The Song of Solomon 1
IN Ecclesiastes we had man, trying to be happy without the knowledge of the only true God, and finding no satisfaction here, and at the end of life death (unwelcome visitor!) and the promise of judgment after death. The book we now enter upon has a far happier theme. Written as a song or poem, it has Christ for its subject, and Himself in connection with the redeemed of the Jews in the day now at hand, when the heavenly saints shall be gone away to glory, and great events are happening and about to happen in the ancient homeland of Israel.
The Song of Solomon will be to the “remnant,” as Scripture terms the repentant Jews, assurance that the Lord Jesus their once rejected and crucified Messiah, loves them and in Him they will find joy forever. While the place of these Jewish believers will not be equal to the Christian’s portion, there is much in the song that finds a response in the heart that loves Him in our own day.
Verse 2 is the language of a soul who already knows Christ, and seeks to know Him better. Is this the state of our own hearts? It is well for us if it is so, “That I may know Him” is the longing wish of Paul the pattern saint in Philippians 3, who desires to “win” Christ, though he knew Him, we make bold to say, more deeply than any of the children of God today. Truly the love of Christ is better than wine, the token or symbol of earthly joy.
Verse 3 speaks about the fragrance of His person. “Thine ointments savor sweetly; Thy name is an ointment poured forth” (N. T.).
Oil, when used as a symbol in Scripture, refers to the Holy Spirit; and ointment, fragrant oil (Exodus 30:22-3322Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. 26And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 27And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 29And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 30And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 31And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people. (Exodus 30:22‑33)) tells of the worth, the moral glory, of the Son as Man sealed with the Holy Spirit, in all His wondrous journey from the manger at Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary.
What delight the Father must have had in His Son as He saw Him at Samaria’s well (John 4); by the grave of Lazarus (John 11); meeting the leper (Mark 1)—and all along His course! We who having believed, have tasted of the love of Christ, do not we find our delight in Him, as we meditate upon His perfect ways? “Ointment poured forth,” too, so that all, even the feeblest and most neglectful of the saints, may enjoy the fragrance! O, search the Word, learn more of Him. (2 Corinthians 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)).
“Draw me, we will run after Thee,” (verse 4). Be this the language of all our hearts. There is an answer: “The King hath brought me into His chambers.” “King,” He will be, for Israel; King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the millennial day (Revelation 19:1616And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)), but the heavenly bride knows Him as the Lord, our Lord Jesus (Luke 22:31, 3331And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: (Luke 22:31)
33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. (Luke 22:33); John 20:13, 1813And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. (John 20:13)
18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. (John 20:18); John 21:77Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. (John 21:7); Romans 1:77To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7); 1 Corinthians 1:33Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:3), etc.).
In verses 5 and 6 the earthly bride speaks of herself. She is black, scorched with heat, for she will then have passed through the judgments which are to fall upon the Jews in the last days (Matthew 24; see Lamentations 4:88Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. (Lamentations 4:8); also Job 30:3030My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat. (Job 30:30)). And she has been hated by her mother’s children—the apostate Jews of whom the Psalms so often speak (see Psalms 31, 32, 35 and others), for the believing Jews will be cast out of Jerusalem, and made to hide for their lives because of the hatred of the unbelievers of their race. She has been made to toil for the Gentiles as foretold in Genesis 49:14, 1514Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. (Genesis 49:14‑15), but her own vineyard, the Land of Israel, has she not kept. Yet she is comely to the Bridegroom, her King; black as the tents of Kedar; beautiful as the curtains of Solomon; whiter than snow in Christ.
Verses 7 and 8 in question and answer, tell of the desire of the bride to know the bridegroom as Shepherd (Psalm 23, and see Ezekiel 34:11-1511For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 34:11‑15)), and Of His love for her and care for even the little ones (end of verse 8).
But where is the flock of God (John 10) today? Scattered and divided by the wolf as foretold in Acts 20:28-3028Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:28‑30). Yet still, we are persuaded, there is a place or ground of gathering according to the mind of the Great Shepherd, where He feeds His flock, and makes it to rest (Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)).
Verses 9-11 are still the voice of the Bridegroom, and verses 12-14 the bride’s language. We can only refer to these passages very briefly. The Bridegroom not only loves His earthly bride, but He will ornament her with gifts from Himself. See the mention of the gifts to Rebekah in Genesis 24, also read Ezekiel 16:10-1310I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. 11I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. 12And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. 13Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. (Ezekiel 16:10‑13).
Mary in John 12:1-31Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. (John 12:1‑3) answers to verse 12. And does not communion of heart with the Lord give the key to the figure of verse 13? Is He embalmed in our breasts, in our hearts, as He should be? (John 14:21, 2321He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)).
Myrrh (verse 13) carried in a bundle is hidden from the eye, but the cluster of camphire (henna flowers) is carried openly (verse 14). Myrrh, we are told, is the juice of a tree, which flows through broken parts of the bark, and the camphire tree flowers grow in dense clusters, beautiful as well as fragrant. The vineyards of Engedi were celebrated for their rich fruits and costly spices.
Verse 15 is the Bridegroom’s voice again, and in verses 16, 17 it is the bride speaking to Him who has won her heart. She has nothing now to say of herself; faith goes on and says “our bed,” “our house,” “our rafters,” linking Him with herself, looking on to His visible presence on earth as the Husband of redeemed Israel (Isaiah 54:55For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isaiah 54:5)). The first verse of chapter 2 belongs to this utterance of the bride. She is the rose, or narcissus of Sharon. Sharon is the fertile region of western Palestine, between Caesarea and Joppa.
ML 01/22/1933