Song of Solomon 4:1

His attention is on her, the one He loves, and on nothing else. He thinks of her. Her beauty and sweetness fill His mind. She had failed, but His love could not fail. Before, He had endorsed what she had said of herself; here, unasked, He expresses what she is.

He may well admire her beauty, for it is the fruit of His own soul's suffering and of His work in the heart by His Spirit. It is a beauty of His own creation. She was once rebellious, like clay that would not yield in the potter's hand. At last she has become submissive and pliable in His hand. So He could form her into a vessel full of beauty and grace for the display of His glory. This is, in fact, what the Lord wants to do with each of us whom He has redeemed with His precious blood. The one essential thing is that we stay submissive and pliable, yielding continually to the touch of His hand.

The bride delights to speak to others of the glories of the King. But it is His joy to unfold to the bride His thoughts about herself. It is blessed to tell others of the glories of Christ. Yet to settle our hearts in solid peace and joy, we must hear from the lips of Christ His own thoughts about His people.

The eyes are the windows of the soul, expressing its character and moral condition. Compared to doves, they show gentleness, purity, and devoted affection. Modesty goes with it, for the eyes appear behind the veil.

One thing about the dove's eyes may be designed to teach the believer a needed lesson. It has a wonderful power of distant vision. It is thought to see its own dove house from an immense distance. Take it far from home, let it out of its cage, and you can watch it rise very high. It steadies itself in the air until it has found its way back. Then it flies straight home, and fast. Oh, for this power of distant and heavenly vision! Then, having seen the risen Jesus by faith, we may forget the things behind and press on to those ahead.

The fourth chapter of the Song of Songs mentions the veil twice (vv. 1, 3). All the varied beauties that mark the saints of God are for the eye of Christ alone. The moment we do anything to attract the eye of man, the true character and beauty of the spiritual life are gone. The church should always have been veiled, keeping herself for Christ alone, instead of displaying herself before the world that refused and rejected her Lord.

Her hair is compared to the black glossy hair of goats, in all the abundance a flock shows on the slopes of Mount Gilead. Scripture uses hair as the symbol of "subjection" (1 Corinthians 11), separation from the world, and consecration to God.

It is the nature of a goat to climb. It always climbs to the highest parts of the mountain. How can we climb to the mountain top and stay there, spiritually speaking? There is only one way: give up our own will and ways and surrender ourselves fully to the Lord's will. When we are in the path of His will, it keeps us above all that is around us. It keeps us in sweet fellowship with the Lord, far above the mists and fogs. Those mists hover over the soul whenever someone walks in his own ways in self-will.