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“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Solomon 2:3).
I am sure that all of you enjoy eating an apple, and especially at this time of year, when it is apple harvest season. Perhaps you have a favorite type of apple that you specially like, but did you know that apples are mentioned a number of times in the Bible? Apples have been grown for thousands of years, and probably originated in the country of Kazakhstan, which is in central Asia, and borders Russia, China, and a few smaller countries. There are thousands of different kinds of apples, and they are probably the most widely eaten of all the kinds of fruit in the world.
I grew up on a fruit farm, and many times I have sat down under an apple tree and enjoyed eating an apple. In our verse for today, we find that the bride compares her Beloved (a picture of the Lord Jesus) to an apple tree. She sits down under the tree, appreciates the shade it gives, and finds His fruit sweet to her taste.
But there is a spiritual lesson here for us too. If we really know and love the Lord Jesus, we enjoy His company, and He gives us the enjoyment of all that He is. When we read His Word, we find that it is food for our souls, just as eating an apple is food for our bodies. Being in His company is like sitting down under a shady tree, and then He provides something for our enjoyment and nourishment.
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