her instead of the responsibilities religious leaders put on her.
2. Embracing responsibilities out of God’s grace is the place of burnout. Burnout doesn’t come from hard work as much as from a religious yoke. A religious yoke consists of caring for vineyards (responsibilities) that carnal men give us that are out of the will of God. A Christian newly awakened to fervency is susceptible to false yokes.
D. She describes five different pressures related to her spiritual crisis in V.1:6-7.
1. Other Christians reject her.
2. She feels shame from sin.
3. She is overworked.
4. She is distracted from her first love of the Beloved
5. She is serving the Beloved at a distance.
E. The feeling of insecurity in the woman aroused in her a desire for her lover's presence. There is a cry in her heart to be fed - this should be our cry.
1. She has just declared that she feels unworthy to be shepherded - but the revelation of who she is in her Beloved's eyes has caused her to desire his nourishing, blessing presence.
V.1:7a - “Tell me, you whom my soul loves”
A. She wants to know where they find REST (siesta time at midday!). His answer is that she should follow in the footsteps of the more mature ('flocks of her companions' = those who love and obey Him)
B. We must have this desire to enter His rest - He will guide us into fellowship with 'companions' where we will indeed find this rest in our spirits and follow in His Will (footsteps).
1. There are two types of rest available to us.
a. The first kind of spiritual rest is found in the knowledge that we are forgiven. We rest in forgiveness through the finished work of the Cross. We can never outgrow the revelation of what the Father did for us in Jesus. The legal payment and the debt are removed.
b. The second kind of spiritual rest is found in the knowledge that we've purposed to be the Beloved in everything in us. It refers to the intention of our heart. We rest in intimacy through the impartation of the Spirit. It is called the rest of intimacy, which involves more than the knowledge of forgiveness.
2. After recognizing that she is an undeserving foreigner, after receiving demeaning stares from others, after the hurt of misunderstanding inflicted upon her by her own family, after realizing the emptiness of busyness, will she give up in utter despair?
3. In the midst of this crisis, she cries out with a desperate prayer. She remembers that she originally only wanted the kisses of His mouth”. She wants to get back to where she was when Jesus first touched her and romanced her heart.
C. We see her desperate hunger for God in the midst of her sin and weakness.
1. This “prayer of despair” is her first prayer after V.1:2-4 similar to when she said, “Draw me and let me run”.
V.1:7b - “where you pasture your flock”
A. The key word is “You”. She says it three times. The Beloved wants to hear this heart prayer. “I want to know where You are; you’re the one I love. Where do You feed your people?” She is desperate to touch “Him” and not just to fill her life with religious activity.
B. Regardless of what it costs her, she wants the fire of intimacy with God to consume her again. She wants Him to feed her again. When many people experience this first crisis, they don't understand that God wants to hear this cry from them.
C. She longs to be satisfied again with the Beloved
V.1:7c - “where you make it lie down at noon”
A. Noon speaks of the heat of the day. God wants us to rest in the midst of the heat of the day by seeking intimacy with Him.
B. Sheep will only lie down at noon when it is full.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures... (Psalm 23:2)
V.1:7d - “For why should I be like one who veils herself besides the flocks of your companions
A. In the ancient world, a veiled woman was a prostitute. One who wore a veil during the day so that no one could see her face. It speaks of the sin and the shame that the young Bride experienced in her immaturity. She had sin in her life and felt like a veiled woman before God. There was a scandal in her life.
B. She complains, “I don’t want to serve You so far down the road; I want to serve right next to You.” She is describing herself as serving by the flocks of His companions! She lost the sweetness in her communion with God. In other words, She is saying, “Why should I live at a distance from You, Beloved?”
C. She describes five different pressures related to her spiritual crisis in V.1:6-7. Rejection and shame are the two main pressures that feels in these early days of her spiritual journey.
