New Life Worship Ministries

Meditations on Solomon's Song of Songs by Char Scott

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The Majestic Splendor of Jesus

by Char Scott

Remember, the secret to unlocking the power of these scriptures into our hearts is by turning them into prayers. It is as simple as taking statements the maiden makes to the Lord, coming to a basic understanding of their meaning, and praying these to the Lord. Then take the statements the Lord speaks to her and thank the Lord that these same things are true of you. We start off like a small child, with a little language and understanding. But we grow as we continue to pray. The language of our hearts will develop, and the Holy Spirit will gradually unlock our hearts. However, it will only happen if we do it, if we make this Song our personal prayer.

When we left the maiden in the Song, the Lord had withdrawn His presence from her. He has not left her, but she does not feel His presence as she had before. It produces a spiritual crisis of disappointment. The thing she longs for the most, intimacy with Him, seems to be gone. She is also experiencing a second crisis because she has been wounded by the spiritual leadership of the church. Her circumstances are different, her ability to walk out her calling is limited. She is in the midst of crisis, both internally and externally.

This test results in a heart response of lovesickness that we read in Song of Songs 5:8, “I adjure you , O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, as to what you will tell Him; for I am lovesick.” Her overflowing heart of worship is her expression of lovesickness. Diving testing reveals our deepest motives and desires. Divine testing strengthens, purifies and establishes spiritual reality in us. Such tests may occur several times in our lives. There are seasons of testing where the north wind overtakes the south wind. Some seasons will be intensified in brokenness and disappointment.

The daughters of Jerusalem now ask the Bride two questions. Let’s read Song of Songs 5:9, “What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, that thus you adjure us?” These daughters are other believers who still live more carnal and superficial lives. They have been spiritually dull and immature.

The daughters wonder where He has gone, and why He has left her. Why is He doing this to her? Why do you love Him so much? What do you know about Him that we do not? Why do you love Him so much? How can we know Him intimately like you do? They have asked her several questions throughout the Song.

The Bride is growing in wisdom and in giftedness. Her gardens are now lush and fruitful. But what impacted the daughters was not her wisdom or anointing, but her lovesickness. This kind of lovesickness has power to draw many people to Christ. When the first commandment is truly first, it makes us beautiful in the beauty of God. The Father puts His love into our own hearts, and it makes us beautiful. We are attracted to this beauty. They saw that Jesus had produced an insatiable lovesickness in the Bride. They realized the Jesus they worshipped did not have this effect on them. What did the Bride know that they did not?

It is like seeing the devotion of Mary of Bethany. She did no great feats or miracles that we are aware of, yet in all history, she stands as the example of ultimate lovesickness for Jesus. We see her, and we want to be like her.

The daughters are thinking they follow Jesus, but not as the Bride does. Their question is repeated. It expresses an earnestness in them to know the answer. Fervency is being awakened in them. What is motivating you? What do you know that we do not? How can you not be offended when He has left you feeling alone and deserted? Why did He allow you to face persecution in the church? How can you be so devoted to Him when it seems He has treated you so harshly? They cannot understand her devotion.

The daughters of Jerusalem are lovers of God throughout the Song, but they also have other loves, things they loved as well as Jesus. These things can be money, or power. They can be pleasure, possessions, or even ministry and anointing. This message of lovesickness is invasive in our lives. It disrupts the normal way of living. It touches the issues of our time, our money, our thoughts, our entertainment. It touches everything. Some things are permitted, but not edifying to our hearts. Everyone has other beloveds until the Lord reveals His splendor to us in a way that causes everything else to pale in comparison. We mature as we put Him first. We do love other people and other things, but He is first.

The daughters call her “most beautiful among women.“ They have great respect for her. They are attracted to her. They like her. She has such passion and depth, and yet such humility. Too often when people touch passion, there is pride. The Bride is clothed in humility. She is so humble, she asks them to help her find her way. The mature Bride sought the help of the immature believers. She had a teachable spirit toward them. This is a vital basis for fellowship. The mature can receive from the immature without any spirit of pride. Paul displayed this quality in Rome when he told the saints he came to give to them as well as to receive from them.

