Song of Solomon 3: Lessons for Waiting for Jesus’ Return
Introduction: This song tells of a bride searching for her groom, his unannounced return, and their joyful marriage. This account foreshadows Jesus’ return and marriage to His Church. While waiting for Jesus, this song teaches believers lessons in: (1) perseverance, (2) seeking Jesus, (3) clinging to Him, (4) patience, (5) preparation, (6) trust, and (7) joyful gratitude.
First, during a time of darkness, the bride persevered in her love for her missing groom. During your times of darkness, Jesus also wants you to persevere in your love and faith in Him. Second, without delay, the bride arose and searched for her groom. Jesus also wants you to search Him out without delay. Third, when the bride found her groom, she clung tightly to Him. Jesus also wants you to cling tightly to Him and guard your heart for Him. Fourth, after the bride was revealed to be in a dream, the groom instructed others not to wake her up prematurely. Jesus also wants you to be patient for His timing and His return. Fifth, without any prior warning, the bride woke up and saw her groom approaching in the wilderness with columns of smoke. Jesus also wants you to be prepared at all times for His unannounced return. Sixth, the bride had been alone and unprotected. But she now looked with joy as her groom-king approached with a powerful army and royal majesty. You can also trust that Jesus comes with great power to deliver you. Finally, the witnesses to the union between the king and his bride received a command to share the good news. Jesus also wants you to be joyful and grateful for your salvation. This should also include sharing Jesus’ Good News and inviting others to join the great wedding in heaven.
1. Perseverance: During Times of Darkness, Persevere in Your Love and Faith in Jesus, and He Will Reward You. SoS 3:1.
In times of darkness and when you feel alone, Jesus wants you to persevere in your faith. The groom had recently left his fiancée to “catch the foxes” in “the vineyards,” (SoS 2:15), a symbol of his protecting her from evil (Jdgs. 15:4; Ezek. 13:4 NKJV). But her groom then went missing for many days. [The Bride] “1 On my bed night after night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.” (SoS 3:1). “By night—literally, ‘By nights.’ Continuation of the longing for the dawn of the Messiah (So 2:17; Ps 130:6; Mal 4:2).” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on SoS 3:1).1 “[W]e have the spouse for a great while seeking her beloved in vain … It is applicable to the case of particular believers, who often walk in darkness a great while, but at even time it shall be light, and those that seek Christ to the end shall find him at length …It was a dark time with the believer; she saw not her signs, and yet she sought them. Those whose souls love Jesus Christ will continue to seek him even in silence and solitude: their reins instruct them to do so, even in the night season.” (Matthew Henry on SoS 3:1).2
Cry out to God when you are in darkness. The psalmists frequently cried out in the night. This included a call to regularly pray at nighttime. But it also spoke to their desire to turn to God and find comfort during times of darkness. “I will bless the LORD who has advised me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” (Ps. 16:7). “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches,” (Ps. 63:6). “I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders:” (Ps. 77:6). “LORD, I remember Your name in the night, and keep Your Law.” (Ps. 119:55).
In times of darkness, persevere in faith when you cannot feel Jesus’ presence.3
David frequently cried out for God’s presence. On many occasions, David also cried out when he could not feel God’s comfort or reassurance: “1 Why do You stand far away, Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1). “Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions . . . You have seen it, LORD, do not keep silent; Lord, do not be far from me.” (Ps. 35:17, 22). “Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?” (Ps. 44:24). “God, do not be far from me; My God, hurry to my aid!” (Ps. 71:12). “LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?” (Ps. 88:14). “How long, LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?” (Ps. 89:46). When you feel alone, God also wants you to share your burdens with Him.
Job also pleaded with God not to leave him. In his time of testing, Job also felt as though God had left him. He even sadly believed that God viewed him as an enemy: “24 Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy?” (Job 13:24). The book of Lamentations contains a similar cry: “Why will You forget us forever? Why do You abandon us for so long?” (Lam. 5:20). Thus, you never need to apologize if you cannot feel God’s presence. Instead, the sin is failing to seek out His presence.
