“How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” (Song of Solomon 7:6)

The Beloved 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 word “pleasant” is defined as “giving pleasure”; agreeable, pleasurable, satisfying, alluring, attractive, desirable, cheerful, personable.

In this verse, Christ sums up His description of His Bride from the very beginning of the Song of Solomon; but especially her description in Song of Solomon 6:4-7, 9.

As stated many times in these devotions, the Beauty of the Bride is Christ living within her. He is actually describing Himself and His Fruits in her.

But here Christ presents an additional revelation of how He views their communion, “for delights.”

One of the greatest revelations that the Bride of Christ can perceive is the why she is who she is to Christ. That is, why did Christ choose her before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6)? Why did He purpose to be her Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior (Ephesians 1:7)? Why did He choose her, predestinate her, call her, justify her, and glorify her (Romans 8:29-30)?

The first part of the answer is found in John 15:16:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

So the answer is that we are to be fruit-bearers; we are to bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit (John 15:2-8).

“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

This is speaking of being His witnesses on this earth.

The second part of the answer is to be His Bride. (See Ephesians 1:21-23; 5:22-33; Revelation 21:9.) This speaks of full and complete communion. That is, to be One with Christ. This is the figure of a true Godly marriage, one man and one woman joined together by God to become one flesh; one in body, soul, and spirit; one in attitude, actions, and attire; so is Christ with His Bride.

Song of Solomon 5:1 reveals that it is Christ’s delight to come into His garden (Song of Solomon 4:12-16); to gather His myrrh and spices; to eat His honey and honeycomb; to drink His wine with His milk (Song of Solomon 5:1). The interaction between Christ and His Bride, who is one with Him (John 17:21-24), is His Delight; as He sees His Fruit being produced by Himself in His Bride, and being borne on her branches as fruit.

The word “delight” is a weak, weak English translation of the Hebrew word in an effort to capture the word picture describing Christ’s pleasure in the Work of Grace in His Bride, His Body, the Church. The human mind tends to the worldly definition of “delight” as something that satisfies our soul, or our flesh.

But here in Christ’s case, there is no fleshly desire, only Holy Communion. There is nothing within Christ that flesh can satisfy. Christ is only satisfied with Perfection, or Himself.

But, praise God, He had an Eternal Purpose in Christ to have a people (Ephesians 1:3-6) who would be made in the image of God, without spot or blemish; who would be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. That is, to be made One with Him in Knowledge of the Oneness in Christ (in His Perfection, Preeminence, Perception, and Power). That is, to Behold His Glory (John 7:21-24).

This would only be accomplished through their Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the performance of His Office Works as Prophet, High Priest, Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords.

In Christ, they were brought into wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption:

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30)

That is, they were Reconciled, Redeemed, and Justified; in order to be brought to Glorification. (See Romans 8:29-39; 3:24-25; 5:1-21; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 2:24; etc.)

This is Christ’s Delight. That is, His Own Purpose in Himself to reveal Himself as the God-Man; His chosen Bride’s Representative and Substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Therefore, the Source of His Pleasure is in the Good Pleasure of His Own Will (Ephesians 1:8-11). The Bride is only “fair” (beautiful) and “pleasant” (pleasing) because of His Grace and Mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9); not because of any merits within herself (1 Corinthians 15:10; Romans 5:1-2).

There are several reasons why many who are so-called Christians do not understand how the physical description written in the Song of Solomon represents the spiritual communion between Christ and His Bride, the Church.

The first reason is that they may have never experienced the New Birth. Without the New Birth process, there is no way to “see” or to “enter into” the Kingdom of God, which is within the Born-Again individual. (See Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17.)

The second reason could be the lack of wisdom of some who are Born from Above. This lack of wisdom may be due to no serious study of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). Or it could be due to no final vow to cross Jordan and say to Christ, “Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8); no commitment, as seen in Luke 14:26-33. They have not totally given their all (body, soul, and spirit) to Christ, to be used in the service of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ and His Honor, and Communion with Him (being one with Him) is not their goal in life. They are still entangled in the affairs of this life.

A third reason is because, as of yet in their progress in Sanctification, they have not been brought to the final test or trial that will cause them to stop, look, and listen as to who God is, and why they are, and the reason God chose them and called them. The Scriptures are filled with God’s School of the Desert for His Children to be conformed to His Image. (From Moses, to Jacob, to Joseph, to the Apostles, and even today; God’s Potter’s House is still open, and is still carrying out its designed purpose of reshaping the clay vessels in the hands of the Potter.)

The fourth reason is that perhaps they are still in the School of God; He is conforming them to Him. They have not come to graduation; but as with the Bride in Song of Solomon, the Beloved is carrying out His Plan of Recovery and Rest.

But rest assured, God has predestinated that His Bride be conformed to His Image:

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)

God does not fail in His Plan. But His Time-table is not man’s time-table. My advice is to be still and wait on God; for He is conforming His Bride.