A thought for the evening. This book was written by king Solomon a picture of marriage, love and ultimately of God's affections for Israel. I won't go into my thoughts on the authorship of the book except to point out I see the irony of a man obviously enslaved to his fleshly desires writing about a love so pure and true between TWO people. I assume this book was written early in his life which was quite pristine by Biblical record (prior to the many wives and concubines and falling away from the truth of God).
Do I have a point? Oh ya, I got distracted by Solomon. The red text is the writing of the male, pursuer of the relationship...the Beloved. He is completely taken with the cherished Shulamite woman. It is a extrapolating from the literal text, but I believe we can say that is the same love expressed by Christ for His bride (the believing church). I say this on the basis that "I and the Father are one" said by Christ himself. "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" also said by Christ. The nature of love and affection of the Father is the same as the nature and affection of the Son.
To think that the Lord hungers for his virtuous bride like that. He doesn't just like us, but he is completely taken with passion for us. It says, "there is no spot in thee". Wow, I can think of so many blemishes, but his pure and perfect blood sacrifice has completely covered me. And because his covering is perfect he sees his own perfection and purity in me - in the whole of the believing church.
"A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse". We are pure, virgins for him. And the following response in green is spoken by the Shulamite "...wind...blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may blow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits". What fragrance comes from my garden? Am I pleasant and desirable to him? Is it a place he wants to be?
Or is this another instance of the power of Christ's complete cleansing? Of course he desires to be with his bride, he longs to "eat his pleasant fruits". The fruits of the garden we put there by him! The creator of the universe is waiting for his bride to be completely ready for him, whole. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the bride being prepared by him and yet he is waiting for the moment the Father will give him permission to come and take up his bride.
The bride will be whole and complete when that last precious soul comes into his loving covering. Only the Father knows when it is. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance...his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
We have so much to look forward to as those who walk in faith regarding the promises of God. The union will be sweeter than we could ever hope to imagine. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him". 1 Corinthians 2:9
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