God never forgets His people. Although it is sadly common for people to feel as though God has forgotten them, God assures us that it is impossible for Him to do so: “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ 15 Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” (Is. 49:14-16). If you have ever felt an intense love for a baby, take comfort that God feels that way about you as well.
Persevere in your faith. If your faith endures, Jesus will save you. “But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.” (Matt. 24:13). “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (Jam. 1:12). “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” (Jam. 5:11).
Persevere in your marriage. Some read this poem as a woman with “explicit sexual fantasies, which cause her to be aroused…” (Tom Gledhill on SoS 3:1-5).4 But this is not an interpretation adopted by any Church fathers. If there is a message here outside of Jesus, the message is that each spouse should further persevere in the marriage.
2. Seeking Jesus: Jesus Wants You to Seek Him Out Without Delay. SoS 3:2-3.
Jesus wants you to seek out His presence without delay. Even though it was dark and the bride could have waited, she promptly arose and sought her groom in the city without further delay. “2 ‘I must arise now and go around in the city; in the streets and in the public squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.’ I sought him but did not find him. 3 The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’” (SoS 3:2-3). [v.2] “I will rise now — I will immediately apply myself to seek him, without whom my bed can give me no rest, nor comfort; and go about the city — The city of God, the church in which Christ resides. And in the broad ways — Not finding him in private prayer and meditation, I sought him in the places of public assemblies and ordinances; but I found him not — He saw fit still to delay the discoveries of his grace.” (Joseph Benson on SoS 3:2).5 [v. 3] “The watchmen that go about the city found me,.... By whom are meant the ministers of the Gospel; who are called watchmen, as the prophets were under the Old Testament, Isaiah 52:8; … Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? meaning Christ; who was still the object of her love, and uppermost in her thoughts;” (John Gill on SoS 3:3).6 “The allegorical view finds considerable support in the fact that it is difficult on any hypothesis exactly to explain the language as descriptive of real occurrences. In such instances as Psalms 127:1 and Isaiah 52:8 the reference to watchmen in the city shows that such a metaphor would be familiarly understood. Whether adopted from Solomon's Song or not, the figure of a city watched and guarded, and the people of God as watching for the glory of Zion, was common in the prophetic writings. The soul seeking for its object and for the restoration of its peace calls in the aid of the faithful guardians of the holy city, the friends alike of the Saviour and of those who desire to be his.” (Pulpit Commentary on SoS 3:3).7
Jesus wants you to search Him out while and wait with hope for His return.8
Seek Jesus with all your heart and soul. The bride looked for her groom in the streets and public squares. Jesus calls out to people to turn to Him in open places like this. “Wisdom shouts in the street, she raises her voice in the public square; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:” (Prov. 1:20-21). In all places, Jesus wants you to continually seek out His presence. To encourage the Jews to find the strength during times of darkness, the psalmists encouraged the Jews to continually seek after God’s will through prayer: “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘I shall seek Your face, LORD.”’ (Ps. 27:8). “4 Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.” (Ps. 105:4).
Jesus’ light guides you out of darkness. David proclaimed, “The Lord is my light” (Ps. 27:1a). He protects in part by guiding you out of darkness: “For You light my lamp; the LORD my God illumines my darkness.” (Ps. 18:28). He guides you through His Word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105). Jesus was and is the light who guides us: “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6). “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” (Eph. 1:18; Jo. 1:5, 9: Is. 49: Acts 14:24). To receive His light, you need to read His Word and pray for the Spirit’s guidance.
No one knows the date or the time of the return of the Church’s Groom. The bride approached “watchmen” seeking “him whom my soul loves.” (SoS 3:3). The “watchmen” was a term that God used to reference His ministers, priests, prophets, and teachers. “On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who profess the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;” (Is. 62:6). But these watchmen could only speak meaningfully when God authorized them to speak. “A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds a house, they who build it labor in vain; unless the LORD guards a city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps. 127:1). The watchmen could not tell the bride the date or the hour of her groom’s return (SoS 3:3). The watchmen of today also cannot say the date or the hour of Jesus’ return because God has not revealed this information. “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matt. 24:36).
