The Song of Solomon 5
AT the invitation of His beloved people, the Bridegroom of the Jews yet to be redeemed, has (verse 1) come into His garden of fragrant shrubs and precious fruits. He has “gathered,” He has “eaten,” and He has “drunk” there what they have provided Him.
Have you and I, Christian reader, realized what these words mean in application to the believers of our day, to ourselves? Have we done our little share to provide Him a feast?
If God had His own joy in the sacrifices of Leviticus (chapter 1:9, 13, 17; chapter 2:2; chapter 3:5, etc.) when offered in faith, do not John 4:3232But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. (John 4:32); Hebrews 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15) and 1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) with Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) tell us of our blessed Lord coming into His “garden” now gathering, eating, drinking, what His saints have brought in their baskets to the appointed place of meeting each Lord’s day? (Deuteronomy 26:22That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. (Deuteronomy 26:2)). And have we not, alas! often, failed to give Him the worship of a full heart? To our shame be it said, yes.
Verse 2 is a confession of failure. His beloved one has fallen asleep, though as she says, her heart was awake; she dozed when she knew she should have been wide awake. The voice of the Bridegroom awakened her; He knocks but she has locked Him out in order that she may be at ease without Him. Has this been my portion, too, to be enjoying myself without His company, without a thought of Christ? “Open to Me;” His voice is heard, but I am not at once ready to let Him in.
His words touch the heart, but her state of soul is not right, and she makes excuses (verse 3). At length she does open the door, but He is gone! The door bears traces of His loving hand for there is myrrh upon the handles of the lock (verse 5). How near He was! Now He must be sought, and this takes diligence. To recover communion with the Lord when it has been lost is not the work of a moment, as many dear children of God have found.
The bride goes out to seek for her Beloved, but her spiritual sense is not keen, and she looks as before (chapter 3:2, 3) where He is not. She calls, but He does not answer (verse 6). Sorrows increase; the world is no help to a believer (verse 7). She realizes what she has lost.
What we have in this passage is a picture of what our souls may have often experienced, but it is not true Christian experience. It is the result of neglecting the Word of God, and sinking into self-indulgence in some form.
With a returning sense of His worth, His beauty, the bride is seen in the last verses, telling the daughters of Jerusalem about the Bridegroom.
If the whiteness of verse 10 represents spotless purity and holiness, “ruddy” surely speaks of His blood shed for our pardon and eternal blessedness. The head of gold (verse 11) stands for the righteousness of God. Perennial youth is seen in the bushy locks, black as a raven. Eyes, not merely as doves, as was said of the bride, but by the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set. Who can fully set this forth?
Blessed Lord, we read of Thee, and these figures of speech of the earthly bride stir the hearts of Thy heavenly redeemed ones, to see Thee face to face. Lord, haste that day!
The cheeks (verse 13) bring to us memories of Calvary, when He was buffeted by man, and spat upon, and the kisses of the traitor, Judas, were there. Lips like lilies; hands as gold rings set with the beryl, body as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires; legs as marble set upon sockets of fine gold (verses 14, 15) are representations that bring to our minds the worth, the beauty, the love, the power, the glory of Christ.
But we pass from imagery, from symbols, to what speaks directly, and in language the veriest child may understand (verse 16),
“His mouth is most sweet; yea, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend.” He is ours too, is He not?
ML 02/19/1933