In The Word
Read: Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1
The Bride
6 “What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like columns of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?
The Chorus
7 Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
8 All of them are wielders of the sword,
Expert in war;
Each man has his sword at his side,
Guarding against the terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”
Solomon’s Love Expressed
4 “How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
Which have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
3 Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
And your mouth is beautiful.
Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with layers of stones
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the warriors.
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
That graze among the lilies.
6 Until the cool of the day
When the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.
7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish on you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
You shall come with me from Lebanon.
You shall come down from the summit of Amana,
From the summit of Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.
9 You have enchanted my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much sweeter is your love than wine,
And the fragrance of your oils
Than that of all kinds of balsam oils!
11 Your lips drip honey, my bride;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a sealed fountain.
13 Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates
With delicious fruits, henna with nard plants,
14 Nard and saffron, spice reed and cinnamon,
With all the trees of frankincense,
Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”
The Bride
16 “Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its delicious fruits!”
The Torment of Separation
The Groom
5 “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends;
Drink and drink deeply, lovers.”
or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In today’s reading, the king wooed his future bride with romantic and flattering words. God built romance to be a holy, essential part of marriage. However, a married couple may neglect the romance portion of their relationship. Instead of remaining romantically consumed with each other, they get caught up in the other things of life. The other relationships, responsibilities, and interests of life do deserve serious attention, but they are not to replace or come in between the love of a married couple. Even worse, the spouses can wrongly replace kind, loving words with harsh, argumentative, demeaning words.
At the Israelite temple, there were workers who had the daily responsibility to care for the altar: clean out the dead coals from the prior day, stir up the fiery embers that remained, and place new wood on the embers so that a flaming fire was restored. This portrays how married love is to be kept burning strong and bright. With our spouses, we must each day forgive any past mistakes, renew our love and faithful commitment, and put romance and passion in the relationship.
If you are married, look at your wedding ring and recall your wedding day with all of the love and commitment you had for your spouse. Is your marriage relationship still full of loving passion and romance? If not, do what is necessary to restore romance. Rekindle the embers of love by showing genuine affection, saying loving words, having physical romance, and keeping a forgiving heart.