Jesus has given you a spirit of strength while you wait for Him. The bride did not express any fear about her inability to learn when her groom would return (SoS 3:3). Jesus also has not given you a spirit of fear while you wait for Him. Instead, He has given you a spirit of strength: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Tim. 1:7). “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!”’ (Ro. 8:15). “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Eph. 6:10). “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13). The only fear that we are commanded to have is of God (Prov. 1:7). And fearing God is defined as hating all things that are evil (Prov. 8:13).
Constantly seek out a deeper relationship with your spouse. If this poem has an application for husbands and wives, it is to constantly seek out and know the cares, concerns, burdens, and trials that your spouse is experiencing.
3. Cling to Jesus: Jesus Also Wants You to Cling to Him. SoS 3:4.
When you find Jesus, cling to Him, and never let Him go. After searching for her beloved, the bride found him. Out of joy, she then clung to him. She would not let go. She then brought him home. “4 Hardly had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, and into the room of her who conceived me.” (SoS 3:4). Many scholars have connected the first four verses to Mary Magdalene’s post resurrection encounter with Jesus (Jo. 20:11-18). “In the latter text, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb looking for Jesus. She cannot find his body, and so she questions two angels about the location. She turns and, though she does not recognize him at first, encounters the risen Jesus. She holds onto him, but he says he must go … Like the beloved in the Song of Songs, … Mary has a sense of ‘paradise regained.’” (Tremper Longman III on SoS 3:1-4).9
Cling to Jesus and guard your heart for Him.10
If you seek Jesus out of a sincere love for Him, you will find Him. The bride sought out “him whom my soul loves.” (SoS 3:4). She showed her love for him by then clinging to him. Those who seek Jesus out of true love will also find Him: “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13). “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Dt. 4:29). “I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.” (Prov. 8:17). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20).
Jesus delights in your fellowship. The groom accepted the bride’s embrace, and he rejoiced in being with her again. Jesus also desires your eternal fellowship with Him: “… for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married.” (Is. 62:4b). “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated with no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from generation to generation.” (Is. 60:15). “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zeph. 3:17).
When you find Jesus, cling to Him and guard your heart for Him. Out of love, the bride clung tightly to her beloved groom. “I held on to him and would not let him go…” (SoS 3:4). She also brought him to the “room of her who conceived me,” (SoS 3:4) a sign that she guarded him in her heart. Like the bride, Jesus also wants you to cling to Him and guard your heart for Him. “My soul clings to You; Your right hand takes hold of me.” (Ps. 63:8). “But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.” (Josh. 23:8). “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.” (Dt. 10:20). “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” (Dt. 13:4). He also wants you to believe in your heart that He is your Lord and Savior. “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” (Ro. 10:9).
Be careful to avoid misinterpretations. Some modern scholars seek to interpret this passage into a woman’s sexual pursuit of a man. “Why does the woman want to bring the man to her mother’s house of all places? Well, she clearly has sexual fulfillment in mind …” (Iain Duguid on SoS 3:4).11 But this interpretation cannot be found in Church history. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) noted that this verse spoke about bringing Christ into your church to make sure its worship is not corrupted. ‘“I say …seek to bring Christ into an imperfect church, and a weak church, and an erring church, that she may become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” (Charles Spurgeon on SoS 3:4).12
