Song Of Solomon - Chapter 2 - The Rose Of Sharon Series

V.2:1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

He

2 As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.

She

3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 He brought me to the banqueting house, band his banner over me was love.

5 Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love

6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!

7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.

10 My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,

11 for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

12 The flowers appear on the Earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.

17 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains.

Overview - The Bride cannot understand why the Beloved considers her to be so special since she is a very common person. He continues to reveal lovely thoughts about her from His heart. He demonstrates to His bride that He has conquered all problems she would ever face. The Beloved Bridegroom now asks her to go with Him but she hesitates; she only wants to have Him all to herself in private fellowship. He pleads with her, but she will not go with Him. There is now a division between them. This severing of fellowship will cause her great spiritual pain.

Her first great confession was, “I’m dark, but lovely” (V.1:5). She saw the Beloved’s beauty and then saw how He gave His beauty to her. Then He gave her His chariot and His house. Now, she is prepared to grasp another dimension of her identity. She now makes her second great confession, “I am the rose of Sharon, I am the lily of the valley.” She sees herself as resting on their flourishing chariot in a beautiful house that is eternally permanent and made in strength.

We need to see ourselves through His eyes. Earlier, she had shown her self-consciousness and insecurity (V.1:5) - however, now she has received His praise and Love, she has a better image of herself - and not too proud a one!

V.2:1a - “I am a rose of Sharon.”

A. She discovers a deeper dimension of who she is in Jesus. She then proclaims her second confession, “I am the rose of Sharon.” She now sees herself as a Rose of Sharon (Isaiah 35:1 - also 'Crocus') - this was a common meadow flower! (Note: Jesus is NOT the Rose of Sharon).

1. This is her highest identity as the Bride of Christ. This revelation can only be discerned by first having a good foundation in understanding the redemptive riches in Christ (V. 1:12-17).

2. This confession is more than the fact that she is lovely and desired by God. It goes even higher. She is now the inheritance that the Father has promised His Son. It is one thing to enjoy someone deeply, but it is another thing when this person is your eternal inheritance. She comes to the understanding that she is THE only inheritance that the Father has promised His Son.

3. She knows that the Father has promised Jesus a great prize. She knows that this prize is a Bride pictured as a rose. She says, “I am the inheritance God’s promised His Son. There is only one rose that Jesus Christ longs for. She sees that she is the rose that intoxicates and captures the heart of Christ Jesus. She sees herself as more than loved by God.