1. Her mother’s sons were angry with her - she is rejected by other Christians.
2. She feels like a woman with a shameful veil - she feels shame from sin.
3. They made her keep the other vineyards - she is overworked.
4. Her vineyard (which speaks of her heart) was not kept - she is distracted from her first love toward Jesus
5. She feels like one by the flocks of His companions – she is serving Jesus at a distance.
V.1:8a - “If you do not know, O most beautiful among women”
A. With joy, He immediately answered the longing of her heart. He is not bothered at all that she does “not know.” She runs immediately to Him, who absolutely knows! With His eyes focused on her, He tenderly and lovingly declares to her heart, "to Me, you are the most beautiful among all others.
1. By your example, through a life of surrender, take them under your wing and watch care. The Holy Spirit will cause them to desire what you have - that glow and joy of love for Him whom your soul loves.
B. The Beloved calls her “most beautiful” compared to all the other women of the Earth. even in the midst of her disorientation and failure.
1. He starts with a general answer that reveals how God sees her. The answer to her recovery is first found in knowing how God views her in her weakness. He reveals to her that she appears as beautiful to Him even in her immaturity.
2. He speaks to her heart in her crisis by calling her “most beautiful.” This is the Beloved’s first response to her prayer in V.1:4: “draw me after you; let us run.” He knows that she is confused. He speaks to her heart before He speaks to her mind. The Beloved is helping her to remember His love (1:4e).
3. The Beloved speaks directly to her shame and her rejection. He says, “You might be unlovely to the angry sons but you are most beautiful to Me.”
a. You may despise yourself but you are still most beautiful to Me. He speaks to her shame and rejection.
b. We judge ourselves by other Christians. However, He judges us by the gift of righteousness and how different we are from the vast majority of all human beings throughout history. He is comparing her to the vast majority of the 7 billion people in the human race who have no regard for His Word.
4. The different women He is comparing her to are all the other religions of the world. He is comparing her to all the other religions and all the other non-Christians around the globe. Her great quality is the Yes in her spirit to the Beloved. You are one of the rare, beautiful people of the Earth.
C. The Beloved is the only person who perfectly sees our hearts. The power of hope is in the revelation of the absolute certainty of our victory (Ephesians 1:18).
"For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts (plans) of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11).
V.1:8b - “follow in the tracks of the flock”
A. First, He tells her to follow in the footsteps of the flock or get involved in the fellowship in the Body. The ‘footsteps of the flock’ is the place where all the sheep are; it is where they walk with Christ. The Beloved says to follow in the place where the body walks.
B. The enemy wants to draw us into isolation so that he can destroy us. This isolation is her reaction to shame and rejection, which is not a reference to her private life of seeking God. She has overreacted to the religious yoke put on her by her angry brothers and has drifted into isolation. There is a great temptation in those who are rejected to leave the body “to go on with Jesus” in isolation.
1. When we feel rejection and shame, we are often tempted to isolate ourselves. Our temptation is to isolation and bitterness.
V.1:8c - “Pasture your young goats”
A. Shre is told to feed her “young goats.” In other words, to take responsibility for feeding the young ones or the little flock that God sends to her.
B. “Your” goats are all that the Beloved asks of her. In the past, she took on too much responsibility. This time, she must just feed HER little ones.
1. Limit yourself to only take care of the ones that the Beloved entrusted to you; rather, do not accept responsibility for every need that comes your way.
2. The answer to the question, “Where can I find You?” is answered in this verse: “by feeding the little ones that the Beloved put in your path.”
C. Some people are called to draw back for a season in order to see more of Who the Beloved is and to feel more love for Him, therefore, to love His people in a deeper way. Those who really seek to walk out the first commandment will always walk out the second commandment.
V1:8d - “Beside the shepherds’ tents”
A. Serve the body by the tents of the true shepherds. The Beloved wants us to have an open spirit to His shepherds (leaders). We must all keep an open spirit to the men and women that God places over us.
