1. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

2. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

Here she seems to see herself as somewhat special in her relationship. She sees the other daughters (churches) as thorns compared to her. This may at first seem like a boast, but it is more associated with her knowing who she is and the nature of her love. It is by faith because her bed is green that she sees the Lord's view of who she is. The woman expresses who she is since she has heard it from the lips of her lover. He has kissed her. She has read it from the pages of His Word. He embraces her.

3. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Here she sits with her lover. She enjoys his words. She is receiving instruction from him instead of teaching him. When she is near him she is not running off at the mouth as it were. She does not express all her theological ideas. She eats what He has to tell her and it is sweet. The woman of Revelation 12 knows how to listen instead of talk. She knows how to be quiet.

4. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

She was brought to the marriage feast and committed to the wedding. She, in no way, feels judged, or criticized, or pushed away. She, in no way, feels belittled or faulted.

5. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.

She is in-love with her Savior so much as to feel faint.

6. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

He supports her in a strong embrace. His hand is the foundation of her thinking and his arm embraces around her heart.

7. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

A clear reference to the truth: don't take him for granted. We are to do what pleases him and not do what does not please him.

8. The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

He comes from the high places.

9. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

We haven't seen him real clear. We knew he was out there but could only see a part of him. Even so, she knows his love is like a roe or a young heart. This is precisely how he has described her breasts. He is gentle, tender and soft. 

10. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

He calls her to come away and be apart and alone with him. He has called her to the wilderness for 1260 days. He also calls her while in the wilderness to come away and be alone with him. He wants us to partake of his good fruits and cause her to not have to see him as through a lattice. She will see him in his fulness.

11. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

He called us to come in the spring. That is when we came away to the new land. It is the time of His calling. One will be taken, the other left. It will be seen whether the professors are able to be fed of Him. This is the ultimate and important time in all her experience. This is the consummation of all her hopes.

12. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

13. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Here is another clear reference to our experience. After the winter, our love called us to come away. He is in the cleft where we will dwell safely until the indignation be overpast. We don't see him perfectly clear in his coming just yet, but he shows himself to us as through a lattice. We can see that he is there but he stands behind a wall. We are not fully able to fulfill our love, but the woman seeks after him and tries to see him more clearly.

We have seen two principles. The woman has a complete and total drawing out after her lover. She seeks him and tries to find him. The second principle is that he calls her away from her other interests. He alone will be the attention of her lover. In meetings, the focus is often on ourselves. We set the time and place. This is not wrong in its time, but it does not spring from life. It springs more from a knowledge of what one should do and that one doing it. While this is not wrong in itself, the love chamber is private and totally spontaneous. It can come about anytime. When one is called to the love chamber, but opts for something else, that is downright offensive and grievous to the Spirit of God.

14. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

He asks her to come and be with him. He delights in her. In the wilderness she dwells in the cleft. He knows who is dwelling there and she is the one invited to come away.

15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

He is concerned for those little foxes that spoil the invitation. The vines are tender and the woman has self doubts which are those little foxes. She looks at her faults and weaknesses. She is troubled that she does not measure up. He says, take the foxes away.

16. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

This is, again, a reference to where he is feeding. And he shall feed her there for 1260 days. We will be fed if we are not chasing our fleshly interests and seeking after worldly gain. We will be fed if we are not touching the dead in the form of our dead relatives and dead interests with our first love. Mankind are such saviors all by themselves and the king is shut out. They think they do the king service but they are foolish. The are only serving themselves. The kings service is to do what the king now is calling the woman to do. If she would rather feed with the dead, she will not find her lover, but, instead, be with the daughters who are thorns in comparison.

If a king asked the woman to bring him a flower, and she did so, that would be doing the will of the king. If the next day the king asks her for a stone but she brings a flower, it would now be considered rebellion.

17. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether (Cleft).

This is the time when the woman is to stay safely in the cleft of the mountain until the day break in her life and all the shadows flee away. Some have come to meeting speaking of their shadows and trials. The woman should remain in the cleft with her lover until those shadows are gone.

— Submitted by "Faithful"

To Song of Solomon - Chapter Three

Posted on 7-15-00