May 2, 2015  Song of Songs 2:1-2  

She
1 I am a rose of Sharon,
    a lily of the valleys.
He
2 As a lily among brambles,
    so is my love among the young women.

Commentary:

She compares herself to wild flowers. Or perhaps most accurately, she compares herself to a beautiful flower in the wild. There are no definite consensus about what these "rose of Sharon" and "lily of the valleys" are. The first is probably not a specie of rose. The second may be of the lily family. 

Anyhow she thinks she is beautiful but not royal. He thinks much more highly of her. To him, she is a lily among brambles - the only beauty in his eyes. Among all the young women, she only is my love. It must be so flattering and comforting to hear him say it. 

Now we may also have a hard time explaining Jesus' electing love for us. Why does Jesus give up His life to redeem us? We are sinners. We may recall having done some nice things. But whatever they are, we know we have not done anything to deserve the everlasting love of the Son of God. 

Yet the Lord God declares through the prophet Jeremiah, 

... declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
    found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
3     the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built,

    O virgin Israel! (Jeremiah 31:1-4)
  
Jesus doesn't love you for who you are in your eyes. Jesus loves you for who you are in Christ. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

AMEN Lord Jesus AMEN

April 29, 2015  Song of Songs 1:15  

He

15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
    behold, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.

Commentary:

Verse 15 and the next three verses (1:16-2:1) are another pair of exchanges between the beloved and his lover. Apparently, they have now met and see eye to eye of each other. Thus, both said, "Behold ..." 

What does the man see in the woman? He looks and exclaims "behold, you are beautiful" not once, but twice. Before you let your imagination work on this scene, I must point out the differences in culture and the occasion of their meeting. 

First, they met at noon when the sun was high. They were both shepherds. Hence, they were taking a break from working among smelly animals in a very dry, dusty, and perhaps hot climate. Second, they were living in the Ancient Middle East. The culture and customs were very conservative. They dressed very conservatively. All that the man could see of the woman in such an occasion was probably the eyes. Thus, do not be surprised at this comment of the man:

behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.

Even though he could only see the eyes, they were beautiful to the eyes of the beholder. Because he was looking at "my love". Alas, can modern science explain "love"? Can evolution account for "love"? But God is love. And God made man and woman in his image. We are to love and be loved. 

Do you know what the Lord Jesus sees in you? He sees more than just our eyes. He knows our hearts. He can see places where we are afraid to look. Yet incredibly, he declares his steadfast love to us:

5 For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
    the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
    says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
    but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
    I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isa 54:5-8)

Jesus sees us as what we will ultimately become. The bride He redeemed. The bride He made complete, holy and beautiful. That is who we are. No amount of sin or guilt can keep Jesus from making us truly holy. Paul exclaims, 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Rom 8:35) 

If Jesus loves us so, why are you worrying about building your own self-esteem?

Behold, you are beautiful, my love

It is enough. Let me behold you, my Lord. 

AMEN

April 28, 2015  Song of Songs 1:12-14  

She

12 While the king was on his couch,
    my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
    that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    in the vineyards of Engedi.

Commentary:

Nard, myrrh, and henna blossoms are all highly desirable and valuable sources of perfume in Arabia. So in the previous verses, "the king" compares his lover to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots. She now answers him that he is like the fragrances she desires. She wants him by her side, on her, and with her. 

They are in love with one another, body and soul. This is what God has designed for marriage.

This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen 2:23-25)

If the Lord Jesus loves you so, love Him back. Desire Him.

AMEN 

April 27, 2015  Song of Songs 1:9-11  

He

9 I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

11 We will make for you ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.

Commentary:

"The king" compares his lover to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots. That may not be obvious at first glance. Pharaoh's chariots are pulled by war horses. They are valiant, strong, and fearless. They give the term "horsepower" its true meaning. But there is one thing that can play complete havoc with these war horses - a mare that is beautifully decorated. One mare from the rival can turn the whole battle around. 

