THE SONG

OF

SOLOMON

(A simple verse-by-verse study)

James S. Hodges

INTRODUCTION

This book is designed for the readers to have their King James Bible open to read the verses for themselves. The comments on each chapter and verse are set in a simple format which is easy to understand and easy to follow along. This book is the result of a series of Sunday School lessons I taught dealing with the meaning of The Song Of Solomon verse by verse. People who were able to faithfully attend those lessons told me they were helped in a great way in understanding this unique part of Scripture.

Before we begin our study, keep in mind that it is not by coincidence that the book of Ecclesiastes is before The Song Of Solomon. Ecclesiastes gives a picture of man being separated and apart from God, only to find that man can be restored from his fallen state to God when The Song Of Solomon comes into view. If you, dear reader, have not personally trusted Jesus Christ to save you, you must do so now before it is eternally too late. If you are not saved, this book does not apply to you. Why study about a Bridegroom you never were engaged to and hear about a place called Heaven where you are not going if you were to die right now.

The Song Of Solomon gets rid of all the humanistic views of religion and salvation. It shows us that salvation is not about ritual and religion. It is an intimate, spiritual love affair with the Lord Jesus Christ.

James S. Hodges

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 1

Verse 1: I Kings 4:32 speaks of Solomon writing many proverbs and songs. This song however is known as the “song of songs.” The Holy Spirit lets us know that out of the many songs that were written, this one is of the utmost importance.

Verse 2: A kiss is a sign and token of trust. Here the bride is placing her trust in the bridegroom. This is signifying the beginning of personal relationship. This pictures one coming to know Christ as their personal Savior, thus becoming a member of the Bride of Christ. One of the most important things this book teaches is that salvation is a relationship and has nothing to do with religion. It is a spiritual, intimate love affair with the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalms 2:12 says: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Verse 3: Odors are often referred to in the Bible as influences. Jesus referred to Peter’s influence being of Satan, due to the statement Peter made concerning the death of Jesus which was to be fulfilled. Jesus responded to Peter in Matthew 16:23: But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. When the word savour is mentioned here in verse 3, it is describing the wonderful influence and impact Christ put upon mankind. That is why the bride put her trust in Him because of the love He bestowed upon her. And that is why we who are saved put our trust in Him because of the love He showed for us on the cross. Ephesians 5:2 says: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

When you see the word virgins in this verse, it is reminding us that the bride is seen as one but is made up of many individuals that have been redeemed.

Verse 4: We must remember that God chose us; we did not choose Him. Jesus said in John 6:44: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. How God draws us is given in John 12:32: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Christians are to be witnesses in this world and are to lift up the name of Jesus, while the Holy Spirit does His part in convicting the lost who have the Gospel presented to them.

Also notice the phrase in this verse “the king hath brought me into his chambers.” The word “chambers” is plural, signifying in the context of this verse that one is saved one way, but has entered into another realm of experiences and blessings or “chambers.” Every true born again believer are all saved by faith in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, but are on different “chambers” of fellowship in their daily walk after they have become a child of God.

Verse 5: Liberals all of a sudden want to make a racial issue out of this verse. This is not talking about race at all. The “social gospel” crowd need to realize, it is not a skin problem but a sin problem. In reading the context of this chapter while comparing scripture upon scripture of the verses we have already examined. The person who has now become the bride by receiving the Bridegroom as their Savior is now giving a testimony of their condition in this sin-cursed world. We are all sunburned with the blackness of sin, but we are “comely” in His sight that He still loved us enough to take our place on the cross so that we might have eternal life. Love is not actually blind, but it sees more than we see; therefore it is willing to see less.

Verse 6: In this verse the bride goes on to describe her unworthiness due to sin, but another problem comes in the picture. The members of her family become furious of her conversion, just as Jesus said would happen for His name’s sake. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 10:35-36: For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Notice also that she claimed “mine own vineyard have I not kept.” One of the main problems we have in this world is that we don’t take care of our own business, but we are busy in taking care of other people’s business. A very important business we need to take care of is where we are going to spend eternity. I believe that if we could interview a majority of people who died without Christ and went to Hell, they would all say they did not receive Christ because they had their eyes on other people’s “vineyards” and did not consider their own. The natural man is very ludicrous in going to Hell over a hypocrite. We are all hypocrites to an extent, but salvation is not based on whether you are good or bad, but whether you are saved or lost.

