Song of Solomon
Chapter 6
The Daughters of Jerusalem
SS 6:1 Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside,
That we may seek him with you?
“Where is your Beloved gone, O you fairest among women? where is your Beloved turned aside? That we may seek Him with you?” Song of Solomon 6:1
Their spirit had been stirred by the testimony that flowed out as a river from the inner depths of the Bride, as she gave expression to her love for Him. She set forth the Lord Himself in evident view for the Daughters of Jerusalem to behold, as she had been spending time with Him.
The enemy of our spiritual life continually seeks to turn us aside from this, and will try to tell us: “It is selfish to endeavor to become spiritual, or to spend time waiting on the Lord. Rather, go out and do something for somebody else. Get so busy working for the Lord that you have no time to prepare yourself to work with Him/co labor with Him.
The enemy knows the power that can flow through the life of the one who has been alone with the Lord, in His chambers. He knows the heart cry of those who will eagerly respond – after they “witness” the beauty of Jesus being expressed through the life of His Bride.
“Where is your Beloved gone… that we may seek Him with you.” Song of Solomon 6:1
We must purposely set apart time to wait upon the Lord. As we do, we will fall so completely in love with Jesus and become so like Him, that it will be He that is seen, rather than us. Then, wherever we go, His presence that abides with us will penetrate through every hindering bondage and fear, in those who are witnessing the result of His life in our life. This will bring others to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Lord is calling a Bride out from among those who are still saying, “I have gone to bed, how shall I get up?” These Daughters of Jerusalem know the voice of the Lord to a degree, but they are not committed. They have a limited involvement in the Church and are willing to only go so far. They draw a line, and refuse to go further. They say, “I will not become one of those fanatics.” They know there is a price to pay in order to enter His chambers, and they are not willing to pay it.
How much better it is to arise from our bed of indifference to respond to His knocking on the door of our heart, and then allow Him to guide us upward on the stairs into His chambers, that we might come to intimately know Him; and then, in the manifestation of His presence, share together with Him in the outworking of His purposes.
Now, He can say to us:
The Shulamite
SS 6:2 My beloved has gone to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed his flock in the gardens, And to gather lilies.
In Christianity, the lily is thought of as a symbol of devotion, chastity, purity and passion. Lilies are also associated with rebirth and motherhood. Lilies are used in weddings because they are symbolic to 100 years of love.
SS 6:3 I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.
The Bride has now taken on Solomon’s/Bridegroom’s description of her as her identity. He compares her many times with the flowers and she refers to herself in this passage as such. She sees herself as having been planted and cared for personally by the King with nothing expected of her but to bloom in his care and to accept his love for her. Symbolically, you have been planted by The King where you are at this moment and He planted you so you may be seen and reflect Him to those around you.
Ps. 92:13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
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SCENE VIII – She Awakens and the Veil is Lifted
Son 5:2 -6:3
The Shepherd comes for her, she falters and He is gone! Her soul failed when He spoke. (5:6) She goes to look for Him again and can’t find Him until the watchmen find her and take away her veil. (5:7) The DOJ ask what’s so special about this guy? Notice her change of attitude! Calls Him friend. (5:16) I am my beloved’s (first) and (then) my beloved is mine. (6:3) Contrast with 2:16.
(5:2) I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, [C to B] Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
(5:3) I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
(5:4) My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
(5:5) I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
(5:6) I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
(5:7) The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
Reference: 2 Corinthians 3:13-16
13And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. 16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
(5:8) I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sick of love.
(5:9) What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women? what is your beloved more than another beloved, that you do so charge us?
(5:10) My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
(5:11) His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
(5:12) His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
(5:13) His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
(5:14) His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
(5:15) His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
(5:16) His mouth is most sweet: yeas, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
(6:1) Where is your beloved gone, Oh you fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with you.
(6:2) My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
(6:3) I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine: He feeds among the lilies.
See Luke 12:36 –Luke 12:36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
Of course, she didn’t respond immediately did she? But in (5:7) nevertheless when her heart turned to the Lord her veil was lifted. –
2Cor. 3:16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Blinders taken off.