B. God uses these imperfect shepherds to temper us and to do deep things in our hearts. God knows that every leader that He has ever placed over you or ever will is an imperfect leader. We find Jesus in deep ways as we relate to imperfect leaders.
C. He answered the three main temptations in the life of a Christian
1. The first temptation is isolation and bitterness when we feel rejected or mistreated by the angry sons and when we feel shame related to our sin. Therefore, He says, “Stay in the footsteps of the flock, stay in the church. Let Me heal your isolation. Don’t yield to isolation and bitterness.”
2. The second temptation she encountered was selfishness and fear. He says, “I want you to take care of the little goats that I give you.” We say, “We deserve some time off. We have worked so hard keeping the vineyards of so many others.” But the Beloved says, “You can only fully find Me in the context of reaching to Me to ministry to others.
3. The third temptation she wrestled with was to resist having an unteachable or closed spirit. This speaks of ministering in isolation with impatience toward imperfect leaders.
V.1:9a - “I compare you, my love”
A. The word "love" here is not the usual Hebrew word. The form of this Hebrew word is only found in the SONG. It comes from a Hebrew root word meaning "to associate with" or "dearest companion.” It is a word just for her. You, dear surrendered Bride, are His special companion, not just an ordinary friend but the one and only choice of His "first love" heart.
B. He uses the words, “My love or My beautiful one.” Each time in this SONG He speaks to her with either the words “My love or My beloved.” This reveals the way that God relates to His people. For God has infinite tenderness and affection in His heart towards His weak people. His compassion and His affection for sincere Christians is beyond our understanding.
V.1:9b - “to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots."
A. A Mare is a female horse, but Pharaoh's chariots were pulled by stallions (males). Horses were considered a symbol of grace and beauty in Solomon's time. The horse is a symbol of strength and power. The context speaks of her strength in righteousness. The Hebrew word for Filly (or 'mare') comes from the root meaning 'to skip for joy.”
V.1:10a - “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.”
A. Because of her desire to be blessed, led, and fed by Him, He sees her as one who has authority, is full of love and strength, and has a pure, godly character. If we have this same burning desire, then these statements will be true in our lives, too!
1. “Cheeks” - The cheeks speak of emotion throughout the SONG; they reveal anger and joy, etc. When you look at somebody’s cheeks, you can tell if there is joy in their heart or if there is anger or sadness in their heart. The emotions of a person are expressed through the cheeks.
2. “Ornaments” - ornaments are created by the skillful work of an artist to beautify its object. Jesus is the artist who has worked to beautify us (Isaiah 61:3). Though God sees lust and anger in us, He also sees passion growing in us for Him. Ornaments are purposefully honed and beautified by a skilled artist. God is saying, “Your emotions are lovely; I have skillfully worked in you a "Yes!" for My Son. That moves the very heart of God.
B. God also sees the hunger in our emotions to follow Jesus more fully. He still sees the cry in your spirit for Jesus as well. He sees all things like Peter said, “Lord, You know all things, and You know that I love You,
C. The word "strings" is the Hebrew word for "ornaments."
D. The “neck” represents the human will (Acts 7:51; Exodus 33:3; Proverbs 3:3; 29:1).
1. This is the first of four times that the Beloved mentions the neck. It is very important to Him (1:10; 4:4,9; 7:4)!
2. The Bible speaks of people who are stiff-necked, which means a stubborn or rebellious person.
3. The neck also speaks of godly submission
4. The neck is what turns the head as it chooses which way to go, right or left. When a King triumphed over another nation, the conquering general put his foot over that defeated king’s neck, which spoke of submission.
E. The desperate prayer of V.1:7, revealed the spiritual hunger that was deep in her emotion for God. God saw the very cry for Him, and it was beautiful. Her cheeks were lovely like ornaments.
1. God sees her submission to divine authority and her resolute will to obey him.
V.1:10b - “your neck with strings of jewels.”
A. “strings of Jewels” speaks of royal authority and Divine character. Only a King had chains of gold. In those days, few people could afford a chain of gold besides a King. A string of Jewels was rare and expensive because it was only worn by royalty.