The Bride does not rebuke them in their immaturity. She woos them. The difficult struggle she has been through has produced compassion in her toward other believers. She has learned that the way to get self to decrease is to allow Jesus to increase in us. When He increases, sin decreases. The more we fill ourselves with God, the less room there will be for our weaknesses. The more fascinated we are with Him, the less attention we give to lesser things. We are able to give more, to obey more, to serve more, and to persevere longer. When a light shines in a room, it overcomes the darkness. We remove darkness by increasing light.

The Bride has captured the attention of the daughters in a way that the Lord Himself has not yet captured them. They can see the reality of God in her more than they can see it in themselves directly or in their meditation on the scripture. Often fervency is awakened in young believers as they see the reality of Christ in others. The Bride stirred them to seek after Jesus with greater passion.

When they call her “most beautiful,” they are using the same title that Jesus used in Song 1:8. They now have the same opinion of the Bride as the Lord does.

In the midst of her great testing, the Lord gives her little goats to feed. It really is the wisdom of God for us to stay involved with the Body, giving the Word of God to others. Whether it is in a home group, our family, or our neighbors, we must continue to feed others. When we speak to others about Jesus, our own hearts are refreshed.

The Bride’s testing becomes the opportunity for other people’s maturity. The Lord wants us to be a voice, not just an echo. He wants us to be able to speak out of our own life experiences of His faithfulness. She was not only matured through the testing, but others watched her and wanted to be like her. We do not always know who is watching us, but there are always people who are younger than we are in maturity in the Lord. They are watching us, and our faithfulness awakens them to hunger for what God has put in us. This is a very powerful reality. The Lord is raising up multitudes of men and women who know Him in a way that will bring stability to others in times of turmoil.

The questions the daughters ask actually help the Bride focus again on Jesus. As she does, she remembers what it is about Jesus she loves, and she remembers how she has become strong in love. During dry and difficult times, we can encourage ourselves by telling others about the excellencies of Jesus. The knowledge of His beauty will bring stability in times of trouble.

A fascinated heart is not easily offended or discouraged. Many people will quit when the going gets tough, but not a person in love. A person truly in love cannot quit because the force of love will not allow it.

In the midst of this severe testing, when both natural and spiritual circumstances have brought severe disappointment, the Bride gives a magnificent portrayal of the beauty of Jesus. It is one of the most extravagant human love responses in scripture. When Jesus finally breaks His silence, He gives one of the most extravagant divine love responses in scripture.

The Bride responds in perfect obedience, not at all offended with Him, but seeing only His majestic splendor. Her first answer focuses on the beauty of Jesus, and her second answer teaches the daughters how to grow in intimacy with Him. This section reveals how she has been equipped by the Holy Spirit to go through this test successfully, and what we need to understand when we go through our own testing.

These next seven verses are essential for us today. They will stabilize us in the midst of the storms of life and the dark times of our soul. These are the actual revelations that the Holy Spirit has recorded for us as we seek to imitate the Bride. They are meant to equip our soul to hold on to God, and not to become offended at Him, in times of difficulty. Each of these twelve statements about Jesus brings healing; each revives and refreshes our soul.

This portion of the Song contains one of the most powerful descriptions of Jesus, and one of the most outstanding expressions of worship in all the Word of God. It is a magnificent poetic unveiling of the splendor and beauty of Jesus. The Holy Spirit speaks poetically here in order to give more to the hungry, more to those who will feed and meditate on these verses. God often speaks of deep things in the hidden language of divine parables. Our hungry heart of love will allow us to reach new depths of understanding as we seek it. Jesus taught in parables in order to make truth both easy and difficult to understand. The ideas are simple enough for the uneducated, but so deep only the hungry will grasp them. This is a love song. The poetic language is far deeper than normal teaching can be.

In this passage, the Holy Spirit uses metaphors of the human body to convey attributes of God’s personality. The Bride gives twelve descriptive statements about Jesus. The first is general, the next ten are distinct attributes of God, and the last is a summary. Each of the ten attributes has two descriptions. They are the confessions of faith that strengthen her under pressure. We can only come to a fuller understanding of these attributes through loving meditation, especially through speaking these phrases back to God in prayer and in worship.

