New Life Worship Ministries

Meditations on Solomon's Song of Songs by Char Scott

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The Bride’s Identity...

by Char Scott

Tonight we are continuing our study of the Song of Songs, the love song written by the Lord Himself to reveal His passionate heart to us, His beloved, and to reveal the way He sees us, His Bride being prepared to take our place at His side. The Song began with the maiden longing for the kisses of His mouth, His words that are even better than life to her as they awaken her heart in love for Him. She has asked Him to draw her after Him in intimacy in order to prepare her to run with Him in ministry. After a time in the King’s chambers, she gave herself to the work in the vineyards, serving others until she became burned out and disillusioned. The maiden became very aware of the darkness of her own soul, yet she also had the understanding that she was still lovely to Him. She realized that she had lost her first love and longed to return to that place of intimacy with her Beloved. Jesus encouraged her that she is beautiful in His eyes even in her immaturity. He promised that He would work in her life to make her love as pure as gold.

Let’s begin by reading Song of Songs 1:12-2:7. “While the king was at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi. Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes. Behold, you are handsome my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant! The beams of our houses are cedar, and our rafters of fir. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys, like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting table, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick. Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you do not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases.”

The Bride’s identity is established early in the Song. It is essential to have these truths understood at least in introductory form in order to go further into maturity. The bridal paradigm, the perspective that we are His Bride, the object of His intense love, being prepared for Him to enjoy through all eternity, is the basis for understanding all that follows. Many believers get stuck in the “dark, but lovely” phase. They cannot get past the awareness of their own sin and move into the reality that they are still desirable to the Lord.

In this passage, the maiden experiences the joy of knowing God’s affectionate love and passionate desire for her. She experiences the pleasure of feeling adorned and beautiful in the grace of God. It is an exhilarating time in her life as she feels the superior pleasures of the divine romance. At this time, it is right for her, and the Lord does not want her to be disturbed. Eventually, the Lord will take her beyond this place, beyond this experience of “ I love you, and you love me,” to a place where she can become energized in doing the Lord’s will, and where she can understand that not only does she have an inheritance in Him, but He has an inheritance in her as well. She is self-absorbed, but she does not yet know it. She still thinks of the Lord mostly in terms of her own needs and pleasure instead of what the Lord receives from her. We all start out here. This self-focus is absolutely right and proper at this season of her life.

Let’s look now at the verses. “While the king is at his table”--this is the second revelation of Jesus in the Song. He is the King who provides a table, who feeds her spirit on the revelation of who He is and what He has done for her on the Cross. He is feeding her with the truths of redemption. He is revealing the Father’s heart to her. These truths must form a foundation in our lives in order for us to know who we are and what is ours in Christ.

There is an abundance of food at His table. When we forget to sit and eat at the King’s table, our spirits starve. Shame and guilt begin to weigh us down. When we eat of the food He gives us, we are strengthened, and worship and gratitude flow effortlessly out of our hearts to Him for all He has done for us. And He is the King. We can trust that His affection will prevail because He is King.

“My spikenard sends forth its fragrance” speaks of spontaneous worship. Spikenard is a costly fragrance. Her fragrance comes forth as she grasps the truths of the Cross, when she freely receives all Jesus provides for her. The revelation of the King’s provision produces a response of perfume that ascends before God from her spirit. The Lord loves this--He finds great pleasure when our hearts release their fragrance of worship before Him. Paul spoke of this in II Cor. 2:14-16, “ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ.” When God smells the fragrance of your life, He smells the literal fragrance of His Son that is so sweet to Him. Many believers live overcome with rejection and condemnation. They feel insecure and afraid in God’s presence. Their hearts are closed because they are afraid they will be judged. They have no comprehension or confidence in what Jesus has done for them. This is not God’s will. He longs for us to come freely before Him and to release the fragrance of our grateful hearts to Him in love.

“A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me” speaks of the abundance of the suffering of Jesus on the Cross. Myrrh, an expensive perfume used in burial, refers to the sweetness that comes out of death. The three wise men brought Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh at His birth. These gifts spoke prophetically of His deity, His ministry, and His death. The bundle speaks of the abundance of what Jesus endured, on the Cross and in His life here on earth. She is saying she understands some of what it cost Jesus, and therefore, some of what she means to Him, of her value to Him. The abundance of what He offered us on the Cross is the whole plan of redemption. The fact that it cost Him so much, and that God Himself redeemed us, is the greatest statement of our value to Him.