V.1:11- “We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.”
A. The word "we" indicates that more than one person is involved with the Bride and Beloved of this love SONG. In the immediate circumstances, they are ladies-in-waiting. They are there to serve the Bride.
1. “We” is a very important word. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together. It also speaks of God working together and cooperating with us. He says, “Together, we will make you an ornament of gold.” Cooperation with God's grace speaks of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the Christian.
B. “Ornaments of gold” - speaks of divine character. She will be Christlike in her golden character. He will make our heart like gold as an extravagant worshipper of the Beloved. This speaks of Christians purified with fire (Malachi 3:1-4).
1. However, as we look beyond the immediate to the spiritual, we see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit continually at work in us to cause more of Jesus’ image to be seen in our lives (Romans 8:29). Never forget that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works..." (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians1:6; 2:13)! God bestows upon us the "garment of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" to be seen (Isaiah 61:10).
2. God wants "gold" displayed on her neck. Gold represents the character, glory, and person of God, as well as value, purity, truth, and honor. In the Tabernacle, the golden table, the golden lamp stand, and the golden altar of incense are all made of pure gold, and the ark of the covenant is overlaid with gold. All of these holy items in type have the Lord. (Job 23:10; Psalm 19:7-1, 45:13; Proverbs 25:11; Zechariah 4:2-6; 1 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:20; Revelation 21:18-21).
C. "studded with silver."
1. The Beloved also wants to adorn us with "silver." Silver represents atonement redemption (Exodus 30:15; 36:24). The boards surrounding the Tabernacle had enormous silver as their foundation. The order here is interesting, "gold" then "silver." The eternal, infinite, glorious God (gold) bought and redeemed us from our deadness to be His forever (silver)!
a. He is saying, “You will be a worshipper (gold) and a deliverer (silver) when I am finished working with you, so don't give up.
2. You are not a failure when you stumble but only if you quit. The righteous stumble, and they get up again. He is saying, “Do not run from Me; run to Me when you discover your unkept vineyard.”
D. She had felt so self-conscious about her appearance that the lover praised her physical beauty so that others would be forced to agree!
1. The mind speaks of the Pharaoh’s horse, trained in righteousness.
2. The emotions speak of the cheeks that are lovely with ornaments.
3. The will speaks of the neck with chains of gold.
E. The Bride receives a 2ND revelation of the Beloved expressing the Father's Heart of what He provided for her through the Cross.
1. She experiences the joy of knowing His affectionate love and passionate desire for her, which is an exhilarating time in her life.
2. She experiences the superior pleasures of the Divine romance. The problem is that she is not fully balanced and is still self-absorbed but does not know it, which is to be expected in the early seasons of her spiritual childhood.
3. She thinks of the Beloved mostly in terms of her own spiritual pleasure instead of what He receives from her. During this season of her life, the Beloved is a means and not the end of her life.
4. She has discovered that this happiness is most deeply experienced when God's presence seems near to her. Being obedient to the Beloved is not yet the highest goal of her life.
V1:12a - “While the king was on his couch”
A. The Beloved expresses the revelation of the affectionate heart of the Father. He provided a table. He embraces and affirms her at His table.
B. He feeds her spirit on the revelation of who He is and what He did. His table is the revelation of the Cross. She partakes of the free gift of redemption. The table of salvation is taught to her at the beginning of her spiritual growth (Romans 3-8).
C. There is an abundance of food at His table. When we forget the King's table, then our spirit starves. Shame and guilt begin to weigh us down.
“present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead (Romans 6:13)
1. In other words, worship God as one who is fully accepted and embraced by the affection of God.
2. She is not striving with condemnation or with fear of rejection.
D. She sits and rests. Sitting is the key idea. It is also used in V.2:3
E. In all of His kindness as the tender Lamb of God, He is still the great King. He is not just the Lamb, but He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah that roars with great passion for us. The Lion and the Lamb come together in V.1:12. It is important to see that there is a glorious King at the table.