Verse 7: Here is a picture of the babe in Christ learning to walk as a Christian. This verse is a question that mostly every newborn child of God would ask. That question is, “Now that I’m saved, what do I do now?” This is what is meant by the phrase in this verse: “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon.” This is a question that should be constantly on every Christian’s mind daily. We are instructed to desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).

The second phrase in this verse which says, “…for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?” is a question most often asked of new converts. In order for us to be

powerful Christians, we must be willing to get rid of some worldly routines we were used to before we were saved. The answer to these questions are given plainly in the next verse.

Verse 8: Notice the command in this verse to, “go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.” If you are confused about what you should do after you are saved, then be honest about the places you may go, or the people you hang around with. Would God approve of these places you may go, or the friends you may be associated with? Consider what Hebrews 10:25 says: “Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

The Christian is commanded to find an oasis in this dry, desolate world by fellowshipping with other blood-washed believers and being an example to other new converts.

Verse 9: We must note here that whenever the words, “my love,” appear, it is the Bridegroom speaking to the bride. When the words, “my beloved,” are used, it is the bride speaking to the Bridegroom. In this verse the Bridegroom is using a symbolic way of how overwhelming the beauty of the bride is to Him. We are very precious in His sight.

Verse 10: There are two things valuable in a Christian’s life. First the cheeks, which is a symbol of humility. This is how we are to be when faced with opposition (Matthew 5:39). It is important to obtain patience if you are to be a victorious Christian. This will condition your life for the second valuable thing in a Christian’s life. This is labor, which is symbolized by the neck. The neck is the place where the yoke is placed upon for servitude.

What God is trying to tell us in this verse is that our humility and patience combined with our obedience to work and serve Him is of great value in His sight.

Verse 11: Notice the plural word, “We” used in this verse. This is one reference to the trinity of God. 1 John 5:7 says: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” This verse in 1 John is missing in the new, modern versions, or should I say perversions. Did not God refer to Himself as plural in Genesis 1:26: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:….”

Silver in the Bible is a metal used to symbolize redemption. We will study more closely on this later on in this book.

Verse 12: Right now, the Lord Jesus Christ is sitting at the table. Meanwhile, we are to go forth and work in the vineyard and perform great labor that is sweet smelling to His nostrils. Remember that fragrances are pictured as influences in the Christian’s life. It was spikenard that the woman in Mark 14:3 sacrificially gave unto Jesus to anoint His body for burial.

While the King is at the table, are we willing to sacrificially give of ourselves to the labor in His fields?

Verse 13: Myrrh symbolizes Christ’s entire earthly ministry from His birth to His death on the cross. Notice that the bride says He will lie between her breasts all night. Remember that within the center of your chest is your heart. The bride is saying that she has perfect peace at night because He dwells within her heart.

Verse 14: Camphire is another fragrance describing the Bridegroom, but it is the place where His influence is present which is key of this verse. Engedi is the place where David hid when his life was threatened by Saul. The verse is teaching us that we have a refuge and the Bridegroom is sweet in the time of trouble.

Verse 15: Here the Bridegroom responds to the bride because here the words my love is used. Notice that He refers to the eyes of the bride by saying, “thou hast doves’ eyes.” If you recall when Jesus was baptized, the Bible says in Matthew 3:16: “…and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.” The Bridegroom expects our eyes or our focus to be filled with the Spirit of God. Read what Jesus says in Matthew 6:22:

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

Verse 16: Now the bride is responding to the Bridegroom because the words my beloved are used. The bed used in this verse is used to describe that man will rest their souls upon. We are reminded of a bed in Revelation 2:22 which speaks of doctrinal and spiritual fornication that men will find rest in. I thank God we have a bed that is green and full of life that we can find rest in.

