New Life Worship Ministries

Meditations on Solomon's Song of Songs by Char Scott

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The Cherishing Heart of the Bridegroom King

by CharScott

The vision that will motivate us to the romance of the gospel is seeing Jesus as the Bridegroom King, crowned with the crown of our voluntary love for Him, with a glad heart, eager to be joined in marriage with His Bride for eternity. We have followed the maiden in the Song of Songs through her journey to this place where the Lord appears to her, coming out of the wilderness with a palanquin prepared for her. She has discovered that she is totally safe in His redemptive love, under His authority and the protection of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, who paid such a high price for our salvation, will see that we are able to arrive safely at our destination in His heart.

The maiden is now bringing the gospel to others. She wants everyone to see what Jesus has done for her and for them. She wants everyone to discover His wonderful affection and provision for themselves. There is nothing that will motivate us more to challenge others on to obedience than by facing our own sin and weakness, our own fears, and conquering as we see the Lord as a loving, victorious King. This has been the maiden’s experience in the first three chapters of the Song. When we face the shame of our sin and the power of our fears, and we conquer them, to whatever degree, through the revelation of the triumphant Jesus, it gives us power to call others to this same experience. The maiden is now actually running with Him, doing the work of the ministry.

Tonight we will consider the first words the Lord speaks to her after removing His manifest presence. He breaks the silence by prophetically calling her forth into partnership. He then equips her by nourishing and cherishing her, declaring the budding virtues that He sees in her life. She is beginning to be captured by the idea of being His inheritance, instead of only seeing that He is her inheritance. She now desires to love Him like He loves her, knowing that this is how she becomes the Father’s gift to the Son.

Jesus affirms her in order to equip her to stand against Satan’s accusations. We too often expend so much emotional energy fighting condemnation and feelings of worthlessness that we are prevented from walking effectively with the Lord. It takes a lot of energy to live a rejected life! Have you ever had days like that? Constantly living in this battle also keeps us from reaching out to others because we are so preoccupied with our own emotional pain. Jesus does not want to leave us in this place!

The primary way God uses to change His weak Bride is by nourishing and cherishing her. Feeling loved by God and feeling passionate love back to Him will transform us. Paul wrote of this in Eph. 5:27-29, “That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle…that she should be holy and blameless…So husbands ought to love their wives, nourishing and cherishing, just as Christ does the church.” (paraphrased)

Exactly how does Jesus cherish and nourish us? First of all, He reveals His affection to us. He lets us feel a little of what He actually feels for us, and it feels so good. We feel secure as He cherishes us this way. The Holy Spirit releases Jesus’ affection for us as we open our hearts to Him. He also reveals His heart for us when He invites us into partnership with Himself. Our identity is revealed as we see our position of privilege at His side. We can begin to run in ministry with Him here on earth, and in eternity, will rule and reign with Him. We receive purpose as He cherishes us this way. And finally, He affirms us even in our immaturity. He cherishes us by affirming our willing spirits. He esteems our longings for victory and does not define us by our struggles. It is not that He does not see our sin and struggle, but that is not all He sees. The world defines us by what we have attained. God looks also at our longings and desires.

Let’s read together Song of Songs 4:1-8, “Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them is barren or has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of pomegranate behind your veil . Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones, like an armory, on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the mighty men. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, may you come with me from Lebanon. Look from the summit of Amana, from the summit of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.”

Again the language in this section may seem difficult yet Solomon is using language the maiden would find very familiar. In the same way, God can speak to each of our hearts in a personal way we will easily understand and find deeply meaningful.

“Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are!” “Behold” is a trumpet blast to call attention to all to these words. If she had any fear or trepidation at the words He might speak to her, it was immediately dispelled. She might have expected a rebuke. After all, she has not yet completely obeyed. But she has expressed a willingness to obey, and this is what the Lord sees as beautiful. Instead of a rebuke, Jesus calls her “beautiful” because He sees her as she will be. Why are we beautiful and lovely to God in the midst of our immaturity?

There are many reasons, but they include the fact that the Father sees us wrapped in the robe of Christ’s righteousness, through the gift of righteousness He purchased for us on the Cross. The strength of our life is His commitment to us, not our commitment to Him! The willing spirit, the movement of our heart toward Him, that we receive when we accept His gift of salvation is also lovely to Him. The Lord also sees us as we will be. The absolute certainty of our destiny as an adorned, embraced, and enthroned Bride makes us beautiful to Him. And finally, it is the nature of God to view us as beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and God’s view of people flows from what is in His heart. His thoughts are not our thoughts, as Isaiah said, and He views things very differently than man does.