“That lies all night between my breasts” refers to the fact that she meditates on this revelation until it becomes part of her, until this gift of grace is released in her heart, and the fragrance of myrrh becomes her own fragrance. If we are bored thinking about the Cross, it is just because we have not understood it. When we really see who He is and what He did for us, for all eternity our hearts will be awed and overwhelmed with gratitude. We experience great confidence when we grasp our value to God as evidenced in redemption. We are His treasure. There is nothing He values more.

“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms” produces a picture in our minds that the Lord is a beautiful God. Religion has too often portrayed the Lord as a burdensome, angry God. He is not that way. He is sweet and delightful to her. The kindness of God will lead people to repentance. Fear only produces a short-lived repentance. If we focus first on repentance, it is like pulling weeds out of dry ground. Weeds come out easily when the ground is softened. The understanding of God’s beauty and kindness, and His deep passion and desire for us, will produce profound, lasting repentance. If we experience His love, repentance comes easily.

“In the vineyards of Engedi” refers to an oasis in the desert. Its gardens had the greatest fragrances in all of Israel, the sweetest, most intense she could imagine. This was His fragrance to her.

Now the King reveals how beautiful she is to Him. “Behold, you are fair, My love” is also translated, “How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are!” Jesus emphasizes the truth of her beauty in several verses of the Song. We need to hear it over and over. He wants her to think of herself this way--to see herself as beautiful in His sight. There is a natural resistance to accepting this truth even though we like the idea of it. We must not be content until we can say, in our private prayers, with a spirit of liberty, “I am beautiful to You, Jesus. I am your true love, the one You love.” It is essential that we see ourselves this way.

We need a similar revelation in regard to the corporate Church. We sometimes feel the Church is ugly if we only focus on the weakness and lack. God looks at the same people and cries, “Beautiful!” Even the believers that bring grief to us are lovely to God in Jesus. The more we see God’s heart for us, the more we can see His heart for others.

“You have dove’s eyes” speaks of singleness of purpose because a dove does not have peripheral vision, but rather its focus is clearly set on the object in front of it. Jesus spoke of our eye being single in Matt. 6:22. “The dove’s eyes” refers to her ability to be single-minded in grace instead of being secure one moment and condemned the next. They also speak of her eyes of faith and vision. Doves are also totally faithful in mating. A dove will only mate with one other for its entire life, and if one of them dies, the other will never mate again, so this is a picture of devotion and loyalty. The dove is also a picture of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has the single purpose of bringing glory to Jesus. It is impossible for the Holy Spirit to be anything but faithful. The Holy Spirit is revealing to her the nature of the Lord-- the eternal Lover producing lovers, a faithful and beautiful God imparting faith and beauty. She is beginning to understand.

She now responds to Him with a three-fold declaration. “Behold, You are handsome, my Beloved! Yes, pleasant!” His loveliness penetrates her spirit. The more she sees and understands how beautiful she is to Him, the more beautiful He appears to her. When we realize He enjoys us, we begin to enjoy Him. When we have a revelation of His beauty, we begin to see our beauty in Him. Now the romance is going back and forth with a spontaneous flow of His heart to hers and her heart back to Him. It takes God to love God! This revelation is progressive. It does not happen all at once.

“Our couch is luxuriant” speaks of a place of rest and security. It is a place of life and abundance, where there is no fear of judgment or rejection. This phrase also speaks of being joined as co-heirs, seated with Him in heavenly places.

“The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fir” suggests that her dwelling with the Lord is strong and permanent. Wood is a symbol of humanity. Jesus became a man and provided a safe and lasting house for His Bride. This house is secure , and will not collapse under pressure. Both cedar and fir are types of strong, fragrant wood. They were both used in building the temple in Jerusalem.

The maiden’s first confession was “I am dark, but lovely.” Now she has a new revelation and declares, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” This is her highest identity, the Bride of Christ. She is the inheritance the Father has promised His Son, the only inheritance. The Father has cultivated this rose for Jesus. Paul prayed, in Eph. 1:18, that we would grasp this fact. She is His inheritance, His greatest prize. She is now beginning to understand who she truly is. She sees herself as more than loved. She is the rose, and this confession redefines her life. This rose is a bride that desires to fully love Jesus. This is the only rose Jesus longs for. This rose is the fullness of all Jesus desires outside of the Trinity.

“ I am the lily of the valleys.” Lilies speak of purity. She is the only thing in the world that is pure in God’s sight, the pure lily in the midst of the darkness of the world. Lily of the valley refers to the low and dark places. These lilies grow only in the valleys which speak of the beauty and purity the Lord brings out of our dark and difficult times.