Verse 17: Certain trees are used in the Bible to describe mighty men and kings. 2 Kings 19:23 uses the cedar trees and fir trees to symbolize the mighty men in Israel’s army that God was going to cut down for their sin. With this in mind, the foundations of God’s army are to be mighty and called to a high standard. Where are the people of God who will earnestly contend for the faith? The structure of God’s household needs some good beams and rafters in these days of spiritual wickedness.

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 2

Verse 1: Here in this chapter deals with valleys. The previous chapter dealt with a vineyard. The Bridegroom starts off in this chapter telling the bride that he is the center of all the love and grace she encounters in this world. Sharon is known as a beautiful and romantic place in that part of the world. Notice the plural word “valleys” in this verse. This tells us that He is there in every trial we may face and when we look to Him in the times of trouble, He makes it easier to get through.

Verse 2: Here He describes us of how He sees us within this world mingled together with unsaved people. We as Christians are to be peculiar in the eyes of this world. Jesus gave the parable in the Gospels about the wheat and tares. He talks about how the world is right now before He comes back. The wheat represents the born-again children of God and the tares represent the unsaved, natural people who are not children of God.

This is another way in this verse of how He distinguishes His children (the lily) and the devil’s children (the thorns). This is another verse in the Bible that proves the “brotherhood of man” theology is false. Not everybody in this world are children of God. The world is divided between the saved and the lost, or in other words, the “whosoever wills” and the “whosoever won’ts.”

Verse 3: The bride responds back to the Bridegroom in this verse using trees in a symbolic sense describing that He (the apple tree) is the only one in this world that offers genuine security and nourishment, despite all the other “trees” this world has to offer.

Verse 4-5: Here the bride is rejoicing in the valley because He is able to give us joy and blessings. David said in Psalms 23:5: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” God is not limited to where we are at in order to give us a blessing. As the bride realizes this, the next verse (5) she has reached the mountaintop and doesn’t want to come down. It is very hard to come down off the mountain and go back in the valley. Again, that is why we are reminded earlier in this chapter in verse one the word “valleys” is plural. We are not limited to one trial and tribulation in this life.

These verses are very important in reminding us that after we are saved, we are to be filled with the Spirit of God and endued with power from on high in order to take on the valleys. (Read Ephesians 5:18).

Verse 6: This is a very unique verse that describes how He is not only able to save and keep us, but also able to comfort us. I bring your attention to Revelation 1:17 of how John was comforted with His hand: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.” I am glad He has a hand that saves us (left hand) and a hand that comforts us (right hand).

Verse 7: The bride is making it very clear in this verse that her relationship with the Bridegroom is more important than any other relationship with others. We who are saved are to fear God rather than to fear man.

Verse 8: Let it be known at this point, that the rest of this chapter is very prophetic and deals with Christ’s second coming. We saw earlier in this chapter the bride getting in proper fellowship and being Spirit-filled after her salvation experience. In this verse we start to see a picture of the blessed hope, which every Christian should be looking for (Titus 2:13).

Verse 9: At the beginning of this verse, the bride is describing His graceful attribute to an antelope. Then the bride gives a remarkable description of how it is right now in this present time before He comes back. Right now, we do not see Christ face to face. He dwells within the child of God by the presence of the Holy Spirit and we see Him by reading His Word, but He sees us very clearly.

Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

What a blessed day it will be when we trade our faith for sight!

Verse 10-11: These verses signify the imminent return of Christ for His church. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 add a lot of light to this. Words cannot describe how happy the saints of God will be when they are caught up in the air to be with the Lord. Until then, we must be busy in the vineyard.

Verse 12-13: These two verses jump to the millennial reign of Christ after the Rapture and seven year Tribulation. There are a lot of global government programs today trying to bring forth a world of peace described in verse 12. True peace will not come until the Prince Of Peace finally arrives. Verse 13 relates to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:32: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”

Verse 14: We who are saved and study our Bible, know who the “rock” is but notice there are “clefts of the rock.” This describes once again that we are saved by one Rock, but everybody who is born-again are not living on the same spiritual level. This also is symbolized “in the secret places of the stairs” and shows that some in the body of Christ are closer to God in fellowship by remaining on the “top step” rather than the “bottom step.”