Let’s read this passage together, the Song of Songs 5:10-16, “My Beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are like a bed of spices, banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies dripping with liquid myrrh. His hands are rods of gold set with beryl; His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold; His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

The statements in this passage accomplish three purposes. They answer the daughters’ question, they heal and strengthen her own soul in the midst of pressure, and they move the heart of God in a way she does not understand. As she expresses the excellencies of God even under such great pressure, He is deeply moved. Though she feels nothing of His presence at this time, God feels intensely for her, as we will see in chapter 6.

Jesus is the most majestic, indescribably lovely Person that the human heart can behold. Seeing Him in His beauty is the greatest source of holy passion. His full beauty is incomprehensible, impossible to fully comprehend or communicate with our human limitations. The three main metaphors in creation that depict the splendor of Jesus are the mountains, the sky, and the sea. However, any metaphor that we could use is inadequate in conveying the beauty of Jesus. His beauty far exceeds any metaphor we could use from the natural created order.

The specifics of Jesus’ beauty are not easily understood by the natural mind. The depths of God are communicated by the Holy Spirit to His beloved. Even believers are limited in our spiritual capacity to receive His fullness, but we can ask Him to increase our capacity to receive.

Here the Bride is describing Jesus using the imagery of the temple with gold, precious stones, ivory, and the cedars of Lebanon. She uses imagery of the temple and of the human body, which would be symbols the people of that day would be familiar with. Also the Holy Spirit uses these metaphors in other places in scripture so we can interpret them according to His intention. Remember, the Holy Spirit is describing the beauty of Christ’s personality, not His physical features. The context of the passage is the excellency of Jesus as being ‘above all other beloveds.”

“My Beloved is dazzling” speaks of the radiance of Jesus. He is shining white, radiant in His splendor, brilliant in His loveliness. This refers to the unapproachable light that dwells around the throne of God. Jesus’ personality is stunning to her.

“And ruddy” means a red or rosy complexion, which is an indication of health and well-being. The combinations of Jesus’ attributes all work together in harmony and in a healthy balance.

A second meaning of “dazzling ( or white ) and ruddy” can be that He is both fully God and fully man. The white speaks of His divine nature and ruddy speaks of His blood or His human nature. His glory is unique because He combines both divine and human attributes in His personality. He is the only One who will ever be like this. His beauty springs from the combination of both.

Jesus is both the lion and the lamb at the same time. He perfectly expresses all the elements of His personality without any contradiction. He serves in the meekness of a lamb and He roars with the authority of the lion simultaneously.

“Chief among ten thousand” means that He is far superior to all others. He is incomparably superior to all people. He is so excellent He can be instantly distinguished when compared to any other. The phrase “ten thousand” is not a literal number, but it means greatest of all. He has no rival. God has given Him preeminence in all things.

“His head is like the finest gold” speaks of two things. First, it speaks of the Father and the relationship between the Father and the Son. The head of Christ is God the Father. God is the source of life for Christ. Secondly, it refers to His overeignty, His headship over all creation. The head is the most prominent part of the body. It is what sets the direction for the rest of the body.

“The finest gold” speaks of His divine nature. Gold is the material of the highest value and the highest quality. This gold is the “finest gold,” a rare kind of superlative quality. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is the finest quality imaginable. Also, Jesus’ leadership as our Lord is of the finest quality. It could not be better . It is perfect in every way. We can trust in His leadership.

“His locks are wavy and black as a raven” refers to His total dedication to the Father and to the Bride. The hair is a reference to the Nazarite vow of dedication. We never have to worry that He will lose His dedication to us.

“ Wavy” can also be translated “bushy.” Thick hair is the hair of a young man in the prime of life, full of strength and vitality. Jesus does not grow weary in His dedication. He never wavers or loses His zeal for us. His dedication is not weak or lacking strength and vitality.