There is a Chinese story about a general giving up his city for the sake of one beautiful woman. We are seeing a similar description. "The king" so highly cherishes his lover that he would give up a lot (even a battle) for her. And the voices of the "others" agree too.

Why does "the king" care for a "very dark" woman so? Why is there such love? Because we have a loving God. God is love. 

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1John 4:10)

Do not think too highly of yourselves. Yet you are not so lowly that God cannot love you.

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,    and the son of man that you care for him?5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]    and crowned him with glory and honor.6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;    you have put all things under his feet,7 all sheep and oxen,    and also the beasts of the field,8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,    whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Ps 8:4-8)

Yes, you are small and insignificant. Yet Jesus loves you.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  (1John 4:7)

AMEN

April 26, 2015  Song of Songs 1:8   

He

8   If you do not know,
     O most beautiful among women,
     follow in the tracks of the flock,
     and pasture your young goats
     beside the shepherds' tents.

Commentary:

A couple days ago, we read, "Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock ..." Here, one verse later, we have the answer from the beloved. 

She called him "the king." He called her, "O most beautiful among women." Is this a lesson on biblical manhood and womanhood right here or not? 

So in effect, he bid her to come. She will find one eager to receive her. "Pasture your young goats beside my flock." Perhaps a shepherd would get a little more meaning from this line. The interesting part is "if you do not know" Why would or wouldn't she know? 

Our Lord Jesus also bid us to come, 

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 6:35, 37,51; 7:38)

If you do not know yet, the Lord is bidding you to come. You will find him. You will find green pasture too. 

AMEN

April 25, 2015  Song of Songs 1:5-7  

She

5  I am very dark, but lovely,

    O daughters of Jerusalem,

    like the tents of Kedar,

    like the curtains of Solomon.

6  Do not gaze at me because I am dark,

    because the sun has looked upon me.

    My mother's sons were angry with me;

    they made me keeper of the vineyards,

    but my own vineyard I have not kept!

7  Tell me, you whom my soul loves,

    where you pasture your flock,

    where you make it lie down at noon;

    for why should I be like one who veils herself

    beside the flocks of your companions?

Commentary:

The lover uses a term to refer to her beloved, "you whom my soul loves." What does it mean? Do you know what your soul love? Here she probably means she loves him not just skin-deep, but deep down in her soul as well. This phrase reminds me of another famous verse,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut 6:5)

She is a keeper of vineyards. But her own vineyard (probably means her physical body) she cannot keep away from the sun. She is dark. But she does not feel inferior. 

very dark, but lovely ... like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

She seeks her beloved. She desires to meet with him, even at high noon when they can be alone. 

This is a beautiful description of love. Her soul desires the one and none other. 

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

There is nothing wrong with desire. The problem is not that you love too much. But you love too little. Desire the loveliest.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God. (Psalm 84:1-2)

AMEN 

April 24, 2015  Song of Songs 1:1-4   

1:1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.

She

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

    For your love is better than wine;

3  your anointing oils are fragrant;

    your name is oil poured out;

    therefore virgins love you.

4 Draw me after you; let us run.

    The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

    We will exult and rejoice in you;

    we will extol your love more than wine;

    rightly do they love you.

Commentary:

These opening verses have three sections: Verse 1 is the title or introduction; Verse 2-4a is the voice of the lover for her beloved; Verse 4b is the voice of her companions agreeing with her.

The title "Song of Songs" is like "Lord of Lords" and "King of Kings." It declares that this is the Song of all songs, the supreme song. 

The whole Song is a duet between the lover and her beloved whom she calls "the king." It is quite obviously a love poem. It brings the readers back to the love between the first man and the first woman in the Garden of Eden. 

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen 2:24-25)

Ultimately, the love between the lover and her beloved points us to the love between Jesus and His church. This is the love that everybody rejoices. We should drink to this love. 

Love the Lord Jesus, your king!

AMEN