Scripture Text: Song of Solomon 5:9-16
His mouth is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5:16
The melancholic scene that the maiden is experiencing comes to its climax when the reason was made clearer on why the maiden, in her own folly, experiences such misery after the temporal withdrawal of her beloved, which represents the Beloved [Christ]. In the continuation of the poem, what we have here is the absolute reason of her current gloomy state. The passage begins in a question that gives clarity why she is lamenting of her own folly – having divided and inconsistent love for the Beloved [Christ]: “Others: What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us? (v.9)” Connecting this in its preceding verse, the maiden adjures the daughters of Jerusalem that they help her find her Beloved [Christ]. And in reply to her appeal, the question begs, what is the gain of searching for her beloved? Here, she gives her ultimate cause that gives her the drive and burning passion to seek her Beloved [Christ] with all of her heart. That her Beloved [Christ] is altogether desirable! That the Beloved must be treasured as most! Cherished as most! Taken as Supreme!
“My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool. His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires. His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem (vv.10-16).” Here we have the vivid exposition of the heart of the maiden why for her, the Beloved [Christ] is altogether desirable:
v.10 is an expression that He is the best of best!
vv.11-15 is the expression of His excellencies!
v.16 is an expression that He is altogether lovely!
To say that the Beloved [Christ] is altogether lovely means that He has found His way in the heart of His chosen individual and has manifested by His grace, His beauties and excellencies to the awakened heart. The awakened heart will forever be captivated by the all-encompassing and all-satisfying loveliness of the Beloved [Christ], and will make its top priority to seek, dwell and rest permanently in the very heart of the Beloved – the loveliest place to be! It is to enjoy the sweetness of taking His very words “he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”, or “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Ask yourself, dear saint – do you find the Lover-Redeemer as altogether lovely? How much do you prize the Beloved [Christ]? Does your heart really take Him as beyond comparison?
Dear saint, please remember what God has said: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We, who really love the Son of God, has been the recipient of God’s immeasurable grace that we see, and are able to cherish, what the highest language has failed to describe, what minds and hearts are failing to comprehend.
The real believer’s heart is awakened to perceive the wonders of God in the person of our Lover-Redeemer, Jesus Christ! From there, we learn to enthusiastically acclaim, oh taste and see that the LORD is good!
He who does not want know more of Him, knows nothing of Him yet…
Hear this then, dear saint! And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Desire communion with Him, who has loved us eternally! Thirst and long for Him! Be in awe of Him, the darling of Heaven! He is all yours… He is all-perfect, all-holy, all-glorious and all-happy! Be exceedingly joyous in being His beloved. If you have truly seen Him, then He is your exceeding joy.
Nobody loves you like He does…
Christ is all that we have! Christ is all that we need!
Take heart, dear saint!
Reflect
1. Do you have a growing passion and desire to seek and know more of Christ?
2. Do you really desire and long to love Him more, as you ought to be?
Remember
Once we refuse to live our lives in intimacy with Christ, everything in Christian life becomes bitter and dull. There will be no enjoyment of the grace that satisfies the weary soul, the mercy that ignites the troubled heart, and the love that makes everything anew. Dwell therefore, in the very heart of the loveliest Being – the Beloved [Christ]!
Read
Jeremiah 9:23-24; Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 3:7-11
Pray
Father, I come before You in the name of Your Son, to continue to ask of You one thing: Please give me a heart that really seeks to have more of Your Son. Let Your glories in Him shine in my heart, that I might know the blessedness that I have in Him. Let Your excellencies in Him be brought forth to my mind, that I might be able to really treasure and cherish Him as most. Let Your holiness in Him be manifested in me greatly, that I might really humble myself before You, and I might really know how to fear and love You. Please, Father, by Your goodness bind my wandering heart to Him alone. Seal it unto Him, who has love me steadfastly. This I pray, in His Name. Amen.
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