“Black as a raven” is in contrast to the gray hair of an old man. His dedication is eternally vigorous and energetic. God never grows emotionally weary. (Is 40:28) He never changes. (Heb.13:8) His dedication is vigilant, youthful, and He lives always at the highest place of His love, passion, and dedication. We do not ever need to wonder if He has lost His heart for us or for His people. We never need to wonder if this is a good time to approach God. He is never in a bad mood. The Bride is reminding herself that He is as committed to her as He ever will be. Even when she does not feel it, it is still true.

“His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk, and fitly set.” Eyes speak of the ability to see or discern. “His eyes” speak of His omniscience. He sees and knows everything that can be seen and known. He has perfect knowledge and wisdom. He has infinite knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and discernment. Everything is totally clear to the Lord. He sees all that is important to His people. He has total clarity and fullness of insight into every dark secret. He sees both our positive and our negative qualities. He sees the longings of our hearts to know and love Him even when we fail. He sees the cry of our hearts to obey Him, and He calls us beautiful. (Heb. 4:13, Prov. 15:3, Rev. 2:23)

“His eyes are like doves” speaks of singleness of vision. His eyes are loyal to the Father and to the Bride. He rejects everything displeasing to the Father.

“His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters.” The doves go to the water and bathe themselves to become clean. His eyes view everything through the cleanness of His heart. His eyes are not just all seeing, they are pure and innocent. He interprets everything with pure loving motives and no distortions. We know God sees our darkness, but He also sees our longing to love Him. He is not offended by our weakness.

“Waters washed with milk” is a poetic phrase that speaks of the purity of His discernment. Milk is pure, white, and clean. It also reminds us of the innocence and simplicity of being childlike. He has the ability to be infinitely complex while maintaining the simplicity and innocence of childlikeness.

“His eyes are fitly set” means there is no deformity in them. His eyes are perfectly set, like a jewel perfectly set by a skilled artist. There is beauty and order in His discernment, with no deformity or exaggeration. He sees and knows us perfectly. He knows our frame and understands the pressures we feel. He sees us as we will be.

“His cheeks are like a bed of spices, like banks of sweet-scented herbs.” Cheeks reveal emotional beauty and reflect the emotions of a person. “His cheeks” speaks of His inner beauty revealed through His emotions. His emotions are like fragrant spices, sweet like scented herbs. They are refreshing to those who discern His personality. As a garden filled with delightful fragrances so is the condition of Jesus’ emotional life. His emotions are sweet to us. He is filled with passion, delight, and longing for us. He is the most pleasant person we could ever meet.

“Like beds of spices, banks of sweet-scented herbs” refers to the idea that the delights of God are as abundant and diverse as banks of sweet-smelling herbs. His affections are fragrant and refreshing to our soul, like being in a garden of herbs releasing their fragrance all around us.

“His lips are lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.” His lips speak of the power of His words. This includes both the scripture and the words spoken directly to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Jesus has the unique ability to speak gracefully and precisely to the need of our hearts. When we greatly value His word, our souls will be filled with affection for Him. (John 6:63, Is. 50:4)

“Like lilies” refers to the innocence and purity of His words. His words are tender and sweet, like a lily.

“ Dripping liquid myrrh” speaks of suffering and death to self. Jesus’ words are tender and kind, yet committed to removing all that hinders love in our lives. He speaks directly into areas that need correction. “Dripping” refers to consistent, small qualities that eventually lead to an abundance.

“His hands are rods of gold set with beryl.” His hands refer to His activities and the way He accomplishes His work. His hands are skillful in doing everything good with perfect power. He is omnipotent, possessing the ability to accomplish anything He pleases, both in the natural and the spiritual realm.

“Gold” speaks of divine character. All His work is accomplished in godliness and purity.

“Set with beryl” Beryl is a jewel. A specific design is required when something is “set.” Being deliberately “set” by the hand of God is in contrast to arbitrary activity. All His works are perfectly done with infinite skill. The works of Jesus in our lives and in all creation are skillful, precise, and filled with divine power, purity, and wisdom. He is skillfully bringing forth her heart in bridal love, with great strategy, skill, and wisdom. He does not make mistakes in our lives. We can trust Him. The combination of His full power and skill results in goodness for His people.

