Most Beautiful of Women

Whitby Evangelical Church 31 October 1993.

Song of Songs chapter 1v7-17. 'Most beautiful of women'.

We continue with our 'Cinderella' story. This Shulamite, in the palace

of Solomon reminices with her 'friends' over the time when she first met

the king. Her life turned around when Solomon visited his vineyard

under the tenancy of her mother. It was love at first sight inspite of

her swarthy appearence. Now she tells of her desire to be with the one

she loved:

2. The Shulamite with her Beloved(vs 7-17).

The setting is pastoral, the season is spring and the countryside is

beautiful. An appropriate setting for love!

While he spent time with his companions and flocks, she wished to be in

his company as his intimate companion, unvielded, so as not to be

considered a member of the Harem(Gn 38v15) :

"She wished to avoid even a suspicion of not being entirely

devoted to him; and consequently desired to know precisely

where she might find him, without having to make enquiries or

incur ill-treatment from the watchman"(Burrowes c/f 5v7).

The Shulamite is encouraged to 'follow the tracks of the sheep and graze

your young goats by the tents of the shepherds'. She is to labour to be

in close contact with her Beloved. Like others she should follow him

wherever he goes. Why? She sums it up in the words 'YOU WHOM I

LOVE'(v7). That was the motivation for following Her lover!

Application:

Those who 'love' the Lord Jesus, with the intensity of love that the

Shulamite felt for Solomon, will follow Him:

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me"

(Jn 10v27).

It is said of the 144,000 in the Book of Revelation that:

"They follow the Lamb wherever He goes"(Rev 14v4).

John Bunyan's pilgrim 'Christian' says of His Lord "Wherever I have seen

the print of His shoes in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot

to".

The Christian should follows the Lord however difficult the way. He

knows that His good Shepherd will always lead him into places where He

himself has first trod(c/f Lk 10v1). He does not leave His sheep to

their own devices. He leads them(Ps 23;Jn 10v4) and wherever He leads

them, He protects and cares for them:

"All the way my Saviour leads me,

What have I to ask beside,

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my guide.

Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell,

For I know what'er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well"'

The Shulamite next recalls the words of love:

'Most beautiful of women' :

The Beloved does not have the same estimate of the Shulamite as she does

of herself. To him she is the 'most beautiful of women' though she

thought she were 'dark'(v5) and marred(v6). She was concerned about the

outward beauty, he with the qualities of the personality.

This is true love! Love that considers the excellence of a character

above outward beauty. Women are counselled to be concerned with:

"The hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament

of a gentle and quiet spirit'(1 Pet 3v4).

In the Scripture a 'woman' who excells all others is one who realises

that :

'charm is decitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears

the LORD, shall be praised"(Prov 31v29-30).

'I liken you my darling, to a mare'

The comparison seems strange, even uncomplimentary to the Western mind.

However in the East, horses are prized possessions. Solomon ran a

thriving import-export trade in horses and chariots for which Egypt was

famous(1 Ki 10v26-29). Solomon's 'mare' was his prized possession,

perhaps that Egyptian import which cost him one hundred and fifty

shekels of silver but the Shulamite excelled even that!

'Your cheeks are beautiful'

The Shulamite was probably dressed in a head-dress with hanging strings

of pearls and other jewelry akin to the traditional finery of Yemenite

Jews or Arabian princesses. She was also adorned with chains of gold

wrapped around here neck(c/f Ezek 16v11;Prov 1v9;4v9;2 Tim 2v9).

Solomon would see to it that the Shulamite would be yet more lovely. She

would be bedecked with additional 'earrings of gold, studded with

silver'(v11). She would be the attraction of the court, admired by all,

the King would not only delight in her beauty, he would have others

admire it to.

Application:

The Christian is reminded by this that Christ's desire for us is not

only to save us but to adorn us with the beauty of holiness:

Isaiah rejoices in the salvation of God and its transforming nature by

saying that He gives:

"beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning; the garment of

praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called

trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might

be glorified"(Is 61v3).

That process is taking place now. Our transformation continues with

this end in view, that we might be glorified together with Christ.