Verse 15: There are a lot of things to be said about how cunning a fox is. Notice the tender grapes in this verse. Grapes are used to make wine and wine (unfermented wine that is) in the Bible is used to describe joy. If you, dear Christian, have lost the joy you ought to have, then you need to get rid of those “little foxes” in your life that spoil your vine. Read Hebrews 12:1-2.

Verse 16-17: These two verses simply show an Old Testament way of saying, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 3

Verse 1: Hebrews 4:9 says: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” And verse 11 of Hebrews 4 goes on to say: “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” The word “unbelief” relates to disobedience toward the service of God. It is a true saying about “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” and Christians need to beware of becoming complacent about the things of God. That is why we find the bride “restless” in this verse. Also read Matthew 11:29-30.

Verse 2: James 4:8 says: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” Notice it is our responsibility to be close to Him, by us drawing to Him first. A great verse of Scripture that parallels with this one and describes how our rest in Him is doing His will is found in Jeremiah 5:1: “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.”

Verse 3: The watchmen are people referred to, in a spiritual application, as servants of God. In a literal sense, the city had watchmen who protect the city by keeping an eye out for the enemy. Later we will find an interesting situation between the bride and the watchmen.

Verse 4: The bride is going back where it all began. We must not forget our first love like the church of Ephesus did in Revelation 2:4. We must always have our testimony on our mind and never forget when and how the Lord saved us.

Verse 5: Here the fellowship is restored again. Notice the boldness and warning she gives to the people around her. Her fellowship with the Bridegroom is more important than with her fellowship with the world.

Verse 6: God’s presence was represented by a cloud in the wilderness to the children of Israel. The myrrh is a fragrance that describes the death of Christ. The frankincense describes His resurrection.

Verse 7: This is a carrying bed where the servants would carry the king around in. The word “valiant” means bold and courageous. We need to be courageous when we carry around Jesus in this lost world. We cannot successfully do that if we don’t have proper fellowship with Him.

Verse 8: We know from reading Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is a sharp two-edged sword. What a good picture of soldiers of Christ carrying the Word on their thighs ready to take on the forces of darkness.

Verse 9-10: I see this as a picture of the whole church. The chariot represents the church and the wood that made the chariot represents each redeemed individual which makes up the church. Notice the wood came from Lebanon. The word Lebanon means “white” and our sins are made white by the blood of Jesus Christ. Also notice the pillars are made of silver. Silver is a metal that represents redemption, while gold represents deity. There is redemption written all over this chariot and it is all because of the love of God. That is why the midst was paved with love as verse 10 mentions. We did not love Him first, but He first loved us and it is by His grace that we don’t get what we deserve, which is eternity in Hell.

Verse 11: This verse can be simply put in just a few words. Although it is referring to Solomon, remember Solomon is a picture of Christ and we can read this verse as saying to us, “Behold, King Jesus!”

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 4

Verse 1-2: This chapter begins describing the beauty of the bride and how Christ sees us for what we should be as Christians. In verse (1) the eyes of the bride is described as being compared to a dove. This goes along once again with Matthew 6:22 in how we can be filled with the Spirit based upon how focused we are on the things of God. The hair goes along with Ephesians 6:17 that mentions about the “helmet of salvation” and refers to the reminding of our salvation experience. Gilead was known as a place of redemption and it was there where a tree had a certain balm that would heal wounds. Hair is a symbol of power and the only power we have as saved people is our faith in what happened at Calvary, which is our “Gilead.”

In verse (2) the teeth are described as being very white in a unique way. Teeth are the instruments used in devouring food and in a spiritual sense, our teeth can be white by desiring the sincere milk of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). Knowing this, we need to examine our spiritual hygiene and quit feeding upon the world’s philosophy which causes a lot of “cavities.”