“His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires.” “His body” could also be translated “His belly.” The belly speaks of tender compassion. The same Hebrew word can also be translated “yearnings of the heart.” Jesus has great compassion and a yearning in His heart for the weak. God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. (John 3:16, Psalm 103:10-14,Ex.34:6)

“ Is carved ivory” could also be called polished ivory. Ivory is clean and white, yet expensive because it is so rare. Carved and polished ivory is even more unique. His tender compassion is rare and expensive like carved and polished ivory.

“Inlaid with sapphires” creates an image of great beauty. Inlaid sapphires would be beautiful jewels set with great skill. The compassion of God is beautiful to look upon. It passes our understanding. (Eph. 3:19) In His compassion, the Lord forgives our weakness in a skillful way that produces righteousness in our hearts. He possesses a skillful mercy that brings us to purity and wisdom. Nothing reveals His beauty like His compassion for His people. (Phil.1:9-10) The compassion of God is beautiful to look upon as ivory inlaid with sapphires would be. The scriptures exhort us to behold the depth of the Father’s love. (I John 3:1)

“His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold.” “His legs” speaks of His walk, the way He goes forward to fulfill His purposes.

“Are pillars of marble” refers to great strength, dignity, and order. Marble is a strong, beautiful, and permanent. God’s ways do not fail or waver under pressure. They are sure. (Deut. 32:4)

“Set on bases of fine gold” speaks of divine character. Fine gold is the most pure and valuable because it has been refined by fire. The ways and activity of God are portrayed as setting on His divine character. His ways are just and true. (Rev.15:3) His head, His hands, and His legs are all of fine gold. His character is golden from head to toe. This speaks of unity in His personality. God never suspends one attribute to exercise another.

“His countenance” speaks of the impartation of God to His people. When God imparts discernable manifestations of himself to us, our hearts are changed. His light, the light of His countenance, touches us and leaves a godly deposit in our hearts. David prayed in Psalm 4:6 that the Lord would “lift the light of Your countenance upon us.” God has an infinite power to impart to us godly traits like wisdom, purity, and passion. He especially wants to impart to us His affection for Jesus. He wants us to love Jesus as He does.

“Like Lebanon” is symbolic of being stately, honorable, and glorious. It is referring to the mountains of Lebanon.

“Excellent as the cedars” creates the image of tall, strong trees with a pleasing fragrance. The pleasure and power that comes from the countenance of God is strong and excellent.

“His mouth is most sweet.” This refers to her desire for intimacy with Him which is better than anything else. It is the sweetest thing she knows. As she remembers His kisses, the touch of His word on her heart, she is strengthened. Nothing delights her soul more than spiritual intimacy with Him. The sweetness of Christ is communicated directly to the heart of the believer. There is nothing more pleasurable than when the Spirit releases revelation of God to the human spirit. The more we experience this, the more we want it. God wants to enlarge our capacity to receive more.

“Yes, He is altogether lovely.” All of His attributes flow together in perfect unity. It is impossible to fully comprehend His matchless beauty. There is nothing unlovely about Him.

“This is my Beloved.” Her relationship with Jesus is personal. He has captured her heart. She is lovesick and only He can satisfy her desire.

“And this is my friend.” Jesus, the Lord of all, has called Himself our friend. (John 15:14) Her relationship with Him is both lover and friend. They go hand in hand. She is both captivated in love for Him and sees that He knows her heart.

“O daughters of Jerusalem!” She speaks of Him with great passion, urgency, and feeling. She has, in this passage, been fully able to give an in depth answer as to why He is her consuming love. As she remembered all His attributes, she was strengthened. The enemy was seeking to make her forget the excellencies of Christ as she focused on the mistreatment she was experiencing. A heart that enjoys the Lord is more protected against offense towards God and great temptation.

Let’s pray. “Lord, we love to love You. Fascinate us with Your beauty. Release the revelation of these attributes in our hearts. Let us be radiant and beautiful in lovesickness for You. Seal our hearts with the fire of Your love.”

Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Index

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