4. Patience: Be Patient for Jesus’ Return and His Timing. SoS 3:5.
Be patient for Jesus. Here, the bride is revealed to have been dreaming. The groom observed and instructed others around her not to wake her up. But no human can read another person’s dreams. Thus, the groom foreshadowed Jesus, who is watching over us. [The Groom] “5 Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you will not disturb or awaken my love until she pleases.” (SoS 3:5). The groom spoke to the “daughters of Jerusalem.” (SoS 3:5). “In conservative Christian thought, the Song of Solomon is often interpreted as an allegory of Christ's love for the Church. The Daughters of Jerusalem, in this context, can be seen as representing believers who witness and testify to the love between Christ and His bride, the Church.”13 “Song of Solomon 3:5 is a study in patience …The phrase ‘I charge you’ showcases a sense of urgency and importance ….Next, the symbolism of ‘the roes and hinds of the field’ is significant. These creatures, often associated with grace and beauty, represent gentleness and the delicacy of love… the expression “do not stir up” underscores an essential aspect of love: …This phrase implies that love cannot be forced into existence and must unfold according to its own pace.” (Christianitypath.com on SoS 3:5).14
Jesus is patient for everyone to turn to Him. The groom previously gave the same instructions. “Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you will not disturb or awaken my love until she pleases.” (SoS 2:7). And he would give it again. “Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem: do not disturb or awaken my love until she pleases.” (SoS 8:4). Jesus is patient for sinners to turn to Him when their love for Him is genuine. “Love is patient, love is kind ...” (1 Cor. 13:4). “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9).
Be patient for Jesus’ timing. Jesus wants you to be patient for His return. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” (Ps. 27:14). “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.” (Ps. 37:7). “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He reached down to me and heard my cry.” (Ps. 40:1). “The LORD is good to those who await Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lam. 3:25-26). “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Is. 40:31).
Be patient with your spouse. Just as Jesus is patient with you, be patient with your spouse. “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” (Eph. 4:2). “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;” (Col. 3:12).
If you are single, be patient for Jesus’ appointed spouse. Showing godly patience also means that you should be patient for the right spouse. If you lack patience and fail to turn to Jesus to guide you (Jam. 1:5), you might become unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14-18).
5. Preparation: Be Prepared at All Times for Jesus’ Return. SoS 3:6.
Be prepared at all times for Jesus’ return. Without any warning, the bride woke up and saw her groom approaching in the wilderness with columns of smoke. [The Bride] “6 What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the scented powders of the merchant?” (SoS 3:6). “How reminiscent this is of God leading His bride, Israel, through the wilderness with columns of smoke.” (Dee Brestin on SoS 3:6).15 “The apocryphal, inter-testament book 1 Maccabees described a similar wedding party: “Where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of music, and many weapons.” (1 Maccabees 9:39).” (David Guzik on SoS 3:6).16
Jesus will come unexpectedly with clouds of fire and smoke.17
The glory of the Lord coming in the wilderness is Jesus. From the “wilderness,” the bride saw “columns of smoke” approach (SoS 3:6). This foreshadowed Jesus’s arrival. “The wilderness and the desert will rejoice, and the desert will shout for joy and blossom; like the crocus it will blossom profusely and rejoice with joy and jubilation. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.” (Is. 35:1-2). He was also the “pillar of cloud” who led the Jews in the wilderness. “And the LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.” (Ex. 13:21-22).
Jesus’ arrival with smoke will conclude the end times. Jesus’ arrival with smoke will also bring His judgment. “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” (Joel 2:30-31). “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” (Rev. 15:8).
The frankincense and myrrh also foreshadowed Jesus. The Messiah’s arrival will be a sweet “perfume,” like “myrrh and frankincense” (SoS 3:6). His sacrifice offering, a path to salvation, is also a sweet aroma. “…just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph. 5:2). Thus, the wise men brought these gifts to celebrate Jesus. “And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:11). “All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia; from ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You joyful.” (Ps. 45:8).
Be prepared at all times for Jesus’ arrival. In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), ten bridesmaids waited for the arrival of the groom and the start of the wedding festivities. But five of the bridesmaids failed to prepare. They had no oil in their lamps (the Holy Spirit). The other five bridesmaids prepared, and they were rewarded. “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.” (Matt. 25:10). Each person must also be at all times prepared for Jesus’ arrival or their death. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” (Matt. 24:42; 25:13). “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is.” (Mk. 13:33).
Prepare your family for Jesus’ return. If this part of the song has any application to a husband and wife, it is to prepare their family for Jesus’ return. “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older he will not abandon it.” (Prov. 22:6).
