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.
2nd 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. (2nd 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 .
