Song of Solomon.
Chapter 1:1-3
In beginning a series of devotionals for the chapel web site
my thoughts went immediately to Song of Solomon.
A few months ago I spoke on this wonderful portion of scripture to
the men at the men’s retreat.
I have
more recently been reviewing it expressions and enjoying some new
insights.
I trust that the thoughts
shared over the course of the next few weeks will stir our hearts to a fresh
appreciation of our relationship with the Lord of Glory.
The Song of Solomon, by way of introduction, is a
delightfully inspired love story.
It
has been interpreted in a couple of different ways by saints down through the
ages.
Some have seen it as a love story
between Solomon the King and a Shulamite woman.
Others have seen in it a love triangle between Solomon, who is
trying to woe the Shulamite woman, and her love for a shepherd boy who also is
deeply in love with her.
Many however
also see within its pages in type and symbol a wonderful picture of the love of
the Lord toward His people.
I think
that we would be a bit wooden not to see within its pages, the love of a savior
for those he came to save.
We, by way of devotional thinking, will be considering this
account as it relates to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, toward us His
bride, the Church.
Certainly, by way of
application, we can relate many of the stirring accounts of this book to the
intimacy of that relationship.
We will
take the literal interpretation and seek through it see the substance of which
the shadow portrays, at least to our hearts as the espoused bride of an eager
and passionate bridegroom.
With that said let’s consider the verses before us
today.
“
For your love is better
than wine, because of the fragrance of your good ointments; Your name is
ointment poured forth.
Therefore the
virgins love you.”
This story begins with the passion of the lover of her
soul.
The first word for love that we
encounter here is a word that means “to boil” .
It came to be translated as “love” from the passion and boiling
of the emotion that love will often stir in the breast.
The Love of this one is bubbling over.
It is passionate.
It is seeking.
We find a
wonderful example of this in chapter two verses eight thru fourteen.
Our Lord was the pursuer of our soul.
He sought us, and then bought us with His
own precious blood.
When we were still
dead in our trespasses and sins the” hound of heaven” pursued our soul.
How wonderful it was when our souls yielded
to Him.
We began to enjoy the fragrance of His “good ointment”.
“His name is ointment poured forth.”.
His name represents His character, His
reputation, His integrity, all that He is.
What a wonderful name.
The
psalmist in Psalm 8 says, “O LORD our Lord, How excellent is your name….”
And Solomon in Proverbs 18:10
exclaimed,
“The name of the LORD is a
strong tower the righteous run into it and are safe….”
His name, all that He is and means to us, is poured
out.
Not contained in a vase or jar
sealed so that none of the fragrant aroma can escape and be experience by man.
It is opened yea poured forth so that all can enjoy its fragrance.
O How we enjoy the fragrance of that name,
of that person.
May you this week as you walk in a world, that is more aptly
described by Ecclesiastes 10:1,
“Dead
flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment and cause it to give off a foul odor; so
does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”,
seek the fragrance that is sweet.
All the things of this world are as “a fly in the
ointment”.
They will distract and cause
one to miss the enjoyment of the fragrance of that peerless name.
May we not be allured by them, but by the
fragrance of a name who has become to us, our all in all.
KHH