1. She has her first of the Beloved as the King with all authority.
2. It is from this authority that He speaks of His affection. We can trust that His affection will actually prevail because He is a king.
V.1:12b - “my nard gave forth its fragrance.”
A. "nard" speaks of her spontaneous worship.
1. Nard is a fragrant oil, perfume, or medicine
a. It was expensive, so it was often mixed with cheaper oils or counterfeited.
b. It had a powerful, spicy aroma that could fill a house.
c. It was long-lasting: When applied to the skin or hair, the oil's scent would linger for days.
B. While she is sitting at the King’s table feeding on the truths of the Beloved, her spontaneous worship and adoration ascend to God as a fragrance. The revelation of the King's provision at His table produces a response of perfume that ascends before God from her spirit.
C. Her fragrance or perfume ascends to God and man when she freely receives all that the Beloved provides.
1. The church at Corinth was one of the most carnal churches in the New Testament, but Paul declared to them, "We ARE the fragrance of Jesus Christ to God the Father" (2 Corinthians 2:15). In other words, “When God smells the fragrance your life, He smells the literal fragrance of Jesus that has a literal fragrance part of His divine Person.
“God who…through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
D. The Beloved enjoys the fragrance that emanates from our spirit when we are focused on His provisions. What He feeds her produces a perfume that ascends from her spirit to God.
1. When the revelation of His table touches us, our perfume ascends spontaneously and effortlessly to the Beloved.
2. We will spontaneously cry out from my heart through the day, "Oh, I love You, I love You, for loving me." This "worship perfume" sends forth its fragrance to God. When we feel embraced, His fragrance spontaneously rises up to God instead of the fear fragrance.
3. Many of God’s people are overcome with condemnation and accusation. They feel no security in the presence of God. Therefore, they cannot enter into worship. They can sing songs, but they cannot open their heart because they are afraid they are going to be judged by God. They are always guarded in the presence of God.
4. In Luke 7, the prostitute ran into the house of Simon the Pharisee. She broke the alabaster vial of perfume upon Jesus’ feet. The natural perfume that filled the room was a mere token of the spiritual perfume that Jesus saw in her devotion. The perfume that filled that room, in the natural, was a picture of the perfume that God receives from us when we worship Him.
a. She understands of the abundance of Jesus' suffering on the cross. Myrrh is referred to 8 times throughout the SONG. Myrrh is a sweet perfume that speaks of the sweetness that comes out of death.
b. She has come into His surrounding presence and starts to pour out costly affections over Him. Just like Mary pouring out the alabaster jar of Spikenard, so she now is extravagant in her adoration. We respond to his praise by pouring out our lives to Him in love, worship, and adoration.
V.1:13a - “My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh”
A. Myrrh is an expensive embalming fluid that often speaks of suffering and death. It was also a very expensive and strong perfume used by wealthy people. The common person could not afford it.
1. It was uncommon for a woman to have a bundle of expensive myrrh as a chain around her neck. What an extravagantly expensive gift from Solomon to this young Bride.
2. A bundle of myrrh speaks of Jesus’ death as an "abundant death" that was extravagantly expensive to God. When she said, “You are a bundle of myrrh” she is saying, “I understand the abundance of your suffering, I understand a little bit of what You went through for me.”
B. Jesus was born with myrrh. The three wise kings brought this embalming spice to Jesus' birth as a prophetic symbol of His death. They brought three prophetic gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They spoke of three different things: His deity, His ministry, and His death.