This revelation that Jesus sees us as lovely is foundational to our maturity. There is nothing more vital to our future maturity, security, encouragement, and comfort than the revelation of God’s affection for us. When He calls us “my darling, my love!” ,we are changed from within.

“Your eyes are like doves’ eyes ” refers to her eyes of faith and revelation. “Eyes” speak of seeing, and spiritual eyes speak of discernment, understanding, and wisdom. The ability to see in the spirit, to discern truth and revelation bringing understanding makes all the difference in our lives. The maiden now has the ability to see redemptive truth such as the work of the Cross, the passion of God’s heart for us, and the value of whole-hearted obedience. She now sees things she did not see before. “Doves’ eyes” also speak of purity, innocence and loyalty as we saw in Song 1:15.

“Behind the veil” tells us that she wears a covering of humility before God. She remains humble even as her revelation increases. She has a secret life before God that is beautiful, but not flaunted before others.

“Your hair is like a flock of goats going down.” “Hair” speaks of consecration and dedication to Jesus. A Nazirite, like Samson, made a vow not to cut his hair as a sign of dedication to God. “Hair” also refers to the beauty of spiritual covering and submission. “Is like a flock of goats” creates an image of dignity. Goats are majestic and stately in their walk. Her dedication now flows from godly wisdom with dignity, not a fleshly zeal that attracts attention to herself.

“From Mount Gilead” refers to the fact that this mountain was a fertile place where goats were known to eat abundantly. Her dedication is strong because she is well fed on the love of God and the Word of God.

“Your teeth” speaks of the idea that she has teeth to eat the meatier foods that nourish. Infants have no teeth to chew meat. They must survive on the milk of God’s Word. Teeth speak of the ability to spiritually receive the meat of God’s Word that Paul referred to in 1 Cor. 3: 1&2. She is now able to handle the deeper things of God’s Word.

“Are like a flock of newly shorn ewes” creates a picture of sheep with wool of uniform length. The wool of an unshaven sheep grows unevenly, or in an unbalanced way. She is growing in divine balance, with her former fleshly zeal no longer evident.

“Which have come up from their washing” speaks of being pure and clean, without fleshly motives mixed in with godly ones.

“All of which bear twins, not one of them is barren or has lost her young” speaks of abundant fruitfulness, a double blessing. It implies having a fruitful impact in the lives of others.

“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” speaks of her words, her verbal communication. “Scarlet” speaks of redemption and the blood of Jesus. The grace of God is seen on her lips through the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit anoints our lips, our words are sweet both to people as we minister to them, and to God, as we pray and worship Him.

“Your mouth is lovely” refers to her kisses, her intimacy with Jesus and the deepest things of God. She had desired the kisses of His mouth at the beginning of the Song, and now He is expressing His enjoyment of their intimacy as she gives her heart to Him.

“Your temples” speaks of her emotions. The Hebrew word for “temples” is the same as the word for cheeks.

“Are like a slice of pomegranate” refers to the idea that her emotions were sweet to God. A pomegranate was a very common fruit at the time. When it is ripe and you cut it open, it is red and very sweet. In other words, her heart is sweet to God. Red also speaks of blushing and modesty. She is sensitive to shameful things.

“Behind your veil” indicates that her hidden life of modesty and tenderness is genuine, and not just a show before people.

“Your neck” speaks of the will. We have a free will to choose whether to love God or not. Her will is resolute for righteousness.

“Is like the tower of David” creates an image that her will is strong, upright, and stately. Her will to love Him is strong, not weak. Her will is like the heart of David, which was steadfast in seeking the Lord.

“Built with rows of stones, like an armory” refers to the fact that she has a deeply resolved will to obey Jesus. An armory stores up weapons for war. A resolute will to obey God is like a storehouse of mighty offensive weapons against Satan’s kingdom.

“On which are hung a thousand shields” speaks of an abundance of defense and protection against the enemy. Her determination and will are a strong defense, protecting her from attack.

“All the round shields of the mighty men” speaks of the idea that her resolute will is like a skilled warrior. The shields of mighty men were tried and true in battle. The shield refers to our shield of faith, which is used to protect us. (Eph.6:16) Holding fast to our faith, with our will set to obey, will provide strong defense.

“Your two breasts” tells of her ability to nurture and edify others. A mother nourishes her babies on the milk her own body provides. She now has matured enough to feed others from her own experience and understanding.

