The Believer’s Walk as Revealed in the Song of Solomon – Chapter 1

This book was written by Solomon to recount his love relationship and marriage to a lovely young Shulamite maiden. It is also a portrait of God’s relationship with Israel. The Song of Solomon is cherished as a guide and an inspiration for the Bride of Christ, the Church, and her relationship with the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and seeks to lead the believer toward a closer and more OBEDIENT walk with the Lord. The Song of Solomon became one of the five scrolls of the third part of the Hebrew Bible, each of which was read publicly at one of the annual Jewish Feasts. This one was assigned to be read at the PASSOVER. Passover also marks the beginning of the journey to the Promised Land.

The Proof of DESIRE is in PURSUIT

Climbing the Mountain of Faith

¹The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

By divine record we are informed that King Solomon wrote 1005 songs (I Kings 4:32). However, he entitled this story “The Song of songs”. Just as the inner sanctuary of the temple was the Holy of holies and Christ is King of kings, so this book is indeed “The Song of songs”.

• The story begins with Solomon’s bride speaking.

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

The bride’s intense longing is expressed as desiring “The Kisses of His Mouth”. We are all familiar with the kisses on the cheek. Even so, our longing will increase from seeking mere kisses on the cheek, occasional blessings, to pursuing a closer and more intimate relationship with Christ through His Word.

The bride says that His great love is “Better Than Wine”. Many times in Scripture wine represents the joys of the world. Once we have tasted of the kisses of His mouth, the meat of the Word, how far better is the love of God than all the pleasures of the world.

³because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

The virgins love the king because “Thy Name Is As Ointment Poured Forth”. His name has not been kept as bottled ointment but rather as ointment poured forth upon His people who now find new identity and power through the name of Jesus.

⁴Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

The bride says to the king “Draw Me”. As we serve the Lord, we become increasingly aware of the fact that “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Mt.26:41. We not only need to desire Him, but we need to be drawn.

How do the virgins respond? “We Will Run After Thee”. The king takes his running bride “Into His Chambers”. When the king brings us into his chambers, we have entered into the secret place of the Most High, Psalm 91:1.

⁵I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. ⁶Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

The maiden had attended to other vineyards: job, ministry, and etc, but what vineyard had she left unkept? “Her Own Vineyard”; represented by the disregard for her complexion. If we are successful in all other areas of life, but neglect to attend to THE WORD, the source of our spiritual complexion, we have failed to keep the most important vineyard of all. Our vineyard can bring forth much fruit by abiding in the vine, THE WORD, John 15:5-7.

The maiden stated in v5 that “I Am Black”. She recognized that she did not have her own beauty, but through the love of the king she could declare to others “O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem” that she was lovely. The tents of Kedar were dark in appearance but the curtains of Solomon were delicate fine linen.

The closer we draw to the Lord the more conscious we become that we are arrayed in fine linen and made to be glorious, Eph.5:27. In Rev.19:7-8, the Bride of Christ, at the marriage supper of the Lamb, will be wearing “Fine Linen, Clean and White”.

⁷Tell me, O thou whom my soul loves, where thou feeds, where thou makes thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turns aside by the flocks of thy companions?

The maiden ask the bridegroom to tell her “Where Do You Graze Your Flock and Where Do You Rest Your Sheep at Noonday?” The maiden specifically requested the place of the noonday feeding. When the ancient shepherds in the east fed their flocks, they took them to the grassy riverbeds and springs when the heat of the noonday came. Therefore, the richest food was to be eaten at noon. We should covet earnestly the finest possible spiritual food, I Cor.12:31.

As lovers of God’s Word we should be in earnest pursuit of the rich grasses of the noonday feeding. For the shepherds of the east it was a difficult journey down the steep mountainside to the cool river valley. Likewise, to feed delicately on spiritual things may require extra labor to obtain the rich valley grass necessary to continue the inner chamber relationship with the Lord.

The maiden ask the bridegroom “Why Should I Be Like One Who Wanders Beside the Flock Of Thy Companions?” Why should the church be like one who wanders outside the blessings of God – the rich grasses of the noonday feeding?

⁸If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.

Solomon calls her “O Thou Fairest Among Women”. In Deu.32:10; Ps.17:8, God’s people are called “The Apple Of His Eye”, an old English expression referring to the pupil of the eye. The phrase is used symbolically of something cherished, precious, and protected.

