Bible Snack #112

​Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother's sons were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept (Song of Solomon 1:6).
 
Let me pull that middle section out and deal with it. “My mother’s sons were angry with me;” It doesn’t tell us anything about why they were angry. There has been some conjecture of why they were angry, but we can’t prove anything. I want to make my own conjectures. The Shulemite is a lovely woman. That has been established. Perhaps the brothers, instead of looking at how much the Lord loves them, are jealous of her, and they belittle her. This attitude of jealousy is so common in the Christian world. I write about my experiences with the Lord to encourage others to develop an intimate relationship with Him. However, one time someone sneered at me, “How come you’re His favorite child?” I replied, “We are all His favorite children. There is no competition. Be happy for what someone else receives from the Lord. It is a sample of what is available for you.”
 
The Shulemite is a shepherdess, so what is the reason behind caring for vineyards? Vineyards produce wine. Wine is the symbol of the blood of Jesus, put on the altar in heaven to pay for our sins, our sicknesses and our poverty. This foretelling warns us of putting God first. Don’t make someone else or something else, like a priest, a prophet, or a church, be the keeper of your salvation.