6. Trust: Place Your Trust in Jesus to Deliver You. SoS 3:7-10.
You can trust in Jesus’ return and His power to protect you. The bride had been alone and unprotected. But she now looked with joy as her groom-king approached with a powerful army and royal majesty. [The Wedding Day] “7 Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon; sixty warriors around it, of the warriors of Israel. 8 All of them are wielders of the sword, expert in war; each man has his sword at his side, guarding against the terrors of the night. 9 King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair from the timber of Lebanon. 10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold and its seat of purple fabric, with its interior lovingly inlaid by the daughters of Jerusalem.” (SoS 3:7-10). [v. 7-8] “These are elite soldiers … First, they are ‘warriors from the mighty of Israel.’ Second, ‘All of them are skilled with swords and trained in warfare.’ Third, ‘Each has his sword at his side to guard against the terror of the night.’ [The] Shulammite felt alone and unprotected at night in 3:1, but that will never happen again under the watchful care and protection of her shepherd-king and his mighty resources. These royal bodyguards are a pledge and promise of protection that will accompany their marriage until death separates them.” (Daniel Akin on SoS 3:7-8).18 [v. 9-10] This was “some sort of portable sedan-chair that could be either wheeled or carried, constructed of the finest materials…Here it is upholstered with purple…The color is usually associated with royalty or the aristocracy.” (G. Lloyd Carr on SoS 3:9-10) (italics original).19
Jesus will return with great glory and power. Solomon came with an army of mighty men and a chariot built with the finest materials (SoS 3:9-10). But Solomon’s glory cannot compare to even the smallest part of Jesus’ creation. “yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” (Matt. 6:29). Jesus will return with far greater glory and power than Solomon. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” (Matt. 24:30; Lk. 21:25-27; Mk. 13:26). “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.” (Rev. 19:11-12).
Jesus will return with an army of angels with power and majesty.20
You can trust in Jesus’ power to deliver you. Out of love, Jesus comes with great power to deliver you the bondage of sin and offer you eternal salvation. “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” (Is. 12:2). “The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,” (2 Sam. 22:47). “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.” (Ps. 62:2). “A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my faithfulness and my fortress, my stronghold and my savior, my shield and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.” (Ps. 144:1-2). “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps. 18:2).
Trust Jesus and do not rely upon your own understanding. Like the bride, all who trust and believe in the promised return of the King of Kings will be blessed. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose trust is the LORD.” (Jer. 17:7). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5).
Teach your family to trust Jesus. If this song applies to couples, it is to raise their family to trust Jesus. “But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Josh. 24:15).
7. Joyful Gratitude: Show Joy and Gratitude for Your Salvation. SoS 3:11.
Jesus desires the joy and gratitude from every believer. The witnesses to the union between the king and his bride received an order to share the good news. “11 Go out, you daughters of Zion, and look at King Solomon with the crown with which his mother has crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the joy of his heart.” (SoS 3:11). “[T]he church here admires and praises Christ, because of the greatness of his person (v. 11)… The day a sinner believes on the Son of God is his coronation day as King in our souls. True faith acknowledges and submits to Christ as Lord and King (Luke 14:25-33). It is also the day of his espousals. He joins us to him in faith and love, and he betroths all that he is and has to us (Hosea 3:3). The day his chosen is brought to him in faith is the day of the gladness of his heart. There is joy in heaven, in the presence of the angels when a sinner trusts Christ. He sees with satisfaction and delight of the travail of his soul (Luke 15:6-8, 10). Let us ever go forth and behold the greatness of Christ’s grace toward sinners. This is his crown.” (Don Fortner on SoS 3:11).21
Sing with joyful gratitude for your Lord and Savior. God commanded the “daughters of Zion” to celebrate the coming arrival of the Messiah on a humble donkey. “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9). The Messiah’s arrival is a joyful time to celebrate because He brings salvation. “Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation is coming; behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.” (Is. 62:11).
