Song of Solomon 8:3

The deep desires of the spouse, as expressed here by the Spirit of prophecy, are at once and fully satisfied. She desires full possession of Christ, and to have the opportunity of causing Him to drink of the spiced wine of her pomegranates. Now she knows that once He drank the bitter cup of God's wrath for her sins. So she longs to present to Him a cup of choice wine, which her gratitude and devotedness have mixed for Him alone. Like the prodigal son coming home, she is embraced at once, and rests in the arms of her Beloved.

"His left hand is under my head." The heart is on the left side. The left hand is the hand nearest His heart. She pillows her weary head in His left hand, soothed by the tender affectionate touch of that hand that was pierced for her. Again we say, what a blessed place of rest. And then, "His right hand embraces me." The right hand is the hand we do things with. It is the symbol of power. "Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy" (Ex. 15:6). "My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me" (Ps. 63:8). He throws His mighty right arm around her to hold her up and draw her closer to Himself. And what a protection this is! With His powerful arm around her, no enemy can trouble her, no harm can reach her.

This is real rest. Our head is pillowed on His loving hand, the hand pierced for us. His mighty right hand embraces us, draws us close to Himself and shields us from all alarm. Is not this the real desire of every born-again soul? But sadly we must confess that it is often, as here, more the desire of our hearts than the real experience in our lives. How can it become more of a reality? Verse 5 of the Song gives a clue. "Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?" Ah, that is the secret — leaning upon the Beloved, leaning hard, leaning all the time. This is indeed a wilderness scene. How often believers battle their circumstances in their own strength, leaning on their own wisdom! No wonder disappointment and grief result.

"The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27). "And lifting up his hands he blessed them" (Luke 24:50). "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me." His everlasting arms are underneath us, around us and over us. There we may rest in peace and quietness of soul, however the nations rage or the conditions around us change. Let us never forget this. If you are worried and fearful, it is because you are losing sight of the Lord; you are not trusting His everlasting arms.

"His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." (Older translations read "until he pleases"; or, until she pleases. It seems that the bride is the one resting in her bridegroom's embrace, while He watches in love that nothing disturbs her.)