Song of Solomon 6 WHERE IS HE? As observers watch the lives of those who belong to our Lord Jesus Christ see what we do and hear what we say, is there anything that would attract them to our Savior? The bride in this book has much to say about her Beloved, and because of that she is asked by “the daughters of Jerusalem” as to where He is. When our Lord Jesus was a young child, wise men from the east asked, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” On other occasions those who followed the Lord Jesus Christ were identifiable as those who knew Him, “They took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus,” and they knew where He could be found. He went to the mountainside some time, and He also went to a garden (Gethsemane), where He prayed.
It is our time now to tell people where our Lord is and how He can “found,” by them. If in our lives and testimony we are able to be identified as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is a lot to be thankful for. When our conversation, our spare time and our work ethic is consistent with one who fears the Lord, we can expect from time to time those people to question us about our faith and why we live the way we do. Those opportunities are special times of joy and thankfulness to us, and hopefully, there will be those who ask of our faith in Christ, who will respond to God’s grace and receive the gift of salvation.
The bride knew where her Beloved One was because she knew what and who He loved. That special garden was known to both of them. It was in that fragrant, beautiful place He found the fellowship and friendship He enjoyed. Communion between the Lord and His people, is precious to both. The bride knew she belonged to the Beloved bridegroom, and He belonged to her. There may be times when communion may be broken, but the relationship remains on solid ground. The Lord doesn’t get anything from the world, no matter how wise and attractive the world is to people – even believers in Christ.
His joy is in His people. He can make any kind of world he wants with the word of His power. He is the Source of all power in heaven and on earth. But the appreciative expressions of love and praise from the lover, His people, are what He cannot make or give to Himself. His descriptions of how He sees His heavenly bride come from what they want to give Him. Her beauty is unmatched as the bride stands in glory like two beautiful cities. Those capital cities were beautiful in situation and the pride and joy of all around them. The majestic appearance of the bride to our Lord is like a marching army with the banners of victory overhead. The enemy never captured her banners in warfare nor took away her dignity. The church is, and will be victorious. The Lord speaks well of His people, and His people honor and praise Him. He has loved us and as a result we are more than conquerors of those who oppose the Gospel and the people of God.
The eyes of the lover on her Beloved are so opened by love that he is overcome by His love for her. The repeated description of the bride by the Beloved One is not a redundancy but an assurance to her and others that she is still the object of His divine affection in spite of her coldness and wandering. Her hair identifies her separation from the compromises of the world. Her teeth still proclaim fruitfulness, unity and purity. Her modesty and humility are still evident on her forehead. She is separated and consecrated to her Beloved only.
There may be a multitude of attractions from other sources and places, but her Beloved is attracted to the one who is unique in the beauty of her eternal life. Every other attraction is only temporal. Only those who are in the true church are real Christians because of the new birth, the new nature, and their new life in Christ. People may say there are many ways to God. And opinions and a way of looking at things may vary, but there is only one body that stands alone in the world. That is the true church, the bride of Christ. Israel is an earthly people who will enjoy the blessings of being associated with the King of kings. The church is composed of both Jews and Gentile who have become “one new man,” chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
The bride was compared to important and fine cities, and then compared to the glorious beauty of a dawning day, glowing in the east after the darkness of night has passed. A new morning, as beautiful as the moon shining at night, and as glorious as the bright shining of the sun by day, is the heavenly description of the lover. Righteous in the sight of God, majestic in the eyes of the world as she reigns with Christ in a day to come. Anything of value and any victory in the world is through the Beloved One who loves her. What wonderful imagery of the church that expresses what it will be like in a coming day!
It was into the dark valley our Lord Jesus went when He suffered for us on the cross. Now that valley is a bountiful place because of all he got from the travail of His soul. There are trials in the valley, but these same trials produce the water that makes the trees there full of fruit and nuts. No wonder the Beloved goes to the garden to find His delight and satisfaction. The lover is in the garden as well as being the garden like the chariots of His willing people bringing bounty to the Beloved.
The bride and bridegroom are gone at the end of the chapter. He is transported to glory on a chariot, and the church is raptured to glory. The friends call for the return of all those who will no longer be here when the church is taken. She will not return until she comes with Him in the glory of His kingdom. Then the church will be with the One who reigns over all the earth. That will be the time when it will be time to dance. When the Lord Jesus Christ and His church are seen by the whole world, sadness will turn into joy. We will rejoice as never before, although the thoughts of that time bring great joy to those who love the Lord now and know Him personally as “my Beloved.”