Song of Solomon 1

Returning to the first chapter, we can now consider it in more detail. In the opening verses 2 and 3, we notice it is the Bride who first expresses her desire to be as near as possible to her beloved: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." "Wine maketh glad the heart of man" (Psalm. 104.15) but only temporarily, but the love of Christ is eternal. "Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee." The perfection of His character and works is like the smell of goodly ointment. This can only be appreciated in these days through reading the Scriptures and learning of Him, A study of Moses and the Prophets and the life of the Lord Jesus as recorded in the New Testament will cause a love to be developed as expressed in these two verses. The proper understanding of the ointments used in the tabernacle (Exodus 30.34-38), the art of the apotheoary, will open up the beauties of these verses. The Bridegroom's name, His character and His works, are likened to these ointments poured forth.

The Bride's desire is that she might be draw closer to Him. "Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers." We notice first of all the change from the singular to the plural — "me" to "we". The Bride will be a company, "a number no man can number". By the study of the Scriptures, one is drawn closer to the Father and the Son, and the desire increases to run after Him. We read in John 6.44-45: "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.“ The Bridegroom appeals to the writings of the prophets, showing the proper application of His words. We are drawn to Him by the Word and by proper application we can run after Him. We in these days are taught of God and learn of Him by His written Word, which has been preserved by Him throughout the ages, and by which we are brought into His secret chambers. "The upright love thee" for this reason.

In verse 5, there is a contrast. "Black but comely", the tents of Kedar and the curtains of Solomon. Black by nature but made comely by application of the Word. "Look not upon me because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me, O daughters of Jerusalem." The daughters of Jerusalem (Luke 23.28 are those who are not numbered among the Bride, but only look on from the outside. Many in the nation of Israel were only onlookers, not realising their favoured position. The Bride belongs to that class of whom the world is not worthy, the dwellers in the tents of Kedar, strangers and pilgrims. But she is truly comely in the eyes of the Bridegroom, who sees inside the tent - in the heart. The outside of the tent may not be inviting, but inside hang the beautiful curtains, carefully and wonderfully wrought for the habitation of the Bridegroom from heaven, likened to the curtains of Solomon, the best known in those days. These curtains are fit to furnish the House of the Son of God, "whose house are we, if we hold fast our confidence" until He returns. The veil in the tabernacle would be a suitable example of a curtain carefully and wonderfully wrought.

In verse 7 the Bride asks the One whom her soul loveth, "Tell me, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon." The Bridegroom answers, "Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents."

The Bride must follow in the steps of her Bridegroom (I Peter 2.21) around his sheepfold and partake of his pastures. Many have followed and their souls have been sustained and restored in the weary hours of loneliness. The paths are paths of righteousness and those who walk therein are strengthened against the dangers and evil of the wicked world. (Psalm 23).

In verses 9 and 10 we seem to be given an opposite view of the Bride. In the previous verses, the Bride has spoken of her lowly origin, of her outward appearance. Now the Bridegroom speaks of her from another point of view. "I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver." Pharaoh's horses in the days of Solomon are referred to in II Chronicles 1.17: "And they fetched up and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for 600 Shekels of silver, and an horse for an 150: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria, by their means." The Law of Moses stated: "But the king shall not multiply horses to himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses" (Deuteronomy 17.16). The law condemned the multiplication of horses because men trusted in the strength and intelligence of the horse. Israel had to be taught that their strength must be manifested in their God. "An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength" (Psalm 33.17). The horses brought from Egypt no doubt were of the finest breed, very probably the Arab horse. A man would die for his horse. An horse is noted for its obedience and swiftness. When properly harnessed, it is ready to do the will of its master. These horses were bought for a great price. "For her price is far above rubies" (Proverbs 31.10). The shapely neck and flowing mane are noted, studed with rows of jewels and chains of gold around its neck and borders studed with gold and silver. In Proverbs 1.8-9 we read: "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."

In verse 12 and onwards, we are reminded by figure of the house of the Bridegroom, as the king sitting at his table in his own house. The bed, couch or reclining place is green. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23.2). The beams of the house are cedar and the rafters of fir, connecting our thoughts with the literal temple Solomon built in Jerusalem and taking us forward to the spiritual house of which it was a type. The Lord Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14.23). And in Revelation 3.20 we read, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me." This is the invitation of the Bridegroom to sup spiritually with him, to hear his voice and learn of him. Many had this great privilege literally but did not appreciate it. We today hear His voice and sup with Him by our reading and meditation upon His Word in the Scriptures of Truth. If we keep His Word (John 14.23), then our spikenard will send forth the smell thereof, acceptable to our Bridegroom. Men will know we have been with Jesus. (John 12.3).

"A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me." Myrrh was one of the chief spices in the composition of the holy ointment, compound after the art of the apotheoary. (Exodus 30.23).

In Psalm 45 we read of the garments of the King. "All thy garments smelll of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad." Myrrh was noted for its perfume (Song 5.13) and freshness, treasured up for its fragrance, and was used for purification.

In verse 14 we read, "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi." This plant is the henna plant (R.V.) esteemed in the east for the fragrance of its flowers. It emits a delightful perfume, and houses are perfumed with it. So is the spiritual house of God perfumed with the fruits of the Spirit. Engedi was a place of remarkable and luxuriant fertility on a generally barren shore of the Dead Sea, and was known for its palms and its balsam. There is a spiritual application of these facts, especially to the Bridegroom, a plant out of the dry ground (Isaiah 53.2) whose leaf will not wither.

"Behold, thou art fair, my love (my companion, Septuagint), behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes." The eye manifests the character and intelligence, and we bring to mind the words of Jesus, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (Matthew 6.22). And also in Matthew 10.16 we read, "Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves."