The Beloved Story Continues

In February I posted about ‘The beloved’ where we explored in a bit the dramatic Love story that ensued in what I consider the greatest soap opera icon of all times, King Solomon.

Yet this dramatic epic love story is a picture of our relationship with Christ with God being the one who entices us and we are captured by his love for us .We see a dramatic scene which ensues where the beloved is captivated by her lover and while this happens she recoils back and she is intimidated by the texture of her skin.

Song of Songs 1:6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! (Esv)

(Please) do not look at me (She said) for I am swarthy. (I have worked out) in sun and it has left a mark upon me. My step brothers were angry with me, and they made me keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard (My complexion) I have not kept .

(Amplified)

This is a picture of us looking down on ourselves because we deem ourselves as undesirable, dark, and full of sin. This is what sin consciousness does to us. When we put so many standards on ourselves instead of focusing on God’s love for us, we will always see ourselves as having fallen short. Despite all the good works that we do in the context of the law, we will feel discouraged and bad about ourselves . Believe me you don’t want to feel, wearied and worn out for appearing good on the outside and utterly wasted in the inside.

Vs 7 tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? (ESV)

The chapter ends with the beloved calling out on her lover to explain some few things. After all this why should the beloved appear to having been veiled among the beloved’s companions? I see the veil representing the Old covenant which is a picture of the Old covenant which veiled us from seeing the true glory of God.

2^nd Cor 3 : 13 . Nor (do we act) like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing splendor which had been upon it . (amplified)

But its not God who veils us, its us who veil ourselves or rather we are veiled when we are under the law from seeing the true glory of God in face of Christ . Whatever comes in between you and God as a barrier preventing you from enjoying relationship with God is a veil.

But the veil is taken away when we turn to the Lord, when we listen to the words of Christ who entice us with his love.

Yes , down to this (very ) day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies  upon their minds and hearts .

But whenever a person turns (In repentance) To the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. (2^nd Cor 3: 15-16, Amplified)

While the beloved is out to complain about some few things about her being veiled, what she doesn’t know is that her beloved has being eying her for a long time. The murmurs and mumblings are swallowed in the words of her lover.

Song of songs 1: 14 -15“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. 15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”

Isn’t it amazing that our lover doesn’t wait for us to craft our apology script or our self pity script but is already endeared to us. To Him we appear as a sweet smelling aroma, lovely all the way. This is the romance that takes place between God and us. God endearing us with himself until we are left captivated by him.

Let’s do away with the little foxes that brushes this romance aside and let us gaze face to face into the yes of the one who loves us. The eternal activity of God is loving us more and more. As long as eternity endures and forever is present, God is in the business of pouring is love into our beings.

Vs 17 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. 17 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains.

Until the song resonates within us that we know that the beloved belongs to us and we belong to him. It’s the story of Christ and the church.  We are the bride of Christ, the beloved of God. Christ loves the Church so much that he lay down everything for her, and now by cleansing her and presenting her as a pure bride without a spot we see love taking a pedestal How I pray that we resound with the song of our love together.

Husband love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, So that he might present the church to himself in glorious splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such things (That she might be Holy and faultless .) (eph 5 :25-26 Amplified)

Picture the exploits of the lover and the Beloved in song of Songs as having been fulfilled and manifested in the love between Christ and the church (which is you and me .)

Knowing that God loves us first is the best way to respond to Gods love, our love finds a pin point accuracy when we draw attention from ourselves and gaze into the eyes of our love, until we gaze and see the glory of him who loved us first, there and then we will reckon ourselves as complete / perfected in love .