“Behold, thou art fair [beautiful], My love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. . . . Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely. . . . Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory” (ch. 4:14).
Now she is restored and occupied with His thoughts of her. The first five verses give the estimate by the Bridegroom of His bride: verse 1 gives a full sense of His love for His bride, and verses 25 give a sense of His estimate of her beauty.
“Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.” He goes there to accept her full reconciliation as she worships Him. It is a hill and a mountain of praise and worship. What change has now taken place? First she lay listlessly upon her bed, lazy, not having her spiritual senses in order, until she brings Him, whom she loves, into her mother’s chamber. Then she charges the daughters of Jerusalem that they not disturb her love until He pleases. What went on between them must have been precious.
The Bridegroom concludes His remarks, during this time of praise and worship, by saying, “Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee.” Do we leave the Lord’s table with a sense of His love for us, telling us “there is no spot in thee”? While in the tops of the mountains, a state which the soul experiences at times, He calls us away —“Come with Me from Lebanon, My spouse, with Me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.” How often Satan attacks on the way home from the breaking of bread! Unless we go with our Bridegroom, we might be drawn away by something far worse than a lion or a leopard.
The lion, the strongest of beasts, lays in wait in these lofty places. We are no match for a lion. The leopard has a nature to seek revenge upon any who has hurt him, and he will not be satisfied until he destroys him. The fairest scenes of nature may hide enemies more furious than the lion or the leopard. Let us beware and keep our distance. It is now Satan’s world. But fellowship with Christ will lead us away from every danger, so He says, “Come with Me.”
“I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly” (Prov. 5:14). One must guard against seeking solace and comfort in the pleasant things of this world, forgetting that it is seeking its pleasures apart from God.
The Son of man has made us the objects of His eternal love and in us He has displayed the fullness of His love. The Church, His body, is the fullness, because she is brought in last, making His work complete and finished.
As the object of His heart, the Bridegroom says to His bride, “Thou hast ravished My heart, My sister, My spouse.” Of her, He says, “A garden enclosed is My sister, My spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” Like a garden, she is full with what is pleasant to the Bridegroom. The varied graces of the Holy Spirit in the bride produce an abundance of precious spiritual fruits for the Bridegroom. He may enjoy the scenery and savor of His garden in the midst of this barren world.
“Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices” (vss. 13-14). Some spices were for Him alone. (See Exodus 30:31-38.) Can we gladden His heart while He waits for the glorious moment to have us with Him? “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of the Christ” (2 Thess. 3:5 JND). Contentment with Him will fill the soul. Is what we do service for our Bridegroom? The Apostle Paul could say, “For me to live is Christ.” Can we say the same?
“A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” The cold, pure streams, which flow southward, water the Lord’s garden. “Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon My garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits.” When our hearts become cold, we are like wilted flowers and spices with no fragrance. We must be stirred by the north wind of adversity. After this, the south wind of comfort and encouragement may have its salutary effect.
In heaven there will be no north wind, only the pure, full fruits of the Spirit — these to satisfy the heart of Christ. No doubt, the tears of chastisement may be more bitter than myrrh. But the results of the north wind are sweeter than honey, and more fragrant to the heart of Christ than all spices.
He takes all varieties of fruits and spices from His garden — the milk from the babe and the wine from the fathers. He is perfect in His care of His garden and says, “A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day” (Isa. 27:23).
May there be more fruit and fragrance in our lives to give pleasure to our Bridegroom. Could it be that our thoughts are only on present things? To be able to say, “Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits,” we need the rich and varied fruits of the Spirit wrought in the heart. Then His heart and ours will rejoice at the banquet of love.