Skip to main content

Day 81: True Humility (SoS 2:1)

 "I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys."
Song of Songs 2:1

As soon as she declares herself as a Rose of Sharon, the Bride immediately calls herself a Lily of the Valleys. Just like the rose represents flourishing beauty, the lily is also recognized for its beauty. Lilies however are said to be one of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers you can plant in a garden. 

In Matthew 6:28, Jesus compliments the beauty and elegance of the lilies. He compared them to Solomon, the richest man of his time dressed in his finest clothes, and concluded they were much more stylish and elegant.

Lilies in many parts of the world represent innocence, purity, and rebirth. So it also speaks of the work of grace. Our Beloved Jesus' bitter work of redemption transformed us into pure, innocent beauties and gave us new, recreated spirits and lives.

In Hosea 14:5 God said about Israel:

“I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily...”

Lilies grow really fast and are very fruitful plants. They produce bulbs really quickly hence the reference in the above scripture.

We do not however know for sure whether our text refers to the lily of the valley (a more specific species of lilies) or any of the other many species of lily flower that grow in the valley. We do not know for sure but both communicate the same ideas.

A lily of the valley though very beautiful and tall hangs its head down and lilies growing in the valleys represent uncultivated yet exquisitely beautiful wildflowers growing in hidden places (not exalted for all to see). Both communicate humble beauty. Because of this, there are two schools of thought about this phrase:

1. Although she acknowledges her beauty, her fairness, the beauty without blemishes that the Beloved had been complimenting, she knows she is not the only one! Like her, others are cultivated in the fertile fields of Christ.

This communicates a sense of gratefulness at being admired and loved. It shows she is not arrogant or self-righteous. It is to see ourselves as Christ sees us but also to realize that we grow alongside many other beautiful unblemished lilies. When Elijah told the Lord that he was the only prophet left in Israel in a time of great idolatry and backsliding from God's ways, the Lord informed him that there were 7000 others who had not bowed their knees to idols, but preserved for His will.

It is to have David's grateful disposition when He said in Psalm 8:4 'what is man that you are mindful of him?'.

2. Some think that even though she acknowledges her beauty now, she does not see anything unique or special about herself. There is an improvement in her self-image but she is still lacking full confidence. She still feels unworthy in some way.

Regardless of the school of thought we choose to follow, the message here is to nurture true confident humility. We must never forget that each one of us was intentionally called by the Lord and chosen for intimacy with Him. That makes us unique, beautiful, pure, and unblemished in His eyes.

Jesus when He walked the earth never downplayed or hid His divinity, yet He acknowledged He was human. He bore both the titles Son of God and Son of Man proudly. If we truly see ourselves in the light of Him, we'll be confident in His love and goodness yet live grateful. This is because we are nothing in and of ourselves. His grace alone is what makes us who we are. 

True humility does not mean living with our heads hung down, feeling unworthy, worthless, and speaking degrading words about ourselves. Rather, it is to think highly of ourselves in light of Christ and His work in us without boasting about our human capabilities and qualities.

PRAY WITH ME:
Thank You, my Beloved Jesus, for calling me and choosing me to be Your own. While I am among many others You have redeemed, I know I am unique, special, and incomparable in Your sight. As I bask and live in the confident assurance of Your love and all You have made me, help me to live conscious of the grace You have bestowed. Help me to never take credit for Your goodness. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • What does humility mean to you?
  • How can you cultivate confidence in your God-given identity and yet live without losing sight of His benevolent grace?
  • Read and meditate today on Philippians 2:6-8 and define what humility truly is from Paul's words about Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

What do you think about today's lesson? Please share something you learnt.

Popular posts from this blog

Day 153: To the Hill of Frankincense (SoS 4:6)

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. (Song of Songs 4:6) Right after the Bride mentioned the mountain of myrrh she mentioned the hill of frankincense too. In SoS 2, Jesus bound over mountains and hills. In the same way, we will also not only go over mountains but also hills. Hills though smaller than mountains are equally significant.  Frankincense as previously spoken about in Lesson 133 represents worship. Its two most significant mentions in the Bible are as incense offered to God and as a gift given to Jesus at His birth. The hill of frankincense depicts a life lived as worship to God. It represents embracing every opportunity and difficulty with the intention of glorifying God no matter what. The hill of frankincense is evident in the day-to-day challenges and choices we face as believers.  After Saul disobeyed God's command in 1 Samuel 15, Samuel said to him in verse 22: ...“What is more ple
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 152: To the Mountain of Myrrh (SoS 4:6)

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. (Song of Songs 4:6) In the previous lesson, we began to examine the Bride's response to the Beloved's seven-fold compliment. We discussed how she finally gave a positive reply to a request he had previously tendered in SoS 2:17. We examined a part of her response, and now let's explore the next part: ...I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. We have mentioned a couple of times in this series that myrrh is a burial spice. Its mention in the Bible often signifies death and sacrifice. It was one of the spices presented to Jesus at His birth and was also used to prepare Him for burial. In the same way that Jesus embraced death on the cross, the Bride goes to the mountain of myrrh embracing death to self. She knows resolute obedience will cost her that. Jesus said in Luke 14:27: ...whoever does not bear his cr
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 42: Beyond Appearance (SoS 1:5b)

" I am dark, but lovely, o daughters of Jerusalem , like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon." Song of Songs 1:5 There is a very important reason this statement in verse 5 was directed to the daughters of Jerusalem, not to the King, and not even to herself. Other believers are often observers and spectators of our growth in intimacy with Jesus. We must remember the statement I am dark but lovely is a product of an encounter not just a beautiful statement. It elevates how Jesus sees us above how we ourselves or the world sees us. Many times, the people around us only see that which is external. So she directs her speech to fellow maidens (believers), the daughters of Jerusalem, who perhaps do not see as the King sees. In our Christian journey, we probably will make decisions or take actions that will make our imperfections glaring to all. We may be ridiculed, insulted, looked down on, or misunderstood by even those of the household of faith, but we must remember
Post a Comment
Read more