John encourages us by saying:

"Dear friends now we are the children of God, and what we will

be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He

appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is"

(1 Jn 3v2).

Peter reminds us:

"And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown

of glory that will never fade away"(1 Pet 5v4).

Christ will beautify His people so that they shall be 'beautifully

dressed for her husband'(Rev 21v2). 'The bride, the wife of the Lamb

shall shine 'with the glory of God..its brilliance like that of a very

precious jewel"(v9,10).

3. At the King's table(vs 12-17).

Solomon is pictured at his table surrounded by his courtiers. While

reclining at the table the fragrance of the Shulamite's perfume delights

him1. He is enraptured with the beauty of the Shualmite(v8).

'your eyes are doves'

The 'dove' is the emblem of gentleness and innocence and love. It was

the bird chosen to represent the divine nature of the Holy Spirit(c/f

Mtt 10v16). The 'eyes' are the window of the soul(Mtt 20v15;2 Pet

2v14;Ps 101v5), the most expressive feature that we have.

She responds to him in like manner:

'How handsome you are my lover'

To the Shulamite her beloved was handsome and his companionship

pleasant, captivating and delightful.

The Christian too can look at Christ and say 'how handsome you are my

lover". "The true Church esteems none more highly that her divine Lord,

on account of the splendour of His character, the sufficiency of His

salvation and the satisfaction of His friendship"(W. J. Cameron).

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1. 'perfume' - A.V. 'spikenard' is a costly and precious perfume(Jn 12v3) used as ointment. Spikenard

is a plant of Indian origin, from which was extracted an extremely precious and highhly valued

aromatic oil(Mk 14v3-5). It would be used lavishly but only on special occasions and for special

guests.

v13. 'A sachet of myrrh' - The sachet contained a cluster of the plant from which myrrh was extracted,

hung around the neck and beneath the outer garments to mingle its fragrance into the bgarment. The

'myrrh' was imported from India and Arabia.

v14. 'a cluster of henna blossoms' - A white and yellow flower with green foilage which grows in the

vineyards of En-gedi, sometimes called 'Camphire' : "a beautiful fresh-water oasis close to the barren

shores of the Dead Sea". Women commonly used it as a type of make-up(a red cosmretic dye was

extracted from Henna) and also decorated their houses with the flowers of the aromatic scent.

4. In the fields of Solomon(1v16b-2v6).

The Shulamite and Solomon are in the open-air. We know this because of

the language of vs 16,17:

"Our bed is verdent. "The beams of our house are cedars; our

rafters are firs".

The beauty of nature around them inspires their thoughts and provides

them with metaphors applied to one another. The use of flower-names

in loving conversation is not uncommon and is most expressive for

attractiveness both of smell and beauty:

"I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys'.

If we follow the rendering of the NIV the above words have perhaps been

erroneously applied to the beloved and thereby to Christ but the words

are that of the Shulamite. Solomon described her as 'beautiful'(v15)

but she says 'I am a rose of Sharon'.

Sharon is a spacious and fertile plain of arable land, extending from

Caesarea to Joppa. The 'rose of Sharon' is not a 'rose' as we

understand it but perhaps a bulbous plant related to the Syrian Mountain

tulip. Olyott suggests that it is 'a sweet-scented narcissus' or 'a

crimson anemone'.

'I am..a lily of the valleys'

Equivalent to perhaps what we would call a hyacinth.

In effect, the Shulamite says 'you call me beautiful but I am compared

to you, a wild and common flower of the plain'. Her language is self-

depriciatory. She thinks of herself as wild, common and ordinary. As

just one flower among many!

He responds to her by saying:

"Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens".

He says to her 'If you are a wild flower, then you are the most

beautiful of them all! You are a lily among thorns!

Application:

Love is often blind to defects. That can be dangerous in human

relations but when there is a deliberate resolve to ignore the defects

and to go on loving then such love is to be admired. Here again we are

reminded that Christ loves us inspite of the defects. We are to Him as

a 'lily among thorns', growing in a world of sin and evil and yet not

being choked but standing out and flourishing!

