Song of Solomon 8:5–14

The bride comes out of the wilderness leaning upon the arm of her Beloved, and the daughters of Jerusalem ask, "Who is this?" In the fourth song the bride had sought and found the Bridegroom. In the fifth song she had held sweet and secret communion with Him. But now, at last, she stands before the whole world in His company, and in dependence upon Him. The wilderness wanderings lie behind her; the glory shines before her.

Is He now only "like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant" (Song 3:6)? No. There is another object. It is now "Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?" Here we see that it is not now the Bridegroom. She has a vision of herself — of herself united to the Bridegroom. Before, it was more His coming to her, or for her.

Long ago the people had come up out of it, and God showed wonders of goodness and power. But it was all in vain. They did not lean on the Lord or His Christ. They leaned on self and law, and for sinful man — which is what they were — that can only mean death and condemnation. It will be far different when the generation to come comes out of the wilderness leaning upon the beloved. What brings about so great a change? "Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you." Christ is meant by that tree. It is His to awaken her from her long sleep and give her the life that alone lives to God.

We wander and fall, but grace brings us up out of our wanderings leaning upon Christ, just as the bride leans on her beloved. We fall, like Peter, because we lean on our own love for Christ. In tender grace He lifts us up and brings us to lean on His great love for us... Pride makes it hard to own our nothingness and His fulness, our weakness and His strength, and so to find all our resources in Him... "Leaning" is weakness clinging to strength. John leaned on Jesus' breast (John 13:23), and that is leaning on the love of One in whom all fulness dwells.

Look back over our past life. In every time of failure, straying or defeat, we were not leaning upon Him. The secret of all failure in the Christian's life can be traced to this. He has never failed anyone who leans upon Him.

Christ is the apple tree, and grace is our mother. We owe our very existence as Christians to the sovereign grace of God... We are born again through His grace that has worked in our hearts in connection with Christ. No sinner can ever be saved until he flees to Christ for refuge. "There she who bore you was in labor." There under His shadow grace brought us forth and made us new creatures in Christ Jesus.

Now the bride depends happily on the Bridegroom's love. She must never forget that she owes the Beloved every blessing she has, from the moment she was brought forth in weakness... Take a wandering believer brought back to fellowship and open service. Take wandering Israel brought back to glory on earth. Take a ruined and scattered church shown in perfect heavenly glory. All will owe their position to the sovereign grace of the Lord that awakened us, brought us out of our degradation, and joined us to Himself.

This last chapter takes up and sets forth all the principles of the whole song... In verse 5 comes the exclamation, "Who is this that comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?" Then the Bridegroom reminds His bride that she owes everything, wholly and entirely, to His grace — all the blessing she has entered into, and her very existence as the object of His affection and the companion of His joys. It is in response to this that she cries, "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm."

She does not doubt his love, but she realises that all her blessing depends on his love, not hers... So the restored soul delights to say of Christ: "My confidence is that my name is on His heart — I have a place in His affections. My name is on His arm — I have the protection and support of His strong arm." We can trust His heart and His arm, though we cannot trust our own.

The heart and the arm (probably the shoulder) are emblems of love and strength, as always in Scripture. They may refer to the names of the twelve tribes engraved on the breastplate, and on the onyx stones on the shoulders of the high priest. The meaning will then be: set me as a seal on Your heart and shoulders. The seal is a symbol of security, for a divine seal can never be broken. Set me there, so that Your divine love may always carry me and Your divine power uphold me.

The Bridegroom's love is the ground of the bride's confidence, as the love of Christ is the ground of our confidence. This love has been proved, and found to be strong as death. Death makes sport of all man's puny strength. From the fall onwards men and death have been in mortal combat, and death has triumphed all along the line. Then at last love — love divine — went down into the dark valley and entered into combat with death. At the cross love came into conflict with death, and love triumphed. Death took away His life, but death could not take away His love. Love prevailed, because love yielded to death so that love might triumph over death.

If death takes a strong hold of a person, the grave keeps it. It is unyielding... It holds fast its prey. Beg the grave on your knees, as earnestly as you like. It will never give you back the loved one torn from your heart and buried in its deep caverns.

