Poetry

If You See My Love

by Terry Barlow
10/02/14
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   Rarely do we hear of the Biblical book Song of Solomon in regard to evangelism but that is part of how I am beginning to understand it after a recent reading. I had already appreciated its order of direct address in Chapter 5 with the bridegroom announcing his arrival in the garden, “my sister, my spouse” or “my sister, my bride.” It’s been noted that the significance of the order of those titles is that true love incubates patiently in the context of the friendship of being a brother and a sister, before it progresses to the level of matrimonial love. When that order is reversed and the erotic is put first as a priority, the filial love of friend or brother and sister never has a chance to develop, and that is a tragedy. The time will come in the relationship when the erotic appeal will diminish, and it is then when the foundation of friendship of brother to sister must come to the foreground. This it cannot do if it was never allowed to grow in the first place. (Brain research has actually shown that significantly more of the brain is engaged in sustained friendship than in the intensity of romantic love.)

  In verse 2 of Chapter 5 the bride declares, “I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My love is knocking!” “Open to me, my sister, my darling________.” He praises her lavishly and explains why she should let him enter, but she replies, “I have taken off my clothing (some would say that was all the more reason to open the door, but the groom doesn’t go there) how can I put it back on,” she continues, “I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty?” In other words, Jesus, our heavenly bridegroom, is calling upon us to enter more deeply and directly into fellowship leading to his active purposes, but it is not convenient for us to respond. It doesn’t seem to fit into our accustomed schedules. We might get our hands dirty. When he reaches longingly toward her, she reasons with herself and yields and finally rises up to admit her beloved, but he has gone. She seeks after him, calling after him, but it is too late, the opportunity has passed. She is crushed by regret and won’t give up her search.  Will there be a portion of the church that fails to rise up and meet Jesus the bridegroom when he returns at length to catch away His bride?  I had never thought of this passage in that light before now. 

  After she inquires of the night watchmen, she is misjudged by them who may mistake her for a prostitute, being out alone at such a late hour. The watchmen,  who are there to protect her,  abuse her instead. They beat and wound her and steal her covering. This series of experiences seems to speak of the persecutions that will inevitable befall those who publicly act upon their love for Jesus Christ and attempt to follow Him more closely. The experience of crushing regret with respect to what appear to be missed opportunities in the service of our Lord is prerequisite for all believers who are serious about going deeper in their walk with God. Though it is painful there is much to be learned from it, as it produces a greater willingness and availability for participating in God’s purposes. ( The potters in ancient times had a device called a "contriter" that would crush a marred pot to small enough pieces that it could be reshaped into a new pot.  The adjective "contrite" and the noun "contrition" relate to godly sorrow over sin.) This participation builds steam and sweeps more and more people up in its momentum, people we would never have met otherwise.

   I wish I could say it was only one or two crushings, but, at least in my case, the crushings have been periodic because of my strong inclination to resist the Holy Spirit. When the bride begins in desperation to plead with the other young women to give a message of her fervent love to her beloved if they find him, the young women want to know how they will know him as distinguished from any other. Here begins one of the most beautiful poetic passages in the entire Bible. He is described as fit and strong with raven black wavy hair and eyes like doves washed in milk and set like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice with lily-like lips dripping with myrrh, a mouth of sweetness. His arms are rods of gold with a body like a sapphire covered ivory panel. His legs are alabaster pillars and his presence majestic as cedars. (It was said that Attila the Hun would have destroyed Rome were it not for Bishop Leo’s majestic presence; that had to have been Christ’s presence within him!) In all he is “absolutely desirable!”

   When the women hear this description they themselves are mesmerized by it and want to join eagerly in the search! What a compelling picture of the believers’ witness and testimony to the beautiful reality of the presence and work of the risen Christ in their lives today! The love and affection of the bride for her groom was so evident in her words and countenance as to be irresistible,  and so irresistible as to be contagious. Those whose attitude is at first callously indifferent, asking what’s so different about your religion from the multitude of religions and prophets and teachers, those same ones are drawn in by the vibrancy of your superlative account of a dynamic and loving relationship, the fellowship and fruit of which you and now they are obviously experiencing right there in front of them.

   The relationship between bride and groom itself is merely the cord, but it is what flows THROUGH the cord when it is plugged into the Holy Spirit that makes it special and electric. And what flows through the cord of that relationship is fellowship sweet and divine!