This love is further highlighted in the verses that remain.

5. In the banqueting hall of love(vs 3-7).

"He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love".

The 'banquet hall' is a 'house of wine', of feasting, of refreshment, of

joy. The language may be figurative here, referring to 'the house of

love' though the Jewish historian Josephus informs us that Solomon had

"a most glorious dining room, for feastings..full of gold and such other

furniture as so fine a room ought to have..and where all the vessels are

made of gold". It may of course be simply a 'panoply'(marquee), set up

in the open-fields.

A 'banner' was an 'emblem of ownership'. To be under the banner of

someone was to be under their protection. The owner of the banner

promises to protect the interests of the one taking refuge whenever

necessary(c/f The markings of a passport which guarantees protection to

its citizens).

The Shulamite therefore senses herself under the protection of Solomon.

Secured in his love.

(i). The protectiveness of love:

"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest..'

The words 'apple tree' would probably better translated 'citron'. It

is a beautiful evergreen, growing to a considerable size. It has a deep

green leafy foliage providing delightful shade as well as refreshing

aromatic fruit.

To the Shulamite, Solomon was like a noble tree, strong, rich and

ornamental in whom she found shelter, rest and comfort.

How different now is her attitude to that of 1v5,6 where she was almost

afraid of entering into Solomon's presence for fear that her marred and

swarthy appearence would repel him. Now, having realised that Solomon

loved her regardless of her marred complexion, she is confident

"Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am

faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right

arm embraces me".

Perhaps her references to 'raisins' and 'apples' are due to the fact

that such adorned the table in the hall. She shows by her analogy that

she not only wants to be secure in His love but nourished by him. This

is the language of dependency. He is supporting her and sustaining her

- feeding, supporting, embracing(Heb: 'to enfold' or 'carress').

Application:

When two people enter upon marriage we took vows to love, honour, obey,

endow(c/f Eph 5v25-29). God does not take very kindly any abbrogation

of that duty on our part :

'For the LORD God of Israel says that he hates divorce'(Mal 2v16).

What is ture in the natural realm is also true in the spiritual. God

will not be unfaithful to His people. Christ will never divorce His

bride. The Christian can be secure of Christ's love to him. He can

expect to be honoured, protected, sustained and supported by God(c/f Rom

8v35-39). His 'banner' over us is 'love'. 'This banner rallies around

us all the forces of Omnipotence"(Fausset).

(ii). The purity of love:

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by

the does of the field: do not arouse or awaken love until it

so desires"(c/f 3v5;8v4).

These words are a refrain throughout the book and as such proves to be a

key-verse in the understanding of true love between man and woman.

'Gazelles..does of the field' are wild but timid animals which flee

when approached. Even the sound of rustling leaves may be enougth to

startle such an animal. If a hunter wants to capture such an animal he

must be careful not to arouse their suspicion or he will frighten them

off.In the same way the Shulamite counsels these 'daughters of

Jerusalem' that they must be careful not to arouse love when the time is

not right. Such arousal only ends in failure and disappointement.

"Love is a very tender commodity, and easily harmed. It must

awaken itself, and at its own speed, and must not be fanned up

by others"(Olyott).

Love is more that a mere emotional feeling aroused by passion and desire

in external beauty. That kind of emotion('eros') is very powerful but

if that is all our love is it is so 'artificial'. It takes delight not

in the lover as a person but as an object upon which the emotion is

satisfied. Such artificial love is unworthy of the Christian. It is

selfish and lustful and must be avoided at all cost without(c/f Prov

6v20-34) and within marriage:

"Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept

pure"(Heb 13v4).

This then is a timely and practical reminder to us to guard ourselves

from strong temptations to satisfy the lusts of the flesh and flee from

them(2 Tim 2v22;Gal 5v17). In days when we are bombarded with

pornography, and humanistic and hedonistic attitudes concerning sex we

must respond by refusing to be controlled by our passions. Love is a

splendid thing! Let us learn how to love as God loves, sacrificially,

sincerely, yes and even sacredly.

Most Beautiful of Women

Song of Songs 1:7-17