Pleasing to Christ – Song of Solomon 7

Communion Service Meditation. In chapter 6, we saw a restoration of full communion between the Bride and her Beloved. She has recovered from her backslidings and has returned to a life of fruitfulness for Him. In her revived, spiritually quickened state, she draws forth the praise and admiration of her bridegroom.

“These verses remind us of the pleasure Christ takes in His people, even though the characteristics He praises are those which He gave us Himself at conversion.” (Masters)

The chapter divides into two main parts – Vs. 1-8 (The Groom speaks); Vs. 9- 13 (The Bride speaks).

This passage teaches us the joys of the surrendered and consecrated life. It is a life of intimate communion with Christ, knowing His blessing and being fruitful in His service.

We will divide the passage under three main headings for our study:

Observe firstly…

The Praise of the Bride (Vs. 1-8)

The Groom lovingly admires his bride, praising her qualities from her feet to her head (Vs. 1-5) and then finishes with some overall descriptions of praise (Vs. 6-8). Before, “from the sole of the foot even unto the head” was “wounds, and bruises and putrifying sores.” (Isaiah 1:6) This is the last description of the Bride and is by far the richest and fullest. (Hadley)

Specific Words of Praise (Vs. 1-5)

Her Service (Vs. 1)

1. “thy feet with shoes” = she is active in the service of the Lord and that is pleasing to Him. As believers we have been equipped with Gospel shoes and it thrills our Saviour when we put them to use in order to reach others with the message of salvation.
   1. Eph. 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
   2. Rom. 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
   3. Remember, when you go soul-winning you go first and foremost for your Saviour. You are doing it to bring joy to His great heart! This is the highest motivation for soul- winning. And in His eyes, it is a truly beautiful thing when an individual, a church, are active for the Gospel.
2. “O princes’ daughter” = she is now a part of the Royal family of the Redeemed. Her movements are now dignified and graceful as a princess.
3. “thy thighs are like jewels” = the figure again suggests movement. Much of the strength for walking resides in the thighs. He likens them to the work of a “cunning workman”. This points to the truth of Eph. 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Christ is the cunning craftsman and she is the work of His hands.

Her Appetite (Vs. 2)

1. 1. She has a spiritual appetite. This is the part of the body that processes food. The picture is of her spiritual hunger for truth.
   2. She has a spiritual satisfaction. The phrase “thy naval” is the picture of a cup that is full. She is satisfied in the sufficiency of her Lord. John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
   3. The picture of wheat set about with lilies conveys a picture of an abundant provision of spiritual food. It also pictures symmetry and balance. She has a balanced diet, loving the whole council of God.
   4. Challenge: How is your spiritual appetite? Do you have a love for the great doctrines of the faith? A love for the teaching and preaching of God’s Word? It pleases Christ when we cultivate spiritual digestion in our lives.

Her Nurturing (Vs. 3)

1. New babes in Christ require nurture and nourishment. “Having matured in her relationship with Christ, she is capable of cherishing and nourishing the young, feeding them with the sincere milk of the word.” (Hadley) 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
2. The church is to labour to see people birthed into God’s family (John 3:3) but then she must also labour in prayer and discipleship to see those new babes in Christ grow, start walking, and then go on to maturity in the Lord.
3. Gal. 4:19 “My little children, of whom I travail in birth againuntil Christ be formed in you,”
4. Acts 16:5 “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”
5. Col. 2:6-7 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Her Faithfulness (Vs. 4a)

1. The neck speaks of the man’s will. The ungodly are often described as stiff necked in Scripture on account of their will be suborn and rebellious against the Lord (e.g. Acts 7:51). In contrast, her neck is submitted and surrendered to the will of God.
2. Her neck is described as being “as a tower of ivory”. Ivory speaks of strength. She is “firm in her faith and strong in her loyalty to Christ” (Masters). Ivory is white, speaking of righteousness and purity.
3. In Song 4:4 her neck is described as being “…like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.”
4. Her neck is likened to the tower of David (Song 4:4) which was an armoury (weapons storage) for a thousand shields. Her neck is set for the defence of the truth. She is willing to fight her Beloved’s battles, holding the shield of faith. She is faithful and loyal to Him.

Her Refreshing (Vs. 4b)

1. He likens her eyes to “the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim”
2. Bible commentator J. M. Flanigan explains:
   1. Heshbon was the capital city of Moab, the royal residence of Sihon, king of the Amorites, until taken by Moses and afterward held by Gad (Num. 21:26; Josh. 3:10; 13:17, 26). It is situated 20 miles east of the point where the Jordan enters the Dead Sea.
   2. Bathrabbim apparently was one of the gates of Heshbon, and nearby were the two pools referred to.
   3. “The soft glance of the eyes of the Shulamite seemed to suggest to the daughters of Jerusalem the peace and beauty of the quiet limpid waters of the Heshbon pools. There is hope, light, tenderness and joy that shines through the eyes of believers offering refreshment to a dry and thirsty world.”
3. The fishpools “may refer to large and well-known ornamental pools by the entrance of a certain city, giving a visually refreshing welcome to hot and dusty travellers.”
4. The eyes have been referred to as “the gateway to the soul.” As the Bridegroom looks into the Bride’s eyes, He can discern her love and affection for Him. Before salvation, her eyes revealed the inner animosity and enmity of an unregenerate heart. But now, there is tenderness, submission, hope, faith and love in her eyes.

