Song of Solomon 8:11

"Baal-hamon" means Lord of a multitude. It clearly 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." (Ps. 24) The thousand years of peace have come! The glory of the Lord fills the earth — all hearts rejoice — Jesus reigns.

It is at Baal-hamon, and it is in connection with Solomon — for this is the point. It is the Lord Jesus and not the church that is to be the true means of blessing to all nations. I admit it will be when the church is with Him, assuredly. I admit it will be when the Jew is converted to Him, loves Him, knows Him, most surely. But the one who makes all the difference is not the Jew, and it is not the church. It is Christ. And it is Christ then come — Christ as King.

The children of Israel — the Jew — ought to have been a blessing to every nation under heaven. I do not say they should have been "lord of the peoples," but they should truly have been a blessing. "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Was that true of Israel? The very reverse. They lost the blessing themselves because they refused Christ.

The passage looks on to the time when Christ — the true Solomon — will reign over all the nations of the earth. The whole earth will become a fruitful vineyard. There will be kings of the earth — the keepers of the vineyard. They will enjoy the fruits of the earth, but they will be subject to Christ. They will pay tribute. They will bring, as it were, a thousand silver pieces.

As Lord of multitudes, the King of Peace in that day will have His widely extended sphere of fruit let out to His servants, the keepers, and the kings of Tarshish and of the islands will render tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts; yes, all kings will fall down before Him, all nations will serve Him.

Ten in Scripture is a number connected with responsibility. We have ten fingers on our hands to work with and ten toes on our feet to help us walk. Ten is therefore the measure of our capacity for our walk and work. One thousand is 10x10x10. So the thousand pieces stand for a definite return to the Lord. It matches the full measure of what each person is responsible for.

Christ, in His Solomon character, is the glorious King, the Son of David, after the order of Melchizedek. He has a vineyard as Lord of the nations or multitudes. He has entrusted it to others, who are to make Him a suitable return. 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. She will have everything to be His; and then there are others who shall profit by it also.

If Solomon gets the thousand pieces of silver, others will get two hundred. Mary's jar of ointment, very costly, was spent entirely on Christ, but others also received a benefit, for "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."