Verse 3: Before we go any further, it is important in realizing within these first five verses the physical characteristics which are given by the Bridegroom. To sum it all up, He is revealing to us how personal and how well He knows us physically and spiritually. I’m thankful that God is a personal God and desires to intimately know me and wants to be involved in every aspect of my life. Now getting to this verse, notice the lips are like a thread of scarlet. I’m reminded in the book of Judges how Rahab the harlot was delivered by a “scarlet thread” which was a picture in the redeeming power of the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Bridegroom wants our lips to be moving with the words of deliverance to this lost and dying world telling others about the shed Blood for the sins of man.

The temples being compared with pomegranates describes what our mind ought to be set on. That is, our mind should be focused on bearing forth fruit for the Lord. A pomegranate is a fruit known for containing a lot of seeds within. Therefore a pomegranate is fruit made to produce other fruits of its kind, which reveals the purpose that a Christian is left here on this earth to bear forth and produce other Christians.

Verse 4-5: Remember that the neck is a symbol of servitude and work because this is where the yoke is placed upon us. Notice also in verse (4) that it is adorned with shields of mighty men. A shield is pictured in the Bible as faith, which goes along with the “shield of faith” in Ephesians 6:16. Our labor for Him is to coexist with faith that we may “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

In verse (5) the breasts symbolizing spiritual nourishment and maturity, which in return we feed and edify the flock of God. There is always room for edifying the believers and this will not occur if our “breasts” are not developed as they should be spiritually.

Verse 6: This goes along with remembering what the Lord has done and is going to do. Remember the myrrh represents His death and the frankincense His life. This will bring us comfort “until the day break” of His glorious return.

Verse 7-8: Verse (7) shows that Christ, as the second Adam described in 1 Corinthians 15:47, will present us spotless which is the exact opposite of what the first Adam did for us. In verse (8) we are shown how He will never leave us nor forsake us through the thick and thin. The word Amana refers to “continuance” while the word Hermon refers to “rugged.” Daniel, the prophet, can testify to this as being one who was in a lions’ den.

Verse 9: Note the number “one” in this verse. The context so far deals with the subject of service and perseverance. The number “one” refers to unity and the body parts, such as the eye and neck are once again mentioned. We are dear to His heart when our “looking” and our “labor” are conformed into a oneness of performing His desires instead of our own.

Verse 10: This verse is the key and the root of all the success we can do for God. We can never have any desire to at least do anything for Him if we didn’t first have a love for Him. This verse goes perfectly along with 1 Corinthians 13, which deals with the most vital possession that a Christian can have in the work for God, known as charity.

Verse 11: In James 3:2, it mentions about the tongue is vital to one’s spirituality. If a person can control it, that person can control their whole body. Notice underneath the bride’s tongue is honey and milk. Honey represents grace and milk represents God’s Word. Again we are challenged as God’s children to be speaking the Word Of God and His wonderful grace to a lost and dying world.

Verse 12-15: There are many things I could mention about these few verses, but time and space would not allow me. It can be all summed up into simple explanation. The church is described as a garden and within that garden is made up different kinds of herbs, fruits, and plants. This teaches us that although the Body of Christ is one, there are different types of saints that make up this Body. Please read 1 Corinthians 12:11-12 and see how it parallels with these verses. Also it is important to note about the spices in verse (14) which are known for the fragrances they give off. The plants represent Christians, while the fragrances represent the worship of the Christians. Verse (15) goes along with John 4:14. This shows that we are part of the Body of Christ and worship Him because we are indwelled by the Spirit of God.

Verse 16: This is a very important lesson on how Christians can be fruitful. Notice the “north wind” is asked to blow upon the garden, which is to be followed by the “south wind.” The “north wind” represents death because of its cold chill that brings deterioration to vegetable and plant life. Christians need to learn how to die to self before they can obtain the “south wind” which represents life. Are you, dear Christian, willing to ask God to send the wind of death your way so your life may be more yielded to the Spirit of God, rather than fulfilling the desires of the flesh?