Her Discernment (Vs. 4c)

1. Her nose is described as “the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.” This tower was “evidently a watchtower, a border fortress watching over hostile Damascus. The imagery suggests watchfulness and constant alertness to danger.” (Flanigan)
2. D. Kane: “The illustration here is of an inner well-developed sense, perceptive of danger. Like an elevated watchtower, looking out towards the capital of their restless, cruel foe, the exercise of this discerning ability can restrict potential effects of enemy activity.” E.C. Hadley writes, “If our spiritual senses are active, we should be able to distinguish at once between that which has a sweet savour and that which has a smell of corruption.”
3. 1 Thess. 5:6 “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
4. 1 Cor. 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

Her Wisdom (Vs. 5)

1. The Groom likens her head to Carmel, a mountain renown for its beauty. “Carmel is that well known mount on the Western Mediterranean coast of Israel. It was the site of Elijah’s triumph over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings. 18:19-40). The name ‘carmel’ means fruitful and the mount was renowned for its fertility and for the trees and fragrant flowers which flourished there.” The head is the seat of the mind, hence the picture is that she is growing in her knowledge of her Beloved.
2. He then describes her hair as being “like purple” which is the colour of royalty. 1 Cor. 11:15 “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” The ‘galleries’ may be a reference to the beautiful ringlets falling down and around her face. The hair is a symbol of submission (1. Cor. 11:3-5) and it is this submission to the His will that delights the heart of Christ.

General Words of Praise (Vs. 6-8)

She is Fair (Vs. 6)

The Groom’s heart is moved when he sees the bride’s beauties.

1. The fairness and beauty of the Bride is a reoccurring theme in the Song (e.g. 1:15; 4:7). In fact, the Bridegroom calls her ‘fair’ 11 times in the Book. This is the last time.
2. She is fair because she is clothed in the garments He provided her, the garments of salvation. He has placed His own beauty upon her.
3. Ezekiel 16:10-16 “I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.”

She is Fruitful (Vs. 7)

1. The palm is tree is slender, stately, upright, and elegant, an emblem of “uprightness and fruitfulness.”
2. “thy stature” = “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Eph. 4:11-13)
3. The clusters of grapes also speak of fruitfulness. Hudson Taylor writes, “Abiding in Christ, the true source of fruitfulness, she brings forth clusters of grapes, luscious and refreshing, as well as sustaining – luscious and refreshing to Himself, the owner of the vineyard, as well as to the weary, thirsty world in which He has placed it.”

She is Fragrant (Vs. 8)

1. In Song 2:3, the Beloved (Bridegroom) is likened to “the apple tree among the trees of the wood.” Now, he refers to the her as having the fragrance of apples. She has been feeding on Christ and his sweet fragrance is on her breath. Sadly, many Christians are feeding on the leaks and garlics of the world and therefore have the stench of the world on their breath.
2. Hudson Taylor writes, “Communion with Him has resulted in her carrying His fragrance. This is the outcome of that communion.”
3. Do you radiate the fragrance of Christ in your life? Or does your life carry the stench of the world? The more you walk with Christ and fellowship with Him, the more His fragrance will be discernible in your life.
4. The Groom speaks of embracing his bride and enjoying her love. We cannot yet see our Saviour, yet he draws very near to us by the Spirit, and embraces us in His loving arms, reassuring us that we are His and that He loves us.

Observe secondly…

The Perspective of the Bride (Vs. 9-10)

She is His Sweet Pleasure (Vs. 9)

1. It appears the bride interrupts her beloved mid-sentence as the title ‘Beloved’ is always used by the bride in the Song as her affectionate title of the Groom.
2. Masters: “All her affections are for her groom, and when he praises her attributes she gives them all the more to him.”
3. Rev. 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
4. Col. 1:16 “…all things were created by him, and for him:”
5. Note: Our love and devotion for Christ flowers and blossoms in the environment of His love. We love Him because He first loved us.

She is His Special Treasure (Vs. 10)

1. As a young bride she had been more focused on her ownership of Him – “My beloved is mind, and I am his…” (2:16); “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine…” (6:3). Now she has grown and matured to where her own claims are no longer in focus and she is consumed with the fact that she is His special possession. “Now it is none of self or for self, but all of Thee and for Thee.” (Taylor)
2. The word ‘desire’ is an intense word meaning “longing, craving.” This is a place of total security for the believer. I am Christ’s and I am His forever. Christ loves me with a passion.

Observe thirdly…

The Plea of the Bride (Vs. 11-13)

The bride issues an impassioned invitation to her Beloved to…

• Fellowship with Her (Vs. 11)

Participate in her Labours (Vs. 12)

1. She invites her Beloved into her labours, knowing that His presence, oversight and power are the key to her fruit bearing. His presence “sweetens her toil for him in the field of lost souls.” (Masters) She understands that without him, she cannot and will not bear fruit (John 15). How we need to learn the lesson that it is not about us working for the Lord as much as it is us working with the Lord, yea, Him working through us.
2. His interests are now her interests. She is dedicated and devoted to serving in His vineyard. “Being delivered from thoughts of herself, she becomes deeply interested in the state of his vineyard.” (Hadley)
3. It is in that place of service and labour that she is able to demonstrate her love for Him – “there will I give thee my loves.”

Partake of her Fruits (Vs. 13)

1. She has prepared fruit for her Beloved. We must always remember that our fruit bearing is for Christ, not ourselves. So often we are focused upon our own needs and satisfaction but forget that we were created for His pleasure.
2. The fruits she has prepared are described as “new and old”. She has born fruit in some areas in the past (old) but she hasn’t stopped growing as she also has new fruit for Him as well. She hasn’t just born fruit in the past and then stopped. She is bearing fruit in the present also.

Conclusion

Is your focus and passion on pleasing self or the Saviour?

Sermon 20 of 22 in Song of Solomon Series

Sermon Audio Id: 101820557274659