Beginning in verse 10a, we saw the bride’s Beloved as her “Commander.” Then in verse 10b, we saw her Beloved’s “Command.” Verses 11-13 showed us her Beloved’s “Consideration” as to the “Why” of his command to her. In verse 11, he gave the first reason as to why the time is right, the hindrances are gone. In verses 12-13, he continued with the second reason, the signs of life are here; thus it is time to, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Now, we see the Beloved’s Concern for his Love:
“O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” (verse 14)
The “Who” is “O my dove.”
The “Where” is “in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs.”
The “What” is “let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice.”
The “Why” is “for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
The Beloved is saying – my Love, all hindrances are past and gone; the proof can be seen in the signs of spring. Now is the time to rise up and come away with me.
However, the Beloved realizes there is still a hindrance that may hold his Bride back. The Beloved speaks tenderly to his Bride by telling her she needs to come out of hiding. He leads her gently, by his revealing to her of his desire to see her and to hear her voice. He adds, “for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely (or beautiful).”
Then he gives her the solution to removing the last hindrance (verse 15); let us remove the foxes, the little foxes, for our vines have tender grapes. We must protect our future harvest. We must do this together.
This is the perfect pattern for every Godly man in his actions to his wife when he senses that his wife needs additional assurance.
This is exactly what Christ does for His Bride when she has come to the end of a deep, deep valley. He senses that His Bride needs a jump start to come out of hiding and reveal herself again. Many times, while at the Potter’s House, the Bride has been brought so low, she has been completely dependent upon God to even blink her eyes; to the extent of not doing anything on her own. She was not even walking on her own, but being carried upon the Shepherd’s shoulder. But now, the Shepherd is telling her to walk on her own. The Bride is lacking confidence to try out what she has been taught in the valley. But now, Christ is saying, let me see you and hear you; and we are going to do away with the little foxes that will hurt our harvest.
The “Who” is “O my dove.”
Here the Beloved is reassuring his Love of her relationship to him. The use of the word “my,” shows possession, “my dove.” It is said that doves have only one mate until death. So then “dove” stands for my one-and-only; the only one; my special one; my pick; you belong to me and only me. It is a descriptive term of endearment. Here her Beloved is bringing her to see who she is. You are my wife; you wear my name; you can hide under my shadow for your all in all. But also, you can reveal yourself; let others see you, see that you have come through the winter season and through the rain.
So in the spiritual, as stated in the introduction, Christ is assuming His responsibility to assure his wife to stand in her confidence in Him. He tells her, Remember you are not naked in your own righteousness, but you have been clothed in My Righteousness; and your garments are of My Salvation. You are as the lily among the thorns. Remember that My Banner of Love is over you. Therefore, listen to My Calling you to show yourself.
The “Where” is “in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs.”
Here, the Beloved defines where the Bride has been during the winter season. She has been hiding in Him. She has been in the clefts of the Rock. Christ is the Rock and His Bride has been in the clefts, or in the Promises, of Christ. It has been her hiding place. Christ calls it “the secret places.” Christ indeed hides His Bride while she is in the Schools of Chastisement, of the Desert, of the Potter’s House, where she is being broken and re-made and conformed to the Image of Christ. This is beautiful, in that Christ knows where His Bride has been; and He prepared her Protection in His appointed trials and tests for His Bride. He placed her here by His Plan and Grace and Mercy. But now, it is time for her to rise up and come away.
The “What” is “let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
The Beloved wants to see her countenance; he wants to see her after she had been hidden in his prepared place all winter. He also wants to hear her voice; he wants to hear how sweet it is. He knows, “sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely,” or pleasant, or beautiful.
So in the spiritual, Christ is saying, it is time to stand on her new feet; feet that are planted on the Rock. It is time for the Potter to see His newly-remade clay pot. She has been in the oven, in the fire. She was being cleansed and purified and conformed to His Image. But now, it is time to come forth and let Christ see His prepared wife.
Christ desires to see her countenance. Not for Himself; but for her to see for herself, Christ’s reaction to her change unto His Image. For Christ already knows what great change has happened to His Bride in the Potter’s House. Now she is comely, or beautiful, in the Robes of His Righteousness. Now her face shines with the Reflection of His Glory. Now her attitude, actions, and attire are in holiness, purity, and peace.
