Song of Songs 4:1-7
1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair;
thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 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. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely:
thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 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. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
This canticle or poem is a declaration of the Shulamites beauty. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it is true. What one man deems beautiful another may think is hideous. Men's judgments are jaded by personal preference there is no man who can rightly judge beauty, but the judge of beauty is no man in our scripture today. Yes, it is Solomon but more importantly it is the Holy Spirit who inspired this poem, not with Solomon and the Shulamite in mind but Christ and his bride. He is the perfect judge of beauty; He can rightly say what is and is not beautiful. Rest assured if he deems something or someone beautiful then it is beautiful. What a thrill to know that the perfect judge of all things has deemed his bride beautiful. "All fair" is the words used and the same statement was made in the first chapter of this book: [Song of Songs 1:15] "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes." This shows us that his love has not grown cold or changes over through the chapters. The process of time has not eroded his evaluation of our beauty.
Notice the great detail Solomon uses in describing the beauty of his love. This is a practical lesson to husbands, as we are called to love our wives as Christ also loved the church. Which I believe this poem is an illustration of. Husbands, have you ever declared your feelings of attraction to your wife? Have you told her she was beautiful and that the years have not eroded her beauty? Sure, the years may have eroded some less important things like skin, hair and other outward perceptions of beauty but she is still the same women you loved then and now. Here is a practical lesson in making your bride blush, in declaring your love to her. It has been foolishly said that a man told his wife on their wedding day that he loved her and if anything changed he would let her know. That is not the attitude that the Holy Ghost portrays to us here or in any other portion of scripture. Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and this book of Solomon is a good illustration of what that looks like. Our studies have been more spiritually applicable, but we could not pass over such a needful, practical application of these verses.
The beauty of this bride is compared to things you would have seen in God's promised land. In the hills and valley's that surround God's holy city. The description of this women is filled with the beauty of Israel in its most prosperous time. Solomon's reign will only be outdone in beauty and wealth and peace by that of Christs' reign on earth. The beauty he sees are directly comparable to the blessings of God on his people. The beauty that is seen in us is not of our own doings, but we are being formed into his image, we are his workmanship, He is performing that good work in us, and he is the author and the finisher of our faith. Our perfection is his work, our beauty is because of Him. All the beauty he sees in his bride is comparable to the blessings God had put on His people in the land of promise. Be assured when Christ sees us he has a heart full of love for us. His evaluation of his bride, the Church, is very high. Think of all the promises God has made to us, his people, his bride. Far greater than land and hills and flocks and towers. We have not the beauties of earth bestowed upon us but the beauties of Heaven! The parts and members of us being built up is not an earthly house but a spiritual and far greater is the beauty of the church, than the Shulamite woman. Even greater is the one who has set his eyes of love on us, Christ. To have the King of kings have such high thoughts of you, it is hard to imagine, but it is true. Solomon said of his bride "there is no spot in thee." Christ has said of his bride "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing."
[Eph 5:25-27] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The Shulamite had no spot, but as time progressed, we know that its toll on her appearance and there were wrinkles, spots and blemishes that appeared, as it is with everyone who ages, but being the bride of Christ means that the process of time does not erode our beauty. Instead of becoming older and spots and wrinkles and blemishes coming more and more, they become less and less. The longer we walk with Christ and the more our hearts are in tune with his, then the more like him, who is "without blemish", we become. We are being formed into his image and how beautiful we will be when we are finally made like him and presented before him spotless!
In that day he will say "thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee."
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