But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:4
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
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Praise of the Shulamite’s Beauty
The Beloved
SS 6:4 O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with banners!
Tizrah belonged to a neighboring province and each year there would be an inspection of the boundaries between Jerusalem and her neighbors. Upon one such inspection, Solomon was said to have looked out at Tizrah and declare it to be beautiful. The rulers of that province, out of fear for Solomon, presented Tizrah to him as a peace offering. When The King of Kings saw you, He declared you beautiful and with that declaration, any power that previously assumingly held you had no choice but to release you into His ownership.
Gen. 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Ps. 139 says we are wonderfully made.
SS 6:5 lion and the lamb turn your eyes away from me, For they have [a]overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats Going down from Gilead.
Solomon/Bridegroom mentions his Bride’s eyes quite frequently and this serves to remind you that God wants you to look to Him for every step in this life. He enjoys seeing our eyes because He sees His reflection in them and He is reminded that we exercised free choice to look to Him over every other option we have.
Luke 11:33-36 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is [a]good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is [b]bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
SS 6:6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep Which have come up from the washing; Every one bears twins, And none is [b]barren among them.
In this passage, Solomon/Bridegroom is comparing his Bride’s teeth to the beauty of sheep after they have been bathed. Bright and glistening. What stands out to me here is that Solomon was never a shepherd. He was raised in a royal palace and would not have had the need to see sheep after they had been washed. His bride however did work with sheep and there is no doubt she would have mentioned to him her pleasure at the sight of clean sheep. He was speaking to her in ways she could understand. God is an expert communicator with us. He speaks to us in ways we understand and will never stop reaching out to where we are.
SS 6:7 Like a piece of pomegranate Are your temples behind your veil.
I find it beautiful that Solomon/Bridegroom makes mention of her temples again. This is the place on the body where the emotions are easily detected. God is very aware of how you feel and of the things that challenge you emotionally. Your feelings are important to Him and He is protective of your heart. You can trust Him with your feelings and with your emotions.
SS 6:8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, And virgins without number.
SS 6:9 My dove, my perfect one, Is the only one, the only one of her mother, The favorite of the one who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed, the queens and the concubines, And they praised her.
Mal. 3:12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land, Says the LORD of hosts.
“There are threescore queens… My dove, My undefiled is but one….” Song of Solomon 6:8-9
The certainty that all Christians experience the “abiding presence” of the Holy Spirit is absolute. Apart from receiving Jesus as our personal Savior, there are no conditions to meet. For all who are redeemed, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is a reality that can be depended upon.
“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own.” I Corinthians 6:19 Amplified
The Holy Spirit is the perfect type of a crucified life. He is a person, but is totally hidden, as His purpose is to reveal and make Jesus known.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it to you.” John 16:13-14
However, our experiencing the “manifest presence” of Jesus is conditional. To have the ability to recognize the “manifested presence” of Jesus when He knocks on the door of our spirit, and the capability to rightly respond when He does, is dependent upon the development of our “spiritual sensitivity,” and the “poise” of our spirit.
“For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” I Corinthians 2:11-12
This means that we must prayerfully keep our spirit sensitive, or “poised” toward Him, so we will be able to recognize His presence, when He comes to makes known His desire to fellowship with us.
“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me… That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” Proverbs 8:17- 21
As our love for Jesus grows, we will find ourselves expectantly looking forward to these visitations of His manifest presence.
“…There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” I Corinthians 15:44
Our “natural body” is earth bound, and is limited to all that is of the earth realm.
“My soul cleaves to the dust: quicken You me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:25
In our new birth, we are spiritually reborn, we know that we have been born from above and we become a “new creation.”
“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ….” II Corinthians 5:17-18
Being a “new creature/creation,” we are reborn as a spiritual baby with newly created spiritual senses, which must be progressively developed, just as our natural senses gradually matured as we grew.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are [a]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [b]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
It is through these inner spiritual senses that we perceive, or recognize the manifest presence of the Lord.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock….” Revelation 3:20
This “door” is the entrance into our spirit. Those who truly desire the Lord’s friendship will quickly respond to the manifestation of the fact of His presence (knocking), and invite Him to come within the “room” of their spiritual being. Of course, He really doesn’t come, but He is already there.