The king tells the maiden to “Go Thy Way Forth By The Footsteps Of The Flock”. The footsteps of the flock refer to the pathway trodden by other saints who have also chosen to pick up the Cross and follow Him.

⁹I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.

To what are we compared? “A Company Of Horses In Pharaoh’s Chariots”. The horses of Pharaoh were reputed to be the best in the world. Along with their great beauty, they were strong, swift and courageous in battle!

¹¹We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

“WE” speaks of the trinity of God. “Borders Of Gold With Studs Of Silver” refer to the crown being prepared for us that we will receive when in the eternal presence of God.

¹²While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof.

The maiden perceives that the king could smell “Her Spikenard”. Spikenard was a very costly ointment that was extremely fragrant. It was a plant not native to Israel but imported at great expense. At His great expense, the Lord has planted the Christ life within that makes us lovely and fragrant with a savor far beyond any earthly plant.

¹³A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

The maiden says that her beloved is to her “A Bundle Of Myrrh”. Myrrh was a highly fragrant and costly spice imported to Israel. At great cost, our Savior was imported from afar and is highly fragrant to all who know Him. Myrrh was used to deaden pain, as walking with the Lord comforts us through the heartaches of this life. Myrrh was very bitter to the taste and refers to the cross we must bear as we serve Him, Mt. 10:38. Myrrh was used medicinally and was a cure for many ailments as our great Physician is health and healing to all who believe in Him.

To those who experience these various aspects of the Lord’s character, He is truly a bundle of myrrh; The Balm of Gilead; The Bread of Life; The Lamb of God, Jer.8:22; Gen.37:24-26; Gal.3:13; Is.53:5.

¹⁵Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.

Hearing her loving evaluation, the king responds wholeheartedly and says of her eyes “Thou Hast Doves’ Eyes”. Eyes are the window of the soul and have always been recognized as the place where character can be seen. The dove is the emblem of simplicity, innocency, and fidelity. We have been washed in the blood of Jesus and made to be innocent and pure like the dove.

¹⁷The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fir.

Solomon’s bride refers to the beautiful and strong wood to build their home together. When we are living close to the Lord, we too are building a strong and lovely home for His habitation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjZTug_O-Y

(To be continued…)

Love and Respect: A Royal Marriage

Marriage is a lot like royalty. A wife wants to be first in the heart of her prince. A husband wants to be the hero that his princess admires and respects.

from Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs, Susan Mathis

There is something intriguing about royalty – and a royal marriage. It’s as if something within all of us longs to be royal.  Did you know that God says we are royalty? “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

God has put in the heart of every little girl to be a princess. She dresses up, talks about it, even dreams about it. As a woman, she wants to be first in the heart of her prince. She wants to be loved and treasured like a princess.

A little boy wants to be the hero, defending the fort and saving others from danger. As a man, he wants to be the prince, the hero that his princess admires and respects. He is designed by God to be a man of honor, one who is responsible to provide and care for his princess.

The wedding ceremony is a great picture of the prince and the princess dynamic – the love and respect is evident, and it is beautiful. But what often happens in that first year is that he isn’t as loving as she expected or needed him to be. And she often stops treating her prince with the respect that he needs. She needs to be loved, to be his princess; he needs to be respected, to be her prince. When this dynamic breaks down, the relationship gets crazy.

In my book, The Language of Love and Respect, I talk about the concept of wanting to be treated as a prince and a princess. “The man with basic goodwill wants to serve his wife, and he would even die for her. When his wife shows him unconditional respect, in most cases he will feel like a prince and be motivated to show her the kind of unconditional love she desires. She is a princess who is loved.” (p. 18)

Benevolent Goodwill

In a safe and secure kingdom (even when that kingdom is a home), its people thrive. Effective kingdom leaders demonstrate benevolent goodwill to the people. In marriage, the importance of goodwill is just as important.

One key to making your relationship safe and secure is to demonstrate benevolent goodwill toward your mate – to believe he or she has good intentions, to expect the best of the other person. Even when your mate messes up, you can choose to believe in the goodwill of your spouse.

Unfortunately, what often happens when you feel unloved or disrespected is that you start predicting and judging the other person’s motives. Research shows that successful couples don’t make condemning judgments about the other; they choose to trust their mate’s intentions.