“Like a lily among thorns” suggests that she is pure among the thorns of sin. In Genesis, the thorns came forth as a result of sin and the curse. She is living in a sinful world, yet pure because of Christ’s righteousness. It is not the purity of mature love at this point, yet He still sees her as a lily. He affirms her confession.

“So is my love among the daughters” means that in all of creation, in all of the universe, we weak human beings draw the fullest and deepest love of God into manifestation. He would only die for us. God created us to be the unique object of His desire.

“Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my Beloved among the sons.” Again, wood is a reference to humanity. “Trees of the woods” refers to all the other men of the earth. The apple tree is refreshing, providing both shade and fruit. Jesus is the most refreshing person in all of existence.

“I sat down in His shade with great delight.” She is sitting down. This shade is not the result of her own efforts. She is resting in His shade, not her own shade. It is because of who He is and what He has done for her. We cannot find rest based on how well we are doing, only on the basis of what He has done for us. She finds “great delight” as she rests in His enjoyment of her just as she is and the revelation of her identity as His bride. Enjoying God is essential to consistent spiritual growth. He wants us to enjoy Him! She experiences the pleasure of God revealing God to the human spirit, the greatest pleasure of all.

“His fruit was sweet to my taste” tells us that the redemption He offers us is sweet, not dull and burdensome. Consider the fruits of the Spirit and how sweet they are in our lives.

“He brought me to His banqueting table.” This is a place of celebration. She can celebrate in the revelation of her identity as the Bride--He has brought her to this table with this revelation. We will all come to the table at the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb. (Rev. 19:7) David referred to this table in Psalm 23. This table feeds us even in the presence of our enemies.

“His banner over me is love.” This banner of love defines her life. The banner over an army identified the bearer. This banner over her life means that she has confidence in God’s loving mercy in her weakness. The banner means that He overrules all the negative circumstances in her life to work for her good. In Rom. 8:28, God promises that He will either change the negative circumstances through prayer, or He will change us in a significant way as He allows the circumstances to continue. Either way, He has promised to make our lives richer because of our circumstances. This revelation brings great healing in our lives. The banner over our lives truly is love.

“Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick.” The revelation of her identity as a Bride has awakened a deeper cry for intimacy. She is saying, “Give me more of God.” God is answering her prayer “Draw me” with the revelations He gives to her. “Cakes of raisins” refers to the Holy Spirit. Raisins are forms of grapes, used to make wine. “Apples” refers again to Jesus. She wants more of the Spirit and the Word.

“For I am lovesick” suggests that He is creating intense feelings of love in her. She can never be satisfied to go back to her former ways. “Lovesick” means having a deep spiritual hunger and an urgent emotional longing for more of God. Often God does not satisfy this desire right away. The waiting only produces an even deeper longing.

“His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me.” “The left hand” refers to the invisible activity of God. It is a very important expression of God’s love for us. The Lord spares us from many troubles and pain we are completely unaware of. He also works to plan and prepare for us in ways we do not see. “The right hand” speaks of the manifest presence of God that can be seen, felt, and discerned. His embrace is continual, as He holds us close even when we are not aware of it.

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir or awaken love until it pleases.” Jesus guards her in this season. This is a time for her to become established in this revelation, with no thought of serving others. She is sensitive and easily distracted, like a gazelle or doe, because she is still immature. The Lord warns the others not to judge her or pressure her to leave this place of intimacy until she is ready. We need to discern and respect the seasons in our lives and in the lives of others, and not to expect everyone to be in the same place we are in at the same time.

There are seasons in our lives, just as in nature. Like the springtime, there are exciting times when new ideas and new experiences are sown into our hearts. There are summer seasons when these new seeds are cultivated, watered, or pruned. There are autumn times of harvest when things previously planted come to maturity, and we reap the benefits of our labors. There are also winter seasons which seem like a time of death, but are also important times of rest and preparation for the next season. All of these seasons are important in our lives, in our Father’s wisdom. We must accept with grace the seasons in our lives and in the lives of others without striving or judging.

Let’s pray. Father, we ask You tonight to increase our own revelation and understanding of our identity as His beloved Bride. We ask You to feed us with a deeper revelation of our redemption at the Cross. Let us feel Your embrace and taste of the sweet fruit of Your affection for us. Let us enjoy You and open our hearts so You can also enjoy the fragrance of Christ in us. Thank You that we are our Beloved’s, and He is ours. Thank You that Your banner over us truly is Your love.

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

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