C. Jesus was buried with myrrh. When Mary went to see the tomb, she brought more myrrh and spices to put upon His body.
V.1:13b - "That lies all night between my breasts"
A. This myrrh lies all night next to her heart and permeates her spirit as she meditates upon it on her bed.
1. Through the night, she meditates on it, pointing to the Cross, which speaks of the time of darkness in her weakness and of her consistency throughout all the ages. It carries the idea of consistency.
a. That the eternal God could take upon Himself the form of a man is a marvel that is almost inconceivable. This is absolutely awesome. Through all of eternity, we will sing with fresh revelation of the Cross of Jesus.
b. For millions of years, He will be a bundle of myrrh that lies upon our hearts throughout all the ages. When we really see who He is and what He did for all of eternity, our hearts will be awed and overwhelmed with gratitude.
B. Her third response is her declaration of His beauty.
1. When her Beloved had to leave on a journey, He gave her the myrrh, a part of Himself, so that sweet perpetual thoughts of His "first love" love for her would be close to her heart until He returned! She kept it "between her breasts", so that the "myrrh" would be right next to her heart. She never wanted to forget the cost of the fragrance and went to sleep enjoying the fragrance.
V.1:14a - “My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms”
A. The Beloved is to her as a cluster of lovely henna flowers filled with sweet fragrances. In other words, He is not a burdensome God, but He is sweet and delightful to her.
B. Her fragrance worship ascends to God as perfume. The Beloved enjoys the aroma and fragrance that emanates from her spirit when she is sitting at the Lord’s table.
1. The vineyards of En Gedi had the greatest fragrances in Israel. It speaks of this most intense fragrance imaginable.
2. It was the place where the henna blooms prospered the most. It was a place that was famous for this particular plant.
C. We must preach with a full heart on the gracious God who is filled with kindness. The kindness of God will lead people to repentance. Repentance is the inevitable step two after we have called the people to God's kindness.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
1. What our God has announced to us is indescribably Good News. We must tell the whole Earth that He is as a cluster of henna blossoms
2. "His commandments are not burdensome" when we understand who He is/
“For this is the love of God…His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
3. The yoke of God is easy if we come to this glorious Person instead of coming to religion.
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)
D. A perfumed garden is intoxicating. His indescribably sweet was intoxicating to her. His tenderness, with full knowledge of our sinfulness, is a totally unique intoxication of our hearts.
1. Henna was a plant that grew to a height of seven to ten feet and was very valuable in the making of an orange-red dye. It produced beautiful white fragrant flowers that the ladies loved to wear and use in decorating their homes. This same Hebrew word also has the meaning "the price of a life or ransom."
“that we may have boldness in the day of judgment .. but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:17-18)
a. The context of this passage is the problem that is caused by the fear of God's judgment in the life of a sincere Christian. This fear produces torment in our relationship with the Beloved. Mature knowledge of the love of God drives tormenting fear out of the relationship. The fear of judgment has torment in it, which causes us to guard our spirit. All fear of rejection must be abolished. This is a very different fear than the fear of the Beloved, which is wonderful.
b. Worshipping God without a guarded spirit is vital to spiritual growth. Many believe in worshiping God with their spirits’ guarded. They reason, “Oh God, I love You, please give me one more chance before You destroy me.” They are fearful that Jesus is rejecting and condemning them.
c. You can worship God for years in a lively Church, but if you are afraid that God is rejecting you, then you have torment in your relationship with the Beloved. You could worship in sincerity for five years, but if your spirit is guarded, you will not grow very much.
V.1:14c - “in the vineyards of Engedi.”
A. Engedi was on the edge of the Wilderness of Judah. A hot spring there provided an abundance of fresh water. It was a place where God defeated the enemies of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:2). This was a place of plentiful grapes and fruits in the wilderness.
1. The Beloved is your Engedi in the wilderness! He is peace for the angry; love for the hated; joy for the sad; healing for the wounded; fulfillment for the empty and so much more! He is the vine of Engedi (John 15:5)!
V.1:15a - “Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful”
A. The Beloved’s heart is so full of love for her. So many Christians take and take of His love and seldom give it back to Him. Because they have gotten used to Him. He is no longer fresh and vibrant in their thinking and meditation. The Beloved longs for that special, sustained look from His Bride's eyes.
