The third word picture Solomon presents contains the man’s summation statement. (Please read the devotions from the last two Fridays for the first two word pictures.) He begins with verse 15:
“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.”
The man uses the word “fair” as an adjective meaning pleasing in appearance, beautiful; also clean, pure, and clear. The synonyms for “fair” are attractive, beautiful, handsome, lovely, pretty.
The king was summing up all of her appearance as “fair” or beautiful. He gives an example of her eyes. He said, “thou hast doves’ eyes”; which means beautifully set in her head, also the shape of her eyes, and the expression of her eyes.
The eyes are the windows to see the spirit, or the inner man. Many times the first thing about a woman that catches a man’s eye is her eyes (the placement of them in her head, the color, and the expression of her eyes). The eyes of a woman are very revealing as to her inward person and desire. The woman can have beautifully smooth skin, skin without blemish, nice ears, and beautiful hair; but her eyes must be fitly set in her head or it ruins her other characteristics. So, the king said to her, you are beautiful, but it is your eyes which set the tone of your beauty.
So it is in the spiritual realm. The Bride’s eyes, even the Church’s eyes, reveal the new man, the new nature, in the Bride of Christ; which comes from regeneration. Paul said:
“But by the grace of God I am what I am (I am who I am because Christ liveth in me) …” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Until Christ comes to dwell in a person, he is not beautiful; because he is robed in self-righteousness and he walks in the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 2:15-17). He is ruled by the law of sin and death. He yields himself to sin, as a servant of unrighteousness. Until a crucifixion comes experientially of the old man, he is ugly, because sin is ugly. The fruit of the flesh is ugly (Galatians 5:19-21). The will of the old man is bent to sin; his desire is to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and the mind. He has no power living within him to overcome sin. (Read Romans 6:1-23; 7:1-25; 8:1-10.)
But when Christ comes to dwell within a person, he is made a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). He is given a new nature (Ephesians 4:17-25). He now bears the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). He walks in love, in the light, and circumspectly; filled with the Spirit; in thanksgiving, and in submission. (Read Ephesians 5:1-21.)
Paul wrote:
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:3-4)
John said:
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1 John 3:1)
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
And Paul also wrote:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17)
All of these verses prove that the beauty of the Bride is Christ living in her. Her eyes reveal The Light (Christ Himself) living within her; for He has been “…made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).
This is why Christ can say, “Behold, thou art fair… thou hast doves’ eyes.” Because it is not what He sees, it is Who he sees in His Bride that is causing her beauty. The Who is very obvious, it is Himself, and He is God – Perfect, Pure, and Absolute Holiness.
The regenerated Child of God must come to bow before His Sovereign Grace and Mercy that has made him beautiful, covered him in Christ’s Righteousness. He must lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting (1 Timothy 2:8), praising Him without restraint (Hebrews 13:15); for without Him we would be ugly and not “fair” with “doves’ eyes.” What a glorious honor it is to hear Christ say:
“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair…”
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