Once a couple decides to see each other as good-willed people, it changes their perspective and the filter through which they view their relationship. “Good-willed” doesn’t mean we’ll do good all the time; it just means that the intentions are good.

Matthew 26:41 says it well: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Since a man and a woman naturally view conflict differently, they too often judge each other. During those times when your spouse is frustrating you, you can still believe in your mate’s goodwill, respond accordingly and treat each other as teammates, partners, even allies.

Royal differences

Though the differences between men and women are part of the relationship challenge, God intended it to be this way. Women and men simply have different filters through which they experience life. She sees through pink sunglasses, hears with pink hearing aids and speaks through a pink megaphone. He sees through blue sunglasses, hears with blue hearing aids and speaks through a blue megaphone.

Yet, when blue blends with pink, it becomes purple, God’s color – the color of royalty. He made us male and female to reflect His image, and as we love and respect each other, we create that purple, blending together as one to reflect the very image of God. When we understand this, we can begin to value our prince and our princess as God does, and we can trust that this is a truly magnificent design.

Even as allies you’ll have moments of conflict. But whether it’s a disagreement over sex or taking out the trash, each of you can rehearse what you know to be true: He’s a good-willed man; she’s seeing the situation through princess-pink glasses. He’s not wrong; she’s just different. We are friends; we are allies. Then, by going to God during conflict, we can discern His answer, what His royal purple, is. When we do this, we find the heart of God.

A Peace-filled Kingdom

Though the prince and princess of the movies tend to be perfect, you’re married to an imperfect person. So how do you show unconditional love and respect when your spouse is so obviously imperfect? Unconditional means there is no condition or circumstance or situation that would cause him to be hostile (the opposite of love) or cause her to show contempt (the opposite of respect). It is choosing to show your princess a loving attitude, or your prince a respectful attitude, regardless of the weaknesses of the flesh.

It’s not always easy, but we must avoid passing condemning judgment on our spouse. Judas and Peter both denied Jesus. Jesus saw Peter as having a willing spirit but weak flesh, so He never passed judgment on Peter. If you’re married to a man like Peter, don’t see him as a Judas. How does the Lord see your husband or wife? He’s a prince, a co-heir with Christ. As a child of God, he is royalty. As a child of God, she is royalty.

Seeing each other as God sees us, as His prince and princess, will cause us to treat each other differently. God has an unconditional commitment to loving us, and so should we. That’s part of maintaining a peace-filled, good-willed kingdom – and a royal marriage.

Copyright © 2011 by Susan Mathis and Emerson Eggerichs. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Next article in series:
Decision Time

Previous article in series:
The Crazy Cycle

Flash Mob Brings Recognition to Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Dick & Diane Baumbach “We know that couples involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter communities across the U.S. will be holding their own flash mob events in July. These couples want to show others that marriages can remain strong and vibrant over many years.” – Scott and Karen Seaborn (Melbourne, FL)—The first of many flash mobs involving Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples from across North America was held Saturday (April 16, 2011) at the Spring Suntree Festival. WWME couples from all over Central Florida participated in the surprise activity. Worldwide Marriage Encounter is the original faith based marriage enrichment program in this country, A YouTube video has been posted here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR7dicczNTg “It is our hope that this flash mob activity is another way to place a positive emphasis on couples committed to marriage,” explained Jose and Marilyn Garcia and Fr. Mitch Walters, the North American Ecclesial Team for WWME. “This reach out effort demonstrates that marriages can last and be happy. It is the perfect time to capitalize on a phenomena that is spreading across North America.” Scott and Karen Seaborn and Fr. Tom Griffith, SVD, who serve as the United States Ecclesial Team for the WWME movement, added, “We know that couples involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter communities across the U.S. will be holding their own flash mob events in July. These couples want to show others that marriages can remain strong and vibrant over many years.” “The exact locations will be a surprise to those watching, but again we want people to look at marriage in a positive light,” they added. “This truly will be a North American activity as there are plans to have similar activities in various provinces of Canada” said Eric and Lupita Goodwin and Fr. John Persaud, the Canadian Ecclesial Team for WWME. “We believe such events will bring an even stronger emphasis on the benefits of attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend,” they added. Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 42 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages. Source: Worldwide Marriage Encounter