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 5

Verse 1-2: In the beginning of this chapter we find the Bridegroom coming within the garden to fellowship with the saints. This portion of the chapter goes along with Christ standing in the midst of the golden candlesticks in Revelation 1:13, which represents Him standing in the midst of the church. Unfortunately, we will find Him standing at the door in verse (2) asking to come in because of broken fellowship. This goes along with Revelation 3:20 and the picture of what kind of state the bride is in, is that of the Laodicean church described in latter part of Revelation 3. Laodicea means “people’s rights” and shows that Christians can be out of fellowship with the Bridegroom when we are more concerned about our own ways rather than His.

Verse 3: Here the bride is giving excuse for not opening the door of fellowship and mentions the same problem once again as the church of Laodicea had in Revelation 3:17. In other words, the bride thinks she is in need of nothing because she has received so much of a blessing previously. This leads to a very important thought of how Christians tend to backslide after receiving a blessing and overcoming a crucial battle. The danger of getting victory over a circumstance is becoming complacent in life where you don’t think you need God anymore. This describes the problem with a lot of Christians today, but we will also find that the Bridegroom will do anything He can to get our attention.

Verse 4-6: Notice how the Bridegroom did not knock the door down. He will only come in by your permission, but He will let you know He is there. When the bride started to answer the door, we find that He was gone but left the fragrance of myrrh upon the handles. Remember the myrrh represents His death and also reminds us that we need to die to self once again and seek Him while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). This goes along again with the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:19 where He warns us to be zealous to repent, because if we don’t He will chasten us. This is what will happen to the bride here because she was not zealous to repent.

Verse 7-8: We now find something interesting concerning the watchmen. The means that were used to chastise the bride was the watchmen, who were highly esteemed people in the city because they protected the people from danger. Here we find that what was used to protect is now used as instruments of persecution. God reminds us in our chastisement that man is not to be trusted, as well as other material things of the world. Then we find in verse (8) how the bride is concerned about restoring the fellowship of her “first love.” The veil being taken away can relate to 2 Corinthians 3:15-16 if studied carefully.

Verse 9: Here we find sort of a sarcastic question that is asked by the lost people who don’t know the Bridegroom. Basically what they are asking is, “What is the difference between your religion and others?” When we are faced with a question that relates to that one we must answer boldly as the bride does in the remaining verses.

Verse 10: One difference between Him and others is He is deity. He was and is God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16).

Verse 11: The black hair represents vigorous power and life. In Revelation 1:14, He has white hair symbolizing His purity and wisdom and how He is the Ancient of days. The gold in this verse represents deity once again.

Verse 12: In the Gospel of Luke, He is described as the Son of Man and being filled with the Spirit. This goes along with the mention of “doves” in this verse. Notice His eyes are “fitly set.” This reminds us of His dedicated and complete focus upon us.

Verse 13: Notice His cheeks are mentioned. Remember that the cheek is a symbol of humility and this verse refers to His humility to die on the cross, which is pictured by the myrrh once again concerning His death.

Verse 14: This verse pictures His deity and humanity at the same time. Of course the gold represents His deity, but now His belly is mentioned. As concerning His humanity, He fed upon the spiritual things which gave Him a pure belly and He began to wax strong in the Spirit (Read Luke 2:40).

Verse 15: Here His legs are mentioned. I’m glad that His legs are beyond the description of the legs of man. This shows me that He is willing to walk with us anywhere and not get weary.

Verse 16: In the conclusion of His characteristics, the bride mentions in a symbolic way that there is no guile found in His mouth. With all of this being said, she answered the lost people surrounding her.

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 6

Verse 1: Here we find the reply from the people who heard the answer from the bride in chapter 5. They now seem interested in the Bridegroom. This goes along with John 12:32: “If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Verse 2: The answer to where He is now in this verse goes along with John 14:2: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Verse 3: The bride reminds herself that she is bought with a price and is not her own possession. This chapter seems to emphasize the value of the Christian and the Lord that bought the Christian.

