Song of Solomon 4:3

The Lord continues to point out the various beauties of His beloved one. Seven parts of the body are mentioned, each having its spiritual significance. … In the verses before us today we have the lips, the temples, the neck and the breasts.

As the river of God's grace which flows through this world is deeply tinged with the blood of the cross, so should the conversation of the believer be. "I decided," says Paul, "to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). And again, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). … And oh, may a deep scarlet line thread its way through all your conversation; so will your "speech be comely" to your well-beloved.

Every Christian should realize that his lips are not his own, for he is bought with a price (see 1 Cor. 6:20). It is this precious redeeming blood of Christ that has purchased us for Himself, and the scarlet thread stands for it here… His blood has purchased us to Himself, and so it gives Him a definite title to our lips. We have no moral right to use them for any speech displeasing to Him. The blood of the ram of consecration was put on the ear, the thumb and the toe of the high priest and his sons (see Ex. 29:20). This showed that their whole being was to be consecrated to the Lord, because of the blood of atonement shed for them. In the same way, the scarlet thread here should remind us to consecrate our lips wholly to Him.

The lips like a thread of scarlet proclaim the healthy condition of the body. In the same way wholesome speech, of which the lips are a symbol, shows the condition of the heart, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The Lord Jesus was full of grace and truth, and so we read of Him, "Grace is poured upon Your lips." And of the bride the King can say, "Your speech is comely." If the love of Christ is in our hearts, the praise of Christ will be on our lips. The grace poured upon His lips will come out through ours.

The temples, or cheeks as some translate it, are a very prominent part of the face. The verse likens them to a pomegranate. The simple meaning of this is that what should be most prominent in Christ's redeemed ones is fruit-bearing. The pomegranate is a fruit made up of many distinct juicy particles, but all held inside one hull or covering. So it is one whole made up of many parts. This recalls at once to our minds Gal. 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

The forehead is used in Scripture to express either modesty or boldness. The prophet had to say of Israel, "You are obstinate… and your forehead brass" (Isa. 48:4). The Lord asks, "Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?" The answer comes: "No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush" (Jer. 6:15; 8:12). In contrast, the bride is marked by modesty. She can blush, so that her forehead becomes red "like a piece of pomegranate." But it is "within your locks," or as it may read, "behind your veil." Under the outward symbol of subjection there was genuine modesty. Not outward subjection and inward rebellion. Modesty found with subjection is a precious quality in the sight of Christ.