“Are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle” refers to a double portion or a double ability to give the milk of the Word of God to others. Fawns are young and able to energetically nurture.

“Which feed among the lilies” speaks of the fact these fawns are fruitful because they feed among the purity and innocence referred to as “lilies.”

Now the maiden answers Him. She is responding to the expression of His affection for her. This is the transition point of the entire Song, when she expresses full commitment and embraces the idea that she is His reward and inheritance.

“Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away” expresses her decision to go with Him until every compromise, every gray area is gone. “The day” refers to the total victory of the light over the darkness in her life.

“I will go” means she is now completely willing to go, to follow Him wherever He leads. She is now willing to go all the way to the mountains.

“I will go my way” reminds us that God’s way of training us is unique. We cannot imitate another person’s specific journey because God has a perfect tailor-made plan for each of us.

“To the mountain of myrrh” means it will cost her in the flesh to obey Him. Remember “mountains” refers to obstacles that hinder her faith and obedience, and “myrrh” is a burial spice. She knows that she will have to more deeply identify with Jesus’ death. It is not just a small amount of myrrh, but a mountain of myrrh. It is costly in the flesh for her to radically obey God.

There are two parts to the gospel. The first is the message of the Cross and what Jesus did for us. The second is the concept of denying ourselves as we take up our cross to follow Him. Although it is hard on our flesh, this act is sweet to our spirits.

“To the hill of frankincense” speaks of the life of prayer that will enable her to embrace the cross. The commitment to ascend to “the mountain of myrrh’ will never be effective without living in prayer on “the hill of frankincense.” However, this hill of prayer is much smaller than the mountain of self-denial. Even a small amount of heart-felt prayer enables us to embrace even the largest obstacles. The Lord hears our prayers and responds to help us.

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling.” Jesus speaks a fresh word of affirmation. He calls her “beautiful” or “lovely” thirteen times in the Song, but this time he adds the word “altogether.” She is totally committed to Him now, and that is altogether beautiful to Him.

“And there is no blemish in you.” This does not mean she has no sin, but that she is completely willing to follow Him. It is this maturity that now makes her the Bride.

Jesus again calls her to partnership with Him. “Come with Me from Lebanon.” Lebanon is a large mountain range in the northern part of Israel. It’s mountain peaks were dangerous with lions and leopards, which refers to spiritual warfare. But they were also noted for their beauty, being filled with cedar trees. King Solomon had built a summer home in the forests of Lebanon. It was a natural place for him to take his new bride.

“My bride”--this is the first time He calls her “My Bride.” In the Song, the Lord usually couples the dual titles “My sister, My Bride.” However, on this occasion He does not. She is no longer just the immature maiden. She has embraced the cross. The cross is not an end in itself. It is designed to provide Jesus with His eternal Bride, and the Father with a family forever. This Bride is going to have the same intensity of love for Jesus that Jesus has for her. Jesus’ great inheritance is an eternal companion that will be equally yoked to Him in love. The wedding day that is described in Rev. 19 is the guiding principle for everything that God the Father has done in creation.

“Look from the summit of Amana” speaks of having a heavenly perspective in our lives. We are to view things from His perspective with eyes of faith and revelation. We must come to Him and look from His eternal point of view in order to prevail in spiritual warfare.

“From the summit of Senir and Hermon” refers to two different names for the same mountain. Mt. Hermon was called this by the Israelites, but the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan called it Senir. This peak is fertile and fruitful and gives a great view of the Promised Land. Speaking of these mountain peaks refers to our being seated with Him in heavenly places.

“From the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards” creates another picture of spiritual warfare. She is taking her place in God’s purpose as a lover of God, but also as a warrior in partnership. The bride is a worshipping warrior. Satan is called a roaring lion who seeks to devour, just as the lions and leopards eat their prey.

The Bride no longer pulls back in fear when confronted with the mountains and the enemies she may face there. She feels completely safe with Jesus now. She trusts that He will be able to protect her in any situation. She is confident in His loving care.

His expressions of affection bring great joy to her heart. She is now able to truly share intimacy with Him no matter where He will lead her, and she is thrilled with the revelation that her voluntary love brings the greatest joy to her Beloved. Now she can say with all her heart, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His.”

I believe this is the desire of everyone who is born again. We may be at various stages of maturity, but our deepest heart-cry is the same. “Lord, bring us to the place where our response of love to You puts a smile on Your face and sets us free to truly love and follow You wherever You lead.”

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

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