Verse 4: The Bridegroom is now speaking to the bride and gives some important resources of her beauty. Those resources are described in the “banners” which relate to the standards of the Christian. I believe the “banners” are best described in Galatians 5:22, which names the nine fruits of a Spirit-filled Christian. Also notice we are referred to as an “army” symbolizing that it is a war in the spiritual realm we are involved in for the souls of men.

Verse 5: Here the Bridegroom is ravished by the bride’s beauty due to the great service she is performing or at least is expected to perform. Her hair is mentioned again, which represents the source of her power. Read the comments in Chapter 4:1 where this was mentioned before.

Verse 6: Once again the bride’s hygiene is complemented. Remember it is the milk of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:1-3) that keeps our teeth white and prevents the “cavities” caused by false doctrine.

Verse 7: Again our mind is to be set on the purpose of fruit-bearing, which is described by the pomegranate. (See the comments in Chapter 4:3). A great verse that goes along with this is Philippians 4:8.

Verse 8-9: Let me start by quoting Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Notice it says to the body of believers that we are seen as “one” although we are made up of many members. This reminds me of a wedding, which pictures salvation, and I’m reminded that when the wedding march is played everyone’s eyes are focused on the bride. The world is always looking at us, especially if we live the peculiar life that God would have us to live as Christians. We will either be looked at sarcastically or in admiration.

Verse 10: I believe this reminds us of how the world, regardless of the various masks they portray, is looking for something different among professing Christians. That is a glorious and holy difference that is lived by a godly example rather than just words. 1 Peter 2:9 goes along with this.

Verse 11: Many people who know me very well would probably consider this to be my life’s verse because they think I’m a “nut.” If that is the case, I will say an “amen” to that. I’m glad to be a “nut” for Christ’s sake. Remember Christian, it is not by accident that the world calls us “nuts” because that is what God sees us as too. God has chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, according to 1 Corinthians 1:27. The problem with some “nuts” is that some have harder shells than others and is not as sensitive to the Holy Spirit as they should be.

Verse 12: This refers to our characteristics as Christians, which goes along with this chapter. Amminadib is a word that refers to “princely, willing people.”

Verse 13: Just as Christ is coming back for the church in the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), He is coming back literally to the earth with His saints after the seven-year Tribulation. That is the emphasis of this verse. I personally believe the “two armies” mentioned in this verse represents the Old and New Testament saints combined, or more accurately the saved Jews and Gentiles combined.

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 7

Verse 1: This verse goes along with Romans 10:15: “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” Here the bride is seen again being commissioned to spread the Gospel to the world. The phrase “cunning workman” reminds us that God wants us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Verse 2: The navel is the source of receiving nourishment and food supply when a baby is in the mother’s womb. Here is a navel that is not lacking any joy. Proverbs 3:7-8 says: “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

The belly is mentioned again and represents what the bride is feeding upon and digesting spiritually. Wheat refers to God’s Word. What are you feeding upon?

Verse 3: As we covered earlier concerning the “breasts,” this represents a spiritually mature Christian and the bride here has the milk of God’s Word ready to feed the lost.

Verse 4: Ivory is very valuable. So is our labor for God, which is described by the neck. Notice the eyes are “like the fishpools in Heshbon” which represents that our eyes need to be focused on being fishers of men. Heshbon means “intelligence” and we are considered intelligent and wise when we fish for the souls of men. Notice the word Bathrabbim, which refers to “multitudes.” It is not a few fish we are to go after, but a great multitude.

Another interesting note in this verse is the “nose.” It is compared to the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus, which is an enemy of the city. What God is saying is that He wants His children to have good “noses” for the purpose of discernment to smell out anything contrary to God’s Word. It takes a great amount of discernment to witness to this lost world.

Verse 5: Since the bride is the picture of the church, her Head is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Carmel is one of the greatest mountain ridges in Palestine. It was here where Elijah and Elisha saw the mighty power of God and the enemies of God saw His terrible wrath. Notice the “king is held in the galleries” which represents His preparation to receive His bride.