Sing with joyful gratitude because Jesus offers you eternal paradise. The joyful wedding foreshadows the joyful wedding in heaven. “Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” (Rev. 19:7). Jesus gives you many reasons to celebrate. “but just as it is written: ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”’ (1 Cor. 2:9).
Share the Good News and invite others to the wedding banquet in heaven. The witnesses were told to share the good news. You have also been called upon to share Jesus’ Good News. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20). All are invited to accept Jesus and join the wedding in heaven. “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;” (Rev. 7:9).
Share the Good News and invite all to Jesus’ wedding banquet in heaven.22
Live with joyful gratitude for your God-given marriage. Just as you should live with joyful gratitude for your future spiritual marriage to Jesus in heaven, you should also live with joyful gratitude for your marriage. “The Song of Solomon is frequently interpreted as an allegory of God’s love for His people, yet it also highlights the beauty of romantic love. This particular section emphasizes the joy and excitement that love brings, drawing parallels to the relationship between Christ and the Church, as seen in Ephesians 5:25-27. The imagery used in this passage serves to elevate love to a sacred status, encouraging readers to reflect on its significance.” (Rev. Michael Johnson on SoS 3:6-11).23
Song of Solomon 3 Commentary - Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete) | Bible Study Tools (italics in original).↩︎
Image credit: Song of Solomon 3:1–4:16 NET - All night long on… | Biblia↩︎
Tom Gledhill, The Message of the Song of Songs (Downers Grove, IL, InterVarsity Press 1994) (ISBN 978-1-5140-0633-7), p. 131-132.↩︎
Song of Solomon 3 Benson Commentary (italics in original).↩︎
Image credit: Pin by Shelley Cortez on visionboard | Cross pictures, Jesus christ artwork, Cross wallpaper↩︎
Tremper Longman III, Song of Songs, (Grand Rapids, MI, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 2001) (ISBN 978-0-8028-2543-8) p. 128, quoting Lundbom, J.R. “Song of Songs 3:1-4.” Interp 49 (1995) p.175.↩︎
Image credit: Song of Solomon 3:4↩︎
Iain M. Duguid, Song of Songs, Reformed Expository Commentary, (Phillipsburg, NY P&R Publishing 2016) (ISBN 978-1-59638-948-9), p. 57.↩︎
Charles H. Spurgeon, The Song of Solomon, (84 Sermons on the Song of Solomon, assembled by Eric Steward and Gary Morris 2020) (ISBN: 979-8-55-894256-9), p. 299; no. 39 “The Real Presence, the Great Need of the Church,” Sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, February 11, 1872.↩︎
Song of Solomon 3:5 Meaning & Explanation (with Related Verses) - Christianity Path↩︎
Dee Brestin, He Calls You Beautiful, Hearing the Voice of Jesus in the Song of Songs (New York, NY, Crown Publishing Group 2017) (ISBN 978-1-60142-990-2) p. 119.↩︎
Song of Solomon Chapter 3 - Enduring Word; quoting 1 Maccabees 9 NRSVUE - Bacchides Returns to Judea - When - Bible Gateway↩︎
Image credit: Jesus Christ Returning on Clouds of Fire for Second Coming Judgement Day Stock Image - Image of bible, jesus: 339962439↩︎
Daniel L. Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs, (Brentwood, TN, B&H Publishing Group, 2015) (ISBN 978-0-8054-9676-5), p. 13.↩︎
G. Lloyd Carr, The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, The Song of Solomon (Downers Grove, IL, Inter-Varsity Press, 1984) (ISBN 0-87784-268), p. 111-112.↩︎
Image credit: 5 Important Facts about Jesus’ Second Coming↩︎
Don Fortner, Discovering Christ in the Song of Solomon (Auburn, MA, Evangelical Press USA, 2005) (ISBN 085234-581-X), pgs. 84-85.↩︎
Image credit: Banquet Table In Heaven Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista | Did You Know You↩︎
What does Song of Solomon 3:6-11 really mean? - God's Blessing↩︎