Song of Solomon Session 1: Gateway to Intimacy
From Redeemed to Beloved
Before salvation, we are dead in our sins, yet alive and probably mostly happy in our sin. When the Holy Spirit awakens our hearts and the Word of God convicts us of our sin and separation form God, we go from death to life [redemption/salvation]…yet we are in a state of infancy. We naturally want more of God but don’t know how to get Him.
The spiritual interpretation of the Song of Solomon (which is the subject of this verse by verse study of Song of Solomon) empowers the heart to go beyond infancy salvation, to grow in maturity as we understand God’s deep emotions and affections for us.
The beauty of this growing maturity is that God initiates it and sustains it!
A Desperate Prayer for More of God
1:2 May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.
The Shulamite maiden [representing us, the Bride of Christ (including Israel)] cries out to the Father for the Son to kiss her with the kisses of His mouth [Word]. She wants to go beyond infancy…but she knows it takes God to know God. So she asks the Father to send the Son AND for Him to initiate the intimacy and revelation of the Word. “ May He kiss me…” (SoS 1:2) .
Paul does the same in Ephesians 1
…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. -Eph 1:17–19
Why? So we would be strengthened through His Spirit.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. -Eph 3:14–19
The Shulamite maiden makes a bold confession to the Son: Your love is better than wine!
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. -Jn 7:37–39
She declares that He is better than the things of this world (even good things: temptations of blessings and sin). They don’t compare to the gift of the kiss of God’s Word and the Spirit embracing us!
The intoxicating (wine) things of this world are far inferior to the gift of intimacy with God.
We sin when our heart is not satisfied in God. -Mike Bickle
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. -James 1:12–15
Revelation of the beauty of Jesus and His love for us is life!
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. -Ps 27:4
Jesus Is Better Than Anything This World Can Offer
1:3 Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; therefore the maidens love you.
Ointment, anointing oil, perfume: these speak of the internal qualities, thoughts, and emotions of Jesus.
Kings/royalty of the ancient world would have rare ointments…distinct smell.
Scents and fragrance are interesting because they change the atmosphere, they are pleasant, noticed, moving, and filling.
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. -2 Co 2:15–17
His Name [fragrant ointment] is poured out among the nations and, on account of this [Jesus being better than all the things of this world and His Name being poured out], young women fall in love with Him!
Drawn to the Place of Deepest Intimacy with God
1:4 Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers.” “We will rejoice in you and be glad; we will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.
The Model Prayer — Jesus is better, so…we pray for intimacy!
She cries out, “Draw me!” We must understand that it takes God to know God!
It’s an unending goodness that emanates from the man Jesus Himself. We will never reach the depths of His love — always more — all of eternity. Our hearts are only truly satisfied in this pursuit.
Then we see that she is brought into His chambers! She recognizes that the King has brought her: He does it, leads us and we follow. His chamber is where His ointment/scent flows from.
Her response? Rejoice!
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure -Re 19:7–8
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. -Mt 5:12
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. -Lk 10:21
For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. -Ac 2:25–26
Intimacy with Jesus is better/more fragrant than the real temptations that surround us. She has already experienced the intimacy of the King’s chamber, now she is remembering and setting her heart to choose Him. We make this choice because preferring/choosing the Bridegroom above all else is the height of joy.
Intimacy Reveals Identity
1:5 I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
Her intimacy with the King leads to a revelation: I am black. She sees the identity of human nature, dark, opposite of white/clean. This is the revelation of sin in our life.
But, she has another revelation: I am lovely/beautiful. In Jesus, we see that we are delightful, suitable, proper. This is our identity after salvation. This is the revelation of His redemption and affection. Both black/dark and beautiful are true!
For context, Kedar is northern Arabia [east of Edom, southeast of Israel] and the name refers to the 2nd son of Ishmael. The inhabitants are the dark-skinned, Bedouin who dwelt in black hair tents. Therefore, she compares herself to the tents of Kedar vs. leather curtains of Solomon .
Struggle of Immaturity
1:6 Do not stare at me because I am swarthy, for the sun has burned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
In this section, she laments not tending her own vineyard (heart) as the pressures from those around her [friends, family, co-workers] drew her away. We face this external pressure as well [social gospel, modern church, american dream, pursuit of pleasure] and we are blackened/tanned by the sun [nature] when we stop tending our own vineyard [pressing into intimacy with God through Jesus].
Why did the sons of her mother (her brothers) fight with her?
In her immaturity, she is full of youthful zeal for God. This is great…but it brings conviction to dull leaders who may “know” God but have for too long not actually experienced intimacy with Him.
So they give her responsibilities [good] but overwork her in many vineyards. This is a religious yoke instead of Jesus’ easy yoke [Mt. 11:30]. So she neglected her own vineyard/heart
Desperate Prayer
1:7 Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where do you pasture your flock, where do you make it lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?
She feels the pain of separation and serving at a distance. This is her desperate prayer to return to her first love.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. -Re 2:4–5
In her desperation she asks her Beloved: “Where do you tend flocks? What place do you shepherd? How do I encounter You during the day when not in the chamber? Where do you bring them to rest at noon?”
She wants to return to intimacy but is immature and weighed down. She knows that well fed sheep rest easily but doesn’t know how to be fed. She is saying, “If I continue [tending other vineyards but not my own] then I will be distant and veiled.”
In the next post we will see how He answers this desperate prayer of hers and how it draws her to follow His leadership!
Want More?!
This is a part of a message series that I am teaching on Wednesday nights as an extension of the House of Prayer I direct in Galveston, TX. You can visit the website for the audio or to check out more resources and info!
Originally published at heinspiredme.com.
