Skip to main content

Day 111: The Dove and the Cleft (SoS 2:14a)

 “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely. (Song of Songs 2:14)

The Song of Songs uses a dove to refer to the Bride. It is however not the same Hebrew word translated as turtledove in chapter 2 verse 12. The meaning of the root word translated dove is the same word for wine which also means to effervesce. We saw in SoS 2:5 that the Bride was indeed consumed by love for her Beloved like doves are.

As stated in Lesson 105, doves are symbols of purity, humility, dedication, loyalty, grace, etc. The mention here is more about her position than her character.

Because doves are gentle and defenseless against predators they often take refuge in high rock crevices. These places according to Jeremiah 49:16 and Obadiah 3 are impenetrable refuges. In Judges 15:8 it was stated that Samson dwelt in the cleft of Etam, a cliff in Israel. This is because cliffs give an excellent vantage point: you can see the enemy coming on time.

In the spiritual context the most significant mention of the cleft of the rock is in Exodus 33, where Moses asked to see God's glory. God told Moses no one could see His face and live. So God said He would pass in front of Moses but put him in the cleft of the rock and cover him as He walked by so Moses may see His back and not His face. Basically, this illustrates the protection of God and the location where we can find revelation and fellowship with Him.

Clefts are places of concealment and retreat. Protection and communion. Refuge and revelation.

In many Psalms, God is described as a refuge, fortress, rock, and hiding place. David in Psalm 32:7 said concerning God:

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

If the Bride is described as a dove in the cleft, let's find out what our cleft as livers of God is.

1 Corinthians 10:4 states that Christ was the Rock that followed Israel in the wilderness. He was struck for them and from that strike came water to satisfy their thirst. Jesus was struck for us on the cross. So that all who come to Him may drink freely of living water.

Just like the hole in a rock, our Rock has a cleft too. In John 19:34, Jesus' side was pierced on the cross. So Jesus has become our hiding place. Our place of refuge and revelation.

Paul in his letters used the words in Christ, in Him, and in whom many times to describe the position of the new creation. An example is 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Our position in Christ gives us access to God's knowledge and fellowship with Him. + Colossians 2:2-3 Paul spoke of the church:

...attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

To be in our Rock is to be with Him. So Paul says concerning our protection and new life in Colossians 3:3:

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

In Christ is the best location in the world. It's better than any luxury resort in the world. Once we accept Christ, we live rent-free and our boarding comes with unquantifiable benefits. Every believer should have a good understanding of their position in Christ. It is essential to live a victorious life.

PRAY WITH ME:

My Beloved Jesus, thank You for the privilege to be in You. Today, I confess that You are my refuge and hiding place. My heart is open to more revelation knowledge as I commune with You and the Father in You. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:

  • Find in the Pauline epistles the phrases: in Christ, in Him, and in whom. Write down every benefit associated with them and confess them.

Comments

Post a Comment

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

Popular posts from this blog

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 53: The Unforced Rhythms of Grace (SoS 1:7a)

“ Tell me, O you whom I love, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions? Song of Songs 1:7 Aft er the Bride's experience of being overworked, she didn't seek her Beloved in His chambers, nor did she seek Him in a place of leisure. Rather, she sought Him at His workplace. When we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis, especially when we're overworked or burnt out by activities, we must realize that oftentimes, the problem is not how much or what we're doing but how we are doing it. There is only so much the human flesh and mind can handle when it comes to physical work talk less spiritual. Paul did express in 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the Amplified version that we are to labor in our work for the Lord to the point of exhaustion . I believe it's why Paul in praying for the Ephesian church prayed for them to be strengthened with might by God's Spirit in their inner man . Thin...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 i...
Post a Comment
Read more