| THEY BEAT ME |
|---|
| Beloved 2 I was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night.” 3 I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them? 4 My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening. My heart pounded for him. 5 I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved left, and had gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I didn’t find him. I called him, but he didn’t answer. 7 The watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me. 8 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love. Friends 9 How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? Beloved 10 My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand. 11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels. 13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires. 15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16 His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. |
| Song 5:2 my beloved who knocks – we understand this from Rev 3:20, “behold I stand at the door and knock,” and Rev 3:8, “See I have set before you an open door . . . for you have kept My Word.” The True Church must keep Christ’s commandments, “if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and We will meet him and make our home with him,” (John 14:23). This provides the reason for the “disappearance” of Christ from the Great City, described in Song 5:6-7. Song 5:6 I called to him, but he didn’t answer – in this period, there is still only one Church – which John called “the Great City.” But now the Bridegroom is no longer found in the Great City at all, “the voice of the bridegroom is heard no more” (Rev 18:23). Song 5:7 they beat me – the watchmen, those who protect “the Great City” are beating the saints; the Great Harlot was “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Rev 17:6). |
| Chapter 6 Friends 1 Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you? Beloved 2 My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies. |
| Song 6:1 my beloved has gone down to His garden – Christ is no longer found in the City, but nurtures the saints, in “the garden,” so that they may bear the fruit of the Spirit. |
| Lover 4 You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners. 5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead. 6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing, of which every one has twins; not one is bereaved among them. 7 Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil. 8 There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number. 9 My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed. The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her. 10 Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners? 11 I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower. 12 Without realizing it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots. |
| Song 6:10 awesome as an army with banners – the bride is about to become as an “army” as we see in verse 12, and 13. Song 6:11 to see whether the vine budded – awaiting the consummation of the Marriage, see Song 7:12. Song 6:12 My desire set me with my royal people’s chariots – describing the chariots in Zech 6:1-2, the third being the chariots of white horses, that go after the black horse of the Antichrist, described in Zech 6:6. These are the white horses described in Rev 19:14. |
| Friends 13 Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Lover Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim? |
| Song 6:13 return, that we may gaze at you – the world desires the bride to be visible again – a great mountain – the visible Church. the dance of Mahanaim – meaning “two camps,” or armies, the true Church and the kingdom of the beast. |
| Chapter 7 1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman. 2 Your body is like a round goblet, no mixed wine is wanting. Your waist is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies. 3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a roe. 4 Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus. 5 Your head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses. 6 How beautiful and how pleasant you are, love, for delights! 7 This, your stature, is like a palm tree, your breasts like its fruit. 8 I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit.” Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the smell of your breath like apples. 9 Your mouth is like the best wine, that goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of those who are asleep. Beloved 10 I am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved! Let’s go out into the field. Let’s lodge in the villages. 12 Let’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes produce fragrance. At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, which I have stored up for you, my beloved. |
| Song 7:12 let’s see whether the vine has budded…there I will give you my love – the consummation of the Marriage in the spring time (Matt 24:32). |
| Chapter 8 1 Oh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me. 2 I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate. 3 His left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me. 4 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires. |
| Song 8:1 Oh that you were like my brother – the Bride longs for a deeper relationship, the holy spirit is the seal, that confirms us as a child of God. Song 8:4 do not stir up, nor awaken love – these words signify the end of another section, the saints will now come “out of the wilderness.” |