Almost universally people speak of jealousy in an evil sense; Scripture hardly ever does. It even speaks of a godly jealousy. The Apostle can say of believers, "I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2).

This love is so intense that it can only be compared to the consuming and purifying effects of fire — "a flame of Jah." That takes us back to the essence and greatness of its character, for love and light are the words used to express the divine nature.

We see the vehement flame of love carrying Paul through that remarkable life. He spent and was spent for the saints. He left home and ease, and faced hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, dangers, persecutions and death, constrained by the love of Christ... The flame of love that glowed in the martyrs' hearts triumphed over the flame of the fire that burned their bodies.

Then the prayer will be answered. Zion will be set as a seal on Messiah's heart and arm. How strong and jealous His love — and there is the answer to it in that day. Death and the grave only proved His love. The flame of the LORD tested it. Waters and floods could not quench it. It cannot be bought, and it is above all price, so that all a man can give is utterly despised beside it.

Nothing can quench divine love. The Lord Jesus faced the "many waters," but they could not quench His love. He faced the "floods," but they could not drown His love. At the cross "the floods lifted up their voice." Divine love proved mightier than the noise of many waters… All the billows and waves of God passed over Him (Jonah 2:3), but His love never passed from Him. His love has triumphed, and His love abides.

Where shall we find love like this? Only in the heart of Jesus. What takes such a hold as death? What keeps it like the grave? What is so unsparing as the fierce flame? There is nothing to compare with love… When love and death met in fearful conflict on the cross, love triumphed, and death was forever defeated.

Love cannot be bought. It is true that Christ gave up, as it were, the "substance of His house." He gave up kingdoms and thrones and crowns. But He gave more — He "gave Himself," and in giving Himself He proved His love… And in response to this great love He looks for love. Nothing but love from our hearts will satisfy the love of His heart. We may offer the work of our hands, our silver and our gold, our acts of charity, even our bodies to be burned. But if there is no love, it will be utterly despised.

The love that prompted it was of God, and this is above all price. "If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised." These are the words of the man who knew, better than anyone, how empty human love is. He had the greatest wealth ever given to the head of any house.

If He had only given all His possessions it would have been a wonderful gift. But He has not only given all that He has — He has given Himself, and all that He is, for us and to us… So never try to fan up the flame of your flickering love for Him by your own effort. It cannot be done that way. Instead, dwell on His intense, eternal and unchanging love for you, and you will find it warms your affections for Him.

When you have to mourn the coldness of your love, think of His love that the many waters could not quench. When you have to confess your forgetfulness and unfaithfulness, give thanks that He cannot forget, and that He loves His own to the end. When your selfishness and reserve fill you with shame, bless His name that He held back nothing, but sold all that He had, and gave Himself for you.

So at last the soul is brought to rest. She has known the dark valleys and the mountain heights, the wanderings in the city and the delights of the garden. Now she rests in the eternal love of Christ (v. 5), in all its breadth and length and depth and height (vv. 6, 7). Now she thinks of others (vv. 8, 9), gladly owns that Christ will have universal sway (vv. 10, 11), and meanwhile holds every possession at His disposal (v. 12).

The "little sister" means Ephraim, the long-lost ten tribes; of this we have no doubt. Their captivity had taken place before the birth of Christ. So they know nothing of what Judah, the two tribes, has gone through over the birth, death, resurrection and return of the Messiah. Still, they come to enjoy the blessed results of His first coming in grace and of His second coming in glory.

They suffered for their idolatry, as Judah did later. But they did not return from captivity as Judah did to refuse the Christ, and they are not to receive the Antichrist. So God's later dealings of grace with Israel do not take on the deep and punishing character that will be Judah's portion.

The Scripture says, "We have a little sister ... and she has no breasts." One would want to treat this with holy delicacy! There is no developed affection for the Beloved! How often that might be said of the children of God! Their affections have not developed in response to Christ!

In the actions of this book we see souls at different levels — the betrothed one, and "the daughters of Jerusalem." Not all are fully formed. "We have a little sister, and she has no breasts." Such people draw out the sympathy of the saint who is established in the grace of God. He gives them careful concern and prayer, and he asks the Lord about them.