"...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." (Hebrews 12:2)
B. The Joy of Jesus is full when we love Him back with an all-consuming "first love" love. The lady in V.15 is so special to Him that He uses the form of a Hebrew word which is used exclusively in the SONG nine times ("rayah" - "my love" and not the usual word for "love" - "aheb" V.1:9,15; 2:1,10,13; 4:1,7; 5:2; 6:4). It has a meaning of "intimate companion." It is a word for her alone, much like those words shared between husband and wife that only they understand. Think of it: we have the closest relationship possible with God Almighty, closer than the angels, cherubim, and seraphim! The Beloved is so filled with emotion for us that He has to repeat it: "My love,” "my love" ("darling, precious companion")!
V.1:15b “your eyes are dove’s”
A. The Beloved views her as one with singleness of vision.
B. The dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit through Scripture, starting with Noah. They speak of singleness of purpose because they cannot have peripheral vision and because they have only one mate.
1. Doves are totally faithful in mating. A dove will only mate with one dove throughout its entire life. if one of them dies, they never mate again.
2. Doves do not have peripheral vision. They can only see straight ahead and can't focus on two things (Matthew 6:22).
3. Her “dove's eyes” speak of her ability to see redemptive truths. They speak of her eyes of faith and vision. Her revelation in V.1:12-17 is all about her believing in redemptive truths.
C. The Holy Spirit has a single purpose: to glorify Jesus. He can't be anything but perfectly faithful
V.1:16 - “Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green”
A. The loveliness of the Beloved penetrates her spirit. He is becoming more and more beautiful to her the more that she sees Him. When He says, “You are beautiful I love you,” it awakens a new depth of revelation of how attractive He is.
B. The Beloved is pleasant to the very depths of her heart. She is fascinated with Him as she beholds His beauty. There is an exchange of deep affection going back and forth between them throughout V.1:12-17.
1. Things are so different now that she is introduced to the bridal paradigm of the Kingdom of God. She is having a wonderful time in the grace of God since she has come out of the time when her vineyard was not kept.
2. When the Beloved appears handsome and pleasant to the soul of a Christian, then full obedience seems so reasonable. When we connect with the fact that He enjoys us, we start to enjoy Him. When we have a revelation of His beauty, then we begin to see our beauty in Him, and giving up things that distract us from Him doesn't seem like a sacrifice.
C. This is her three-fold response to the fact that God has just said, “You are beautiful, you are beautiful, you have doves’ eyes. She is overcome with how wonderful it is to be loved, as expressed in V.1:15.
D. Her revelation of the Beloved’s beauty and her spiritual pleasures in Him.
V.1:16b - “Our couch is green”
A. The Hebrew word for "green" here gives forth the idea of "luxuriant or fresh".
B. The couch is in a Chariot, which speaks of rest and security with no fear of judgment or rejection from the Beloved. She says, “I’m resting in security on the green bed of the Beloved.” The New American Standard translates it as, “Our luxuriant couch.” She is seated with Him in heavenly places on the Beloved's bed or the chariot (Ephesians. 2:6).
1. The couch in the Chariot also speaks of abundance. It is plush, green, and filled with life. It is a rest in God that is flourishing and prospering instead of being parched and barren like a desert. She rests in the love of God because of the abundance of His love.
V.1:17 - "The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters are pine."
A. The “beams” and the rafters provide the structure for their house. They are made of hard and strong wood. Cedar and fir trees were also used in the Temple building.
1. Her dwelling with the Beloved is strong, permanent, durable, and the most expensive and beautiful. His house is the most permanent and safe.
B. "Our House" speaks of their most intimate dwelling together forever. The whole corporate church of Jesus has this stunning privilege to look forward to for eternity (1 Peter 3:16).
1. Notice again the word “our” is used! He is such a sharing Husband. Without Jesus, none of the above would have been found in our souls or spirits! It is all given to us. It is all of grace.
