“I am the rose [narcissus] of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys” (ch. 2:1).
God sees His people as the lilies of the valley. She revels in His thoughts of her. Her Bridegroom sets her apart: “As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.” She answers, “As the apple [citron] tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons.” Unlike the other trees, the apple tree has a glorious color. She sits with rapture and delight in His shadow. His fruit is sweet to her taste.
He brings her to the banquet, the house of wine (joy). The banner spread over her is love. Being overcome with His love, she asks for raisin-cakes and apples. This is still Christ, but in a milder way. She retires from all that is around her, just to enjoy His love in His presence. She is sustained by His left and right hands embracing her.
It is in the chambers of the King, apart from the world, with thoughts of His glory, that we walk by faith. Do we think of our Bridegroom as anyone less than our “Beloved”? God is our exceeding joy; Christ is God. What a dwelling place and, at present, a banqueting house for the soul. How the Holy Spirit seeks to open to us scenes of eternal joy, even before we get there. The innermost place of the temple, the holy of holies, is the smallest place and the most retired. Have we reached it? Do we enjoy the presence of the Lord in the holiest —this private communion between the bride and the Bridegroom?
“The voice of my Beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” The bride views Him as full of delight and liberty. “My Beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, He standeth behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, showing Himself through the lattice.” Have we seen Him through the lattice?
“My Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.” Is there with us that deep desire to be gone, to be with Him? Soon He will call the last time, and we shall be at home with our Beloved.
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.” The green figs suggest the fruit, which comes before the leaves — the glory. Self-judgment comes before glory. She has a sense that the betrothal will soon be over and she will be with her Beloved forever, for He calls: “Arise, My love, My fair [beautiful] one, and come away.”
“O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” His dove knows where the secret places of safety are in the towering clefts of the rock — the rugged terrain, the steep precipices. By guidance of the Holy Spirit, she knows where the place of safety is — His wounded side.
During the days of deep trial she nestles in safety in His arms of love at His wounded side. The timid, fluttering dove securely rests while the storm passes. Would she lose her hold in her place of safety? No, He holds her, or all around would be lost. These are the everlasting arms. Are we enjoying them? Or are we making our way, leaning on this poor, helpless world, when the Lord asks us to trust Him?
No bird of prey can molest His dove. She trusts Him, so safety is sure. Have we learned this? She is in the place of safety, without fear. Could the arms of this world provide us with more safety than the everlasting arms? We only know Him in the measure that we trust Him (1 John 2:33And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. (John 2:3)).
“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Here, in our body, we are to live for the glory of God. How clever Satan is to cause us to sleep, while the foxes, the many small things in our lives that rob us of communion, ruin our vine of joy. We must guard the vine (our own heart) lest an intruder damage it. In one night a beautiful vineyard (the heart of the believer) may be devastated by little foxes. “Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:2323Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23) JND).
“My Beloved is mine, and I am His” (vs. 16). What a discovery this is for the soul. The bride has arrived at the first milestone in her series of lessons, by the Spirit leading her to learn and grow spiritually. I ask my soul, “Have I come this far?” She now has her Beloved in her possession, and He has her in His possession, so all doubts and fears have passed away.
“He feedeth among the lilies.” He loves to be among His people down here until the day breaks, when all shadows flee away. He encourages her, saying: “Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether [craggy places in Palestine].” The daybreak of His coming is so near that all here is of little value. So, like the young deer, we must leap over the craggy places that hold us back in spirit. Rising above them, we can anticipate with fervor the precious moment that is coming. At the end of the Revelation, the Bridegroom exclaims: “Surely I come quickly.” The bride responds: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”