Song of Solomon 1:5
I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Many translations write the first few words as “I am black.” Given the part of the world the Israelites were in, it would be quite natural for the woman that Solomon pursed in this song did, indeed, have black skin. The Queen who came to visit Solomon to research for herself all the rumors she had heard about him, was the Queen of Ethiopia, and she was no doubt black of skin. When one considers how beautiful that dark skin is, how soft it is, and ageless, then we cannot wonder that Solomon is writing about a dark colored woman, maybe even the Queen, as certainly such women are lovely. The Shulemite woman is speaking to the chorus. She likens herself to the tents of Kedar. I can’t find a reference to the word Kedar, but I do know that tents were made of animal skins, pounded into thin segments and sewn together. Kedar skins must have been superb, as were the curtains of Solomon. He had nothing but the best. Any woman who is well, well loved, can describe herself with confidence like the Shulemite woman is doing, considering herself without arrogance, to be lovely in appearance. After all, her lover has convinced her that she is lovely. God considers every one of His creations to be absolutely perfect, and He loves to admire His work. If we’ll listen with our spiritual ears, we will hear Him convince us of our loveliness.
0 Comments
Song of Solomon 1:4
Draw me away! THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM We will run after you. THE SHULAMITE The king has brought me into his chambers. THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. THE SHULAMITE Rightly do they love you. Sometimes love can be so overwhelming we must set ourselves apart to regain our stability. Sometimes the Grace of God can be so heavy on us that we are forced to say, “Stop! I can’t take anymore!” In our physical being this is true, but not in our spirit. Physically, people want what we have, and they clamor for it, sometimes in a negative way because they don’t know what they are asking for. They simply know they want what we’ve got. Song of Solomon 1:3
Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. It’s almost uncanny that the Lord wants us to walk so closely with Him that we can smell the oils He puts on His body, the cologne He splashes on His face. These may be metaphors, but oh to be so cognizant of Him that these particulars capture our attention, instead of the horrible state of affairs in the world or our demands and needs. Those who are in love never bother with the dour aspects of life. Being in love is enough to motivate the world around us to appear and even smell nice. I don’t know about you, but I can remember saying my at-the-moment crush’s name over and over until my friends would mimic and tease me. But now, in my maturity, I find that repeating my love object’s name over and over does wonders for the atmosphere and actually changes things: “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” Do your part, my friend. Love is a two-way street. Being in love draws those who have no love object to come near and share our enthusiasm for the one we love. Song of Songs 1:2
THE SHULAMITE Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-For your love is better than wine. This song is obviously directed to the individual believer, one already committed to the Lord for life, someone who wants more out of the relationship and realizes it is going to take a tremendous surrender on their part. In the first phrase of this sentence, the Shulamite woman is speaking out loud, expressing her desires perhaps to an empty room, but in the third person about someone she wants to be close to. In the second part of the phrase she takes a more aggressive stance and speaks as if directly to the person she wants to kiss her. It reminds me of a pubescent girl in her first crush, alone in her bedroom as she daydreams out loud about the one she loves. Song of Solomon 1:1
The song of songs, which is Solomon's. According to 1 Kings 4:32, King Solomon, son of David, third king of Israel, spoke three thousand proverbs and one thousand and five songs. This song was considered his best. His scribes wrote down the words he spoke as if for a stage play of the times. In other words, it was written for a protagonist, an antagonist, and a chorus to narrate the proceedings; thus, we have the Shulamite, King Solomon our main character, and the chorus, also known as the Daughters of Jerusalem. This song, in truth, is about our sweet, fragrant relationship with the Lord in the secret places of our hearts. There is no love deeper than the love God has for us. There is no love sweeter to the Lord than that expressed by His children as they delicately peel away the hard cover of their hearts and reveal the tender intimacy they have with Him. The challenge for Solomon in writing this greatest of his songs, and for me in discussing it, was to expose, and more than just “adequately,” present the love of God for us. (The following is taken from “Destined for Love” written by the author):
In my early walk with the Lord, I hastened to every anointed meeting I could find and especially looked for ones with good music that honored and loved God. One night, as I stood with all the others, my arms stretched toward Heaven, my body bristled with desire to let God know how much I loved Him. While singing my love from the depths of my being, suddenly, I came back to myself. “Lord,” I said, “how come I’m giving You all this love, and I don’t feel anything coming back to me? Here I am, my fingertips straining to caress You, my arms desperately reaching for You, and my body swaying with the music in the delight of loving You. My love for You feels like a freight train rushing up from my toes and racing into Heaven to deliver carload after carload of love. And from You there is nothing. Why is that?” I didn’t change my posture; I simply stopped the flow of my love to listen to His answer. He said, “You could not be giving Me any love at all if I didn’t first give My love to you.” |
Marty
|