How completely her beloved has come to fill her heart and life. Even her thoughts move in the awareness that she is one with him. She does not think of herself, or think to act apart from him, so it is not "I" but always "we." She also does not think of the girl as her sister only, but as his sister too. So she values the little sister all the more because of this link with him. We must not forget that however weak Christians may be, they all belong to the Lord. We must therefore respect them and treat them as His.

But the day of opportunity is coming for Ephraim — the day when she is spoken for. And what will be done for her in that day?

We cannot produce growth by criticising, or by knocking and harping on their faults and failures. Instead we must seek to add something of beauty and value to them. We must build a palace of silver on the wall.

The "little sister" means Ephraim, or the long-lost ten tribes — of this we have no doubt. Their captivity took place before the birth of Christ. So they know nothing of what Judah, the two tribes, has gone through about the birth, death, resurrection, and return of the Messiah. Still, they come to enjoy the blessed results of His first coming in grace and of His second coming in glory. And their more highly favoured sister Judah instructs them, builds them up, and establishes them in the doctrine of Christ.

A wall speaks of separation. It encloses what is within and separates it from what is outside... All spiritual growth begins with what the Bible calls the fear of the Lord. That means having real reverential respect for Him, and recognising His power and authority over us. This leads to hating and forsaking evil. It enables one to stand like a wall against the evil influences around and not allow them any entrance within... Where it is lacking there is no foundation to build upon.

Silver speaks of redemption... This atonement money was used to make the silver sockets that served as the foundation of the tabernacle... The silver sockets show that redemption is the foundation on which everything rests. Without redemption we have nothing to stand on at all. In our passage the silver builds a turret on the wall. A turret is something that stands out conspicuously. It is costly and precious, and adds beauty and adornment. The turret of silver then would speak of redemption beautifully displayed before the eyes of others.

A door is a means of entrance, a way by which one gains access to what is within... Every believer should be able, in some degree at least, to point the lost to the Saviour and show the ignorant the way of life. In this way he becomes a door... But some believers have not grown yet. They are not very clear themselves about the truth, so they can do this only in a clumsy way... Such people are like a rough, unfinished door in a stone wall. Someone who has reached spiritual maturity would do this work more effectively. He would be like a door beautifully enclosed with boards of cedar.

The cedar is a fragrant, rot-resisting wood that grows on the heights of Lebanon. So it speaks of a character lifted high, fragrant and attractive, with power to withstand corruption and evil.

When Israel is again established on a firm foundation like a wall, then she will be a monument of redeeming grace: "We will build upon her a turret of silver." When she becomes a door — when her heart is opened to Christ — she will come under His protection and care: "We will enclose her with boards of cedar."

We cannot produce growth by criticising, or by knocking and harping on people's faults and failures. We must seek rather to add something of beauty and value to them. We must build upon the wall a turret of silver.

Whatever the interpretation of this verse may be, let us apply it to ourselves like this. If our affections are not developed toward Christ, and our door is open to the world, one thing will hold us in responsive affection to Him: thinking on His redeeming love, His holy sufferings, and the unique greatness of His Person. "Silver" and "cedar wood."

Song of Solomon 8 stands by itself, and it seems to me to go back over the principles of the whole book… Prophecy announces the full satisfaction of every desire of the remnant, and marks out the path of their affections. But this picture is drawn to encourage those who are not yet enjoying it, and it expresses the longing to see it fulfilled.

Their more favoured sister Judah teaches them, builds them up, and settles them in the doctrine of Christ… She is strong in the Lord, richly supplied, and in full favour with the King. God's Israel is restored! There are twelve tribes united in the Israel of God, not ten and two divided.

The "little sister" seems to me to be Ephraim, who never had the same growth that Judah received when Christ was revealed, and through all that happened after the ten tribes were carried away. All the moral affections of Judah were formed by their relationship to Christ, by His rejection, and by the feelings this produced when the Spirit made them felt. Ephraim has gone through none of this, but will come into the enjoyment of its results. Judah, when made complete, will enjoy the full favour of the Messiah; their affections were formed for Him by all their hearts went through about Him.