Christ wants to hear her voice of praise. For as she praises her Beloved (Christ), it is a sweet smelling savour to Him. She praises Him for all that He has done for her in the winter time (of all His Protection, His Provision, His Peace, and His Power). The Bride needs to be given the opportunity to pay her vows to her Beloved (Christ). She does this in the Sanctuary, in the House of God. Here in public, she lifts up her hands without wrath and doubting, and offers the Sacrifice of Praise unto Christ for the changes and the conforming He has performed in her. She praises her Husband, her Head, her Savior; He is worthy of all her praises. She is what she is by the Grace of God; being foreknown, predestinated to be conformed to His Image, called, justified, and glorified (Romans 8:29-30).
The “Why” is “for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
Here the Beloved tells the Bride of her sweetness and pleasantness (beauty) to him. This gives the Bride additional assurance and confidence of her Beloved’s desire for her, of his affection for her.
“Sweet is thy voice.” How can a voice be sweet? Physically, to the ear, some voices have a certain pitch that is not soothing, but irritating. A high pitched voice or a squeaky voice sometimes are not pleasing sounds. But sweetness is a word to describe how one receives the sound. It is more than the pitch or the volume. It is more than the articulation (or the ability to give clear and effective utterances). It is “what” is said, it is the meaning of the words uttered, that becomes sweet to the mind of the hearer.
So it is in the spiritual sense with Christ hearing the words of His Bride. The words that are sweet to Him are words of praise from the Bride, about Who Christ is, and Who He is to her, and What He has done for her. (He is God; He is her God; even her Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior. He is her Head, her Husband.)
Words that are sweet to Him are also words of revealed truth, truth that has made her free, has built her up unto Christ; words of assurance, of confidence, of peace and rest.
He also wants to hear sweet words of confession and submission and obedience and confidence. “Here am I, send me. Yes, I will follow You. I am Your servant, friend, disciple, and ambassador.” And “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
“Thy countenance is comely.” The countenance of the human face is the expression on the face; the look on one’s face. In this case, the Beloved said his Bride’s expression is “comely” (or pleasing, pleasant, attractive, handsome, beautiful, pretty, even lovely). In the physical, there is no standard as to what constitutes a beautiful face; for it is only beautiful in the eyes of the beholder. But here in Song of Solomon, the Beloved said that his Bride was pleasing, attractive, even beautiful to him.
There are several factors that make the Bride “comely,” or pleasing, to her husband. One such factor is if she is at peace; her peace will show in her facial expression. Her face is relaxed, which allows a smile to be natural on her face; whereas unrest causes the face to be drawn, tight, and frowning. Another factor is if she has assurance and confidence in his love. This gives her an expression, not of worry, but of surety and authority. A third factor is, if she has joy in her heart, then she has a smile on her face. Another factor is does she have anticipation of his love at the banqueting house; does she have the “I am ready” look?
But the major factor in her expression is found in her eyes. Her eyes set the stage; for in her eyes he sees assurance, confidence, love, anticipation, joy, and contentment. The eyes are the windows to the spirit and the spirit uses the eyes to express its emotions, desires, etc.
So it is in the spiritual, Christ sees His Bride’s beauty when He sees His own Glory reflected on her face. He sees her beauty when He sees in her the Liberty which comes from Truth applied to her spirit. He even sees the assurance and confidence that Christ loves her with an eternal love; which is a Saving love, a Sustaining love, a Supplying love, a Savory love, and a Sanctified love.
Christ sees in her eyes the Peace of His Salvation to her spirit. He sees her desire to have intimate communion with Him in Truth and in Spirit. He sees her desire for true worship of her Beloved. Christ sees her contentment in the Security of His Love applied to her in regeneration and sealed to her for all eternity (Romans 8:29-39).
Reader, what does Christ hear in your voice? What does He hear in your words? Does He hear praises unto Him?
What does Christ see in your face? What does He see in your countenance? Does He see the Peace of His Salvation? The Power of His indwelling Spirit? The Holiness of a pure heart? The Anticipation of being conformed to Him more and more?
Look in to the Perfect Law of Liberty (James 1:22-25). What reflection do you see?
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