But, this requires our learning how to open the “door of entrance” into our spirit, when the Lord comes to visit with us – waiting for us to respond to His knock upon the door of our spirit. We must, in an attitude of expectant anticipation and worship, invite Jesus to come within.
I have learned to still myself and the manifest presence of the Lord is there.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The Heavenly Bridegroom attempted to visit His Bride at a time that was inconvenient for her, therefore she failed to respond. Disappointed, He departed because of her reluctance to open the “door of her spirit” to fellowship with Him. But, all was not lost. Instead, He allowed her to recognize the essential difference that exists between the “gifts and blessings” which He willingly left behind for her to find, and the tremendous value of His “manifest presence.”
Jesus longs for us to both desire and seek to know Him as a person, rather than our being satisfied to respond to Him only to receive all that He is willing to provides.
During the time in which the Bride lived, the latch on the door of entrance into her home was located on the inside of the door. It could only be unlatched by reaching through a small hole in the door and unlocking it from within. This provided a limited means of privacy, security, and protection.
The Lord so intensely desired to be with His Bride that He reached through this opening in the door toward the latch, but He did not open it. The “door of entrance” to our spiritual chamber is always within our control and can only be opened by us. This action by the Lord of reaching toward the Bride, deeply stirred her. Later, she testified concerning this,
SS 6:10Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army with banners?
“My dove, My undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her. The Daughters saw her and blessed her….” Song of Solomon 6:9-10
The first is the “Bride,” who can be identified as being a “Church within the Church.” This “hidden” Church within (Bride), first relates to the Lord, and then through Him, to others. The “visible” Church (Daughters of Jerusalem), first relates to others within the church, and then through them, to the Lord.
The Shulamite
SS 6:11 I went down to the garden of nuts To see the verdure (a condition of health and vigor) of the valley, To see whether the vine had budded And the pomegranates had bloomed. (fruit beginning to produce)
This passage is beautiful in the fact it tells the shepherd girls story of finding the king. She lists out where she was going and what she was looking to find. The picture is your life story as well. You set out, at one time, to find things that satisfied your feelings, and like the shepherd girl, there was no mention of intentionally looking for The King. You were caught up in your search for satisfaction and you found what you never thought you would find. You found Him! Your search led you to Him.
The Bride sees herself blooming, maturing, coming into fruition.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name (nature) He may give you.
SS 6:12 Before I was even aware, My soul had made me As the chariots of [c]my noble people.
Ammi-nadib – literally, my people a noble one. The reference is either to Israel at large as a wealthy and dominant nation, under Solomon, or to the bride’s people (the Shulamites) in particular, to the chief place among whom, by her union with the king, she is now exalted.
The Beloved and His Friends
SS 6:13a Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!
The Shulamite
SS 6:13b What would you see in the Shulamite— As it were, the dance of [d]the two camps? ( literally the Dance of Mahanaim)
TWO camps, double camps- spiritual and soulish- feeling, emotions, holding on to past.
The Dance Of The Mahanaim. A Song Of Songs bringing out the beauty of the true story behind the Beloved and the Lover, realizing that the only way to have true Peace with our God, is to experience balance within this broken world we live in. The bride will return to Jerusalem, and we will find our identity in our Saviour, as warriors and servant brides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=kyJC53eUlz4&app=desktop
The shepherd girl’s desire for satisfaction led her to Solomon’s chariot. It was your search for fulfillment that has led you to Him. You have finally found the one whom your soul loves and you knew your search was over when you found Him. Never lose sight of the value of your search. It was necessary in order to bring you to Him.
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Discussion questions C-6:
1. Why does the chorus seek to join in the search for Solomon?
2.Why does Shulamite in 6:2 refer to her body (symbolic of spirit) as “His garden”?
3.Why is the Lord, our Bridegroom so extravagantly in love with you?
4.Is there a connection between Solomon’s visit to the garden in 6:2, the commitment in 6:3, and his affectionate praise that follows?
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