By grace the bride can call herself a wall. Established in her relationships to the Bridegroom, her affection is the secret of her strength and the measure of her witness before others. A tower is a place of security as well as a landmark to others.

If the little sister be a wall, she shall be built upon; if a door, she shall be enclosed; but the bride is a wall, and is grown to maturity.

The believer whose affections are drawn out to Christ is truly the one who has found peace in the eyes of Christ. Mary's affections brought her to rest at the feet of Christ. In His sight she had found peace — a peace He will not let anyone disturb. "Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

The little sister who had no breasts shows someone who has not yet reached maturity. She stands for Christians who are saved but have not yet grown spiritually. The bride, by contrast, is well developed, and this is what makes her so beautiful in the eyes of her beloved. But no one reaches this spiritual growth in a day. She passed through many bitter experiences. Through them she learned to know herself better — her own failures and weaknesses — and to know more and more the faithfulness and depth of His love… Spiritual people never look down on those who are undeveloped. They long to see them grow to fuller maturity, and they are ready to give time and work to that end.

She takes account of the weakness of the weak. She wants them to have strength and to be built up in the fuller measure of Christ. All the time she owns them as fully one with her in Him. And she rejoices in her own certain, happy assurance… and so she knows her Lord's favour towards her, and His delight in her.

"Baal-hamon" means Lord of a multitude. It refers to the multitude of nations — the whole earth, which now forms the vast vineyard of the Lord of glory. "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" (Psalm 24). The millennium has come! The glory of the Lord fills the earth — every heart rejoices — Jesus reigns. A suitable return is now made to Him by the keepers of the vineyard. Everything is now under the eye of Christ, and according to the principles of His government… All will share in the riches of the fruitful, peaceful, joyful millennial earth. But Christ is Lord of all.

It is Christ come at last — Christ as King. That is what is spoken of here, and that is why He is called Solomon… "My vineyard, my very own, is before me." This is the language of the bride — of Jerusalem — because she, too, has a vineyard… She wants no vineyard apart from Him. She is identified with Him. The Jew will have no pleasure, no joy, no fruit, except in connection with Christ.

The vineyard of the bride was at her own disposal. But all its proceeds shall be for Solomon, and there shall be a portion for those who kept its fruits. This is a touching expression of her relationship to the King.

Her vineyard is Israel, seen in their privileges and responsibilities before the Lord. He has set them in that place as head over all the nations. But she claims no returns for herself. Her love for Christ makes her desire that the full amount due from her vineyard should all be His. Those who labour as keepers, however, will also have what is due to them. Here we see more than living up to one's responsibility. We see love that counts it a joy.

But the bride has her own vineyard. Restored Israel will have her special place, and she too will gladly own her subjection to Christ. But when she owns all to be His, others will get the blessing. If Solomon gets the thousand pieces of silver, others will get two hundred. Mary poured out her whole jar of very costly ointment on Christ. Yet others gained a benefit too, for "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."

Vineyards were once entrusted to her, and she did not keep her own. Instead, Christ, as royal Prince of peace, now has a vineyard at Baal-hamon… But there was a special vineyard now, once not kept, which was now before the bride. That vineyard is Israel, who through grace would now keep her vineyard carefully. Her vineyard was before her.

At the close of the song she takes the chance to show how much He is worth in her eyes… But is this what He cared for? Would the thousand pieces of silver satisfy Him? Listen to His answer: "O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it." Her voice was more refreshing to Him than any gift of money she could bring. He wanted to hear the sound of her voice. Nothing less would fully please Him… His last recorded wish is to listen to her voice. In Solomon there was no change, and in Him who is truly pictured here there is no change.

Is this what he cared about? Would the thousand pieces of silver satisfy him? Listen to his answer: "O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it." Her voice was more refreshing to him than any gift of money she could bring. It was the sound of her voice he wanted; nothing less would fully please him. What he had said in Song 2:14 is what he ends with here. His last recorded wish is to listen to her voice. "Let me hear it." In him there was — in Him who is really pictured here there is — no change.

