Song of Solomon Chapter 4 "The Shulamite Purpose, to Return and Please the Shepherd." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org Song of Solomon 4:1 "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes with in thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount gilead." We are going to join the positions of the King and the Shepherd together here, for they are the offices of the Godhead. We ended chapter three with the King, and now the Shepherd is going to speak to this girl, the Shulamite. The Shepherd is repeating "thou art fair", two times for emphasis. The analogy here is that "the Lord loves those that love Him". The "doves eyes" are pure and full, for the dove is a clean bird. The shepherd can see through the eyes into the heart, that His loves [the elect's] motives are pure and honest. The "hair of the flock of goats" are wavy and stand out brightly, there is nothing hidden in this love that the elect have and show for the Shepherd. Song of Solomon 4:2 "Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." Her teeth are evenly set, and stand out when she smiles as bright, with no teeth missing. This is an anology, and this is in reference to the words that come forth from that beautiful country girl's mouth, which represents God's elect. This is spiritual, and in the flesh it doesn't matter if there is no teeth at all in the mouth of the person of the elect, for spiritually speaking, their words are beautiful to our Shepherd. This is the way that you appear to Jesus Christ when you love Him. Keep in mind that God's love is not only for His elect, those that made that stand in the age that was, but also for those daughters of Zion. Those daughters of the court are also of the King, that by their own free will have repented and come to believe on Jesus name, and study to abide by His Word. The wife of the Shepherd is the elect of God, while the bride are those that have received Christ by the repenting of their sins in their own free will. The elect and the Free-will both must repent of sins in Jesus name, and turn from sin. The elect earned the Shepherd's love by their faithfulness in the age that was, that first earth age when Satan and his fallen angels rebelled against the Father. The elect were chosen then because of their act, and their love existed then. We are not talking about reincarnation, for man's soul was not carnated [in any flesh body] then, and each soul is required and appointed by God to exist only once in the flesh, and die only once in the flesh. This elect, or Shulamite girl then knows positively who her Shepherd is, and would never be deceived by another. Song of Solomon 4:3 "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate with thy locks. A "pomegranate" is known for its fullness and completeness, and is full of seed to make it fruitful and productive. The Shulamite [elect] knows what she speaks, and is very comely in what she says, for she knows the surety of her love for the Shepherd, and the Shepherd's love for her. Song of Solomon 4:4 "Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." She stands stately, and stands proud of her Shepherd and her love for him. Song of Solomon 4:5 "Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies." In a natural sense, the Shepherd is describing that which is life giving. In God holy name "El-Shaddai" has a two fold meaning, and a double place of rest. "El" is the Hebrew form of the word "God", and "Shaddai is the form of the "Giver of grace". It does not represent God's position from strength, but as the giver of grace, peace and rest. Understand that this is an analogy, showing us the tenderness of our Shepherd. This "giving" has to do with both the womb and the breast, the womb place of protection that will bring forth life, and the breast the nourishing that takes place after life has been brought forth. Song of Solomon 4:6 "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." frankincense This is the Shepherd speaking. He is reminding each of us that He doesn't forget us just because the new day has not broken, that day of His coming. He looks foreward to that day. Song of Solomon 4:7 "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." There is no spot, for under the blood of the true Shepherd, His blood has made us white as snow. Song of Solomon 4:8 "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions dens, from the mountains of the leopards." The word "Amana" means "covenant" in the Hebrew tongue. "Shenir and Hermon" are high snow capped mountains. The Shepherd is then saying, Come into my covenant and escape the dangers of this world. He seeks to protect His love from those sitting in the places that would entrap her, or the peoples [mountains] that would deceive and ensnare them. In the analogy, when you come into His love, which is the Spirit of God, then His Spirit will be in and around you to protect you. Song of Solomon 4:9 "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." "My sister" expands on the family of God. The Good Shepherd is talking to you and saying, "Thou hast ravished my heart" with one glance from you to Him, and your saying back to Him, "I Love you my Lord". By your commitment to Him, His love goes out to you. Can't you see and just feel our Father's emotions for you? Our Lord is reaching out to you, as you sit there with your stately proud neck held upright. Remember this is an anology, and there is no gender applied in the relationship that Jesus has for all of those that love Him. Song of Solomon 4:10 "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!" This again is the Shepherd speaking. He accepts you just as you come from the vineyard, in whatever condition you may be in. He takes you as you are. When the Husband has been away for a long while, and comes home to his wife, He dosen't care what she is wearing, or what ointments and spices she has on, the mere presence of her is bliss. There is time later to be putting things in order. Our heavenly Father wants you just as you are, when you see the sin that is in your life then you ask Him forgiveness in Jesus name, and His Spirit will move into your heart and mind, and together you will work to make things right. Your life may have many hidden secrets, and deeds that are so dark that no one should know. However, He doesn't ask you to go and clean your life up first, but repent right there in what ever condition you are in. Then your life will truly have freedom, and you with the Spirit of God will renew your heart, soul and mind. Song of Solomon 4:11 "Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon." Can you absorb this anology? When you come to Christ, the Shepherd, who is doing the talking here, when you come to Him in repentance, keep the parallel between the this, and the Holy Spirit as He is drawn to you in passion. The Shepherd is relating the physical passion of a man to his wife and their fresh union; to that of the His desire to have His Spirit enter and dwell within you, and have you as one of His family and His wife. Friend, the only way God can relate His love for us, and have us understand His relations for us, is to use the relationship of a man for His wife, or the bridegroom to his bride to be. Because of that love that He has for you, at repentance, He counts you perfect in His eyes. His love asks no questions of the past, because there is complete forgiveness and the past is blotted out in His eyes. Song of Solomon 4:12 "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." In other words, she is not going to be deceived, nor is anyone ever going to molest her to take her from the her husband. The love of the elect is sealed in their heart and minds, and totally committed to the Shepherd. Satan will bring forth many temptation in his role as the Antichrist, and the elect will see him for the fake he is. She has the seal of the Living God in her heart and mind, and that seal becomes her protection. Her love goes all to that Shepherd that died on the cross. Song of Solomon 4:13 "Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard," The Shepherd is saying that when the Holy Spirit blows over you, you become as an orchard of freshness in your very nature itself. Song of Solomon 4:14 "Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinamon, with all trees of frankencense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:" He is telling us that when we come to Him in love and forgiveness, all these fresh spices are what we remind Him of. When you declare your love for Him, He counts you as perfect in this life, in a spiritual sense. Song of Solomon 4:15 "A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." These are all descriptions of things that are white with purity. Repentance cleans our souls and hearts [minds] and makes our beings fresh in the eyes of the Lord. When you take of that living water, which is to say God's Word, and apply it to your life, you will never thirst again. Song of Solomon 4:16 "Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." Now in this verse the girl responds to her Shepherd's love. The beauty of this verse is that the wife has opened herself up to her husband, and yearns for the Shepherd to come to her. Notice that she addresses herself as "His garden", not someone elses, but only to her love. She said, let the wind come and blow upon that garden and spread these spices everywhere. She wants to be used to be fruitful for Him. In this analogy she is willing to take of everything of value and usable, and allow Him to take those things for His service. Can Christ look upon you as one that He can count upon, as one that is in His will to have the Spirit of God shape and conform your mind and talents to be used in bringing in fruit for Him?
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