Verse 6-7: Verse (6) deals with His love for us and the purpose of why we are made, which is for His pleasure and delight. In verse (7) it mentions the palm tree, which describes our stature. Have you ever noticed after a hurricane that one thing that is always standing is the palm tree. In other words, God expects us to withstand the storms of life until He returns for us. Grapes are also mentioned in this verse and refers to joy. We can also be joyful while we withstand the storms and wait for His return.

Verse 8: What the bride is saying is she is willing to persevere and keep her hand to the plow. This will produce the spiritual growth and joy in her life which is referred to when it says, “thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples.”

Verse 9: The mouth is mentioned again and refers to a controlled life when the tongue is set in proper order. The words that the bride is speaking is the words of the Gospel, which brings life to the dead.

Verse 10: Again she mentions how she is not her own and she has a personal relationship with Him, just as He desires to have a relationship with her.

Verse 11: I’m glad when we go out in the valley, He goes with us and also is there when we rest and lodge in the “villages.” Christians are not alone in there labor for Him. He is not only with us, but within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 12: Notice in the last part of this verse how she will return her love back to Him. It will be in the “vineyards” where she is placed to bear forth fruit. We are to take it seriously concerning the “vineyard” that God will place us in, because this is how we love Him back with our labor.

Verse 13: This is another part of this book which I believe it refers to the Old and New Testament saints, when it mentions the fruits being “new and old.”

THE SONG OF SOLOMON: CHAPTER 8

Verse 1: Here is the reference to God becoming man (1 Timothy 3:16). He was born of a virgin and did dwell in the flesh. This is completely opposite to what religion teaches. Religion teaches that man must work his way to God by his own merits. Salvation is God coming down to our level and makes it available for us to receive Him by faith and have fellowship with Him. This is what this verse is describing.

Verse 2: Fellowship is the key in this verse and goes right along with verse (1). Worship is also pictured here. We ought to give God our best and not be ashamed of Him, even among our relatives. Remember when you marry someone, you introduce your spouse to your family. So it is when you marry the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 3: This is mentioned again referring to how He is not only able to keep and secure us (the left hand), but also comfort us (the right hand). I’m reminded again of Revelation 1:17, when John troubled by His countenance only to be comforted by the Lord’s right hand.

Verse 4: Once again she is reminding the world around her that her fellowship with Him is more important than her fellowship with man.

Verse 5: We are going to reign with Him someday. Ephesians 2:6-7 sheds a lot of light on this: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Study that verse and you will find the purpose of God’s grace.

Verse 6-7: Here are two verses that expound on eternal security and let me say that I believe in the eternal security of the believer, but I also believe in the insecurity of the make-believer. Notice that the seal is set upon His heart and His arm. The seal upon the heart is that we are kept by His love, and the seal upon the arm is that we are kept by His power. I will let Romans 8:38-39 do the rest of the explaining: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Verse 8-9: This is a very important portion of Scripture in the Old Testament. This explains the mystery of the Gentiles being heirs of salvation as well. In the Old Testament, the Gentiles had no “breasts” or, in other words, access to the spiritual blessings of God. Please turn to Acts 15:1-11,19 and study this carefully. It is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Verse (9) gives the symbolic answer of what was the outcome of that important meeting in Acts 15.

Verse 10: Here she is recognizing her spiritual well-being once again. The breasts represent her spiritual maturity and the wall represents her separated walk from the world.

Verse 11: Baal-hamon refers to “multitudes” again. We find in this verse that we are going to “cash in” on the work and fruits of our labor, of course if we had the proper motives. This pictures the Judgment Seat of Christ that the believer will stand before to give an account for the works done in His body (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Verse 12-13: This can be summed up by saying that we, as Christians, are expected to bear forth fruit. I believe the phrase “those that keep the fruit” in verse (12) refers to pastors, as well as “thou that dwellest in the gardens” mentioned in verse (13). This also refers to deacons and other people of a position in the church.

Verse 14: This precious book ends with the bride symbolically saying, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

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