The Bridegroom is heard for the last time. He delights to own what His love has done. The bride's wanderings are over: love has brought her to dwell in the gardens. How happy for us when the love of Christ draws us! Then we find our portion outside this poor world, in the company of His people — in the gardens of the Lord. Only from that happy place of fellowship can we bear a true witness to others. But the Lord is not content that others should hear our voice as witness. He Himself longs to hear our voice in worship, answering His own voice.

In verse 5 we see the bride coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her beloved. Here we see her dwelling in the gardens. The wilderness with all its hard times is past forever, and the desert will have blossomed like a rose. The nations, her companions, listen to her voice. She gives them spiritual instruction and leads them in their worship and praise. The Lord delights in this, but He especially delights to hear her voice addressed to Him in personal and intimate communion with Him.

He now addresses, for the last time in these songs of love, His beautiful and highly favoured spouse. He invites her praise. She is to sound the keynote for the companions — for the whole earth. Then all peoples, tribes, and tongues will catch the flying joy. They will roll out the glad hosannas, "from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." Creation is filled with joy and gladness. Its long, loud anthems of praise and thanksgiving reach the ear of its glorious King. "Let ME hear it."

There is a very touching appeal in the Song of Solomon from the Bridegroom to the Bride. It is as though our Lord said to us, "You come together, and you talk to each other about Me. You are dwelling in the garden I planted by My grace, and you have sweet things to say. Let Me hear you talk to Me." The Lord chose the disciples so that they might be near Himself. He wanted them in His company as His friends, with the most intimate exchanges of love between them. It is the same today.

Our lovely song has ended. Its last note is rich and full. The loving spouse fervently desires her Lord's speedy return. She asks that He may come without delay. The deep affections of her soul for Jesus show in the intensity of her desire for His glorious appearing. Oh, that all our hearts might be one heart, joining the deep, earnest, fervent prayer of the spouse! May He come quickly to our longing hearts. May He come for the rapture of the church, the glory of Israel, and the blessing of the whole earth.

Song of Songs 8 stands by itself, and seems to me to sum up the principles of the whole book… Prophecy announces the full satisfaction of all the desires of the remnant. It also marks out the path of their affections. But this picture is drawn to encourage those who are not yet enjoying it. It expresses the desire for its fulfilment. So God puts His own approval on the eager desire of the remnant. They long to have Christ, and to have full liberty of communion with Him. The reply shows, with a clearness that is very precious, how it will come about… From Christ alone she draws her life. Only so can Israel give birth to this living remnant. At Jerusalem it will become the earthly bride of the great King. It desires to be, and will be, as a seal upon His heart, by the power of a love that is strong as death. That love spares nothing and yields nothing.

The reply of the bride expresses the longing of her heart for the Bridegroom. He has His desire; He hears her voice as she says, "Make haste, my beloved." Those words fall on His ear with great delight, for they tell Him that love has finished its work in the heart of the bride. A love fills her heart that nothing apart from Him will satisfy, and that only His return can satisfy. So in our day love has taken us in hand. It bears with us patiently in all our wanderings, restores our souls, and revives our drooping affections. It brings us into the company of Christ in the garden of the Lord, opens up to us all the treasures of love, and tells us our Beloved is coming for us. And love has finished its work in our hearts when He says, "Surely I am coming soon," and hears His people answer: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

We may well echo the wish that ends the book. Before, in 2:17, it was "Until the day breaks … turn, my Beloved, and be … upon the mountains." Now it is "Make haste, my Beloved, and be … on the mountains of spices."

The Song closes with the soul of the remnant going out in longing desire for the speedy return of the Lord to the mountains of Israel. His presence will turn the mountains of Israel, now for the most part waste and barren, into mountains of spices. So this prophetic book closes like the book of Revelation. It ends with an invitation breathed from the heart, asking the Lord to come quickly.

The Song of Songs ends with a prayer. This is how the remnant of Israel will plead in the future, that He may come and show Himself in His glory. But the bride of Christ, the Church, prays, "Come, Lord Jesus."