“the Song of Songs”
This song begins with the bride in a suitable position and condition to be forever in her Bridegroom’s presence (Col. 1:12-1312Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:12‑13)). Sin is not mentioned. It has gone as far away as the East is from the West, no more to be remembered by God. It no longer affects the bride’s conscience or hinders her joy. Later, we shall read of correction and repentance, but only because of lassitude and coldness — not gross sin. The Bridegroom finds His delight in His people, His bride, whom He has redeemed at the cost of His life.
She loves Him for His love to her and sacrifice for her. She cost Him all that He had as man (Matt. 13:4646Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:46)). He set His love upon her and proved His love for her (at the cross), before she ever became His.
While she loves Him, there is something lacking in her understanding and enjoyment of His love, something she has not laid hold of. To learn, she must pass through the experiences of the wilderness. This growth in spiritual intelligence comes as the Holy Spirit opens to her this blessed truth step by step.
It is blessed to view the activity of God, who acts by the Holy Spirit, to carry on the communion between the Bridegroom and the bride. The communion and instruction of the first two chapters bring the bride to realize that her Beloved belongs to her, but also that she is His. Blessed truth. She exclaims, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His: He feedeth among the lilies.” Reaching this first milestone in her spiritual growth gives joy to her heart, but it does not completely satisfy her. It takes further experience and spiritual intelligence to draw her soul out further and open to her heart the place of rest that she so desires — in His bosom.
After further communion and lessons learned by experience, she muses, “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine: He feedeth among the lilies.” She begins to realize that the Bridegroom’s love for her is more important than her love for Him. Having learned this, she mentions that she is His before stating that He is hers. She has reached a second milestone in her spiritual growth.
Finally, she learns that the love of her Bridegroom for her is not only more than hers, it is everything. “I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is toward me.” Now the bride has disappeared into His love. His love is everything. She has reached the third and highest milestone.
As they near the end of the betrothal [when the Lord comes], He owns everything in her, and His desire is completely upon her (ch. 7:10). In full communion she says, “Let us get up early to the vineyards [the place of joy]; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates [a picture of the church] bud forth: there will I give Thee my loves. The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for Thee, O my Beloved” (vss. 1213). This garden, which she had planted for her Beloved, has now matured.
The song closes with the appeal, “Make haste, my Beloved, and be Thou like a roe [gazelle] or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.” The Revelation closes with the Bridegroom saying, “I am . . . the bright and morning star.” The Spirit and the bride join in spirit with Him, for they say, “Come.” And all who hear are invited to say, “Come.” The Bridegroom concludes, “Surely I come quickly,” and the bride responds, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Heaven is our home. Soon we will be there with our Bridegroom in the Father’s house. Have we, like the bride in the song of songs, been growing with our hearts set to follow our Bridegroom in everything? May the Lord exercise our hearts to be ready in every sense of the word to say with a full heart, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
C. E. Lunden, from
The Bridegroom’s Song of Songs