Song of Songs 1:7-17
7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth,
where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon:
for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,
go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,
and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.
9 I have compared thee, O my love,
to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels,
thy neck with chains of gold.
11 We will make thee borders of gold
with studs of silver.
12 While the king sitteth at his table,
my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me;
he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire
in the vineyards of Engedi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair;
thou hast doves' eyes.
16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant:
also our bed is green.
17 The beams of our house are cedar,
and our rafters of fir. (KJV)
As I have read through chapter one many times I have been struck by the titles the writers refer to each other with. The Shulamite first calls Solomon in verse 7 "O thou whom my soul loveth." Then in verse 8, He replies to her with "O thou fairest among women." He continues in verses 9-11 to pour on her more compliments and refers to her as "O my love." In verse 13 she begins to speak highly of him referring to him as "Wellbelovedved" and in verse 14 "My beloved." In verse 15 "My love" and in verse 16 "My beloved." I would encourage you to read through the chapter and take notice of this back and forth between the two people who are obviously in Love.
Take note that this conversation started in verse 7 as a question. The Shulamite asked a question about where she could find him and by the question, it is obvious that she desired to spend time with her love. What started as a request and a question turned into a romantic discourse between the two. I believe this to be on the account of the nature of her request and the nurture of her request.
The nature of this request was that she desired to be with him, even if it meant hanging around in a field with a bunch of livestock. When I and my wife were dating, and still, we took every opportunity to be together. Many nights she has come to the yard where I was working and held a flashlight, not because I forced her or even asked her but because she wanted to be with me, even if it was working on a car or fixing a well or cutting and hauling firewood. We love each other and therefore we love each other's company. Knowing that someone desires you will create a desire in them for you as well. That was the nature of the request in verse 7. She wanted to be with Soloman no matter if he was in the palace or in the field and so is true love for a person and so should be our love for Christ.
I want to be with him if it means being in a village in Africa or in the finest church buildings in the world. If being with him means working in the field and "feeding his sheep" then that is where I want to be because that is where He is. His presence is the closest thing to heaven we will ever experience down here and I want to be where He is even if it isn't a palace. Is that the nature of your request? When you go to him is your prayer "Not my will but thine?" Apparently, her desire to be with him awakened a desire in Him for her to be with Him. Paul said this in Phillipians 1:23 "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:" Paul desired to be where Christ was and yet had a desire to be where Christ had him. Of all the problems that the Christian could face this is the most blessed one to have. To desire Christ so much that you want to leave this life and see him face to face and yet desire Him so much that you want to stay and do his will. Paul desired to be with Christ and yet, to be for Christ. So should be the nature of our desire for him. That was the nature of the Shulamite's request, "I want to be with you, no matter where."
The nurture of this request was the tender words she used toward him, "O thou whom my soul loveth." She sweetly and tenderly addressed him with words that would express her love for him and evoke his love for her. That same nurture was reciprocated by him when he replied "O thou fairest among women." Not only did he reciprocate the nurture of the request but also the nature of the request. I mean, he now replies with words that express his love for her and evokes her love for him and now he also desires for her to be there. Then something remarkable happens, They leave the original question to go into a discourse of love. He tells her how beautiful she is and even what he is preparing for her in verse 11. Then she returns the same favor and pours on him compliments and words of love and the whole conversation turns into close, intimate communion.
This is a lesson for husbands and wives but what we are focused on are Christ and His bride. How many times are our prayers and request cold and calloused and lack the nature and nurture of what we see in this chapter. We go to him with problem after problem, not desiring him but desiring his deliverance from some situation. Why don't we imitate the nature of this prayer? "Lord I want you, I want to be with you, whatever you want." "If you want me in the field, then that is where I want to be, if you want me in the palace that is where I want to be. If it is dining in the banquet hall or feeding the sheep in the field it doesn't matter. What matters is that I am with you and you are with me!"
Why don't we imitate the nurture of this prayer, "O thou whom my soul loveth!" Be reminded of all the times he has delivered you and how his love is sweeter than wine. Express your love for him, tell him you love him and want to be with him. If we "draw nigh to him, he will draw nigh to you." He will reciprocate those same desires and emotions. Then what started as a request will have turned into communion with your Lord. Cold lifeless prayers become the "effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man." Oh, how we need close communion with our Lord. Lord grant us this sort of prayer. Prayer that we get lost in, Prayer that we don't even know what we originally went to ask for, prayer that is answered with your presence instead of your presents.
Is your love life with the Saviour cold? Do you desire him anymore? Why don't you go to Him today as the Shulamite went to her beloved? Let this be your prayer:
"Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth,
where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon:
for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?" -Song of Songs 1:7
He may very well reciprocate the same nature and nurture of this prayer and soon your prayer will become communion and the joy that you have lacked will be full, the assurance that you have thirsted for will have been fulfilled. You'll find that all you needed is found in his presence and all your burdens he will bear!
"Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth,
where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon:
for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?"