# 27 2024 Dev. SS.2:2. Nature’s Song! Read all of chapter two first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
SS.2:2 “Like a Lilly among thorns is my darling among the young women.”
Song of Songs. For centuries this book has been controversial in terms of how to read it. Is this a literal description of human relationships or is it allegorical, a rendering of the relationship of God and Israel or for Christians, Christ and the church? As we saw two weeks ago we do not need to choose, as an example, read all of Hosea 2. I submit v.23 here “ I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.[i]’I will say to those called ‘Not my people,[j]’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”
SS.2 Nature, creation is the main metaphor here.
V.1 She: “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.” Faith, Mt. 6:29 “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”
V.2 He: “Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the young women. She is unique, she stands out, it is obvious. Do we stand out, is it obvious to others that we follow Jesus?
Vs.3-7 She: praises her lover, he also stands out among nondescript trees, he is shade, he is sustenance, his fruit is sweet. “Let his banner over me be love” She is overwhelmed with love, she is faint, lovesick, she is in his arms. She warns others, love is a serous matter, it has the potential for pleasure but also for great pain. This is human love, but God’s love has no limit, it is pure grace, and provides healing for body and soul.
Vs.8-13 She: continues, he comes to her, he speaks to her, “Arise my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.” He describes for her a beautiful summer day, then he repeats his request, “come with me.” Jesus says: come to me!
His love is like the love of Jesus, relentless, unconditional, describing the beauty of His creation, it is reminiscent of the “Joy of the Redeemed. The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” Is. 35:1-2
Vs.14-15 He: calls her, “My dove…” . He wants to hear her voice, see her face. Their love is new, still fragile, like “our vineyards that are in bloom.” Doves stay together for live.
Vs.16-17 She: My beloved is mine and I’m his;” She describes him as powerful, “like a gazelle”. It is like the love of Jesus, we are His and He is ours. Not for a day, or this year, no, forever! Amen.
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