Living UnReserved | 365 Days in the Song of Songs/Solomon

 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) Many people attribute this verse to the Beloved (the Bridegroom king) speaking but when we put it in the context of the story progression, the Bride is the one speaking here. In SoS 2 the Beloved invited the Bride to go away with Him as the harvest approached. Unfortunately, she declined His invitation. She told Him to scale the mountains and chose to be separated from him instead. By that action, she lost communion with him, lost her peace, and sought him until she found him. When she found him, she took him home, rekindled their relationship, and saw him in the wedding procession. After all those events, she now  has more understanding and revelation of her oneness with him, his splendor, wealth, and his ability to protect and provide for her. She also received revelation knowledge of her beauty and capabilities as the Belove...

 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies. (Song of Songs 4:5) The final compliment and virtue of the Bride may seem weird but it is as impressive as all of the others when decoded. The Bride's breasts are said to be like fawns. Fawns are young female deers of not more than one year. They are gorgeous and graceful. So the compliment alludes to the Bride's youth, beauty, and fruitfulness. Breasts are one of the most noticeable signs of a mature/maturing woman. A woman of childbearing age. As breasts are not primarily for beauty but for nurturing infants. This compliment signifies the bride's ability to nurture younger believers. One of the instructions she was given by the Beloved in SoS 1:8 was for her to partner with him by feeding her goats by the shepherds' tents. We said in Lesson 57 that this refers to the work of evangelizing unbelievers and disciplining young Christians. Every believer has a mandate to make ...

Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men. (Song of Songs 4:4) In Lesson 63, we examined the meaning of the neck as used in the scriptures. We spoke about how the neck represents our will. We also spoke about how a stiff neck in scripture often refers to a stubborn, proud, and unyielding heart before God. However, it is beautified by our submission to Jesus. In SoS 1:10, the Bride's neck was beautified because of her submission to Christ. In this verse, her neck is said to be like a tower. Let's look at that. There isn't any record of a tower of David in the scriptures but Nehemiah 3:25 gives a hint. It mentions a '...tower which projects from the king’s upper house...' Towers are long upright structures built to withstand assaults. They are also often higher than other structures so watchmen were posted there as part of the defense of a city. The Bride's neck like a tower allu...

Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. ( Song of Songs 4:3) There are two schools of thought about the interpretation of what it means for the bride to have temples like a piece of pomegranate. 1 Kings 7:20 tells us that pomegranates were carved on the tops of the pillars of Solomon's temple. When God looked down at His home on earth, He saw pomegranates beautifying it. This indicates the importance of this particular feature of a maturing Bride of Christ. It contributes greatly to the beauty of the bride. The first school of thought says, her temples being like a piece of pomegranate represents her cheeks blushing a rich red like the inside of a sliced pomegranate with emotions for her beloved. As the Beloved looked at his Bride, he could see that his attention elicited a pleasurable response. She could not hide her love, adoration, and delight. These emotions are behind a veil indicat...

 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. ( Song of Songs 4:3) In the last few lessons, we have looked at the first three virtues of the maturing Bride of Christ. Today we examine the fourth represented by the complement of the Bride's lips. The word lips in this scripture does not only refer to a part of the body. It more specifically means a person's speech, language, talk, or words. So more appropriately the Bride's words are said to be like a strand of scarlet thread. Scarlet is a reddish hue obtained from a dye derived from a certain worm. It is mentioned many times in the Bible. Its symbolism varies from time to time. Sometimes it is used to describe sin, symbolize wealth, or symbolize Jesus' blood. It is a very vibrant and attractive color mostly worn by the military and nobles in ancient times. The most significant mention of scarlet is its use in the temple. Scholars...

 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears twins, And none is barren among them. (Song of Songs 4:2) Teeth are primarily not accessories for beauty. Their real purpose is not to sit pretty in the mouth but to help us chew and break down food into tiny bits so it's easy to swallow and most importantly to digest. Just like babies are naturally born without teeth and fed milk for many months after birth, Peter insinuates the same for newborn believers. He said in 1 Peter 2:2: as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, Paul expresses the same thought in Hebrews 5:13. he said: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Therefore, teeth are an indication of maturity—understanding and skillful use of God's word. When Joshua was faced with the greatest task of his life (leading Israel on a military campaign into the prom...